Why Does the Devil Hate Humans? What the Qur’an Says
The devil refused to accept the honour Allah gave Adam. Pride led him to disobey his Creator, and he then threatened Adam’s children. We got an enemy before we step foot in this world. According to the Qur’an, his aim is to take humans with him to eternal hellfire.
Why he refused Allah’s command
The story starts when Allah decided to create Adam, he told the angels that he is going to create a human from clay moulded from black mud Al-Hijr 15:28. So when allah created adam and breathed a spirit into him Al-Hijr 15:29, he told the angels to prostrate before Adam (a prostration of respect and honoring not worship). They obeyed, but the devil, called “Iblis” in the Qur’an, refused. Al-Kahf 18:50 explains that he was one of the “jinn” (an invisible creation created from fire and is distinct from humans and angels.)
When Allah asked why he had refused, he answered:
أَنَا۠ خَيۡرٞ مِّنۡهُ خَلَقۡتَنِي مِن نَّارٖ وَخَلَقۡتَهُۥ مِن طِينٖ
I am better than he is: You created me from fire and him from clay.
Al-A‘raf 7:12, excerpt. English translation: Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran.
He knew who had created him. He understood the command. Yet he felt that he was better than Adam, so he chose to disobey Allah.
The Devil believed Adam was beneath him because of his origin (the first racist ???).
Pride is a dangerous trait. A person can know the truth and still refuse it because accepting it feels humiliating.
His grudge against Adam’s children
In Al-Isra 17:62, “Iblis” objects to the honour Allah gave Adam and he take it upon himself to lead Adam’s children (humans) astray. His biggest satisfaction is to prove that humans don’t deserve Allah’s honoring.
Envy explains his hatred. He resented a gift Allah had given to one of his creation. His revenge plan was (and will always be) to harm and mislead Adam’s children.
He arranged for Adam and convinced him and his companion (eve) to eat from the forbidden tree. In Al-A‘raf 7:16–17, the devil announces that he will lie in wait on Allah’s straight path to mislead people and deliver them to hell.
So you personally didn’t do anything to deserve his hate, to him. He sees you as the son of his ultimate enemy, Now we can understand why he always whispers inside our heads to convince us to disobey Allah, like our father has once did.
Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com.
He always makes the wrong choice look appealing
“Iblis” did not tell Adam and his wife that he wanted to ruin their lives. He told them that He is just an advisor trying to benefit them.
Al-A‘raf 7:20–22 describes him claiming that the forbidden tree would let them become angels or live forever. He even swore that he was advising them sincerely. Unfortunately he succeeded in his plan.
He made the forbidden seem like something they would want. Once they wanted that, they already fell for him and disobedience became easier.
The Qur’an also tells us what happens to the devil’s promises. In Ibrahim 14:22, he abandons his followers after judgment. He admits that he invited them and they responded. He cannot save them. They followed his whispering but they alone are responsible for what they choose.
Adam’s mistake was followed by repentance (Very deferent from other stories)
After Adam and his wife ate from the tree, they saw each other’s nakedness they became afraid, they tried to cover up with some leaves, they admitted their wrongdoing and asked Allah for mercy. Their prayer appears in Al-A‘raf 7:23. Al-Baqarah 2:37 then tells us that Allah accepted Adam’s repentance, Allah taught Adam how to seek forgiveness.
So for us, we can learn from this that we should ask for forgiveness from Allah directly, no need to tell other humans about our sins.
Allah forgives all sin except “shirk” (worshiping others with God), so no matter what you did you can always return to Allah.
In Az-Zumar 39:53–54, Allah calls those who have sinned to keep hope in His mercy and turn back to Him. Hope goes with that return. If you are still doing the wrong, begin leaving it rather than making another excuse to continue.
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What to do when you are tempted
Al-A‘raf 7:200–201 tells us to seek Allah’s protection when tempted by “Iblis”. It describes people who get tempted then remember their Lord, they begin to see clearly again.
Put that to practice maybe in a moment of anger. Wait, before sending that message you know will hurt feelings, stop. Ask Allah to protect you from the devil. Put the phone down long enough to think about what you are doing.
And when pride makes an apology difficult, remember where the devil’s refusal began. Knowing that we are wrong does little good if we insist on defending ourselves.
The devil’s hatred is real, but it does not decide your future. An-Nahl 16:99 says he has no authority over those who believe and trust their Lord. Seek Allah’s help when you are tempted. If you fall into sin, return to Him. Adam’s story gives you a reason to begin again.
If you are exploring Islam, you can learn what the declaration of faith means.