Satan: Fallen Angel
“When we said to the angels, 'Fall prostrate before Adam,' they fell prostrate, except Satan, who was a jinn.”
In God's kingdom, certain creatures are necessarily given the powers needed to perform their duties. Satan believed that his God-given powers qualified him to function as an independent god. As evidenced by the prevalence of misery, disease, accidents, and war in his dominion, we now know that Satan is incompetent.
The Quran clearly states that Satan was an angel, by virtue of the immense powers and rank bestowed upon him. This is why he is addressed as an angel (, , , , , , ) prior to his fall.
A Fallen Angel
By definition, a jinn is a fallen angel (). Satan's rebellion teaches us that the angels were created with minds of their own, and absolute freedom of choice (). Satan's fall from grace was the direct result of his refusal to submit to God's command — a manifestation of the same ego and arrogance that afflicts those who reject God's message today.
Key Quranic facts about Satan:
- 1Satan was among the angels commanded to prostrate before Adam ()
- 2He was given high rank and immense powers among God's creatures (implied in -76)
- 3His fall made him a “jinn” — the Quran's term for a fallen angel ()
- 4His rebellion demonstrates that freedom of choice exists even for angels ()