I kinda like cOde's description of different orders of angels being made of fire and light,.
Hey Juantoo,
Well, I actually do not know what Angels are made of, because the Quran
doesn't really say. The only description of with regards to the creation of
intelligent beings is of the Jinn and Men. Here are 3 different translations of
the same verse:
Chapter 15, Verse 27
YUSUFALI: And the Jinn race, We had created before, from the
fire of a scorching wind.
PICKTHAL: And the jinn did We create aforetime of
essential fire.
SHAKIR: And the jinn We created before, of
intensely hot fire.
Compare this with the 3 different translations of the words used to
describe the creation of man:
15:28
YUSUFALI: Behold! thy Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man, from
sounding clay from mud moulded into shape;
PICKTHAL: And (remember) when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am creating a mortal out of
potter's clay of black mud altered,
SHAKIR: And when your Lord said to the angels: Surely I am going to create a mortal of
the essence of black mud fashioned in shape.
There is a also a verse which makes it reasonably clear that
the word "jinn" is applied to men as well:
72:6
YUSUFALI: 'True, there were persons among mankind who took shelter with
persons among the Jinns, but they increased them in folly.
PICKTHAL: And indeed (O Muhammad) individuals of humankind used to invoke the
protection of individuals of the jinn, so that they increased them in revolt against Allah);
SHAKIR: And that persons from among men used to seek refuge with
persons from among jinn, so they increased them in wrongdoing:
In Arabic, the word "jinn" can be applied to not just people of sharp intelligence, but also to foreigners, outsiders etc. So for example, when King Salomon (PBUH) and his kingdom is described in the Quran, he is said to have in his court and army people from among the jinn. Now some Muslims actually believe in the literal translation and think that he actually controlled demons. What is more likely is that he had foreigners and outsiders as part of his army. People from empires that he had either defeated or had immigrated to his kingdom. The same description also says that King Solomon was the first to have control of birds, and some Muslims actually think he could talk to birds. What is more likely was that King Solomon was able to utilize birds to deliver messages between his armies, so messenger pigeons.
What is important here is to note the different in understanding the words of scripture. As different people take away a different meaning, from the same word. Both could be right, only God really knows. So for example, the words "
intensely hot fire" can be taken to mean that these jinn are actually created from fire, or it could be signifying their fiery or rebellious nature. What is also important to note is that the two interpretations are
not mutually exclusive. So the ethereal beings called the "jinn" could actually be created of fire, while their human counterparts could have that same nature applied to them metaphorically.
If we follow this line of thinking, the words describing the creation of men also takes on a new significance.
"Black mud fashioned into shape" can be taken to signify the nature of men. Also, the
"fashioned into shape" could also be signifying evolution, even natural selection employed in the evolution proccess. The "
mud" or "
clay" that man is made of could mean that unlike the jinn, our nature is more humble, and this is why humility is stressed in scripture. It could also signify man's inherent weaknesses to his
earthly desires. But at the same time, it could also hint at our inherent superiority over the jinn, as clay (carbon) is one of only two substances which can withstand extremely high temperatures. The other being iron, which comes from carbon.
Let me give you an example, which might seem irrelevant at first, but think about its significance as a "sign". You know that in a lot of stars, the proccess of nuclear fusion that takes place at the core is what generates the heat and light. Well, near the end of the stars life, the helium starts running short, and because of this the temperature of the core increases (the same concept when you reduce the amount of air in an open flame, it will actually burn hotter and "burn itself out"). Because of the increasing temperature, and the higher pressure, the core starts a proccess where the helium begins to be converted into another element, to generate more fuel and keep the star going. But eventually that element changes into another element, and then another and another. During these stages, the color of the sun actually changes, from red, to blue to white. (I think that is the right order). Eventually, the final element that the core produces is
carbon. By this time, the sun is burning hotter and the the force of gravity is stronger then ever before. But the proccess stops nonetheless, because carbon can not be broken down any further, by stars the size of our sun. So sometimes, what you have left with, is big giant diamond, the size of our planet just floating in space! Only the largest stars can begin the proccess of carbon burning and this process leads to the star destroying itself and either becoming a nebula or a black hole. This all might seem irrelevant, but think about it. This serves as the ultimate comparison between the qualities of fire, and the quality of mud/clay/carbon.
Satan refused to recognize man's superiority because man was made out of carbon/clay. Satan himself was made out of fire. He thought that his make was superior, more noble, then humble clay. In a way, we can see his point. It would be much
cooler to be made out of fire then mud right? Obviously! But that is the whole point. Satan only saw the superficial reality. In that way, all evil persons can only see the superficial in reality, and are blind to the spiritual elements. The significance of man's make, and his place above the angels and the jinn rested, metaphorically, in his creation from mud/clay/carbon. As ultimately, it is the strongest element, that when pushed further can only break down into a diamond, or iron (in the case of very massive stars) and in either case will result in that star's (or fire's) own destruction. Metaphorically, this can mean that man is stronger then the jinn. But it also signifies man's inherent humility, because after all... mud and carbon, are just... well... not fire. And fire, is just so much cooler! (lol). And that is an indication that man needs to be humble before God. As we might be superior to many of God's creation, but ultimately, God created us of nothing other then simple mud.
Also, by the way, as for the Angels,: thier description, unlike "men" or "jinn" is non-neutral, according to the Quran. The Angels are only associated with perfect submission to God's will. While the Jinn and Men can rebel, or disobey (in so far as they are allowed to by God). Some think that this does not mean that angels can't disobey, but if they do, they will "fall". This is the Christian or biblical view at least. The Quran is silent on the issue altogether. According to the Quran, there was no "war in heaven". God just told Satan to get out "of this state", and satan begged God for respite and time to lead men astray, and God agreed to let satan tempt man, until Judgment Day, as a test for men. But even then, God said that satan would have no power over men who choose to follow God.
