Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

WHO CREATED SHAITAN ? AND WHY SHAITAN WAS CREATED ??

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Who created Shaitaan?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Comment: WHO CREATED SHAITAN ?

There is only One Creator Who created everything that exists, and that is Allah Subhanah.   Thus, the Shayateen, who are amongst the jinn and humans, are also a creation of Allah.

Your Comment: WHY SHAITAN WAS CREATED ??

Allah Subhanah created everything in the heavens and the earth, and everything that exists in between. And amongst all His creation, He gave intelligence and the free will to choose, to only two of His creations as a test:  human beings and jinns.

Allah says in the Holy Quran in Chapter 67 Surah Al Mulk verse 2:He (Allah) created death and life that He may test you, to see which of you is the best in deeds.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 51 Surah Dhariyat verse 56:I have not created the jinn and men except for this that they should worship Me alone.

Thus, the Shayaateen are not another separate creation, but rather one (from amongst the jinn and humans) become a Shaitaan himself because of his own deeds.  The Shaitaan is not one entity, but rather whoever amongst the jinn and men rebels, disobeys, and challenges the authority of Allah of his own free will, becomes a Shaitaan or plural Shayateen.  

Allah Subhanah created jinn and men for His worship, and He gave them the free will to choose between Right and wrong, Guidance and mis-guidance, Truth and falsehood.   He made apparent the Truth and falsehood, Right and wrong, through His Guidance and His Messengers.   And He also made known the result and destination of those who chose either of the two Paths. The ones who believed and did righteous deeds, would deserve His Mercy and Forgiveness and have been promised the eternal reward and pleasure of their Creator, and Paradise.   And the ones who dis-believed and did evil deeds, would deserve His Wrath and Anger, and have been promised the everlasting torture of the Hell Fire.

Thus, one is not created a Shaitaan; but anyone from amongst the jinn and humans, who choose with their own free will to dis-obey and rebel against the commands of his Creator, becomes a Shaitaan.  And because we are in a test for the prescribed period of this worldly life, He has allowed both, the good and the evil, to carry on following the Paths which they have chosen of their own free will.  On the Day of Judgment, Allah will decide with Justice who amongst the men and jinn deserve Paradise, and who amongst them deserve Hell Fire.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan