Lex Luthor wrote:
I don't understand the controversy here?
The word is controversy personified. The Wikipedia article does well enough.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_%28Islam%29Quote:
In Islam, the Devil is known as Iblis (Arabic إبليس) or Shayṭān (Shaitan) (Arabic: شيطان ) (plural: شياطين Shayatin). According to the Qur'an, God created Iblis out of "smokeless fire" (along with all of the other djinn) and created man out of clay. The primary characteristic of the Devil, besides hubris, is that he has no power other than the power to cast evil suggestions into the heart of men, women, and jinn...
In Islamic theology, the Shaytan and his minions are "whisperers", who whisper into the hearts of men and women, urging them to commit sin. This is where the desire to sin comes from, according to Islam.
The Qur'an provides a supplication for mankind, aimed at fighting the tempting of ash-Shaytan and his minions:
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,
The King of mankind,
The God of mankind,
From the evil of the sneaking whisperer (Shaytan),
Who whispereth in the hearts of mankind,
Of the jinn and of mankind. [Qur'an 114:1-6]
I was surprised that the description given in the article matched my
"Christian?" interpretation so closely.