Shayṭān

Definition

Iblīs and his progeny from the jinn who refused to prostrate to Adam and vowed to misguide his offspring. Sought refuge from before recitation of the Qur'an.

Etymology & Root

From ش-ط-ن (sh-ṭ-n), 'to be far, distant' — distant from every good. Some say from ش-ا-ط (sh-ā-ṭ), 'to burn'. The plural is shayāṭīn, applied to evil ones from both jinn and humankind (al-Anʿām 6:112).

Usage in the Qur'an

'Indeed Shayṭān is to you an enemy, so take him as an enemy' (Fāṭir 35:6). The story of Iblīs's refusal: al-Baqarah 2:34, al-Aʿrāf 7:11–18, al-Ḥijr 15:28–43, al-Isrāʾ 17:61–65. 'When you recite the Qur'an, seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shayṭān' (an-Naḥl 16:98).

Usage in the Sunnah

'Shayṭān flows in the son of Adam like the flow of blood' (Bukhārī, Muslim). 'When the call to prayer is made, Shayṭān turns his back and breaks wind so as not to hear it' (Bukhārī, Muslim). His traps detailed in al-Wābil aṣ-Ṣayyib of Ibn al-Qayyim.

Scholarly Notes

Iblīs was originally from the jinn, not a fallen angel (al-Kahf 18:50). His refusal to prostrate was out of arrogance and qiyās (Allah created me from fire, him from clay) — the first deviant qiyās in history. He is granted respite until the Day of Judgement.

Common Misconceptions

(1) That Shayṭān is omnipresent or knows the unseen — he does not (Sabaʾ 34:14). (2) That every evil thought is from Shayṭān — some are from one's own nafs (Qāf 50:16). (3) That bismillāh and the morning/evening adhkār are 'optional protection' — they are the actual fortress.

Practical Application

Begin every act with bismillāh — it expels his presence. Recite Āyat al-Kursī before sleep (Bukhārī). Stick to morning and evening adhkār. Avoid the gateways: idle gaze, free mixing, music, gambling, alcohol — his classical entry points.

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