Power Contradiction Between God and Satan

Hasan A. Yahya, Ph.Ds

Powers of God and Satan, are contradictory to each other. One of The Creator’s, and the other of God’s creation power. But why, Satan is permitted to have that power until the Day of Judgment? Was calculation of God to fill the Hill-Fire, and Paradise incapable to do so, without the help of Satan?  

If Satan was able to put the words in the mouth of (divinely human) prophets as they desire, logically, Satan have the power to cheat God and His Apostles, by making unwanted statements in the Prophet’s mouths. In other words, if God is knowing everything, especially about the Satan action and intentions against human beings to make them astray, and follow his creed which challenges God’s creation of Adam, as religions say, then God, Has it’s errors  overseeing the words sent by Gabriel to Apostles. In other words,  God’s Power is not immune to be broken in the presence of Satan. But these words were broken, and replaced by the Will of God. This saying describes the writer as atheist, and may be blasphemous in scoring God under the power of Satan, which is not intended.

In Islam, as well as Judaism, and Christianity, the power of God exists all times, and interfere to straighten out Apostles behavior before becoming unforgivable sin. Historically, in Joseph, Moses, and Jesus Christ situations God interfered to help out these Apostles to do miracles, and resist evil doings without loosing their positions as God’s Apostles. To explain this statement, the story of Joseph and the Pharaoh wife, In terms of Moses, God forgave him of his sin, the killing of an Egyptian. In case of Jesus Christ, God interfered  to manage the absence of Christ, and imagination of his crucifying. In fact, Islam shows that the one who was on the cross, is not the real Jesus, but someone like him, in our modern day expressions, , as a doublers in Hollywood movies.

The power of Satan in Islam is described as a challenge to God first, then to those human beings constitute the creation of Adam’s sons. ( and daughters, added by the author), because daughters are the means for Satan to do his job perfectly. Since Eve, accepted his wish and impose eating the prohibited apple, and having sin, ever since. Satan’s role was powerful, in making Cain kills his brother, for his lusts and rejection of his wife selection. God Himself was angry with Cain, and rejected his offer, while accepting the gift from his brother.

The story of Satan in Islam, begins with the creation of Adam,    Qur’an reads about the conversation between the Angels on one hand and God Himself on the other after telling them his intention to creation of Adam. It reads:

“He told the Angels that He will create a vicegerent on earth,(2:30) Their immediate reaction was: “why will you create some one who will make mischiefs and  shed blood.” (2:30) By reasoning with the next ayah where Allah asked the Angels, tell me the nature of these names if you are right. Their response was: Glory to the God, of our knowledge we have none. Save what you have taught us.”(2:31)

We can deduce that the knowledge of the Angels about those who shed blood, and make mischief were existed before Adam. This piece of information was observed or obtained previously by them. Therefore, they did not hesitate to ask God, Will Thou place their in one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?" Referring to Adam and his sons.

After the creation of Adam, God asked the angels to bow for Adam, the new product of God’s innovation. They all bowed, except Iblis (the Satan), by saying, I will not bow for a person created from clay, and I created from fire. Iblis was damned by God’s order. Iblis, however, being smart or his destiny to ask: Give me time to make his offspring astray and commit sins. God agreed, and gave Satan, the long life, until the Day of Judgment.

After the first round for Satan, and by the assistance of Eve according to scriptures, Adam made the first sin which was costly not only for him, but to all his offspring. That means, human beings have to decide for themselves, to be bad or to do good on earth. Furthermore, Sons of Adam cannot decide for themselves, and will follow sin path, therefore, God promised to send Prophets with certain jobs, and certain goals, to make the wicked return to do good. And to make those who’ve done good to feel happy and satisfied.

This meaning is explained in Qur’an, which reads: “We said Get you down all (Adam, Eve and the devil, Satan) all together, from Heaven, and if there comes to you guidance (Prophets)from me, whosoever followed my guidance, shall be in fear, no shall they grieve, But those who reject faith and belief on signs, they shall be companions of the Hill-Fire. They shall abite therin.” (2:38-39)

Satan’s job was from the beginning, to challenge God’s Prophets and those who are humans, with lusts to women, sons, and wealth (Gold and silver). This permission for Satan was granted by God. So, it logical to say, that God knows well, the intention of Satan on earth. And He (God) Has to be aware of that intention, by making Satan under continuous surveillance.

In the case of Muhammad, the Satan have full power over Muhammad, and put in his mouth, few words, Gabriel, said when he later heard them from Muhammad, that the words were not sent from God. Such difference has to be altered. Therefore, the two ayas changed. From praising gods of Quraysh, to blaming them, to give God daughter gods, and themselves, male gods.

Historically, according to Muslim Historians (al-Tabari, Ibn Hisham, Ibn Ishaq, al-Waqidi, and Ibn Qudama) The Satanic Verses in Qur'an, Sura an-Najm (Star) 53:19-22, Muhammad went through a time of weakness and compromised with the Meccan pagans by acknowledging the existence of three pagan goddesses alongside Allah: Lat, Uzza, and Manat. The Arabian goddesses are mentioned in Sura an-Najm (Star) 53:19-22. As “ Now tell me about Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, and Manat, The third one, another goddess. What! For you the males and for him the females!. That indeed is an unfair division.”

God did not send Prophets contrary to His will, by standing against that will, where no one will follow them taking into consideration, the nature of these creatures. Satan will not be able to deceive Prophets. But in the case of Muhammad, he succeeded for several months. Until Gabriel visited Muhammad later check accuracy of the late  revelation.  

In al-Tabari, the full story was narrated in this manner: “When the apostle saw that his people turned their backs on ?him and he was pained by their estrangement from what he brought them from God he longed ?that there should come to him from God a message that would reconcile his people to him. ?Because of his love for his people and his anxiety over them it would delight him if the obstacle ?that made his task so difficult could be removed; so that he meditated on the project and longed ?for it and it was dear to him. Then God sent down 'By the star when it sets your comrade errs not ?and is not deceived, he speaks not from his own desire,' and when he reached His words 'Have ?you thought of al-Lat and al-'Uzza and Manat the third, the other',? Satan, when he was ?meditating upon it, and desiring to bring it (sc. reconciliation) to his people, put upon his tongue ??'these are the exalted Gharaniq  ?whose intercession is approved.'  When Quraysh heard that, ?they were delighted and greatly pleased at the way in which he spoke of their gods and they ?listened to him; while the believers were holding that what their prophet brought them from their ?Lord was true, not suspecting a mistake or a vain desire or a slip, and when he reached the ?prostration  and the end of the Sura in which he prostrated himself the Muslims prostrated ?themselves when their prophet prostrated confirming what he brought and obeying his command, ?and the polytheists of Quraysh and others who were in the mosque prostrated when they heard ?the mention of their gods, so that everyone in the mosque believer and unbeliever prostrated, ?except al-Walid b. al-Mughira who was an old man who could not do so, so he took a handful of ?dirt from the valley and bent over it. Then the people dispersed and Quraysh went out, delighted ?at what had been said about their gods, saying, 'Muhammad has spoken of our gods in splendid ?fashion. He alleged in what he read that they are the exalted Gharaniq whose intercession is ?approved.'?

Al-Tabari continues: “The news reached the prophet's companions who were in Abyssinia, it being reported that ?Quraysh had accepted Islam, so some men started to return while others remained behind. Then ?Gabriel came to the apostle and said, 'What have you done, Muhammad? You have read to these ?people something I did not bring you from God and you have said what He did not say to you. ?The apostle was bitterly grieved and was greatly in fear of God. So God sent down (a revelation), ?for He was merciful to him, comforting him and making light of the affair and telling him that ?every prophet and apostle before him desired as he desired and wanted what he wanted and Satan ?interjected something into his desires as he had on his tongue. So God annulled what Satan had ?suggested and God established His verses i.e. you are just like the prophets and apostles. Then ?God sent down: 'We have not sent a prophet or apostle before you but when he longed Satan cast ?suggestions into his longing. But God will annul what Satan has suggested. Then God will ?establish his verses, God being knowing and wise.” (al Tabari)

In conclusion, if Satan had the permission from God, to be powerful and deceiver, why God makes his job easy to fill the Hill-Fire? And to give him the power even to put words in the Prophet’s mouths? A question needs more elaboration to answer. (1725 words) www.dryahyatv.com