Because of his jealous nature, Iblees has been exiled
from the Heaven. He cannot bear man, whom he thought
inferior in comparison to himself, attaining nearness
to Allah. Satan has expressed to Allah, ' You have made
me with fire and have created Adam (a.s.) with soil.
Fire is superior to soil and your ordering me to prostrate
before Adam (a.s) is gross injustice!'
Despite all this, man reaches august position and Satan
has been repudiated by Allah thus,' Get away from here!
You are inferior and contemptible. You have no right
to brag about your superiority here!'
The human being wishes to achieve nearness to the Creator
through prayer. But Satan tries with all his faculties
and stratagems to create hurdles in the way of the person's
progress towards the goal. This he does to satisfy his
instinct of jealousy. Satan is such an accursed creature
that if he is unable to cause major impediments to the
efforts of the person, he will satisfy himself even
with small disturbances to the man. For example, if
Satan is unable to turn a person into an infidel or
hypocrite, he will satisfy himself with making the person
commit lesser sins.