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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

A-Z Blog Hop: Iblis


In my April post for D, I mentioned Iblis being the name for the Devil in Islam. And as the Devil has many tales so does Iblis.  His name is Arabian for despair.  He is described as the father of the djinn and an angel.

The Qur’an mentions his name nine times, seven of which are in reference to his fall from Allah’s grace. One states he was one of the djinn and he broke the Lord’s command. Another says he was treated as an angel. When Allah created Adam, he ordered the angels to bow down and worship him. Iblis refused because Adam was made of dust and beneath Iblis, who was made of fire. Allah curse Iblis and booted him from heaven. Hmm, sound familiar anyone? Iblis managed to persuade Allah to delay any other punishment until judgment day. So, he was allowed to roam the earth and lure men to si so he may destroy them.

In an alternate version, Allah sent his angels down to Earth to destroy the djinn for rebelling against the divine laws. The angels won the war, killing many of the djinn. They captured Iblis and took up to heaven to be “educated.” The remaining djinn formed a new nation and Iblis left heaven to become their king.

In another legend, Iblis promised any animal who carried him into paradise three magical words that would bestow immortality. The serpent agreed and carried Iblis in his mouth. Iblis, being djinn, was made of smoke, so this was easy. Iblis spoke to Eve through the serpent’s mouth and convinced her to eat from the tree of knowledge.

I always find connections between religions of different cultures fascinating.  It proves to me over and over how connected we are, despite distance and limited means of travel in the past.  Are there any stories that you have heard from different countries that are connected?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

6 comments:

  1. I remember learning about Iblis back when I was studying the djinn. You still managed to expand my knowledge with this post, though. Thanks! :)

    Have you ever read Parallel Myths by J. F. Bierlein? That book showcased a lot of great overlapping myths...

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    1. I haven't but now I'm going to add it to my list of books to get.

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    2. Oooh thanks for the recommendation! Amazon Wish List here I come!

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  2. Very neat! I had no idea. I absolutely love learning details of religions other than my own. I wasn't even certain there *was* a concept of the devil in the Qur'an. Thanks for the enlightenment!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. Yeah, it's pretty amazing how alike some religions are.

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  3. Great post!! Enjoyed reading it!

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