A few nice links from one of my current favourite Blogs, Ali Eteraz, who has a nice mix of Islamic matters and politics.

He has a link to a translation of Surah Rahman from the Koran, which I think most Christians would enjoy.

He also has an interesting piece on ‘Iblis the Jinn’.

Iblis was the jinn who prior to the creation of man was a faithful and virtuous being. His piety was such that he spent an infinity of worship upon every square foot of the universe, and where he bowed he left roses blooming in the night. His piety was proof that in his heart he was capable of goodness. Yes he was a criminal for his failure to bow to Adam and Eve when Allah commanded him, but Iblis’ refusal was based in his knowledge that it would be unjust to the majesty of Allah to bow to things made from mere clay and mere dirt. Iblis did not bow because he could not denigrate his love for Allah by giving it to another. There are many in our history who have seen the goodness in the heart of Iblis; who saw in his refusal not vanity but fidelity…

I read this more as philosophy than revelation, but it’s a thoughtful statement on the nature of evil that has certainly left me thinking.

It carries with it the observation that our experience of evil has to do with us being material beings. And it also strikes a chord of truth in that so many who do great evil — not just terrorists and Communists but people in daily life — do so in the belief that they are pursuing a greater good.

How many hateful psychotics and tyrants have wanted to cleanse the earth of some or all of its unworthy inhabitants? Haven’t we all wanted to rid the world of at least one or two humans? So are we that different from Iblis the Jinn?

And just maybe the Devil does hate us because we are not worthy of God, just as God loves us despite it.

Posted on Tuesday, September 26th, 2006 at 9:11 pm, Filed under Writing, Prophets and Philosophers, Featured. Comments and trackbacks welcome.
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