Satan Became a Jinn (18:50)

In the previous article, we saw that the Quran references Satan as Iblees before his fall. The Quran also informs us that Iblees was an angel that became a jinn after he disobeyed God. The most comprehensive verse depicting this is the following:

[18:50] We said to the angels, “Fall prostrate before Adam.” They fell prostrate, except Iblees (Satan). He became a jinn, for he disobeyed the order of His Lord. Will you choose him and his descendants as lords instead of Me, even though they are your enemies? What a miserable substitute!

 وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِـَٔادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُۥ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُۥٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِى وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّۢ بِئْسَ لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بَدَلًا

1	wa-idh	وَإِذْ	And when / recall
2	qul’nā	قُلْنَا	we said
3	lil’malāikati	لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ	to the angels,
4	us’judū	ٱسْجُدُوا۟	“Prostrate [you all]
5	liādama	لِـَٔادَمَ	to Adam,”
6	fasajadū	فَسَجَدُوٓا۟	so they prostrated
7	illā	إِلَّآ	except
8	ib’līsa	إِبْلِيسَ	Iblis (Satan).
9	kāna	كَانَ	He became
10	mina	مِنَ	of
11	l-jini	ٱلْجِنِّ	the jinn,
12	fafasaqa	فَفَسَقَ	for he rebelled
13	ʿan	عَنْ	against
14	amri	أَمْرِ	(the) command / order
15	rabbihi	رَبِّهِۦٓ	(of) his Lord.

Iblees was an Angel

The first thing to notice is that the command to fall prostrate was given to the angels. Then it states that “they” (the angels) fulfilled it, “except” ( illā / إِلَّآ ) Iblees (Satan). This indicates that Iblees was an angel when the command was first issued; otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense why he would be expected to fall prostrate. This wording is repeated again in the following verse.

[17:61] When we said to the angels, “Fall prostrate before Adam,” they fell prostrate, except Iblees (Satan). He said, “Shall I prostrate to one You created from mud?”

 وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِـَٔادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ قَالَ ءَأَسْجُدُ لِمَنْ خَلَقْتَ طِينًا

1	wa-idh	وَإِذْ	And when / recall
2	qul’nā	قُلْنَا	we said
3	lil’malāikati	لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ	to the angels,
4	us’judū	ٱسْجُدُوا۟	“Prostrate [you all]
5	liādama	لِـَٔادَمَ	to Adam.”
6	fasajadū	فَسَجَدُوٓا۟	So they prostrated
7	illā	إِلَّآ	except
8	ib’līsa	إِبْلِيسَ	Iblis (Satan).

Angels never disobey God

One of the characteristics of the angels described in the Quran is that they do not disobey God’s commands.

[66:6] O you who believe, protect yourselves and your families from the Hellfire whose fuel is people and rocks. Guarding it are stern and powerful angels who never disobey GOD; they do whatever they are commanded to do.

 يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ ٱللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ

11	ʿalayhā	عَلَيْهَا	Over it (are)
12	malāikatun	مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٌ	angels
13	ghilāẓun	غِلَاظٌ	stern,
14	shidādun	شِدَادٌ	strong / powerful;
15	lā	لَّا	not
16	yaʿṣūna	يَعْصُونَ	they disobey
17	l-laha	ٱللَّهَ	God
18	mā	مَآ	(in) what
19	amarahum	أَمَرَهُمْ	He commanded them
20	wayafʿalūna	وَيَفْعَلُونَ	and they do
21	mā	مَا	what
22	yu’marūna	يُؤْمَرُونَ	they are commanded.

Iblees disobeyed God & became a jinn

So, since Iblees was an angel who disobeyed God’s command, he became a jinn, and this is exactly what is stated in the verse.

[18:50] We said to the angels, “Fall prostrate before Adam.” They fell prostrate, except Iblees (Satan). He became a jinn, for he disobeyed the order of His Lord. Will you choose him and his descendants as lords instead of Me, even though they are your enemies? What a miserable substitute!

 وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِـَٔادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُۥ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُۥٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِى وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّۢ بِئْسَ لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بَدَلًا

The word translated as “became” ( kāna / كَانَ ). This word comes from the root “kaf-waw-nun” ( ك و ن ) and can be understood in one of two ways, either as “was” or “became,” but as we have seen in the context, it makes more sense that he became a jinn because he disobeyed his Lord.

Kana as Became

Further evidence of this can be seen in the following verse, where we see that it was Satan’s arrogance that caused him to become a disbeliever. This is because it would not make sense that Iblees would be allowed in God’s kingdom if he was a disbeliever before his exposure. Nor did God create Satan as a disbeliever; instead, this was something that he became.

[2:34] When we said to the angels, “Fall prostrate before Adam,” they fell prostrate, except Satan (Iblees); he refused, was too arrogant, and he became disbeliever.

 وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِـَٔادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ وَٱسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ

9	abā	أَبَىٰ	He refused
10	wa-is’takbara	وَٱسْتَكْبَرَ	and he sought exaltation / was arrogant
11	wakāna	وَكَانَ	and he became
12	mina	مِنَ	of
13	l-kāfirīna	ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ	the disbelievers.

This is further supported by the fact that it states in the next verse, after stating that Satan became a jinn (18:50), that God would not permit Satan and his descendants to be His helpers. So if Satan was always a disbeliever, even before this event, then he wouldn’t have been permitted to be in God’s kingdom to start, let alone asked to fall prostrate before Adam as an angel.

[18:51] I never permitted them to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor the creation of themselves. Nor do I permit the wicked to work in My kingdom.

 مَّآ أَشْهَدتُّهُمْ خَلْقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا خَلْقَ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَمَا كُنتُ مُتَّخِذَ ٱلْمُضِلِّينَ عَضُدًا

1	mā	مَّآ	Not
2	ashhadttuhum	أَشْهَدتُّهُمْ	I had them witness
3	khalqa	خَلْقَ	(the) creation (of)
4	l-samāwāti	ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ	the heavens
5	wal-arḍi	وَٱلْأَرْضِ	and the earth
6	walā	وَلَا	and not
7	khalqa	خَلْقَ	(the) creation (of)
8	anfusihim	أَنفُسِهِمْ	themselves
9	wamā	وَمَا	and not
10	kuntu	كُنتُ	I Am
11	muttakhidha	مُتَّخِذَ	One to take
12	l-muḍilīna	ٱلْمُضِلِّينَ	the misleaders / wicked [ones]
13	ʿaḍudan	عَضُدًا	(as) helpers.

Additional verses that show that the word “kāna” ( كَانَ ) can also mean “became” can be seen in the following examples.

In this first example, we see that the person became a strayer only after disregarding the proofs and being pursued by the devil.

[7:175] Recite for them the news of one who was given our proofs, but chose to disregard them. Consequently, the devil pursued him, until he became a strayer.

(١٧٥) وَٱتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ٱلَّذِىٓ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ ءَايَـٰتِنَا فَٱنسَلَخَ مِنْهَا فَأَتْبَعَهُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ فَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلْغَاوِينَ

1	wa-ut’lu	وَٱتْلُ	And recite
2	ʿalayhim	عَلَيْهِمْ	for them
3	naba-a	نَبَأَ	(the) story / news
4	alladhī	ٱلَّذِىٓ	(of) the one whom
5	ātaynāhu	ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ	we gave him
6	āyātinā	ءَايَـٰتِنَا	our verses / proofs,
7	fa-insalakha	فَٱنسَلَخَ	but he detached / withdrew (disregard)
8	min’hā	مِنْهَا	[from] them,
9	fa-atbaʿahu	فَأَتْبَعَهُ	so [he] followed / pursued him
10	l-shayṭānu	ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ	the devil
11	fakāna	فَكَانَ	and he became
12	mina	مِنَ	of
13	l-ghāwīna	ٱلْغَاوِينَ	the strayers.

In the next example, we see that the devil became man’s most ardent enemy, which occurred after Satan’s fall.

[17:53] Tell My servants to treat each other in the best possible manner, for the devil will always try to drive a wedge among them. Surely, the devil is man’s most ardent enemy.

 وَقُل لِّعِبَادِى يَقُولُوا۟ ٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ يَنزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ كَانَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ عَدُوًّا مُّبِينًا

1	inna	إِنَّ	Indeed,
12	l-shayṭāna	ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ	the devil
13	kāna	كَانَ	he became
14	lil’insāni	لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ	to the man
15	ʿaduwwan	عَدُوًّا	an enemy
16	mubīnan	مُّبِينًا	clear / profound / ardent.

In this third example, we see that the human being becomes unappreciative after being in a state of turmoil and being rescued by God.

[17:67] If you are afflicted in the middle of the sea, you forget your idols and sincerely implore Him alone. But as soon as He saves you to the shore, you revert. Indeed, the human being is unappreciative.

وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ ٱلضُّرُّ فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدْعُونَ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا نَجَّىٰكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ وَكَانَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ كَفُورًا

11	falammā	فَلَمَّا	But when
12	najjākum	نَجَّىٰكُمْ	He delivered / saved you [all]
13	ilā	إِلَى	to
14	l-bari	ٱلْبَرِّ	the land / shore
15	aʿraḍtum	أَعْرَضْتُمْ	you [all] turned away / reverted.
16	wakāna	وَكَانَ	And [he] became
17	l-insānu	ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ	the man / human being
18	kafūran	كَفُورًا	unappreciative.

In the fourth example, we see a similar account of the human becoming despondent after their blessing turns to hardship.

[17:83] When we bless the human being, he becomes preoccupied and heedless. But when adversity strikes him, he became despondent.

 وَإِذَآ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ أَعْرَضَ وَنَـَٔا بِجَانِبِهِۦ وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ كَانَ يَـُٔوسًا

8	wa-idhā	وَإِذَا	And when
9	massahu	مَسَّهُ	[it] touched / afflicted him
10	l-sharu	ٱلشَّرُّ	the evil / adversity
11	kāna	كَانَ	he became
12	yaūsan	يَـُٔوسًا	despondent.