For thousands of years, people across every civilization have believed in the existence of Satan, an entity embodying pure evil. Yet in modern times, the greatest trick has been to make belief in Satan seem ridiculous, so that even mentioning Satanism makes you sound like a lunatic. This episode with a former director of ISNA Canada unpacks what Islam teaches about Shaytan (Satan), the difference between human and jinn devils, and why Satanic symbolism hidden in plain sight demands our attention.
Satan in Islam: Not a Fallen Angel
A critical distinction in Islamic theology is that Satan (Iblis) is not a fallen angel. Angels are made of light and never disobey God. Satan is from the Jinn, beings made of smokeless fire who possess free will. He disobeyed Allah’s command to bow to Adam and was expelled, becoming humanity’s sworn enemy. The Quran identifies him clearly as the great deceiver, the accursed, the rejected one whose sole purpose is to lead humanity away from their Creator.
“Satan was among the Jinn. He disobeyed the command of Allah. Angels are made of light and do not disobey. Satan is made of fire. That’s obviously not a match. Allah puts this to bed clearly in the Quran.”
Human Devils Are Worse Than Jinn Devils
Islamic scholars teach that there are two types of Shaytan: those from the Jinn (unseen) and those from humankind (seen). The human Shaytan is actually worse because when the Jinn Shaytan whispers, a Muslim can seek refuge in Allah and the devil retreats in fear. But when a human being operates as a devil, influencing and corrupting others face to face, there is no simple formula to make them flee. This is why the Quran warns about the evil of both jinn and human whisperers.
“Scholars say the human Shaytan is worse than the Jinn Shaytan. When the Jinn devil comes, you say ‘I seek protection in Allah from the rejected Satan’ and he goes away. But the human devil in front of you? He doesn’t flee.”
Key Takeaways
- Satanic symbolism appears hidden in plain sight in commercial products and popular culture, conditioning people to normalize what they should reject
- Islam uniquely identifies Satan as a Jinn, not a fallen angel, correcting a widespread theological error in Christianity
- The five daily prayers (Salah) are the greatest protection against Shaytan, connecting the believer directly to Allah with no excuses accepted
- Human devils who corrupt openly are more dangerous than unseen Jinn because there is no simple spiritual formula to repel them
- Allah has removed every excuse for missing prayer: travel, no water, inability to stand, all have accommodations in Islamic law
