When trying to understand the subject of the Iblis (Satan) Jinns, their goals and objectives and and the subject of magic there are some background issues that must always be kept in mind. From these matters is what occurred in the Garden (Jannah), and the whispering of Iblis to Adam and Eve with certain matters.

How Iblis (Satan) Whispered to Adam and Eve

There are two passages in the Qur'an that mention how Iblis (Satan) approached Adam and Eve and beguiled them. The first of them is in Surah al-A'raaf:

فَوَسْوَسَ لَهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ لِيُبْدِيَ لَهُمَا مَا وُورِيَ عَنْهُمَا مِن سَوْءَاتِهِمَا وَقَالَ مَا نَهَاكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنْ هَـذِهِ الشَّجَرَةِ إِلاَّ أَن تَكُونَا مَلَكَيْنِ أَوْ تَكُونَا مِنَ الْخَالِدِينَ

Then 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." (Al-A'raf 7:20)

The word (مَلَكَيْنِ) "angels" can also be read (مَلِكَيْنِ) "kings", meaning "save you should become kings", this is narrated from Ibn Abbaas (radiallaahu anhu) and also Yahya bin Abi Katheer by at-Tabari, though

Then there is the verse in Surah Taha:

فَوَسْوَسَ إِلَيْهِ الشَّيْطَانُ قَالَ يَا آدَمُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى شَجَرَةِ الْخُلْدِ وَمُلْكٍ لَّا يَبْلَى

Then 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?" (Ta-Ha 20:120)

From the above, there are a number of points:

• In the Qur'an, the blame is not apportioned exclusively to Eve, and it is Adam who acquired the words through which he repented to Allaah. In Surah al-Baqarah (2:36) there occurs (فَأَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ عَنْهَاِ), which translates to "Then Satan made them both slip therefrom (the Paradise)..." (Al-Baqarah 2:36)"

• Satan whispered to Adam that Allah prohibited him from the tree because a) He did not want them to become angels (or kings) and b) He did not want them to become immortal So here, he has whispered to Adam from the angle of deceiving him regarding his Lord. And in the verse in Surah al-A'raaf, Satan tried to pretend to lead Adam and Eve to something, so he said: c) I will lead you to the tree of eternity and d) an everlasting dominion, kingdom.

Therefore we have four issues:

• Becoming angels
• Becoming immortal
• Being shown the tree of eternity
• Being shown an everlasting kingdom

In this, Iblis (Satan) combined between lying about Allaah and pretending to be a sincere adviser by claiming to direct them to eternity and an everlasting kingdom.

Enmity Between Jinn and Men

Upon the expulsion of Adam and the sending down of Adam and Eve, and Iblis (Satan) upon the earth, Allah said:

قَالَ اهْبِطَا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ

(Allýh) said:"Get you down (from the Paradise to the earth), both of you, together, some of you are an enemy to some others..." (Ta-Ha 20:123)

Ibn al-Qayyim explains that this verse is referring to Adam (and his offspring) and Iblis (and his offspring), and Ibn Taymiyyah explains that Iblis is the father of the Jinn, just as Adam is the father of mankind, and this is narrated from the Salaf.

And in another place:

إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا إِنَّمَا يَدْعُو حِزْبَهُ لِيَكُونُوا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ

Surely, Satan is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites his Hizb (followers) that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire. (Fatir 35:6)

Whilst noting that amongst the creatures of Allaah (angels, Jinn, men), the jinn and men are obliged to follow the guidance that Allaah sends, and thus amongst the Jinn are believers, just as amongst the men are believers, and so the enmity is between some of the Jinn towards some of the men. However, Iblees (Satan) is a clear enemy, and he has his hizb (party) along with him (from the men and jinn) who collectively work to lead others into Hellfire.

Also, in many statements from the classical commentators such as Wahb bin Munabbih, Ibn Abbaas, Ibn Mas'ood, ar-Rabee', Ibn Qays, it is indicated that Iblees came to Adam in the Garden through a serpent, and when Allaah said in another verse (وَقُلْنَا اهْبِطَوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ), "Get you down (from here), some of you an enemy to some others...", then from the likes of Ibn Abbaas, as-Sudee, Mujaahid, at-Tabari brings narrations to show that those being "sent down" were: a) Adam b) Eve c) Iblees d) the serpent. We can mention here the narrations from Mujaahid.

From Mujaahid: "Get you down (from here), some of you an enemy to some others", [meaning] Adam, Iblis, the serpent, the offspring of some of them enemies to some others.

From Mujaahid: "Some of you an enemy to some others", [meaning] Adam and his offspring and Iblees and his offspring (the Jinn).

Satan, Jinn and Magic

It is extremely important to remember all of this, and to constantly keep this in the back of your mind always when looking into the topics of Satan worship, the Jinn, magic and the occult (and their symbolism), because we will see that throughout the ages Iblis (Satan) has simply been deceiving his army of helpers with the same delusions and making the same promises (i.e. the four points mentioned earlier).

Iblees has come to nation upon nation and turned them to the worship of himself through leading them to worship of things like the sun, moon and stars, and which often have their roots in ancestor worship. It starts with ancestor worship and then with the passing of time turns into mythologies. To all these leaders and their nations, Iblees promised them eternity and eternal kingdoms, and thus in all of these "mystery religions" (of which Baabil, Babylon, was a melting pot) we see the notions of "transitions to new worlds", and to "new phases in life", and "reaching the stars" or inhabiting them, or turning to "superior life-forms", or becoming "angels" and "kings", or "immortal gods" and so on. Much of what is found in these mystery religions is the worship of the Jinn through occult rituals and you also find human sacrifice (of men, women and children) to be a prominent aspect in many of these religions, alongside other despicable actions. Iblees misled and misguided all these people, their leaders, kings and nations through those same false promises and lies by which he caused Adam (alayhis salaam) to err and slip - through the promise of "secret knowledge", "enlightenment", "illumination", "becoming angelic", "immortality", "eternal kingdom" and so on.

Over the past one hundred years, we have seen the "New Age Spirituality" emerge and grow, which is nothing but the dictations of the devils to those whom they have beguiled into thinking they have access to the "secrets of the universe", the keys to "eternal life" and to becoming or evolving into "superior immortal beings", meaning angels. This is all from Iblees, and he promises them nothing but deception. These esoteric doctrines are behind much of the secular, scientific, spiritual and philosophical upheaval and advancement over the past 150 years in the Western world.

These topics will be covered in detail in separate articles.