Reddit reply in r/AskTheologists: the heavenly origin of evil or how could satan — November 29, 2025 | Ali Shukri Amin

In Islam there cannot be war or strife in Paradise.

Iblis was a jinn who lived on the earth. Due to his piety, he ascended to worshipping alongside the angels in Paradise. His refusal to prostrate to Adam had him cast back down to earth.

The angels observed that humans would cause bloodshed and discord on the earth. This highly suggests that they had already observed this with the Jinn, Hinn, and Binn.

Iblis' rebellion is central to mankind not because he invented or initiated evil, but because he declared war on Adam & his progeny. Iblis became Shaytan, and thus the central force of evil. However, evil originates in every individual's choice to obey or disobey God.

When God grants someone free will, it is because the voluntary choice of a person to love God despite temptation is worth the consequence of some people choosing evil. However, that evil is the byproduct of free will itself. Free will has no meaning without the choice to obey or disobey.

So we don't know exactly when "evil" was created but I don't think it is a particularly important point in Islamic theology. God is not a force of good fighting a diameteically opposed force of evil. Good & evil are a part of His greater plan, which utilizes them to bring about the relationship berween man and His Creator.

Shaytan is synonymous with evil now but Iblis was an individual who chose to take on that mantle out of arrogance and refusal to submit (islam). The thesis of Islam is submission, which is to voluntarily take our own desires & intellect and make it subservient to God.