Devil (Islam) facts for kids

Iblis, also known as Shaytan or Shaitan, is a very important figure in Islam. He is often thought of as the Devil. His main job is to try and make people do bad things and lead them away from God's path. The Quran, which is the holy book of Islam, says that Iblis does this by "whispering into the hearts." This means he puts bad thoughts and temptations into people's minds.

The Quran also mentions that Iblis and his helpers are friends to those who do not believe in God. It says, "We have made the evil ones friends to those without faith."

What is Shaitan?

The Prophet Muhammad taught that every person has their own Shaitan. This isn't always a separate evil being. Sometimes, it means a part of our own human nature that can lead us to make mistakes or do wrong things.

Shaitan as a Human Weakness

In Islam, Shaitan can represent a human weakness. It's like a part of us that can be tempted. The Prophet Muhammad once said that his own Shaitan became a Muslim. This means his inner weakness no longer pushed him towards evil.

Making a mistake, or "khata," is not always a sin. It can just be an accident or a mishap. Even prophets of God, who were very good people, could make mistakes or be influenced by this human weakness. For example, the Prophet Moses once forgot something important while traveling, and he said Shaitan made him forget it. This shows that everyone, even the best people, can have moments of forgetfulness or weakness.

Different Kinds of Shaitan

There are different ways to understand Shaitan:

• The one who tempts to evil: This Shaitan tries to make people commit sins.
• The one who causes human errors: This Shaitan doesn't make people sin, but causes them to make simple mistakes. No human is completely free from making these kinds of errors.

In older times, the word "Shaitan" was sometimes used to describe the "evil mind" or bad thoughts within a person.

Images for kids

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  An Ottoman miniature from the 15th–16th century showing Iblis as a dark, bearded man.

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  Iblis shown in the famous Persian epic poem, the Shahnameh.

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  A painting from the Annals of al-Tabari showing Iblis refusing to bow down to Adam.

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  Another painting of angels bowing to Adam, with Iblis refusing.

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  A Turkish painting showing dancing divs (fiends).

See also

In Spanish: Iblís para niños