Etymology and terminology
The Arabic term ''šayṭān'' () originated from the triliteral root š-ṭ-n ("distant, astray") and is cognate to ''Satan''. It has a Islamic theology, theological connotation designating a creature distant from the divine mercy. The term is attested in Geʽez. In the Book of Enoch, "angels of punishment prepare the instruments for the ''säyəṭanə''".Grasso, Valentina A. "Historicizing Ontologies: Qur'ānic Preternatural Creatures between Ancient Topoi and Emerging Traditions." Journal of Late Antiquity 16.1 (2023): 160-188. Similarly to the Quranic usage, the term referred to the hosts of Satan. ''Book of Jubilees'' mentions the ''shayṭān'' Mastema, who commands over evil spirits (''manafəsəta''). In later Surahs of the Quran, the ''shayāṭīn'' might have been substituted by ''jinn'' and thus introduced the idea of a multitude of devils, while in the Bible there is only one Devil. Paul Arno Eichler describes the theory that ''shayāṭīn'' have been taken from pagan beliefs (and thus jinn) as unconvincing, since the idea of a multitude of ''shayāṭīn'' is already present in Judeo-Christian tradition. Generally, the term ''šayṭān'' appears in traditions associated with Judaism, Jewish and Christianity, Christian narratives, while the term ''jinn'' represents entities of Religion in pre-Islamic Arabia, polytheistic background. In Islamic tradition, ''shayāṭīn'' could be evil jinn, pagan deities, or fallen angels (satans). Taken from Islamic holy books, Islamic literary sources, the term ''shayāṭīn'' may be translated as "demons", "satans", or "devils".In the Quran
In the Quran, ''shayāṭīn'' are mentioned as often as Angels in Islam, angels. The ''shayāṭīn'' are mentioned less frequently than ''Satan, Šayṭān'', but they are equally hostile to Sharia, God's order (''sharīʿa''). They teach Witchcraft, sorcery to humans (), inspire their friends to dispute with the Faith in Islam, faithful (), make evil suggestions () towards both humans and jinn (), and secretly listen to the council of the angels ().Eichler, Paul Arno, 1928 Die Dschinn, Teufel und Engel in Koran [microform] p. 31. (German) speaks about the ''junud Iblīs'', the invisible hosts of Iblis, Iblīs (comparable to the ''junud'' of angels fighting along Muhammad in ). Despite their reluctant nature, the ''shayāṭīn'' are ultimately under God's command and do not form their own party. According to the Islamic doctrine of ''tawhid, tawḥīd'', both good and evil are prescribed by God. explicitly warns people not to follow the ''Šayṭān'', implying that humans are free to choose between the path of God or the one of ''Šayṭān''. However, ''Šayṭān'' only promises delusion and there is no success in following his path (). In the Quranic story of Iblīs, who represents the ''shayāṭīn'' in the primordial fall, shows that they are subordinative to and created by God, by means of functioning as tempters.Sinai, Nicolai. "Key terms of the Qur'an: a critical dictionary." (2023): 1-840. ''Šayṭān'' can only act with God's permission (). God tasks the ''shayāṭīn'' as companions to the Kafir, misbelievers (), and to incite them against each other (). After convincing sinners to remain in their disbelief, the ''shayāṭīn'' betray their followers when faced with God's judgement (;; ).In the ''ḥādīth'' literature
The Hadith, ''ḥādīth'' speak about ''shayāṭīn'' as malevolent forces, linked to the psychological life of humans.Awn, P. J. (1983). Satan's Tragedy and Redemption: Iblīs in Sufi Psychology. Niederlande: E.J. Brill.Spronk, Annemiek. "God’s good plan and evil forces in this world: The place of the devil in traditional Islam." Probing the Depths of Evil and Good. Brill, 2007. 249-256. The emphasis on the devils' evil nature, sometimes veils the Quranic depiction of the ''shayāṭīn'' as forces under God's control. However, ''ḥādīth'' clarify that God is ultimately in control of both angels and devils and that only God decides whom the devils can take to hell. Sometimes, specific devils are considered to be tasked with disturbing specific spheres of human activities. Eminent among them are: Dasim (demon), Dasim assigned to causing troubles between married couples; Awar, who incites people to commit illicit sexual intercourse (''Zina, zinā''); Sut, who inspires lies and gossip; Tir (demon), Tir causing injuries; and Zalambur, assigned to the market and presiding over dishonest and fraud, fraudulent business transactions. Although the ''ḥādīth'' describe the devils mostly as evil influences, they indicate that they are composed of a body. The ''shayāṭīn'' are said to eat with their Left-handedness, left hand, therefore Muslims are advised to eat with their right hand (Sahih Muslim Book 23 No. 5004). ''Shayāṭīn'', although invisible, are depicted as immensely ugly (Sahih Muslim Book 26 No. 5428). The sun is said to set and rise between the horns of a ''shayṭān'' and during this moment, the doors to hell are open, thus Muslims should not pray at this time (Sahih Muslim 612d Book 5, Hadith 222). Satan and his minions battle the angels of mercy over the soul of a sinner; however, they are referred to as "Zabaniyya, angels of punishment" instead of ''shayāṭīn'' (Sahih Muslim 612d: Book 21, Hadith 2622). However, the ''ḥādīths'' also describe the limits of ''shayāṭīn''. Ritual purity is said to attract angels and fend off ''shayāṭīn'', while ''shayāṭīn'' are attracted to impurity, filthy, and desacralized places. Before reciting the Quran, Muslims should take ''Wudu, wudu/abdest'' and seek refuge in God from the ''shayāṭīn''. Reciting specific ''du'a, prayers'' is further believed to protect against the ''shayāṭīn''. If a ''shayṭān'' successfully interrupts a Salah, ritual Muslim prayer, the Muslim has to prostrate two times and continue (Sahih Bukhari 4:151). During Ramadan the ''shayāṭīn'' are chained in hell (Sahih al-Bukhari 1899). ''Shayāṭīn'' are sent by Iblis to cause misery among humans and return to him for report (Muslim 8:138). A ''shayṭān'' is said to tempt humans through their veins (Muslim 2174).''Kalām''
Kalam, Islamic theology usually accepts three types of invisible creatures: Angels in Islam, angels (''malāʾikah''), djinn, and devils (''šayāṭīn''). While good jinn rarely draw the attention of scholars of the Quran (''mufassirūn''), the supposed negative influence of evil jinn and devils on humans are studied in depth.Egdunas Racius ''ISLAMIC EXEGESIS ON THE JINN: THEIR ORIGIN, KINDS AND SUBSTANCE AND THEIR RELATION TO OTHER BEINGS'' pp. 132–135 The evil jinn are distinguished from ''shayāṭīn'' by their attributes: Whereas jinn share common characteristics with humans (i.e. they are mortal and die, follow different religions, and can, at least theoretically, be converted to Islam), the ''shayāṭīn'' are exclusively evil and are immortal until Judgement Day. Furthermore, the father of the jinn is Jann (legendary creature), ''al-Jann'' and the father of the ''shayāṭīn'' is Iblis. Like the jinn, the ''shayāṭīn'' are supposed to be created from fire, because their leader claims to be made from fire (''nār''). It is probably this supposed substance they share with the jinn, which allows them to ascend into the air in an attempt to listen to the angels. Details about the negative influences of the devils largely derive from the Quran and the ''ḥadīṯ''. The devils promote their own sinful characteristics among humans, including pride, envy, acquisitiveness, anger, lust, and gluttony. Some scholars explained their influences from a rationalistic perspective. Al-Ghazali (c. 1058 – 1111) reconciles the Zahir (Islam), literal meaning (''Ẓāhir'') with Avicenna, Avicennan cosmology based on reason. According to the Islamic philosophy, philosophers (''falsafa''), the word 'angel' refers to "celestial intellects" or "immaterial souls". Ghazali opined that devils might be of a similar nature, that is, that they are celestial immaterial objects influencing human minds.Tamer, Georges. Islam and Rationality: The Impact of al-Ghazālī. Papers Collected on His 900th Anniversary. Vol. 1. Vol. 94. Brill, 2015. p. 103 By that, Ghazali does not mean to deny the reality of devils, rather that devils can only be known by their impact. In his response to the question, how devils, who are conceptualized as creatures of a subtile body (i.e. either fallen angels or evil jinn) in early ''kalām'', can run through the body of humans, he explains that it is not the devil himself, but the effects of the devil (''athar ash-shayṭān'') that run through human body and influence the soul. Humans were to discover temptations within themselves,described as devilish whisperings (''waswās''). Such devilish whisperings are of the same nature than inspirations (''ilhām'') of the angels. The only difference between ''ilhām'' and ''waswās'' lies in the cause: ''Ilhām'' is caused by an angel and inspires good that benefits humanity, while ''waswās'' is caused by a devil (''šayṭān'') and inspires sin mostly to enrich the ego. According to the Islamic cosmology, Islamic conception of the cosmos, such inspirations are not worldly, but are considered to derive from the Malakut, celestial realm (''malakūt''). However, devils attempt to distract a human's mind towards earthly matters, drawing it back to the material world. A similar conceptualization on angels and devils is given by Ali Hujwiri. Some scholars differentiate between the ''waswās al-shayṭān'' and ''waswās al-nafs'' ("vices" also called ''Div (mythology), dīv'' in Persian literature). Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi argues that the latter are internal to humans and result from passion (''hawā''). Others equate ''nafs'' and the whisperings of the ''shayāṭīn''. Najm al-Din Kubra states "the lower soul, Satan, and the angels are not external things to you; rather they are ''you''". Atharism, Athari scholar (''al-atharīyah'') Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (1292–1350) elaborates on three possible states of a human soul (heart), depending on its relationship with devils: the first one is devoid of ''ʾīmān'' (faith), the devil does not whisper since he is already in complete control of that soul; the second heart is illuminated by ''ʾīmān'', the devil whispers to, sometimes winning and sometimes losing; the third heart is brimming with ''ʾīmān'' and Nūr (Islam), light (''nūr'') like heaven, from which the veils of passion have been lifted, so whenever a devil were to approach this heart, the devils are burned by a meteor when they approach.Popular culture
In 2008 Hasan Karacadağ published the movie ''Semum'' about one of the ''shaytan''. The ''shaytan'' was released from hell. Jealous of humans, the ''shaytan'' seeks out to harm and torment humans, and takes possession over the body of a woman.''The Routledge Dictionary of Turkish Cinema'', Gonul Donmez-Colin, Routledge, 2013 p. 130 The movie deals with questions regarding good and evil in Islamic thought. The ''shaytan'' of the movie describes himself as a loyal servant of ''Azazil, ʿAzāzīl'' (another name of Satan in Islamic tradition), whom he venerates as a deity after feeling forgotten by God. However, in accordance with the teachings of the Quran, Azazil turns out to be unreliable, while God ultimately intervenes on behalf of those who stayed loyal. By that, the movie validates belief in the Islamic core doctrine of ''tawhid, tawḥīd'' when confronted with unknown challenges and evil.See also
* Asrestar * Dajjal * Ghoul * Marid * Qareen * Seven deadly sins * Superstitions in Muslim societiesNotes
References
{{Characters and Names in Quran Demons in Islam Jahannam Occultism (Islam) Satan