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From: 665instr@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Ian)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Satan/Ange/Jinn confusion
Message-ID: <1991May29.144505.5392@wpi.WPI.EDU>
Date: 29 May 91 14:45:05 GMT
References: <1991May28.152142.16892@nntp-server.caltech.edu>
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In article <1991May28.152142.16892@nntp-server.caltech.edu>, jnawaz@skat.usc.edu (Jemshed Nawaz) writes:
> 	Man is made of clay
> 	Angel is made of light
> 	Jinn is made of fire (smokeless)
> 	
> 	Satan/Iblis was/is a Jinn .... it says in the Qur'an that he
> 	was of the Jinn. People make this mistake (that Satan is a
> 	fallen angel) because in the Qur'an it says something like all
> 	the Angels prostated except Iblis ..... in English usage it
> 	implies that Iblis was one of the Angels that did not
> 	prostrate, but not so in Arabic. One scholar (forgot who),
> 	said, probably while commenting on that part of the verse,
> 	that it's correct usage in Arabic to say "all the people of
> 	the village came except the little donkey...". Now that
> 	doesn't mean that the little donkey is one of the people...

That makes sense. (for the misunderstanding). Another reason why Western
Muslims might think that Satan/Iblis was/is an angel is because in Western,
ordinary thinking, there's no distinction made between Jinn and Malaikat - but
both are referred to as "Angels".
-- 
Ian Chai      Internet: chai@cs.ukans.edu        Bitnet: 665instr@ukanvax
I don't believe in flaming. If I appear to be flaming, either (a) it's an
illusion due to the lack of nonverbal cues or (b) my sprinkler system has
suffered a momentary glitch, so just ignore me until it's fixed.