Satan's Role In Monotheistic Scriptures

Satan’s role in two monotheistic scriptures – the Hebrew Bible, and the Qur’an is developed differently within each scripture and within each interpretation of those scriptures – although these scriptures are considered to be unchanging. Their stories and teachings are considered to be the official teachings of each religion. However, within these two scriptures and the creations of the teachings, a maleficent, mysterious creature inhabits – Satan. Even the slightest reference of Satan evokes fear and disturbing images of a beast. This beast’s mission is to tempt humans – turning them from God’s grace. But is Satan’s development in the Hebrew Bible different from the Islamic religion? This essay shall look at the development of the concept …show more content…
Satan in Jewish and Islamic Scriptures
In the Hebrew and Islamic scriptures, Satan has evolved and changed – while the scriptures have not. Elaine Pagels, wrote “The Origin of Satan” saying the Hebrew term “The Satan,” “describes an adversarial role. It is not the name of a particular character… what they meant was any of the angels sent by God for the specific purpose of blocking or obstructing human activity” (Pagels, 1995). In the Hebrew Bible, the idea of Satan being sent by God as an adversary, rather than a preacher of evil. In essence, Satan – who has become a part of our religious thoughts – along with God, appears nowhere in the Hebrew Bible. Pagels states: “Satan appears in the book of numbers and in Job as a messenger (Mal’ak Yahweh) and angels being ‘Sons of God’ (Benehaelohim). In Job, he questions God… but as he …show more content…
His purpose is to test believers. While the Satan in the Qur’an, along with his agents, “will do all that they can to turn man away from the path of God and suffer the punishment of Hell… Not an agent of God, like the Hebrew Bible proclaims, but as a Jinn – who by his freewill, opted to disobey God (Admin, 2015). Hebrew Scriptures states that the Devil emerges from Benehaelohim and Mal’ak Yahweh. Benehaelohim (Sons of God) were spiritual beings and “as the concept of God crystallized over time, the idea of lesser gods faded, and the benehaelohim became shadowy figures. They tended to play the part of separating the evil aspect of the divine nature off from the good. Eventually, the leader of these angels became formulated as the Prince of Darkness” (Muncaster, 2016). The Qur’anic Satan was once an angel – but once God created Adam, Iblis changed from disobeying God. “When Allah fashioned Adam in Paradise, he left him as long as He wished to leave him. Then Iblees found him to be hollow from within, he recognized that the new creature had been created with a disposition such that it is weak and it would not have control over itself” (Qur’an 26:11). The most conspicuous similarity to be found is that, Satan was an angel banished from heaven (In Hebrew and Islamic Scriptures), Satan challenged God in both, and was banished from