Sufi Wisdom: Satan

Iconic figures aren't always consistent across religions and cultures.

Christianity sees Satan as a sort of opposite but inferior force to G-d, an exiled angel who is the everlasting enemy of G-d and man. In contrast, Judaism sees Satan as Heaven's Lead Prosecutor in a court where entrapment is acceptable. Not a being whose attention one would wish to attract, but just one of G-d's angels doing a necessary job. Islam sees Satan in a different way again... and that vision is closely tied to Rabia's injunctions in our Jan. 24 post. As James Fadiman notes:

"In Islam, Satan is identified as the single angel who, setting himself apart from all other angelic beings, refused God’s command to bow down before Adam on the day of his creation. When questioned by the Creator as to why he disobeyed, the Devil answered that he bowed down solely to the Divine, not to any of the created. Unrepentant, he also argued that God’s will determines all that thing, so it would not have been possible for him to refuse God’s command unless God himself had allowed him to do so.

For this, he was banished from Heaven and was taken away from the presence of God. No more does the eye of God enlighten him, no more will the touch of God give him joy.

But in spite of this punishment, he has never lost his love for God."

Of course, there's a story about this in one of Fadiman's books, courtesy of Sana'i...

"O Satan," said Moses, "do you love God?"

He replied, "Every time his love increases toward someone else, my love and devotion increases toward him."

"O Satan," said Moses. "Do you remember him?"

He answered, "I am the one remembered by him, and whom he said 'My curse be upon you!' Do not the 'you' and the 'I' coexist in that curse? I am pledged to loving and yearning. I am in heaven and hell."

"O Satan," said Moses, "how is it that despite your cursed existence, your words are sweet?

"My experiences," replied Satan, "are those of one who has beem tested, Moses. I worshipped God for seven hundred thousand years, craving a better position with him. My craving in devotion brought about my destruction. I stopped craving, and now my remembrance is keener, my devotion sweeter. O Moses, do you know why God caused me to be separated? So that I would not mix with the sincere ones and worship him out of passion or fear or hope or craving."

So, tell us... based on this conception, is Satan a good guy or a bad guy? Or something else? Use the Comments link below to offer us your thoughts.

UPDATE: Mark Shea of Catholic and Enjoying It! has some thoughts from his faith's perspective.

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