Thanksgiving

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 in the Plymouth Colony in New England.  The governor of the colony, William Bradford invited about 90 Native Americans (or as the Canadians call them, First Nation people) to a feast where they shared a meal together.  The new settlers, later called the Pilgrims, had a tradition of dedicating three days of prayer to thank the Lord for all his blessings.  That year, the Pilgrims had a good harvest, thanks to the Native Americans who had taught them how to farm the land and grow corn.   So the three days of festivities and prayer were dedicated to thank the Lord for the harvest.

The Pilgrims were devout Christians.  They were Puritans who had disagreed with the Puritans in England.  The Puritans wanted to reform the Church of England.  The Pilgrims, who were called separatists, did not believe the Church of England could be reformed.  They separated themselves from it and wanted to have their own church.  The group suffered persecution in England around 1600.  Some of their leaders were executed for sedition in 1593.  In the late 1500s and early 1600s the Church of England was not tolerant of any religious diversity.  In 1559 under Queen Elizabeth I, the Act of Uniformity was issued.  It made non-attendance of the official Church of England religious services illegal, and imposed a fine of a shilling for each missed service on Sunday.  Anyone who conducted an unofficial service was punished by imprisonment.  That was England around 1600, when the Pilgrims decided to emigrate, first to the Netherlands.  They settled in Leyden.  Years later they realized that it was important to retain their English identity and culture, and that they could not integrate into the Dutch culture.  Then came the idea of emigration to North America.  The first group came on the Mayflower, with the early settlers.  They were supposed to go to Virginia, but the rough sea made them land at Cape Cod in New England.  From there they established a new colony in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  They befriended the Native Americans who taught them how to farm the land.

As a Muslim who values the Seerah of Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, I find his story similar to the Pilgrims’ story.  The Hijjra (migration from Makkah to Madinah) is a similar story – the Sahabah (his early followers) had to leave Makkah due to religious persecution by the Arab tribes in Makkah.

Before the Hijjra to Madinah, there was an earlier Hijjra.  When the early Muslims suffered persecution by the Arabs in Makkah, Prophet Muhammad advised them to emigrate to Abyssinia (now Ethiopia), where they lived for several years.  Although they settled there and enjoyed religious freedom, they could not integrate into the culture.  They all waited for the right time to go back to Arabia.  Some of them came back to Makkah way before the Hijjra, like the Prophet’s daughter Ruqayya and her husband Othman ibn Affan.  Others came back to Madinah later, after the Treaty of Hudaybiyya, like the Prophet’s cousin Jaffar ibn Abu Taleb.  They all came to Madinah, and not just befriended the Ansar (the Muslims of Madinah), but together they all formed a new community of believers.  As the Native Americans taught the Pilgrims how to farm the land, Al Ansar taught Al Muhajireen (the Muslims from Makkah) how to farm in their new land.

When I reflect on the story of Thanksgiving as an American Muslim, I realize that as this holiday has become part of the American culture, it has become part of my own narrative.  Islam is new to America.  Some of the first generations of Muslims who came to America left their country of origin because they were unable to practice their faith freely.  Some of them (including myself) suffered and were persecuted because of their beliefs.  They had to leave their homeland, culture, families and friends, to come to a new land.  They all have enjoyed freedom of religion and practiced their faith with no fear or persecution.

Thanksgiving has become not just an American tradition, but an Islamic holiday.  We as American Muslims should embrace it and celebrate it as part of our own narrative.  The spirit of Thanksgiving is Islamic in nature.  On our two major holidays, Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha, we start our celebration with a prayer, a prayer to thank Allah for His blessings, the blessing of fasting the month of Ramadan, and the blessing of the Abrahamic tradition and foundation of Tawhid, monotheism.

The story of the Pilgrims, the story of the Muhajireen, is our story – the blessings of the new land and new home are the blessings of Thanksgiving. 

As Prophet Muhammad said when he came to Al Madinah,

“Ya Allah, grant Al Madinah double the blessings you granted Makkah.”

“Ya Allah, make us love Al Madinah more than we loved Makkah.”

Reflections on Prophecy

7:35

Ya banil Adama

Imma ya tiyannakum Rusulum-minkum yaqussuna alaykum

Ayati famanit-taqa wa aslaha fala khawfun

Alayhim wa la hum yahzanun.

O children of Adam!  If there come to you apostles of your own, relating My messages to you, then all who are conscious of Me and live righteously - no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve.

What is that phenomenon we call prophecy?  How can we explain the mechanism through which the prophets were inspired by our Creator?  Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, was the last of the Abrahamic prophets, but the message that he and his numerous predecessors, beginning with Prophet Abraham relayed was that God is with us always and ever was and ever shall be.  And even though the kind of prophecy described in their Books – the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospels, and the Quran – ended with Prophet Muhammad, God’s presence is no less real and close for us today than it was for them.

Quran assures us that every people has had a prophet.

35:24

Innaa arsalnaka bil-haqqi Bashiranw-wa Nadhira.

Wa im-min ummatin illa khala fiha Nadhir.

Surely We have sent you with the truth as a bearer of good news and a warner; and there was never any community but a warner has lived and passed away in its midst.

The power of God’s presence is and has been throughout history, in every human community, real and tangible.  And throughout history, when people have tapped into that power, even though they be not prophets, they have found the strength to do remarkable things, and helped us all progress further along the path of God’s guidance.  I’d like to talk about a few of those people today.

When I was in Berkeley a couple of weeks ago, I gave some money to a homeless woman, one of the many who line Shaddock Avenue every day.  As I started to walk away, she said, “Don’t forget to take your paper!”  I don’t usually pay much attention to those papers, but this one turned out to be more than the usual account of the difficult lives of people who live on the streets.  It was published by the American Friends Service Committee, and contains a survey of many of the women who worked for the abolition of slavery and women’s suffrage in the 19^th and early twentieth centuries.   Their stories are a testament to what people can endure when they are inspired by a cause they know is right and true. 

Some of them, like Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth, escaped the horror of slavery, only to turn around and continue to fight it, jeopardizing the very freedom they had won.   What made Harriet Tubman return to the South again and again, risking her freedom to liberate many others through the Underground Railroad, and by working as a scout and leading raids on plantations for the Union Army?  What gave Sojourner Truth, after escaping to freedom with her baby daughter. the strength to deliver a legendary speech at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in 1851?  What gave her the tenacity to try to end the segregation of street cars in Washington, D.C. by riding in cars set aside for white people, 90 years before Rosa Parks was arrested?

Other women gave up lives of privilege and security to fight against slavery and for voting rights for all.  Lucretia Mott, a Quaker minister, continued to fight slavery even after mobs destroyed the abolitionists’ Pennsylvania Hall meeting place.  What made her organize the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society in 1833, the first active political organization of women, and the launching pad for the women’s rights movement?  What made her and Elizabeth Cady Stanton think they could organize the first public women’s rights meeting in the U.S., the Seneca Falls Convention in July of 1848? 

When simple organizing failed to change the status quo, other women initiated bold new strategies, including militant acts of civil disobedience.  Alice Paul led a group of suffragists called “Silent Sentinels,” who were arrested for picketing the White House.  From 1910 to 1920, Paul was the main strategist of the women’s suffrage movement, and leader of the National Women’s Party.  She opposed the US entering WWI, “protesting a battle for democracy abroad when there was so little democracy at home.”   When jailed with other suffragists in the notoriously brutal and squalid Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia, she demanded that the women be treated as political prisoners and launched a prison hunger strike.  Jail authorities tried to break them with brutal force-feedings, beatings, and horrible jail conditions.  This led to media attention and public outrage and women flocked to Washington.  Her acts of civil disobedience were crucial in winning public support for the Nineteenth Amendment. 

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony worked together for many decades, in the long struggle to end slavery, and for a federal amendment giving voting rights to women.  What made Anthony try to vote in the presidential election of 1872?  And after being arrested, tried and convicted for illegal voting, how did she have the strength to refuse to pay the fine, saying, “I shall never pay a dollar of your unjust penalty.”  It took another six years for Anthony and Stanton to get a bill giving women the right to vote introduced in Congress.  It took another 42 years for the Anthony Amendment to become the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, in 1920.  Many of these women and others went on to struggle for full equality for women and people of all races during the civil rights movement over the next many decades.  They wrote, marched, held sit-ins, protested, and were jailed, beaten, tortured, and sometimes killed. 

As we know, the struggle for equality is not over.  I found a very interesting quote in a book published in 1881, “History of Woman Suffrage,” edited by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Matilda Joslyn Gage.  It was in my Great Aunt Bess’s library, and is inscribed by Susan B. Anthony herself.  Anthony was a Christian woman fighting for equal rights in the United States over a hundred years ago.  She says, in the introduction:

“With fierce warnings and denunciations from the pulpit, and false interpretations of Scripture, women have been intimidated and misled, and their religious feelings have been played upon for their more complete subjugation.  While the general principles of the Bible are in favor of the most enlarged freedom and equality of the race, isolated texts have been used to block the wheels of progress in all periods; thus bigots have defended capital punishment, intemperance, slavery, polygamy, and the subjugation of woman.  The creeds of all nations make obedience to man the corner-stone of her religious character.  Fortunately, however, more liberal minds are now giving us higher and purer expositions of the Scriptures.”

I found it supremely ironic that I should find this quote in a distant relative’s 100 plus year old book of history, and that it should remind me so much of what I find myself in the middle of today.  I would add another woman to the list of feminist legends and icons of resistance -  Dr. Amina Wadud, for delivering her Friday khutbah and leading men and women in prayer in a mosque in New York City.  She said it was “the continuation of her own spiritual struggle to realize Islam’s liberation of all people, an outgrowth of the African-American struggle for equality.” 

Quran says, in Surah 14:11

Qalat lahum Rusuluhum innahu illa basharum-mithlukum

Wa lakinnal-laha yamunnu ala many-yashaa u min ibadih.

Wa ma kana lanaa an-na tiyakum-bisultanin illa bi idhnil-lah.

Wa alal-lahi falyatawakkal il-mu minun.

Their apostles said to them:  We are nothing but mortals like yourselves, but Allah bestows favors on who He pleases of His servants, and it is not for us that we should bring you an authority except by Allah’s permission; and on Allah should the believers rely.

And in Surah 16:41

Wal-ladhina hajaru fil-lahi mim-ba’ di ma zulimu lanubawwi

‘annahum fid-dunya hasanatanw-wa la ajrul-Akhirati akbaru

law kanu ya ‘lamun.

And those who leave a place of evil for Allah’s sake after they are oppressed, We will most certainly give them a good abode in the world, and the reward of the hereafter is certainly much greater, did they but know.

I have focused here on those who fought in the struggle for full freedom and equality for African Americans and women in the United States.  But my larger question, the one I started with, is what makes people sacrifice their safety and their welfare, their freedom, even their bodies for a greater cause?  This question is much broader than the abolition and suffragist movements, broader even than equal rights for all human beings.  The question applies to anyone who has given up their own self-interest to a greater cause.  I have referred back to the Quran for teachings on the phenomenon of prophecy, the supreme example of people who turned themselves completely over to God’s will.  God promised them “a good abode in the world, and the reward of the hereafter,” but what does that mean?  We can easily believe that the prophets enjoy the fruits of Paradise when they die, but many of them suffered horribly for delivering their message in this world.  I think it must mean that they were granted peace and serenity in the knowledge that they were following God’s will. 

I am not claiming that anyone since Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, is like a prophet in the Quranic sense.  But it does seem to me that when we human beings are inspired by a sense of connection with God’s Truth, we get a new perspective on our lives, and the strength to do things that we would never do if we only focused on our individual comfort and security.  The prophets are the highest examples of that phenomenon.  But we all have the potential to tap into that power, and we can all recognize those exceptional people who have been able to use that power to help change their worlds for the better. 

I have been thinking about this a lot lately, and not just in the context of women’s equality.  I have been thinking that in these trying times we are living through as Muslims, we are all challenged to tap in to God’s power, in one way or another.  So what does Quran tell us about prophecy and prophets, our forefathers in the struggle to follow God’s Truth?  Quran tells us that they were tested, that people did not believe them, and thought they were crazy, and tried to kill them.  But Quran assures us that God was always and would always be with them, as long as they followed their calling.  Whether we feel called to travel to Jordan to help Syrian refugees, or try to write inspiring khutbahs, or write poetry and stories, or donate our time to serve on Boards, or help the homeless, or our own aging parents, or just help our children negotiate their way between secularism, extremism, and Islamophobia – in our own small humble ways, we all need God’s guidance, and we might be surprised by where our openness to that guidance might lead us.  

Ya Allah, help us to be open to your guidance as much as we need it, and grant us the ability to tap into your power, that is everywhere and always around us when we need it, and give us the strength to follow your path for us, wherever it may lead.

Surah 22:78

And strive hard in the way of Allah, such a striving as is due to Allah, who has chosen you and has not laid on you a hardship in religion; the faith of your forefather Ibrahim;  He named you before and in this, those who have surrendered themselves to God, that the Apostle might bear witness to the truth before you, and you might bear witness to it before all humankind;  therefore keep up prayer and pay the poor rate and hold fast by Allah;  your Guardian; how excellent the Guardian and how excellent the Helper!

Fa ‘aqimus-Salata wa atuz-Zakata wa-tasimu billahi

Huwa Mawlakum fani mal-Mawla wa ni’man-Nasir.

A Worthy Adversary, Part 4 Seduced by the Promise of Power

A Worthy Adversary, Part 4

The title of my khutbah today is “Seduced by the Promise of Power”.

When Iblis is punished for not bowing down to Adam, his response is to ask God for one thing. Only one thing, and that one thing is not forgiveness. Iblis asks for respite, and God grants him this request. Iblis’ respite gives him his opportunity for revenge.  Iblis will seduce the children of Adam and make them his, Iblis’, slaves. Iblis himself has become seduced by the promise of revenge and power over his enemies.

“The story is told…that Iblis said, ‘O Lord, You have driven me from Paradise on Adam’s account, but I could not have done what I did without Your authorization.’

He(God) said, ‘Truly, you will have sway over him (Adam).’

He (Iblis) said, ‘Lord, grant me more!”

He(God) said, ‘He will not beget a child without two of the same being born to you.’

He (Iblis) cried, ‘Lord, grant me more!’

He (God) replied, ‘Their breasts will be your dwelling place, you will flow in their bloodstream.’

He (Iblis) shouted, ‘Lord, grant me more!’

He(God) said, ‘Array against them your horses and footmen. Make them become partners in riches and children. Make promises to them. But Satan promises them nothing but vanities.’” 

– Ath-Thalabi, ‘Ara’is al-majalis

In context of the Quran, the seduction of Adam and Eve is linked to the acquisition of power and human sexuality. Although other details of the tale may vary, the elements of power and sexuality are consistent.

“And: O Adam! Inhabit you and your spouse the Garden and both eat from where you have both willed, but neither of you come near this tree or you both will be of the ones who are unjust. And Satan whispered evil to them both to show them both what was kept secret from them both- their intimate parts- and he said: the Lord of both of you prohibited you from this tree so that neither of you should become angels nor become ones who will dwell forever. And he swore an oath to them both that I am one who gives advice to both of you. Then he led both of them on to delusion. Then when they had both experienced of the tree, their intimate parts were shown to themselves and they took to stitch together over themselves the leaves of the Garden. And the Lord of both of them proclaimed to them: Prohibited I not both of you from that tree and did I not say to you both; Truly Satan is a clear enemy of you both.” Quran 7:19-22

I think it is noteworthy that the tree which is associated with the acquisition of immortality is consistently linked to a conscious awareness of human sexuality- and this is long before Freud's theories on Eros and Thanatos. Even modern biology reflects the immortality inherent in sex. Sexual reproduction leads to a generations- spanning immortality of our DNA. Within each of us, within each of our cells, is a chemical record of our deepest ancestry, tracing back to our earliest ancestors in Africa and beyond. But given the embarrassment that Adam and Eve feel over their new found knowledge of immortality i.e. rushing off to stitch together clothing, sex was probably not the answer they were expecting as the key to immortality.Lesson to all- be careful what you ask for.

There are a few inconsistencies in the temptation tale that caused intellectual discomfort for some Muslim writers. The reason I am going to explore this a bit is because these explanations form part of the Islamic tradition and even though you may have never heard of these stories before, there are others in the Muslim community who have heard these explanations, or parts of them. Additionally, these authors highlight the seductive power of immortality. This power comes from a deep rooted fear of change, fear of loss, fear of death, of nothingness. And this is all long before those French existentialists started writing about it.

Probably the biggest problem for some Muslim thinkers was how could Iblis confront Adam and Eve in the garden of Paradise if he had already been driven out of it? One writer suggested that Iblis spoke to Adam and Eve through the gates, since he was barred from entry. Another person proposed that Iblis was able to somehow converse with them from his new home in exile- by telepathic powers or… a kind of Skype? Others suggested that Iblis took on the shape of an animal known to reside in Paradise (possibly a camel) and was able to evade detection by the guardians at the gate.

The mythic formulation that gained the most favor was the serpent helper theory. In this explanation, Iblis comes across his friend the snake (who before the fall had four legs) and asks her to hide him in her mouth. She does so and Iblis is able to sneak past the guards and thus gain entry into the garden with the serpent’s help. In another version, it is Tawus, a peacock, that serves as the Iblis-carrier. 

 There is not one standard text of the complete myth, just fragments. This is not that surprising, the Quran itself has a fragmented structure in many of its longer surahs. Take surah 18, which thematically is about trust in God versus trust in this world, but it skips around a lot. From the sleepers in the caves, to the parable of the two farmers, Moses encounter with the mystical Teacher, and a king (Alexander the Great?) who contains some pesky demons. And there is also a quick recap of Iblis not bowing down before Adam (18:50)! Sometimes reading the Quran can be a bit like watching someone clicking a remote control on a television. Nevertheless, Peter Awn decided to pull together a translation from three authors (Ath-Tha’labi, At-Tabari, and Ad-Diyarbakri) to create a composite story of Iblis’ entry into Paradise and his seduction of Adam and Eve. The characters of this story symbolize mankind’s struggle with freedom, good and evil.

“People say that when Iblis heard about Adam’s entry into Paradise, he became envious of him and said, ‘Cursed be he! I was worshipping God for so many thousands of years and He never escorted me into Paradise. And this creature, God Most High just created him now, then He escorted him into Paradise!’ And so he plotted stratagems for removing Adam (peace be upon him) from Paradise.

    Iblis stationed himself before the gate of Paradise where he devoted himself to God’s service for three hundred years until he became renowned for his worship. And people took cognizance of him because of it. He (Iblis) through all of this, kept his eye peeled for the departure from Paradise of someone through whom he might gain access to Adam.

     He(Iblis) remained at the gate of Paradise for three hundred years. During that time God did not permit any creature’s departure from the garden. While he was thus engaged, all of a sudden Tawus came out to him. He (Tawus) was the lord of the birds of Paradise. When Iblis caught sight of him, he cried out, ‘O noble creature, who are you? And what is your name? I have never beheld one of God’s creatures more beautiful than you!’ And he (Tawus) replied, ‘I am one of the birds of Paradise. My name is Tawus.’ Then Iblis began to weep. Tawus asked him, ‘Who are you? And from whence your crying?’ Iblis answered him, ‘I am an angel from among the Cherubim. And I have shed tears in this state of grief because your beauty will pass away as well as the perfection of your nature.’ Tawus asked him, ‘ Will all that I am slip away from me?’ He (Iblis) said, ‘Most assuredly, Truly you will pass away and die. All creatures will die except those who eat from the tree of immortality. Then they will be the immortal ones from among these creatures.’ Tawus asked, ‘Well, where is this tree?’ Iblis answered, ‘It is in the garden.’ Tawus said, ‘And who will point out its location to us?’ Iblis said, ‘I will point it out to you if you get me into Paradise.’ Tawus said, ‘How can I get you into the garden? There is no way to it except through the presence of Ridwan. No one enters or leaves the garden without his permission. But I will direct you to one of the creatures of God Most High who will bring you into it (the garden). If anyone can do it, she is the one, she and no one else. She is the attendant of God Most High’s viceregent, Adam.’ And Iblis asked, ‘Who is she?’ Tawus answered, ‘The serpent.’ Iblis said, ‘Hurry to her. And if good fortune is with us in our undertaking, perhaps she will be able to accomplish this.’

    And so Tawus came to the snake and told her of Iblis’ whereabouts and of what he had heard from him. And he (Tawus) said, ‘I saw at the gate of Paradise an angel of the Cherubim with such and such characteristics. Do you see your way clear to getting him into Paradise so that he can point out to us the tree of immortality?’

  The serpent rushed off in his direction. And when she came to him, Iblis told her roughly what he had said to Tawus. And she said, ‘How can I get you into Paradise? If Ridwan catches sight of you, you will not be able to enter.’ He answered her, ‘I will change into a wind and you can put me between your fangs.’ She said, ‘Yes’. (Note: In At-Tabari’s work, Iblis has to ask many different animals for this favor, and they all refuse until he finds the snake).

    Thereupon Iblis- may God curse him- transformed into a wind and entered the snake’s mouth. Then she brought him into Paradise. When Iblis had entered Paradise, he showed her (the snake) the tree that God had forbidden to Adam. He proceeded on until he stood before Adam and Eve- may peace be upon them both. They did not perceive that he was Iblis. He (Iblis) started to wail a lament which saddened them both and they began to cry (He was the first person who ever wailed). They asked him, ‘What is making you cry?’ He replied, ‘I am crying over you, because you will die and you will be separated from the happiness and esteem you now experience.’ This touched them both to the quick and they pondered it. Iblis shed tears and then went on his way.

     After a time Iblis came back to them for his words had made an impression on them both. He said, ‘O Adam, shall I point out to you the tree of immortality and power that does not dwindle away?’ He (Adam) said, ‘Yes!’. He (Iblis) said, ‘Eat from this tree, the tree of wheat.’ He (Adam) replied, ‘But my Lord forbade it to me.’ Iblis retorted, ‘Your Lord has forbidden you this tree only to prevent your both becoming angels or immortal ones.’

     He(Adam) refused to give in to him. So he (Iblis) swore to them both by God that he was offering sound advice. This fooled them for they could not imagine that anyone would falsely take an oath using God’s name. Eve rushed to eat of the tree. She kept telling Adam how wonderful it was until he ate of it. (Note- some people have suggested that Eve got Adam drunk on wine to get him to eat from the tree, and from this incident came the Quranic prohibitions against alcohol consumption).

     Thereupon their private parts were exposed to them both. Adam hid in the hollow of a tree. Then his Lord called him, ‘O Adam, where are you?’. He answered, ‘Here I am Lord.’ He (God) said, ‘Are you not coming out?’ He (Adam) replied, ‘I am ashamed in Your presence, O Lord.’ And he (God) said, ‘Damned be the earth from which you were created as a curse.’

     God reproved Adam and said to him, ‘Why did you eat from this tree? Did I not forbid to both of you this tree?’ He answered, ‘Eve gave me to eat.’ He (God) said to her, ‘Why did you give him to eat?’ She said, ‘the serpent directed me.’ He (God) said to the snake, ‘Why did you do this?’ She said, ‘Tawus guided me.’ He (God) said to Tawus, ‘Why did you do this?’ He (Tawus) replied, “Iblis ordered me.’ And so He punished Iblis and cursed him.” Ad-Diyarbakri then goes on to give a description of the transformation of Iblis from angel to devil because of his role in Adam and Eve’s seduction. Although this seems redundant because Iblis was already transformed when he refused to bow down, the lack of consistency may indicated the oral origins of Iblis’ mythic history. It may also indicate an overlaying of the two incidents in the popular mind into two successive aspects of the same event.

Iblis appears to have fulfilled the ousting of Adam and Eve from Paradise part of his revenge, but the relationship between Adam and Iblis is not finished. The jealousy and hatred that comprise the relationship between Iblis and Adam bind them together for eternity. They will never be rid of one another, and each one’s fate is found up with the other’s destiny.  Their conflict is repeated endlessly in the lives of their descendants.  “…Go down, some of you as an enemy to one another, and for you on the earth, a time appointed and sustenance for a while.” Quran 2:36.

The hatred of Adam’s progeny to Iblis’s tribe is commonly taken as a sign of hope, a sign of mankind’s faith in God’s Word. The enmity of Iblis’ progeny towards Adam’s children is a constant reminder of their kufr, unbelief.

    What is very striking, however, is that the Muslim tradition refuses to lay all the responsibility or blame on Iblis. Each one- Iblis and Adam- has actively taken part in his own personal downfall as well as in the downfall of the other. Neither the centuries-long worship of one or the divine spark in the other is sufficient protection from the machinations of pride and the promise of power.

“The story is told that Adam encountered Iblis in a land of waterless desert. And he (Adam) rebuked him for his deed. He said to him, ‘ O cursed one! What kind of thing is this that you caused to happen to me? You beguiled me. You dislodged me from Paradise. You did with me what you set out to do.’ Iblis wept. He said, ‘O Adam, I did with you what you say. I brought you down to this place. But who brought about the state that I am in, and settled me in this place?’

PAUSE

It is difficult to give an overview of Iblis in the hadith literature because the field is so huge and not systematically organized. In most hadith collections, Iblis does not have a separate section, he just crops up randomly throughout. Al-Bukhari does dedicate two sections to Iblis and his followers, so most of the hadith I will talk about are from Al-Bukhari.

It is striking that the name ‘Iblis’ is rarely mentioned in hadith, fewer than ten specific references to Iblis in Muslim, Ibn Maja, and Al-Bukhari combined. However, there are over 200 instances of the name Ash-Shaytan, of which most of those refer to Satan himself, not some lesser demon.

Is the predominance of Ash-Shaytan over Iblis simply a semantic preference or is there more at work here? Indeed, the different names suggest the Islamic devil figure can be considered in a distinct manner. The name Iblis is linked with the development of a complex personality. Iblis is ascetic, devoted worshipper, master of the heavens, guardian of Paradise, defender of the Throne, arrogant, prideful, impetuous. It is difficult to paint him in black and white or render him into some cardboard character.  There is too much ambiguity in his personality and this complexity gives him vividness and depth.

The name Ash-Shaytan, particularly as used in hadith, is a completely different character. Here we have a cardboard cut-out of malevolent, bad guy evil. There is no reflection here on what makes this character tick, instead we are faced with an evil force that systematically ruins the lives of anyone he comes across. Perhaps this is not terribly surprising because hadith are primarily concerned with human ritual praxis. The Satan of hadith is completely one-dimensional; evil, cunning, wily, delighting in leading man astray. It is only in the very few specific references to Iblis by name do we get a hint of a complex personality.

In my next khutbah, I will give a brief overview of the Iblis/Ash-Shaytan hadith material and how it touches upon human life. The four areas are;

1.Satan’s link with man’s nature and his appearance in man’s psychic life (sleep, dreams, visions)

2. Satan’s efforts to disrupt man’s prayer and meddling with eating, drinking, and other bodily functions.

3. Satan’s most effective time of day for leading people astray (twilight, night, dawn)

4. God’s assistance to men and women against Satan.

References:

“Satan’s Tragedy and Redemption: Iblis in Sufi Psychology” in Studies in the History of Religions (supplement to NUMEN) Vol XLIV, edited by M. Heerma van Voss, EJ Sharpe and RJZ Weblowsky, (Leiden: EJ Brill Publishers) 1983

The Sublime Quran English translation by Laleh Bakhtiar

A Worthy Adversay, Part 3 Confrontation and Consequences

The title of my khutbah today is Confrontation and Consequences.

From Quran 38:71-85

“Your Lord said to the angels, ‘Truly I create a mortal from clay. So when I have shaped him and breathed into him My Spirit, then fall to him, ones who prostrate themselves.

So the angels prostrated, one and all, altogether but Iblis. He grew arrogant and had been among the ones who were ungrateful.

He (God) said, “O Iblis! What prevented you from prostrating to what I created with My two Hands? Have you grown arrogant or have you been among the ones who exalt themselves?

(Iblis) said, “I am better than he. You have created me from fire while You have created him from clay.

He (God) said, “Then go forth from here for truly you are accursed. And truly on you is My curse until the Day of Judgment.”

(Iblis) said, “My Lord! Then give me respite until the Day to be raised up.”

He (God) said, “Truly you are among the ones who are given respite until the Day of the known time.”

(Iblis) said, “By Your Great Glory, then I will certainly lead them one and all into error, but Your devoted servants among them.”

He (God) said, “This is The Truth and The Truth I say that I will fill hell with you and with one and all of those who heed you.”

Muslim commentators of the Quran, such as at-Tabari in the 8th century, Ath-Tha’labi in the 11th century,  Ibn Kathir in the 14th century and Ad-Diyarbakri in the  19th century offer background contextual information to support the Muslim creation story. God started creating on a Sunday and finished on a Friday. On the previous days, the heavens, Paradise, and the angels had been created, but on the last hour of Friday Adam’s body was shaped from clay collected from all parts of the world as well as from the Ka’ba. God placed Adam at the gate of Paradise expecting all the angels to come and marvel at His latest creation.

Ibn-Kathir and Ath-Tha’labi lay out the scenario:

“And so the angels pass by him. When they looked upon him they were terrified. Of all of them Iblis was the most frightened. Iblis kept walking around him and striking him. The body made sounds like a clay pot. (1)

And Iblis said, ‘You were created for some reason or other.’ He struck him with his hand. He seemed hollow! Iblis entered him through the mouth and exited by his rear. He said to his comrades, the angels who were with him, ‘This is a hollow creature. It is neither strong nor firmly connected.’ Then Iblis said to them, ‘You notice that He gave preference to this over you? So what are you going to do about it?’ They answered, ‘We will obey our Lord.’ Iblis said to himself, ‘By God, truly if He has given preference to this thing over me, I surely will defy Him. And if I am set above him, then I will destroy him.’ (2)

(1)Ibn Kathir, Abu ‘l-Fida’ Ismai’il. Qisas al-anbiya 1.40, edited by Mustafa ‘Abd Al-Wahid (Cairo: Dar at-ta’lif) 1968

(2)Ath-Tha’labi, Abu Ishaq Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim An-Nisaburi.  Qisas al-anbiya’ al-masaama ara’is al majalis, not published, cited in Peter Awn’s Satan’s Tragedy and Redemption: Iblis in Sufi Psychology

There is some scholarly debate as to whether it was just the angels in Iblis’ entourage who were asked to bow down before Adam or whether it was all the angels in the whole universe. Ibn Kathir concludes that this is something Only God knows.

Iblis’ refusal to acknowledge Adam by prostration puts him into the hypocrites camp- those whose pride renders them deaf to the Lord’s Word, the kafirun. “Ana khayrun minhu” or “I am better than he!” has become the catchphrase of arrogant boasters through the ages, and was likely to have been an ayat, a sign, to the community of the Prophet Muhammad. Just as Iblis was brought low with his pride, the Lord was preparing the same fate for the mushrikin who opposed Muhammad and refused to listen to his message.

Iblis’ pride comes from his belief that fire (his essence) is superior to clay (Adam’s essence).  “I am better than he. You have created me of fire and You have created him of clay.” 7:12. Iblis comes to this conclusion using reasoning by analogy, qiyas. Fire is more noble and more powerful than clay and fire can destroy clay completely in the heat of its flames. For Iblis, the superior being never bows to weaklings who, temporarily, have powerful supporters.

Later Quranic commentators actually used qiyas to point out that clay is better than fire. They noted that while fire can destroy clay, it is also true that clay is a more essential and flexible component of creation. The earth, home of mankind and so many other creatures, is made of clay. Clay is characterized by stability, composure, perseverance, and gentleness. Fire is restless, fickle, volatile, hasty, and has a tendency to breed destruction and ruin.

But the fact that Iblis was linked to qiyas became a concern for the Muslim community. Iblis’ reasoning on external qualities blinded him from appreciating Adam’s inner qualities, such as the spirit that God breathed into him and Adam’s knowledge. Iblis was so convinced of the logic of his argument regarding external qualities that his heart was hardened to God’s command and his stubbornness regulated him to destruction.  However, even if Iblis’ reasoning was not off, (maybe fire is better than clay- who knows), an even deeper concern remains which haunts us to this day: to what extent can man attain truth through his own reasoning? Or is all truth contained in the revelation? To what extent should we obey, and when can we strike out on our own because of reasoned decisions, even if this means to disobey? On a practical level, what was the later Muslim community to do when faced with problems whose solutions were not readily apparent in the Quran or sunnah of the Prophet?

In the Muslim tradition, different groups took different positions. The Zahiris rejected human reasoning entirely. Human reason alone was too feeble to be equated with the divine Quran and traditions of the Prophet. The Mu’tazilites took the opposite stance and thoroughly supported human reasoning power, nazar, as well as qiyas. Historically what won out was the moderate position of the legal scholar Ash-Shafi’i. Although there are times when human reason may be used to address questions of religious truth, it is fraught with danger and reason must not be allowed to overstep the limits. Thus, Iblis becomes. in the Muslim philosophical-theological tradition, a paradigm for the limitations and unreliability of reason.

I’d like to end this section on confrontation with a composite story that was popular in the 16th century and is related by Ad-Diyarbakri in Ta’rikh al-khamis. It takes the encounter of Iblis with Adam and weaves through Quranic and oral traditions. Iblis is a holy ascetic, zahid, who in Sufi fashion, ascends from the lower regions of earth to the highest layers of heaven to worship near the Divine Throne, one of the few brought near to God. There seems to be no measured place in the heavens or on earth where Iblis has not bowed to God in submissive worship.

“My God, does there remain a place in which I have not bowed?’ He (God) answered, “Yes, there is a place on earth. Hurry down there.’ Iblis descended down and said, ‘What is he?’ He replied, “That is Adam. Bow down before him!’ He (Iblis) asked, ‘Does there remain a place other than Adam?’ He answered, ‘No.’ He (Iblis) said, ‘Do not order me to bow before him! You have given preference over me.’ He said, ‘ I am the one who is free to choose. I do what I will. Do not question what I do.’ The angels were terrified when they heard this. They shuddered and trembled with fear. It is said that Iblis perceived Adam to be made of molded clay which had originated from between Ta’if and Makka. Iblis puffed himself up in grandiose fashion because of his own graceful adornments. He scorned Adam because of his clay substance.

        He (Iblis) would not face Adam. Instead he turned away from him and turned his back on him. He held himself erect in this way until they (the angels) bowed. They remained bowing for a hundred years, some say five hundred years. They raised their heads and he (Iblis) was still standing in the same place. He did not repent his refusal nor did he resolve to follow suit. When they discerned that he had held back and would not bow, they bowed again, a second time. This time it was to God whereas the first had been to Adam. Iblis saw this and yet he did not do what they did. It was of this that his refusal consisted.”

(PAUSE)

The consequence of Iblis’ initial confrontation with a human being ended in complete personal tragedy for him: Iblis is cut off from his angelic companions, branded a pariah, driven out of Paradise and other heavenly abodes, and his worth reduced to total contempt by God. Quranic commentators are unsure of his exact place of exile. Some think he lives on earth, others say the middle of the ocean, and then there is always Hell. They all agree that Hell is Iblis’ final resting place. In addition to his external transformation, Iblis is also transformed internally. There is the name change from Azazil to Iblis. His corrupt nature manifests itself as Ash-Shaytan, Satan. He is to be cursed, reviled, and driven away by decent people of faith. He is the stoned Satan, as per Quran 15:34 and 38:77; “Go you forth from here, for truly you are accursed! And truly a curse will be upon you until the Day of Judgment.”

Stoning as a symbol of punishment is preserved in the sky. Shooting stars are described in the Quran as a battle in the spirit world whereby Iblis’ jinn vanguards attempt to discern heavenly conversations only to be repelled by angels throwing meteorites at them. In 15:16-18 “And certainly We have made constellations in the heavens and We made them appear pleasing to the ones who look. And We have kept them safe from every accursed satan except he who has the ability to hear by eavesdropping. Then he is pursed by a clear flame.”  From 37:6-10 “Truly We have made to appear pleasing the present heaven with the adornment of the stars and kept safe from every emboldened Satan. They pay no attention to the lofty Council for they are hurled at from every edge, rejected.”  And finally in 72: 8-9 “And we (the jinn) stretched towards the heaven. Then we found it filled with stern guards and burning flames. And we had been sitting in a position having the ability to hear but whoever listens now will find a burning flame watching for him.”

Iblis’ punishment was put into ten categories by Ath-Tha’labi:

1. Iblis is stripped of all power. He no longer has guardianship of Paradise
2. God orders that Iblis be banished from Paradise and sent to earth.
3. Iblis form degenerates, he is no longer angelic, now he is devilish.
4. His old name, Azazil, is dropped and he now takes on the name Iblis. The name change also reflects a change of his internal character
5. God grants him leadership over the worst of people
6. Iblis bears God’s curse
7. Divine gnosis (ma’rifa) is beyond Iblis’ reach
8. There is no repentance for him
9. He is the eternal rebel, lacking goodness and compassion
10. Iblis will spend eternity being the spokesperson for the people of the raging Hellfire.

There are many stories from the Islamic tradition that express the emotional power of Iblis’ fall from grace. Ad-Diyarbakri emphasizes Iblis’ hard heart and contrary nature:

“Abu ‘’l-‘Aliya related that when Noah boarded the ark, lo and behold! There was Iblis standing at the ark’s stern. Noah said to him, ‘Woe unto you! It is because of you that people have drowned.’ He (Iblis) said, “What do you bid me do?’ He (Noah) said, ‘Repent!’. Iblis responded, “Ask your Lord whether a way of repentance is open to me.’ He (Iblis) was told that his repentace lay in bowing before the grave of Adam. Iblis retorted, ‘I abandoned him when he was alive. Will I bow down before him now that he is dead?’”

But the Muslim tradition does not just remember Iblis’ fierce pride. Ath-Tha’labi reaffirms the glory of Iblis’ former life, reminding the reader that as Azazil his existence had been completely different:

The story is told that Iblis appeared to a group of the Banu Isra’il. They said to him ‘Assume the statue you held in the presence of the Lord God Almighty, in other words, in accordance with the position you held before you disobeyed your Lord.’ He answered, ‘You could not bear the sight of it.’ They kept pestering him, so he assumed his former posture. When they looked upon him, upon his humility and obedience, they fell down dead- every last one of them.    Ath-Tha’labi, ‘Ara’is al-majalis

Despite all his former devoted service, Iblis’ requests bring back nothing but harsh condemnations. Ath-Tha’labi recounts another exchange:

People tell the story that Iblis cried, “O Lord, You have cursed me. You have banished me from Paradise; You have transformed me into a stoned satan, reprehensible, cast out. Yet You have sent messengers among the people of Adam. You have sent holy books down upon them. Who are to be my messengers?’

God answered, ‘The soothsayers.’

Iblis asked, ‘And what are my holy scriptures?’

“Tattooed scrawls’

‘And what are to be my traditions (hadith)?’

‘Your hadith are lies.’

‘And what should I recite?’

‘Your recitation is poetry.’

And who is my muezzin?’

‘Your muezzin is the piper.’

‘And what is my mosque?’

‘Your mosque is the bazaar.’

‘And what is my home?’

‘Your home is the bath.’

‘And what is my food?’

‘Your food is the food over which My name has not been invoked.’

‘And what is my drink?’

‘Your drink is anything alcoholic.’

‘And what are my hunting grounds?’

‘Your hunting grounds are women.’

It would be wrong to think that Iblis’ many thousands of years of humble submission didn’t count for anything. After all, when Iblis petitions for a stay of execution, God gives him a respite until the final Day of Resurrection and Judgment.

Nevertheless, some commentators have interpreted Iblis request as a scheme to secure freedom from Hell. After the Resurrection there will no longer be any death. If Iblis can stay alive until Resurrection Day he will have outwitted God. But this ruse is bound to fail as God will only allow him to exist up until the First Trumpet blast. Iblis will be destroyed, along with the rest of the world, in the apocalypse and his reward is the eternal fire, final resting place of all unbelievers.

In my next khutbah I will examine Iblis’ seduction of our ancestors, Adam and Eve.