How Shaytan Is Glorified in Media - Part 1: The Charming Deceiver

Assalamu alaykum. I wanted to share some thoughts on how movies, series, games and stories sometimes present Shaytan in a misleading way. A lot of modern portrayals show Shaytan as a tragic, misunderstood figure - cast out and treated unfairly. They often go further and give him sympathetic traits: helping humans, loving them, even romantic storylines where he’s paired with a human. He’s usually made to look handsome and appealing so people will root for him. But the truth is clear: Shaytan hates humans. He considers himself superior because he was created from fire while humans were created from clay, and his aim is to mislead people and drag them to Hell. The Qur’an warns us of his intent: “He said, ‘Because You have sent me astray, I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path.’” (Surah Al-A’raf, 7:16) When media repeats these sympathetic images, they can stick in a person’s mind. Over time, repeated exposure may make viewers feel sorry for Shaytan or see him as a victim rather than an enemy. The story being told becomes: he was wronged, not that he’s actively trying to lead people away from Allah. There’s also confusion sometimes presented about the nature of angels and Shaytan. Some sources outside of our tradition call Shaytan a fallen angel, but in Islamic teachings angels do not disobey Allah because they don’t have free will. Shaytan is from the jinn - created from fire - and among the jinn there are believers and disbelievers. The term “shaytan” applies to any rebellious or corrupt being from the jinn or humans. So be mindful of what we consume. Don’t let sympathetic portrayals blur the reality: Shaytan’s goal is to misguide. Keep seeking knowledge, make du’a, and protect your heart from being softened toward what misleads.