HAS PROPHET ADAM (AS) SEEN IBLEES AND IS IBLEES THE FATHER OF ALL THE JINN?

HAS PROPHET ADAM (AS) SEEN IBLEES AND IS IBLEES THE FATHER OF ALL THE JINN?

ASSEMBLED BY MALLAM ABBA ABANA, KUBWA, ABUJA, NIGERIA

http://variousislamicdawadocuments.blogspot.com

emails:gonidamgamiri@yahoo.com; abba.abana@gmail.com

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah. As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu

Praise be to Allaah; we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

QUESTION DURING DAWAH ON ‘’WHY SATAN IS DECEIVING US WHEN WE HAVE QURAN AND SUNNAH’’

A Brother Asked ‘’Has Prophet Adam (AS) Seen Iblees and Is Iblees The Father Of All The Jinn?’’

During Dawah one should exercise maturity.

We do not think that the questioner or any other Muslim should focus too much on the details of the stories that are told in the Qur’an, concerning which there is no sound report from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), because if there were any great benefit or wisdom in that, Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, would have mentioned it in His Book, or the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would have taught it to his companions. So the Muslim should not let himself be distracted by that which is less important from that which is more important, or by minor details from the fundamentals. 

1.      It was narrated that al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Verily Allah dislikes for you gossip, asking too many questions, and wasting wealth.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (2408) and Muslim (593).

2.      Ibn Hajar said in Fath al-Baari (3/342): Ibn at-Teen said: It may be that what is meant is asking about issues that are unclear, or about what one does not need to ask about, therefore he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not ask me about details that I have not mentioned to you.” And I say: Interpreting it as referring to ambiguous, unnecessary matters is more appropriate. End quote.

That also includes indulging in discussion of the details of the way in which Iblees (may Allah curse him) whispered to our father Adam and our mother Hawwa’ (peace be upon them both).

Both Adam and Iblees fell into sin, but Adam regretted it and repented, and Allaah accepted his repentance:  “Then Adam received from his Lord Words. And his Lord pardoned him (accepted his repentance). Verily, He is the One Who forgives (accepts repentance), the Most Merciful” [Holy Quran chapter al-Baqarah 2:37 – interpretation of the meaning] .

But Iblees refused and was arrogant, so he was one of the disbelievers:  “And (remember) when We said to the angels: ‘Prostrate yourselves before Adam.’ And they prostrated except Iblees (Satan), he refused and was proud and was one of the disbelievers (disobedient to Allaah)” [Holy Quran chapter al-Baqarah 2:34 – interpretation of the meaning].

The Holy Quran only mentions the basics of the incident, without discussing details of the nature of the whispering or the way in which it happened. The clearest texts that speak of that are the verses in which Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Then Shaytaan (Satan) whispered suggestions to them both in order to uncover that which was hidden from them of their private parts (before); he said: ‘Your Lord did not forbid you this tree save you should become angels or become of the immortals.’And he (Shaytaan (Satan)) swore by Allah to them both (saying): ‘Verily, I am one of the sincere well-wishers for you both’”[Holy Quran Chapter al-A‘raaf 7:20-21].

And. “Then Shaytaan (Satan) whispered to him, saying : ‘O Adam! Shall I lead you to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that will never waste away?’”[ Holy Quran Chapter Ta-Ha 20:120].

If we examine the apparent meaning of the verses, it will become clear to us that this whispering was VERBAL AND IN THE FORM OF A DIRECT ADDRESS. Some of the scholars narrated that from the majority of commentators. Al-Qurtubi aid in al-Jaami‘ li Ahkaam al-Qur’an (1/312): Ibn Mas‘ood, Ibn ‘Abbaas and the majority of the scholars said: He tempted them verbally, and the evidence for that is the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And he (Shaytaan (Satan)) swore by Allah to them both (saying): ‘Verily, I am one of the sincere well-wishers for you both’”[ Holy Quran Chapter al-A‘raaf 7:20-21].

The apparent meaning of the word translated here as swore is that it was done verbally. End quote.

But this apparent meaning does not explain how Iblees was able to address these words to Adam and Hawwa’, and whether he appeared in his Regular Form Or Disguised Himself to them, and whether he entered Paradise in a real sense or a metaphorical one.

All of these are matters of the unseen which we cannot discuss without any proof or knowledge, unless we go by the reports which have been narrated from some of the Sahaabah and Taabi‘een, which Ibn Jareer at-Tabari (1/532) favoured and which originated with Wahb ibn Munabbih and were based on the knowledge of the People of the Book.

These reports say that when Iblees wanted to tempt them, he entered the body of a snake, and the snake had four legs, like a camel. It was one of the most beautiful beasts that Allah had created, and when the snake entered Paradise, Iblees emerged from its body. End quote.

Or we may note what was affirmed by Shaykh al-Ameen ash-Shinqeeti in Adwa’ al-Bayaan, where he said: ‘’The commentators mention concerning that the story of the snake, and that Iblees entered its body in order to gain admittance to Paradise, without the angels who were appointed over it realising that. All of that comes from the ISRAA’EELIYYAAT (stories from Jewish sources), and in fact there is no problem with that, because it is possible that Iblees stood outside Paradise, soon after he was expelled, in such a way that Adam could hear his words whilst he was in Paradise. And it is possible that Allah admitted him to Paradise in order to test Adam and his wife, not by way of honouring Iblees. In rational terms there is no problem with any of that, and the Qur’an says that Iblees spoke to Adam and swore an oath to him in order to tempt him and his wife thereby’’. End quote.

Rather what concerns us in this regard is that we should believe with faith in which is no doubt that this story did indeed happen as Allah has told us in His Book, and that the seed of enmity was sown between Iblees and his troops and Adam and his progeny: “Surely, Shaytaan (Satan) is to man a plain enemy” [Holy Quran Chapter al-Isra’ 17:53].

So beware of him as Allah has warned you, and seek help against him by means of sincere devotion to Allah: “(Iblees (Satan)) said: "By Your Might, then I will surely mislead them all, ‘Except Your chosen slaves amongst them (faithful, obedient, true believers of Islamic Monotheism)’”[ Holy Quran Chapter Saad 38:82-83].

Beware, O slave of Allah, lest you be among those who go astray: “(Allah) said: "This is the Way which will lead straight to Me. Certainly, you shall have no authority over My slaves, except those who follow you of the Ghaween (Mushrikoon and those who go astray, criminals, polytheists, and evil-doers, etc.) And surely, Hell is the promised place for them all. It (Hell) has seven gates, for each of those gates is a (special) class (of sinners) assigned”[ Holy Quran Chapter al-Hijr 15:41-44].

IS IBLEES THE FATHER OF ALL THE JINN?

The devils (shayaateen) are the kuffaar of the jinn. Allaah, may He be exalted, says of the accursed Iblees (interpretation of the meaning): “except Iblees (Satan). He was one of the jinn; he disobeyed the Command of his Lord”[Holy Quran chapter al-Kahf 18:50]. 

Many scholars are of the view that Iblees is the father of all of the jinn, both the believing and disbelieving ones among them. He is their origin and they are his offspring. This view was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas, Mujaahid, Qataadah, al-Hasan al-Basri and others.  See: Tafseer al-Tabari (1/507) and al-Durr al-Manthoor (5/402). 

There is a hadeeth concerning that which is attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It was narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Mu’jam al-Awsat (6/197) from Mu’aawiyah ibn al-Hakam al-Sulami. But it is very weak (da’eef jiddan), as it was narrated only by Talhah ibn Zayd al-Qurashi of whom ‘Ali ibn al-Madeeni said: He used to fabricate hadeeth. See: Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb (5/16). 

1.      Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah called Iblees the father of the jinn in more than one place (see Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 4/346, 235), as did his student Ibn al-Qayyim, then al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari (6/369). 

2.      Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (9/370-371): The shaytaan is the father of the jinn according to a number of scholars. He is the one who disobeyed his Lord and was too proud to prostrate to Adam, so Allaah expelled him and cast him away. End quote. 

3.      It says in Fataawa Noor ‘ala al-Darb by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (al-Jinn wa’l-Shayaateen, question no. 2): Undoubtedly Iblees is the father of the jinn, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And the jinn He created from a smokeless flame of fire”[ Holy Quran chapter al-Rahmaan 55:15] 

And He describes Iblees when he addressed the Lord of Glory (may He be glorified and exalted) (interpretation of the meaning) : “ ‘I am better than him (Adam), You created me from fire, and him You created from clay’”[ Holy Quran chapter al-A’raaf 7:12]. And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Will you then take him (Iblees) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you?”[ Holy Quran chapter al-Kahf 18:50].

This evidence clearly indicates that Iblees has offspring and that the jinn are his offspring, but how did that come about? This is something of which we have no knowledge and it is something concerning which it does not matter if we are ignorant, and knowing it does not bring any benefit. And Allaah knows best. End quote. 

 Just as Adam had descendants, so Iblees had descendants too, as Allaah says of Iblees (interpretation of the meaning):  “Will you then take him (Iblees) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you? What an evil is the exchange for the Zaalimoon (polytheists, and wrongdoers, etc)” [Holy Quran chapter al-Kahf 18:50] .

Allaah created the jinn and mankind to worship Him. Whoever obeys Him will enter Paradise and whoever disobeys Him will enter Hell:  “And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone). I seek not any provision from them (i.e. provision for themselves or for My creatures) nor do I ask that they should feed Me (i.e. feed themselves or My creatures). Verily, Allaah is the All Provider, Owner of Power, the Most Strong” [Holy Quran chapter al-Dhaariyaat 51:56 – interpretation].

All of the jinn, like mankind, are accountable. Among them there are believers and kaafirs, those who obey Allaah and those who disobey Him, as Allaah tells us that they said:  “‘There are among us some that are righteous, and some the contrary; we are groups having different ways (religious sects)’” [Holy Quran chapter al-Jinn 72:11 – interpretation of the meaning] 

 The jinn and mankind will all be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection before the Lord of the Worlds. None of them will be able to postpone that or flee from it.

 “O assembly of jinn and men! If you have power to pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, then pass beyond (them)! But you will never be able to pass them, except with authority (from Allaah)!” [Holy Quran chapter al-Rahmaan 55:33 – interpretation of the meaning]

 Whoever among the jinn or mankind tries to flee from the Reckoning will never be able to do so, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “There will be sent against you both, smokeless flames of fire and (molten) brass, and you will not be able to defend yourselves [Holy Quran chapter al-Rahmaan 55:35]

 When the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was in Makkah, a group of the jinn came to him; they heard the Qur’aan and were moved by it:  “And (remember) when We sent towards you (Muhammad) a group (three to ten persons) of the jinn, (quietly) listening to the Qur’aan. When they stood in the presence thereof, they said: “Listen in silence!” And when it was finished, they returned to their people, as warners” [Holy Quran chapter al-Ahqaaf 46:29 – interpretation of the meaning] 

Some of the jinn believed when they heard the Qur’aan, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Say (O Muhammad): ‘It has been revealed to me that a group (from three to ten in number) of jinn listened (to this Qur’aan). They said: “Verily, we have heard a wonderful Recitation (this Qur’aan)! It guides to the Right Path, and we have believed therein, and we shall never join (in worship) anything with our Lord (Allaah)”’” [Holy Quran chapter al-Jinn 72:1-2]

 The jinn are with us on this earth, but by the mercy of Allaah they see us and we do not see them, as Allaah says of Iblees and his tribe (interpretation of the meaning):  “Verily, he and Qabeeluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them” [Holy Quran chapter al-A’raaf 7:27].

Whoever can see you when you cannot see him, and he is your enemy, is more dangerous. So you must always beware of him and protect yourself from the devils among the jinn and mankind. 

And Allah knows best.