Malaika, Jinn and the Inner Drama of the Human Self
- Paigham Mustafa
- Jun 9
- 4 min read
IF NOTHING CHALLENGES YOU,
NOTHING WILL CHANGE YOU.
By Paigham Mustafa
Discussions of angels and devils in the Quran are often clouded by inherited imagery: winged beings, external demons, and a cosmic struggle played out beyond human responsibility. Yet the Quran’s own language, when read carefully, offers a far more grounded and demanding vision—one that places the drama firmly within the human Self. Central to this re-reading are two key terms that are frequently misunderstood: malaika and jinn.
The word jinn is commonly imagined, through folklore and later mythology, as referring to supernatural creatures inhabiting a parallel world. In Quranic usage, however, the term is far simpler and more precise. Jinn denotes that which is concealed, hidden, invisible, or latent. Anything out of sight or undistinguished may be described as jinn. Before birth, all human beings were jinn, concealed within their mothers’ wombs (Verse 53:32). After birth, when concealment ends, the term no longer applies. Jinn, therefore, is not a species but a state of being, one that can change.
This definition is crucial for understanding the figure of Iblees. In verse 18:50, Iblees is described as kaana minal-jinn. This is often translated as “was of the jinn”, implying that Iblees belonged to a separate order of beings. Yet within the Quran’s linguistic framework, the phrase indicates transition rather than origin: Iblees became a jinn—that is, he entered a concealed, latent state. Had Iblees always been manifest, there would be no need to highlight this change. The emphasis signals transformation, not classification.
Equally misunderstood is the term malaika. Rendering it as “angels” imports imagery foreign to the Quranic text. Preserving the Arabic term is more accurate and more useful. The malaika are not ethereal beings with wings, but agents—forces, energies, and laws through which the universe operates. They carry out commands, regulate processes, and facilitate both the natural world and the inner workings of human beings. There is not one type of malaika, but many, each performing a distinct function.
This understanding clarifies one of the most striking Quranic narratives: the command for all malaika to submit to Adam. Adam here is not an individual or the first biological human, but a symbol for humanity as a whole. The submission of the malaika represents the placing of the forces of nature and the resources of the world under human stewardship. Everything in the heavens and the earth is made serviceable to humankind (Verse 31:20). This is not an act of worship directed at a human figure, but a declaration of responsibility: humans are granted the capacity to manage, control, and harness the elements for their benefit.
All the malaika comply with this command—except Iblees. This exception has long troubled interpreters, largely because of the assumption that malaika possess no freedom. Yet the narrative itself explains the anomaly. Iblees is indeed a malaika, but one created with a specific function: to embody rebellion. He is the agent provocateur within the system, representing the egotistical, self-centred aspect of the human psyche. His refusal to submit is not a failure of divine authority—nothing can defy God’s command outside God’s will—but a deliberate illustration of human free will.
Iblees, then, is not an external devil roaming the world, but the latent rebellious force within every human being. When disciplined and controlled, this force remains concealed. When unchecked, it manifests as shaitan—the deceiving, whispering influence that urges regression rather than growth. Shaitan and Iblees are not separate entities, but different states of the same inner reality.
Iblees denotes the latent ego; shaitan describes its active, destructive expression.
The Quran repeatedly stresses that this force has no real power. It cannot compel, only invite. Its influence is limited to suggestion and temptation, and it holds no authority over those who remain conscious and self-aware. This framing shifts moral responsibility decisively inward. Evil is not something done to humans by an external being, but something enacted through choices made when desire overrides discipline.
The necessity of Iblees within the Quranic worldview lies precisely here. Without resistance, there is no development. Without an inner adversary, there is no strengthening of the self. The human task is not to eliminate desire, but to govern it; not to deny the ego, but to prevent it from becoming sovereign. When desire rules, the Self fragments and regresses. When disciplined, the same energies that could destroy instead propel growth.
Read in this light, the Quran’s account of malaika, jinn, and Iblees is not a myth about unseen beings, but a rigorous psychology of moral agency. The struggle it describes is internal, continuous, and unavoidable. Heaven and hell are not distant realms, but states of being shaped by how successfully the human Self learns to command what has been placed in its service—and restrain what has been placed within it.
© 2026 Paigham Mustafa
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paigham Mustafa has been engaged in the study and research of the Quran since 1988 and has contributed to the print media for over 37 years. His first major work, The Quran: God’s Message to Mankind, was published in 2016, followed by The Divine Blueprint in 2022. He is also the author of How To Be Human, published in 2025. His exegesis of the Quran often challenges traditional readings, offering instead a reasoned and objective analysis of the original text. His works provide essential guidance, helping readers gain a clearer, more informed understanding of Islam. This helps address many of the issues that stem from misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and misconceptions
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