Fallen angel

== Islam ==
[[File:Angels watching Iblis not prostrating before Adam.png|thumb|Two angels turn back and see with alarm that Iblīs (ʿAzāzīl) will not bow down before [[Adam]]. Painting from a manuscript of ʿAjāʾib al-makhlūqāt (Wonders of Creation) of al-Ṭūsī Salmānī, 14th century.]]
The concept of fallen angels is debated in Islam.<ref>Welch, Alford T. (2008) Studies in Qur'an and Tafsir. Riga, Latvia: Scholars Press. p. 756.</ref> Opposition to the possibility of erring angels can be attested as early as the influential [[Asceticism|Islamic ascetic]] [[Hasan of Basra]] (642–728).{{efn|"There is no unanimity among scholars when it comes to the sinlessness of angels. The majority, of course, take the view that they are sinless. They start from the Quran and refer to individual verses that speak for it, such as (66: 6 and (21:20). Hasan is counted among as one of the first representatives of this doctrine, but he obviously appears to be one step further than his contemporaries: he did not settle for the verses that speak for it, but tried to reinterpret the verses that speak against it differently." "In der Frage nach der Sündlosigkeit der Engel herrscht keine Einstimmigkeit unter den Gelehrten. Die Mehrheit vertritt freilich, die Ansicht, dass sie sündlos sind. Sie geht vom Koran aus und beruft sich auf einzelne Verse, die dafür sprechen, wie zum Beispiel (66:6 und (21:20). Zu ihnen wird Hasan als einer der ersten Vertreter dieser Lehre gezählt. Er scheint aber offentsichtlich noch einen Schritt weiter mit dieser Frage gekommen zu sein als seine Zeitgenossen. Er begnüngte sich nicht mit den Versen, die dafür sprechen, sondern versuchte, auch die Verse, die gerade dagegen sprechen, anders zu interpretieren."<ref>Omar Hamdan ''Studien zur Kanonisierung des Korantextes: al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrīs Beiträge zur Geschichte des Korans'' Otto Harrassowitz Verlag 2006 {{ISBN|978-3-447-05349-5}} pp. 291–292 (German)</ref>}} On the other hand, evidence for the belief in fallen angels among Muslims can be traced back to reports attributed to some of the [[Companions of the Prophet|companions of Muhammad]], such as [[Ibn Abbas]] (619–687) and [[Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud]] (594–653).<ref>Mahmoud Ayoub ''The Qur'an and Its Interpreters, Volume 1'' SUNY Press 1984 {{ISBN|978-0-87395-727-4}} p. 74</ref> To support the doctrine of infallible angels, Hasan of Basra pointed at verses stressing out the piety of angels, while simultaneously reinterpreting verses which might imply acknowledgement of fallen angels. For that reason, he read the term ''mala'ikah'' (angels) in reference to [[Harut and Marut]], two possible fallen angels mentioned in 2:102, as ''malikayn ''(kings) instead of ''malā'ikah'' (angels), depicting them as ordinary men and advocated the belief that [[Iblis]] was a [[jinn]] and had never been an angel before.<ref>Al-Saïd Muhammad Badawi ''Arabic–English Dictionary of Qurʾanic Usage'' M. A. Abdel Haleem {{ISBN|978-90-04-14948-9}}, p. 864</ref> However, none of these verses declare angels as immune from sin.<ref name="ReferenceZ">Valerie Hoffman ''The Essentials of Ibadi Islam'' Syracuse University Press 2012 {{ISBN|978-0-8156-5084-3}} p. 189</ref>

Contemporary Muslim scholars have argued, even if fallen angels are considered, they are conceptually different from the fallen angels in Christianity, since they remain at the service of God and do not become God's enemies.<ref>Serdar, Murat. "Hıristiyanlık ve İslâm’da Meleklerin Varlık ve Kısımları." Bilimname 2009.2 (2009).
</ref> It has been stated that "(...) according to Christianity, the devils are fallen angels who renounced their loyalty to God, in Islam it is God who dismissed the fallen angels".<ref name=Erdağı/>

The Quran mentions the fall of Iblis in several [[Surah]]s. Surah [[al-Anbiya]] states that angels claiming divine honors were to be punished with hell.<ref>T.C. t.c Istanbul Bilimler Enstitütüsü Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Temel Islam bilimeri Anabilim dali yüksek Lisans Tezi Imam Maturidi'nin Te'vilatu'l-Kur'an'da gaybi Konulara Yaklasimi Elif Erdogan 2501171277 Danisman Prof. Dr. Yaşar Düzenli İstanbul 202</ref> Further, Surah 2:102 implies that a pair of fallen angels introduces magic to humanity. According to the [[Isma'ilism]] work ''[[Umm al-Kitab (Ismaili book)|Umm al-Kitab]]'', [[Azazil]], the first angel created by God, boasts about himself being superior to God until he is thrown into lower celestial spheres and ends up on earth.<ref name="ReferenceA">[[Christoph Auffarth]], Loren T. Stuckenbruck ''The Fall of the Angels'' Brill 2004 {{ISBN|978-90-04-12668-8}} p. 161</ref> Iblis is often described as being chained in the [[Sijjin|lowest pit of hell]] (''Sijjin'') and commands, according to [[Abu Ishaq al-Tha'labi|Al-Tha'labi]] (961–1038), his host of rebel angels (''shayāṭīn'') and the [[Ifrit|fiercest jinn]] (''ifrit'') from there.<ref name=Erdağı/><ref>Robert Lebling ''Legends of the Fire Spirits: Jinn and Genies from Arabia to Zanzibar'' I.B.Tauris 2010 {{ISBN|978-0-85773-063-3}} p. 30</ref> In a [[Shia]] narrative from [[Ja'far al-Sadiq]] (700 or 702–765), [[Idris (prophet)|Idris]] (Enoch) meets an angel, which the wrath of [[God in Islam|God]] falls upon, and his wings and hair are cut off; after Idris prays for him to God, his wings and hair are restored. In return they become friends and at his request the angel takes Idris to the [[Janna|heavens]] to meet the [[Azrail|angel of death]].<ref>Muham Sakura Dragon ''The Great Tale of Prophet Enoch (Idris) In Islam'' Sakura Dragon SPC {{ISBN|978-1-5199-5237-0}}</ref> In a similar stroy, a [[cherub]] called ''[[Futrus|Fuṭrus]]'' (فطرس) was cast out from heaven and fell to the earth. When [[Muhammad]] intercedes for the angel and God restores his wings after he touches [[Husayn ibn Ali|al-Husayn's]] cradle.<ref>Kohlberg, Etan. "In Praise of the Few. Studies in Shiʿi Thought and History." In Praise of the Few. Studies in Shiʿi Thought and History. Brill, 2020. p. 389</ref>

Some recent non-Islamic scholars suggest [[Uzair]], who is according to Surah 9:30 called a ''son of God'' by Jews, originally referred to a fallen angel.<ref>Steven M. Wasserstrom ''Between Muslim and Jew: The Problem of Symbiosis under Early Islam'' Princeton University Press 2014 {{ISBN|978-1-4008-6413-3}} p. 183</ref> While exegetes almost unanimously identified Uzair as [[Ezra]],{{efn|Nevertheless, a narrative attributed to [[Ibn Hazm]] states that the angel [[Sandalphon]] blamed the Jews for venerating Metatron as "son of God" "10 days each year".<ref>[[Hava Lazarus-Yafeh]] ''Intertwined Worlds: Medieval Islam and Bible Criticism'' Princeton University Press 2004 {{ISBN|978-1-4008-6273-3}} p. 32</ref>}} there is no historical evidence that the Jews called him ''son of God''. Thus, the Quran may refer not to the earthly Ezra, but to the heavenly Ezra, identifying him with the heavenly Enoch, who in turn became identified with the angel [[Metatron]] (also called ''lesser YHWH'') in [[merkabah]] mysticism.<ref>Patricia Crone. The Book of Watchers in the Qurān, p. 16</ref>

=== Iblis ===
[[File:Adam honored.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Depiction of [[Iblis]], black-faced and without hair (top-right of the picture). He refuses to prostrate himself with the other angels]]
The Quran repeatedly tells about the fall of Iblis. According to [[Quran 2:30]],<ref>[https://www.islamawakened.com/quran/2/30/ Q2:30], 50+ translations, islamawakened.com</ref> the angels object to God's intention to create a human, because they will ''cause corruption and shed blood'',<ref name="ReferenceH">Alberdina Houtman, Tamar Kadari, Marcel Poorthuis, Vered Tohar ''Religious Stories in Transformation: Conflict, Revision and Reception'' Brill 2016 {{ISBN|978-90-04-33481-6}} p. 66</ref> echoing the account of 1 Enoch and the Book of Jubilees. This happens after the angels observe men causing unrighteousness.<ref>Alberdina Houtman, Tamar Kadari, Marcel Poorthuis, Vered Tohar ''Religious Stories in Transformation: Conflict, Revision and Reception'' Brill 2016 {{ISBN|978-90-04-33481-6}} p. 70</ref> However, after God demonstrates the superiority of Adam's knowledge in comparison to the angels, He orders them to prostrate themselves. Only Iblis refuses to follow the instruction. When God asks for the reason behind Iblis' refusal, he boasts about himself being superior to Adam, because he is made of ''fire''. Thereupon God expels him from heaven. In the early [[Meccan Surah|Meccan period]], Iblis appears as a degraded angel.<ref>Jacques Waardenburg ''Islam: Historical, Social, and Political Perspectives'' Walter de Gruyter, 2008 {{ISBN|978-3-11-020094-2}} p. 38</ref> But since he is called a ''jinni'' in Surah 18:50, some scholars argue that Iblis is actually not an angel. This is the position of the tradition from Hasan al-Basri, who argued that Iblis is not an angel, but an entity apart, and the father of the jinn.<ref name=Erdağı/> Therefore, they reject the concept of ''fallen angels'' and emphasize the nobility of angels by quoting certain Quranic verses like 66:6 and 16:49, distinguishing between infallible angels and jinn capable of sin. 

On the other hand, the tradition from ibn Abbas allows the concept of fallen angels.<ref name=Erdağı/> According to Ibn Abbas, angels who guard the ''[[Jannah|jinan]]'' (here: ''heavens'') are called ''Jinni'', just as humans who were from Mecca are called ''Mecci'' (''[[Nisba (onomastics)|nisba]]''), but they are not related to the jinn-race.<ref>Al-Tabari J. Cooper W.F. Madelung and A. Jones ''The commentary on the Quran by Abu Jafar Muhammad B. Jarir al-Tabari being an abbridged translation of Jamil' al-bayan 'an ta'wil ay al-Qur'an'' Oxford University Press Hakim Investment Holdings p. 239</ref><ref>Mahmoud M. Ayoub ''Qur'an and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1, Band 1'' SUNY Press {{ISBN|978-0-7914-9546-9}} p. 75</ref> This tradition asserts that Iblis and his angels are made from "[[Nar as-samum|poisonous fire]]" (''nār as-samūm''), the rest of the angels from "[[Nūr (Islam)|light]]" (''Nūr''), and the jinn mentioned in the Quran were created from "a mixture of fire" (''mārijin min nār'').<ref name=Erdağı>Erdağı, Deniz Özkan. "Evil in Turkish Muslim horror film: the demonic in “Semum”." SN Social Sciences 4.2 (2024): 1-22.</ref> Other scholars assert that a ''jinn'' is everything hidden from human eye, both angels and other invisible creatures, thus including Iblis to a group of angels. 

In Surah 15:36, God grants Iblis' request to prove the unworthiness of humans. Surah 38:82 also confirms that Iblis' intrigues to lead humans astray are permitted by God's power.<ref name="ReferenceI">Alberdina Houtman, Tamar Kadari, Marcel Poorthuis, Vered Tohar ''Religious Stories in Transformation: Conflict, Revision and Reception'' Brill 2016 {{ISBN|978-90-04-33481-6}} p. 71</ref> However, as mentioned in Surah 17:65, Iblis' attempts to mislead God's servants are destined to fail.<ref name="ReferenceI" /> The Quranic episode of Iblis parallels another wicked angel in the earlier ''Books of Jubilees'': Like Iblis, [[Mastema]] requests God's permission to tempt humanity, and both are limited in their power, that is, not able to deceive God's servants.<ref>Alberdina Houtman, Tamar Kadari, Marcel Poorthuis, Vered Tohar ''Religious Stories in Transformation: Conflict, Revision and Reception'' Brill 2016 {{ISBN|978-90-04-33481-6}} p. 72</ref> However, the motif of Iblis' disobedience derives not from the Watcher mythology, but can be traced back to the [[Cave of Treasures]], a work that probably holds the standard explanation in [[Proto-orthodox Christianity]] for the angelic fall of Satan.<ref name="ReferenceH" /> According to this explanation, Satan refuses to prostrate himself before Adam, because he is "fire and spirit" and thereupon Satan is banished from heaven.<ref>Paul van Geest, Marcel Poorthuis, Els Rose ''Sanctifying Texts, Transforming Rituals: Encounters in Liturgical Studies'' Brill 2017 {{ISBN|978-90-04-34708-3}} p. 83</ref><ref name="ReferenceH" /> Unlike the majority opinion in later Christianity, the idea that Iblis tries to usurp the throne of God is alien to Islam and due to its strict monotheism unthinkable.<ref>Amira El-Zein ''Islam, Arabs, and Intelligent World of the Jinn'' Syracuse University Press 2009 {{ISBN|978-0-8156-5070-6}} p. 45</ref>

=== Harut and Marut ===
[[File:FallenAngelsHarutandMarut.jpg|thumb|upright|The angels [[Harut and Marut]] punished by hanging over the well, without wings and hair ({{Circa|1703}})]]
Harut and Marut are a pair of angels mentioned in Surah 2:102 teaching magic. Although the reason behind their stay on earth is not mentioned in the Quran, the following narration became canonized in Islamic tradition.<ref>Stephen Burge ''Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik'' Routledge 2015 {{ISBN|978-1-136-50474-7}} p. 8</ref> The [[tafsir|Quran exegete]] [[Al-Tabari|Tabari]] attributed this story to [[Ibn Masud]] and [[Ibn Abbas]]<ref>Amira El-Zein ''Islam, Arabs, and the Intelligent World of the Jinn'' Syracuse University Press 2009 {{ISBN|978-0-8156-5070-6}} p. 40</ref> and is also attested by [[Ahmad ibn Hanbal]].<ref>Reynolds, Gabriel Said, "Angels", in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE, Edited by: Kate Fleet, Gudrun Krämer, Denis Matringe, John Nawas, Everett Rowson. Consulted online on 16 October 2019 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_COM_23204> Erste Online-Erscheinung: 2009 Erste Druckedition: {{ISBN|978-90-04-18130-4}}, 2009, 2009-3</ref> Briefly summarized, the angels complain about the mischievousness of mankind and make a request to destroy them. Consequently, God offers a test to determine whether or not the angels would do better than humans for long: the angels are endowed with human-like urges and [[Satan#Islam|Satan]] has power over them. The angels choose two (or in some accounts three) among themselves. However, on Earth, these angels entertain and act upon sexual desires and become guilty of idol worship, whereupon they even kill an innocent witness of their actions. For their deeds, they are not allowed to ascend to heaven again.<ref>Hussein Abdul-Raof ''Theological Approaches to Qur'anic Exegesis: A Practical Comparative-Contrastive Analysis'' Routledge 2012 {{ISBN|978-1-136-45991-7}} p. 155</ref> 

Probably the names ''Harut'' and ''Marut'' are of [[Zoroastrian]] origin and derived from two [[Amesha Spenta]]s called [[Haurvatat]] and [[Ameretat]].<ref>Patricia Crone. The Book of Watchers in the Qurān, p. 10</ref> Although the Quran gave these fallen angels Iranian names, {{transl|fa|[[mufassir]]s}} recognized them as from the ''Book of Watchers''. In accordance with [[3 Enoch]], [[Hisham ibn al-Kalbi|al-Kalbi]] (737 AD – 819 AD) named three angels descending to earth, and he even gave them their Enochian names. He explained that one of them returned to heaven and the other two changed their names to Harut and Marut.<ref>Patricia Crone. The Book of Watchers in the Qurān, pp. 10–11</ref> However, like in the story of Iblis, the story of Harut and Marut does not contain any trace of angelic revolt. Rather, the stories about fallen angels are related to a rivalry between humans and angels.<ref>Patricia Crone. The Book of Watchers in the Qurān, p. 11</ref> As the Quran affirms, Harut and Marut are sent by God and, unlike the Watchers, they only instruct humans to witchcraft by God's permission,<ref>Annette Yoshiko Reed ''Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions in Early Islam'' University of Pennsylvania 2015 p. 6</ref> just as Iblis can just tempt humans by God's permission.<ref>Alberdina Houtman, Tamar Kadari, Marcel Poorthuis, Vered Tohar ''Religious Stories in Transformation: Conflict, Revision and Reception'' Brill 2016 {{ISBN|978-90-04-33481-6}} p. 78</ref>