The shayaateen are from among the jinn; they are the rebellious ones and the most evil among them, just as the devils among mankind are the rebellious ones and the most evil among them. There are among the jinn, as is the case among mankind, devils who are the rebellious ones and the most evil, kaafirs and evildoers. There are also Muslims among them who are righteous and good. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies — Shayaateen (devils) among mankind and jinn, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion (or by way of deception). If your Lord had so willed, they would not have done it; so leave them alone with their fabrications”
[al-‘An’aam 6:112]
The Shaytaan is the father of the jinn according to many scholars. He is the one who disobeyed his Lord and was too proud to prostrate to Adam, so Allaah expelled him and banished him. Other scholars say that the Shaytaan was one of a group of angels who were called al-jinn; he was too proud to prostrate, so Allaah expelled him and banished him. He became the leader of every evildoer and wicked one, every kaafir and wrongdoer. Every person has a shaytaan and an angel with him, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“There is no one among you but he has with him a constant companion (qareen) from among the jinn and a constant companion from among the angels.” They said, “You too, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Me too, but Allaah has helped me against him (the devil-companion) and he has become Muslim.”
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that the Shaytaan inspires man to evil and calls man to evil. There are times when he has control over man's heart and can find out, by Allaah’s decree, what a person intends to do of good or evil. There are also times when the angel has control over a person’s heart. He makes him incline towards good and calls him to good. These are things that Allaah has enabled them to do, i.e., He has enabled the two companions, the jinn-companion and the angel-companion, to do these things. Even the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had a shaytaan with him, his constant companion (qareen) from among the jinn, as stated above, in the hadeeth which says that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“There is no one among you but he has with him a constant companion (qareen) from among the jinn and a constant companion from among the angels.” They said, “You too, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Me too, but Allaah has helped me against him (the devil-companion) and he has become Muslim.”
The point is that every man has with him a companion from among the angels and a companion from among the shayateen. The believer suppresses his shaytaan by obeying Allaah and adhering steadfastly to His religion, so he humiliates his shaytaan until he becomes weak and unable to stop the believer doing good or make him fall into evil, except what Allaah wills. The sinner, by his disobedience and evil actions, gives his shaytaan the strength to make him do evil and encourageshim to do evil, and discourage him from doing good. The believer has to fear Allaah and strive against his shaytaan by obeying Allaah and His Messenger, and seeking refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan. And he should strive to help his angel by obeying Allaah and His Messenger and heeding the commands of Allaah.
