ShayÃÂá¹Âën ( ; ) refers to a class of evil spirits in Islam, inciting humans and jinn to sin by whispering ( ) in their hearts ( ). According to Islamic tradition, though invisible to humans, shayÃÂá¹Âën are imagined to be ugly and grotesque creatures created from the fires of hell.
The Quran speaks of various ways the shayÃÂá¹Âën tempt humans into sin. They may teach sorcery, float below the heavens to steal the news of the angels, or lurk near humans without being seen. Several hadith tell of how the shayÃÂá¹Âën are responsible for various calamities that affect personal life. Both the hadith literature and Arab folklore usually speak of the shayÃÂá¹Âën in abstract terms, describing their evil influence only. According to hadith, during Ramadan they are said to be chained up.
In Islamic theology, the influence of the shayÃÂá¹Âën on humans is elaborated as an internal struggle against the noble angels, often described in the invisible reality called alam al-mithal or alam al-malakut. On a narrative perspective, Islamic traditions disagrees whether the shayÃÂá¹Âën are simply misguided jinn, or a separate class of being. The latter position often identifies them with the terrestrial angels who defied Adam as a governor of Earth and become enemies of mankind.
The term shayÃÂá¹Âën roughly corresponds to the English words "demons", "satans", or "devils". The Arabic term à ¡ayá¹ÂÃÂn originated from the triliteral root à ¡-á¹Â-n ("distant, astray") and is cognate to Satan. It has a theological connotation designating a creature distant from the divine mercy. As a spirit, it can refer both to pre-Islamic jinn as well as satans comparable to the Jewish tradition.
In pre-Islamic usage, the term is attested in Geýez. In the Book of Enoch, "angels of punishment prepare the instruments for the säyÃÂá¹ÂanÃÂ". Similarly to the Quranic usage, the term referred to the hosts of Satan. Book of Jubilees mentions the shayá¹ÂÃÂn Mastema, who commands over evil spirits (manafÃÂsÃÂta).
Besides referring to a specific entity, the term shayÃÂá¹Âën is also applied to any being who rebels against God. This can be from among the jinn as well as humans. The template for this descriptive character of the term is already provided by the Quran. In Surah 6:112, the Quran speaks about shayÃÂá¹Âën from al-ins wa al-jinn (humans and jinn).
Jacques Waardenburg argued that jinn underwent a transition from neutral spirits to demons through the progress of QurâÂÂanic revelation whereby substituting jinn by the shayÃÂá¹Âën , and explains by that the absence of jinn mentioned in Medinan Surahs and presence of multiple satans whereas Christian tradition knows only one satan. Accordingly, the multitude of devils may have been adopted from previous jinn-beliefs.
Paul Arno Eichler, however, held this theory unconvincing; since the idea of a multitude of shayÃÂá¹Âën already existed in Judeo-Christian tradition, independent from jinn-beliefs. Generally, the term à ¡ayá¹ÂÃÂn appears in traditions associated with Jewish and Christian narratives, while the term jinn represents entities of polytheistic background.
In the QurâÂÂan, the existence of the shayÃÂá¹Âën, like that of jinn, is taken for granted. While the jinn are autonomous spirits of pre-Islamic Arabian beliefs, the shayÃÂá¹Âën are primarily adversaries of the believers (âÂÂsatansâÂÂ). The origin and theological purpose of the shayÃÂá¹Âën is then explained through the figure of al-à ¡ayá¹ÂÃÂn (the Devil). Through analysis of textual criticism, argues that the Quranic figure of the primary Devil was a later redaction in order to offer a theological explanation for the opposition towards Islam told through the concept of satans and a respond to discussions regarding the origin of evil (unde malum?).
The narratives about the primary devil reveal strong parallelism to Judeo-Christian traditions, particularly Vitae Adam et Eva which may have served as a foundation of theological speculations. The Devil embodies the characteristics of the lesser devils. Muslim authorsâÂÂs iteration of the story reveals that, although the Devil had been dismissed by God, even after his fall, the Devil cannot operate independently from God. This might have been a direct reaction to implied deficiencies in GodâÂÂs omnipotence in the Christian apocrypha.
The shayÃÂá¹Âën are thus an embodiment of opposition and hostility, imagined to be still operating and initiated only by the power of an omnipotent God. Only a few Muslim denominations, such as the MuâÂÂtazilah, favored the independence of shayÃÂá¹Âën over GodâÂÂs omnipotence for upholding GodâÂÂs justice.
In the Quran, shayÃÂá¹Âën are mentioned approximately as often as angels. The shayÃÂá¹Âën are mentioned less frequently than à  ayá¹ÂÃÂn, but they are equally hostile to God's order (sharëÿa). They teach sorcery to humans (), inspire their friends to dispute with the faithful (), make evil suggestions () towards both humans and jinn (), and secretly listen to the council of the angels (). speaks about the junud Iblës, the invisible hosts of Iblës (comparable to the junud of angels fighting along Muhammad in ).
Despite their reluctant nature, the shayÃÂá¹Âën are ultimately under God's command and do not form their own party. According to the Islamic doctrine of tawḥëd, both good and evil are prescribed by God. explicitly warns people not to follow the à  ayá¹ÂÃÂn, implying that humans are free to choose between the path of God or the one of à  ayá¹ÂÃÂn. However, à  ayá¹ÂÃÂn only promises delusion and there is no success in following his path (). In the Quranic story of Iblës, who represents the shayÃÂá¹Âën in the primordial fall, shows that they are subordinative to and created by God, by means of functioning as tempters. à  ayá¹ÂÃÂn can only act with God's permission (). God tasks the shayÃÂá¹Âën as companions to the misbelievers (), and to incite them against each other (). After convincing sinners to remain in their disbelief, the shayÃÂá¹Âën betray their followers when faced with God's judgement (;; ).
The ḥÃÂdëth speak about shayÃÂá¹Âën as malevolent forces, linked to the psychological life of humans. The emphasis on the devils' evil nature, sometimes veils the Quranic depiction of the shayÃÂá¹Âën as forces under God's control. However, ḥÃÂdëth clarify that God is ultimately in control of both angels and devils and that only God decides whom the devils can lead to hell.
Sometimes, specific devils are considered to be tasked with disturbing specific spheres of human activities. Eminent among them are: Dasim assigned to causing troubles between married couples; Awar, who incites people to commit illicit sexual intercourse (zinÃÂ); Sut, who inspires lies and gossip; Tir causing injuries; and Zalambur, assigned to the market and presiding over dishonest and fraudulent business transactions.
Although the ḥÃÂdëth describe the devils mostly as evil influences, they indicate that they are composed of a body. The shayÃÂá¹Âën are said to eat with their left hand, therefore Muslims are advised to eat with their right hand (Sahih Muslim Book 23 No. 5004). ShayÃÂá¹Âën, although invisible, are depicted as immensely ugly (Sahih Muslim Book 26 No. 5428). The sun is said to set and rise between the horns of a shayá¹ÂÃÂn and during this moment, the doors to hell are open, thus Muslims should not pray at this time (Sahih Muslim 612d Book 5, Hadith 222). Satan and his minions battle the angels of mercy over the soul of a sinner; however, they are referred to as "angels of punishment" instead of shayÃÂá¹Âën (Sahih Muslim 612d: Book 21, Hadith 2622).
However, the ḥÃÂdëths also describe the limits of shayÃÂá¹Âën. Ritual purity is said to attract angels and fend off shayÃÂá¹Âën, while shayÃÂá¹Âën are attracted to impurity, filthy, and desacralized places. Before reciting the Quran, Muslims should take wudu/abdest and seek refuge in God from the shayÃÂá¹Âën. Reciting specific prayers is further believed to protect against the shayÃÂá¹Âën. If a shayá¹ÂÃÂn successfully interrupts a ritual Muslim prayer, the Muslim has to prostrate two times and continue (Sahih Bukhari 4:151). During Ramadan the shayÃÂá¹Âën are chained in hell (Sahih al-Bukhari 1899). ShayÃÂá¹Âën are sent by Iblis to cause misery among humans and return to him for report (Muslim 8:138). A shayá¹ÂÃÂn is said to tempt humans through their veins (Muslim 2174).
Islamic theology usually accepts three types of invisible creatures: angels (malÃÂþikah), djinn, and devils (à ¡ayÃÂá¹Âën). While good jinn rarely draw the attention of scholars of the Quran (mufassirà «n), the supposed negative influence of evil jinn and devils on humans are studied in depth. The evil jinn are distinguished from shayÃÂá¹Âën by their attributes: Whereas jinn share common characteristics with humans (i.e. they are mortal and die, follow different religions, and can, at least theoretically, be converted to Islam), the shayÃÂá¹Âën are exclusively evil and are immortal until Judgement Day. Furthermore, the father of the jinn is al-Jann and the father of the shayÃÂá¹Âën is Iblis. Like the jinn, the shayÃÂá¹Âën are supposed to be created from fire, because their leader claims to be made from fire (nÃÂr). It is probably this supposed substance they share with the jinn, which allows them to ascend into the air in an attempt to listen to the angels. Devils in turn differ from the angels by that the former are created for disobedience, but the latter for goodness.
Details about the negative influences of the devils largely derive from the Quran and the ḥadëṯ. The devils promote their own sinful characteristics among humans, including pride, envy, acquisitiveness, anger, lust, and gluttony. Some scholars explained their influences from a rationalistic perspective. According to al-Ghazali (c.âÂÂ1058 â 1111), humans were to discover temptations within themselves, described as devilish whisperings (waswÃÂs). Such devilish whisperings are of the same nature than inspirations (ilhÃÂm) of the angels. The only difference between ilhÃÂm and waswÃÂs lies in the cause: IlhÃÂm is caused by an angel and inspires good that benefits humanity, while waswÃÂs is caused by a devil (à ¡ayá¹ÂÃÂn) and inspires sin mostly to enrich the ego. A similar conceptualization on angels and devils is given by Ali Hujwiri, Al-Baydawi, and Ibn Tufail.
The traditionalist account on the structure of the world is deeply embedded in the larger context of Middle Eastern mythological cosmology. In contrast to the philosophical and some views deriving from speculative theology (KalÃÂm), which agrees with Hellenistic cosmology on the distinction between a lower material world and an unchanging celestial world, the traditionalists describe both the earthly world and the heavens as composed of material nature. In traditionalist cosmology, the devils are strongly associated with the underworld, especially the seventh earth.
In traditionalist cosmology, the heavens span in a dome-like structure over the earths, arranged in horizontal layers one upon another. At top stands the Throne of God (Al-ýArsh) separated from the seven heavens below. The sun is created from the same fire from which the devils were made and the stars in heaven protect against assaulting devils. Below the heavens follow the seven earths. The earths are likewise also part of the supernatural cosmos and serve as gradual stages of hell. The surface is inhabited by humans and djinn, the lower stages are the abode of destructive winds followed by brimstones of hell, scorpions and vipers, and eventually the devils at the bottom. As inhabitants of the lowest earth, the devils stand in opposition to God's throne in the highest heaven. Iblis is chained at the very bottom, referred to as Sijjin or Saqar, and from where he sends his demons to the surface. From time to time, God allows Iblis to be free for a limited time interval and the stars are created for protection of the heavens against the devils.
Al-Ghazali reconciles the literal meaning (áºÂÃÂhir) with Avicennan cosmology based on reason. According to the philosophers (falsafa), the word 'angel' refers to "celestial intellects" or "immaterial souls". Ghazali opined that devils might be of a similar nature, that is, that they are celestial immaterial objects influencing human minds. By that, Ghazali does not mean to deny the reality of devils, rather that devils can only be known by their impact. In his response to the question, how devils, who are conceptualized as creatures of a subtile body (i.e. either fallen angels or evil jinn) in early kalÃÂm, can run through the body of humans, he explains that it is not the devil himself, but the effects of the devil (athar ash-shayá¹ÂÃÂn) that run through human body and influence the soul. According to the Islamic conception of the cosmos, such inspirations are not worldly, but are considered to derive from the celestial realm (malakà «t). However, devils attempt to distract a human's mind towards earthly matters, drawing it back to the material world. As explained in his The Alchemy of Happiness, the devils also manifest in the afterlife as embodiments of the earthly temptations encountered during life, as means of torture. In his work The Incoherence of the Philosophers, he explains that the afterlife is a manifestation of earthly pleassures and pains perceived as real once the deceased enter the abode of the dead.
According to Al-Baydawi, beneath the celestial intellects, there are terrestrial angels, both good and evil (al-kurà «biyyà «n and al-sòhòayÃÂá¹Âën), and jinn. The angels inspire people to do either good or bad, depending on their own attitude. In his tafsër, the al-kurà «biyyà «n are identified with the celestial angels however. Where he explains fire to be a form of tainted light, thus symbolizing the blurring effect the devils have on human spirituality. In his Hayy ibn Yaqdhan, Ibn Tufail places the terrestrial angels, one advising good the other evil, beneath the celestial angels but above the jinn. Ibn Barrajan identifies the angels of light with the angels of mercy, but angels created from fire, with the angels of torment. The latter would have opposed the creation of humanity and belong to the angelic tribe of Iblis, called al-jinn. According to Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, angels and devils are distinct: the angels are characterized by their superiority which leads them to constant devotion and obedience, whereas the superiority and seniority of the devils drives them to defy God's command to bow before Adam.
Some scholars differentiate between the waswÃÂs al-shayá¹ÂÃÂn and waswÃÂs al-nafs ("vices" also called dëv in Persian literature). Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi argues that the latter are internal to humans and result from passion (hawÃÂ). Others equate nafs and the whisperings of the shayÃÂá¹Âën. Najm al-Din Kubra states "the lower soul, Satan, and the angels are not external things to you; rather they are you".
Athari scholar (al-atharëyah) Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (1292âÂÂ1350) elaborates on three possible states of a human soul (heart), depending on its relationship with devils: the first one is devoid of þëmÃÂn (faith), the devil does not whisper since he is already in complete control of that soul; the second heart is illuminated by þëmÃÂn, the devil whispers to, sometimes winning and sometimes losing; the third heart is brimming with þëmÃÂn and light (nà «r) like heaven, from which the veils of passion have been lifted, so whenever a devil were to approach this heart, the devils are burned by a meteor when they approach.
In 2008 Hasan Karacadaàpublished the movie Semum about one of the shayÃÂá¹Âën. The shayá¹ÂÃÂn was released from hell. Jealous of humans, the shayá¹ÂÃÂn seeks out to harm and torment humans, and takes possession over the body of a woman. The movie deals with questions regarding good and evil in Islamic thought.
The shayá¹ÂÃÂn of the movie describes himself as a loyal servant of ÿAzÃÂzël (another name of Satan in Islamic tradition), whom he venerates as a deity after feeling forgotten by God. However, in accordance with the teachings of the Quran, Azazil turns out to be unreliable, while God ultimately intervenes on behalf of those who stayed loyal. By that, the movie validates belief in the Islamic core doctrine of tawḥëd when confronted with unknown challenges and evil.