THE SUCCESSOR AND THE TEMPTER

Qur'an [38:71-85]

Your Lord said to the angels, ‘I will create a man from clay. When I have shaped him and breathed from My Spirit into him, bow down before him.’ The angels all bowed down together, but not Iblis, who was too proud. He became a rebel. God said, ‘Iblis, what prevents you from bowing down to the man I have made with My own hands? Are you too high and mighty?’ Iblis said, ‘I am better than him: You made me from fire, and him from clay.’ ‘Get out of here! You are rejected: My rejection will follow you till the Day of Judgement!’ but Iblis said, ‘My Lord, grant me respite until the Day when they are raised from the dead,’ so He said, ‘You have respite till the Appointed Day.’ Iblis said, ‘I swear by Your might! I will tempt all but Your true servants.’ God said, ‘This is the truth – I speak only the truth – I will fill Hell with you and all those that follow you.’

Qur'an [2:30-39]

[Prophet], when your Lord told the angels, ‘I am putting a successor on earth,’ they said, ‘How can You put someone there who will cause damage and bloodshed, when we celebrate Your praise and proclaim Your holiness?’ but He said, ‘I know things you do not.’

He taught Adam all the names [of things], then He showed them to the angels and said, ‘Tell me the names of these if you truly [think

you can].’ They said, ‘May You be glorified! We have knowledge

only of what You have taught us. You are the All Knowing and All

Wise.’ Then He said, ‘Adam, tell them the names of these.’ When

he told them their names, God said, ‘Did I not tell you that I know

what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and that I know what

you reveal and what you conceal?’

When We told the angels, ‘Bow down before Adam,’ they all

bowed. But not Iblis, who refused and was arrogant: he was one of

the disobedient. We said, ‘Adam, live with your wife in this garden.

Both of you eat freely there as you will, but do not go near this tree,

or you will both become wrongdoers.’ But Satan made them slip,

and removed them from the state they were in. We said, ‘Get out, all of you! You are each other’s enemy. On earth you will have a place to stay and livelihood for a time.’ Then Adam received some words from his Lord and He accepted his repentance: He is the Ever Relenting, the Most Merciful. We said, ‘Get out, all of you! But when guidance comes from Me, as it certainly will, there will be no fear for those who follow My guidance nor will they grieve– those who disbelieve and deny Our messages shall be the inhabitants of the Fire, and there they will remain.’

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The Qur'an states that there is no equal to God, to God none can compare. Although, God did create a successor Adam, whom He taught the names of all things. This Iblis is the same one who tempted Adam. In Islamic tradition, Azazil is usually seen as the original name of Iblis, before he was expelled from heaven. In the books of Enoch, Azazel along with Semjaza was leader of the watchers (grigori in Greek) whom descended on the earth seducing the sons of the angels, in corruption with the daughters of men and leading astray the off-spring of men bringing about nephilim (giants).