ISLAMIC MYSTICAL LITERATURE 697
AZAZI'IL CONTINUES HIS REBELLION
"Azazi'il stayed with six groups of beings
locked in this paradise a thousand years.
After the thousand years the high creator
appeared behind the curtain of Salman
and said clearly, 'I am god.' Azazi'il
denied him and again he was the fool.
This denial is mentioned in the Qur'an,
where it says, 'When we said to the angels,
"Lie down before Adam," they all lay down
except for Iblis. He said, "Should I bow
before one whom you fashioned out of clay?"
He asked, "What kind of king is this? You showered
more honor on him than me. If you'll grant me
a chance to wait until the resurrection,
I'll murder his descendants, save a few."
God said, "Go away. Whoever follows you,
hell will be his reward. Wake whom you can,
use your armies to incite them, take up
their fortune and their children, promise them
all kinds of things. Satan makes lying vows.
But you have no command over my servants.'"^107
"They fought a horrid and horrific battle
against the high king. Then the high creator
ordered Salman, 'We have no use for them
in paradise. Take the sun-colored light
from them and spread it out below them all.'
Salman struck terror in their ranks. He cut
them off from sun-colored light and turned
it into sun water, spread it below,
adorned it with great tons of light and color,
the sun and moon. Azazi'il was imprisoned
with all his beings. He cloaked his violet realm
with realms of sun. His beings stayed behind
the curtain of the sun a thousand years.- Qur'an sura 17.