Editing Iblis (section)

=== Cosmic veil ===
[[File:The Divine Pavillon - Parī in the Holy Garden.jpg|thumb|The Divine Pavillon. At the top of the tree sits the Queen of faeries (''ḥūriyy'' or ''parī''), symbolizing God's abode. The entrance is guarded by Iblis who prevents those who succumb to earthly urges from entering.<ref name="Barry, M. A. 1535 p. 335">Barry, M. A. (2004). Figurative art in medieval Islam and the riddle of Bihzad of Herat (1465-1535). Flammarion. 335</ref>]] Within the [[Sufi cosmology|context of Sufi cosmology]], the ''[[al-Insān al-Kāmil]]'' is a manifestation of God's attributes, not in the sense of incarnation but as a mirror reflecting the divine attributes.<ref name="w670"/><ref>Barry, M. A. (2004). Figurative art in medieval Islam and the riddle of Bihzad of Herat (1465-1535). Flammarion. 240–241</ref> God ordered the angels to bow down to acknowledge this special status given to Adam. Due to his defective spiritual insights, Iblis cannot comprehend the immanent aspect of God's attributes within Adam, and refuses to bow down.<ref name="y361"/><ref name="auto">Barry, M. A. (2004). Figurative art in medieval Islam and the riddle of Bihzad of Herat (1465-1535). Flammarion.: 246</ref><ref name="e363">{{cite book | last1=Lewisohn | first1=L. | last2=Shackle | first2=C. | title=Attar and the Persian Sufi Tradition | publisher=I.B. Tauris | publication-place=London ; New York : London | date=2006 | isbn=978-1-84511-148-9 | oclc=70128462 | page=159}}</ref> By his attempt to avoid idolatry, he becomes the supreme idolater, because he cannot see through idols (the exterior).<ref name="auto"/> Since he cannot perceive God's immanent aspect (love), he can only understand (and reflect) God's transcendent aspects (wrath).<ref name="auto"/><ref name="e363"/><ref name="w670"/>

According to [[ibn Arabi]] and [[Jami]], those who cannot comprehend the unity of God, and separate God from his Creation, are the disciples of Iblis, caught in the labyrinth of images and unable to discern the underlying, all-pervading divine principle.<ref>Barry, M. A. (2004). Figurative art in medieval Islam and the riddle of Bihzad of Herat (1465-1535). Flammarion. 245</ref> In his ignorance and damnation, Iblis hovers over the mere surface of visible things, and those he leads astray suffer the same fate.<ref>Barry, M. A. (2004). Figurative art in medieval Islam and the riddle of Bihzad of Herat (1465-1535). Flammarion.: 245-246</ref> Other Sufi authors, including [[Sanai|Sana'i]], [[Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani|'Ayn al-Quzat]], [[Ruzbihan Baqli|Ruzbihan]], Attar, and Rumi, independently conceptualized a similar image of Iblis' function in the cosmos.<ref name="auto"/>

Iblis is part of God's universe and does not form an exterior reality independent of God. He is God's veil, the visible universe itself, which hides the Godhead from the unworthy.<ref name="w670"/><ref name="auto"/> 'Ayn al-Quzat links the cosmic structure to the ''[[Shahada]]'': "''Lā'' is the circle of negation. One must place his first step within this circle, but he should not stop here nor dwell here. (...)". Those who remain at the circle of ''lā'', they worship the ''[[nafs]]'' (carnal desires) instead of God. Only those who proceed to ''ʾillā 'llāh'' surpass Iblis, the divine chamberlain.{{sfnp|Awn|1983|p=135}}<ref name="k388">{{cite book | last1=Korangy | first1=Alireza | last2=Al-Samman | first2=Hanadi | last3=Beard | first3=Michael | title=The Beloved in Middle Eastern Literatures | publisher=I.B. Tauris | publication-place=London | date=2017-12-30 | isbn=978-1-78453-291-8 | pages=94–95}}</ref> As such, Iblis unknowingly symbolizes, suffers, and reflects the dark and wrathful aspect of God, uttering God's anger and executes God's justice.<ref name="auto"/>

Due to the similarities in function between Iblis's web and the Hindu concept of ''[[Maya (religion)|māyā]]'', the seventeenth-century [[Mughal dynasty|Mughal]] prince [[Dara Shikoh]] sought to reconcile the [[Upanishads]] with Sufi cosmology.<ref name="auto"/>