Ibl?s (Arabic ?????), is the name given to the primary devil in Islam. Etymology The word may be derived from the Arabic verbal root balasa ??????, meaning "he despaired"; therefore, the linguistic meaning of Iblis would be "he/it that causes despair".[LINK: http://www.themystica.org/mystica/articles/i/iblis.html] [1] However, some maintain an etymological derivation from the Greek "Diabolos".[LINK: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Eblis] [2] Origin In contrast with the Christian tradition, the Qur'an names Iblis as a jinn rather than an angel. The Jinn are created from fire , , and in the Islamic tradition are considered to have free will; in Islam, angels are seen as messengers who do not possess free will. Iblis was given power close to that of the angels by God, because he was at one point a p