Why did Allah not destroy Satan since He disobeyed Allah’s order and refused to prostrate Hz. Adam?

Why did Allah not destroy Satan since He disobeyed Allah’s order and refused to prostrate Hz. Adam?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Satan is from the jinn. As it is known, humans and jinn were created by Allah (SWT) for being tested. In the first test, Satan failed. He demanded a term of respite from Allah (SWT). As a requirement of His Wisdom, Almighty Allah granted him a term of respite until Doomsday.

Since Satan did not prostrate Hz. Adam, he was dismissed from divine mercy and upon his demand and as a result of Divine wisdom; he was given the authority to disturb and deviate humans until Doomsday.
There are hundreds of reasons and wisdoms why this authority was given. The two most important reasons are as follows: Without the scruples of Satan, Allah may test humans and give the duty of him to the nafs (evil commanding soul). However, by doing so, that is, by accepting the indecent wish of Satan to deviate humans from the right way until Doomsday, Allah increased the torment Satan will experience in hell billion times more. According to the hadith, “the cause is like the doer”, sins of mankind which are performed as a result of following the scruples of Satan, will be recorded for Satan himself and this will cause the increase of his punishment.

Another wisdom is that humans are being tested with their nafs and believers who pass this test will have a higher status than angels. If human nafs had no evil commanding quality and Satan did not disturb humans, then humans would not progress spiritually and their levels would remain static like angels.

With the help of Satan’s attacks, people’s degrees will be revealed and believers and unbelievers will be found out. As Satan does not attack angels, there will never be a denier amongst them; nevertheless, as they are not tested, there will never be different degrees amongst them. Their positions are fixed. On the other hand, there are always rises and falls in the world of humankind. While some of them rise to the highest position, some of them fall to the lowest. Allah the Almighty willed – so to say - “colorfulness” in humankind. If Satan did not exist, human beings would be like angels and there would not be any difference of degrees between them. However, while some people give in to demons with the delusions of Satan, some people do not listen to them and advance in degree. Eventually, decent people such as prophets, apostles, saints and scholars have come out.

Satan only gives delusions to humans and leads them to evil; however, he does not force them. If he had such a power, then man would not have to be responsible for what he did.

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