Was Satan truly one of the angels?
Satan was not among the angels for three reasons:
1. Qur’anic Affirmation: Allah the Almighty said: ﴿And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam," so they prostrated, except for Iblis. He was of the jinn.﴾ (Al-Kahf: 50). 2. Physical Attributes: Satan was created from fire, whereas angels were created from light, as in His Almighty’s saying: ﴿And He created the jinn from a smokeless flame of fire.﴾ (Ar-Rahman: 15), and in the hadith of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her: "The angels were created from light, and the jinn were created from a smokeless flame of fire." 3. Moral Attributes: Satan disobeyed Allah, whereas angels do not disobey Allah, as Allah the Almighty said: ﴿They do not disobey Allah in what He commands them and do whatever they are commanded.﴾ (At-Tahrim: 6).
As for the narrations from some of the Salaf stating that he was among the angels, they are incorrect and are from the Israʼiliyyat (Judeo-Christian traditions) that may contradict the truth.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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