Core sense — a devil, Satan; one excessively proud or rebellious; a serpent with a manegenerated
1the devil, Satan—ال
A word of well-known meaning: a devil.
Any that is excessively, or immoderately, proud or corrupt or unbelieving or rebellious, or that is insolent and audacious in pride and in acts of rebellion, of mankind, of the jinn, or genii, and of beasts; the first and second of these are shown by what is said in the Qur'ān 6:112, and 2:13 and 96.
The ن is radical, the word being of the measure فَيْعَالٌ from شَطَنَ, meaning "he was, or became, distant, or remote", or meaning "he was, or became, remote, or far, from the truth, and from the mercy of God"; this is indicated by the plural شَيَاطِينُ.
The reading of El-Hasan in the Qur'ān 26:210, الشَّيَاطُونَ, is irregular, [like بَسَاتُونَ for بَسَاتِينُ] and is said by Th to be a mistake.
Or, as some say, the ن is augmentative and the ى is radical, so that the word is of the measure فَعْلَان from شَاطَ, meaning "it was, or became, null, void, of no account", and the like, and "it burned", or "became burnt", or meaning "he burned with anger"; but the former opinion is the more common.
In the Qur'ān the word is always fully declinable; SM says so too, in the article شيط, unless it is used as a proper name.
But J says: if you make it of the measure فَيْعَال from تَشَيْطَنَ said of a man, [or rather because they say of a man تشيطن], you make it fully declinable; but if you make it from شَيَّطَ ["he burned" a thing], you make it imperfectly declinable, because it is of the measure فَعْلَان.
Qur’ān 6:112 approximate — somewhere between 6:105 and 6:125 Lane cites “Kur vi. 112”
Qur’ān 26:210 approximate — somewhere between 26:193 and 26:227 Lane cites “Kur xxvi. 210”
Qur’ān 6:112 the verse Lane’s citation points to, and it uses this root
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِىٍّ عَدُوًّا شَيَـٰطِينَ ٱلْإِنسِ وَٱلْجِنِّ يُوحِى بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ ٱلْقَوْلِ غُرُورًا ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ ۖ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَLikewise did We make for every Messenger an enemy,- evil ones among men and jinns, inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way of deception. If thy Lord had so planned, they would not have done it: so leave them and their inventions alone.Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)
1.1
The serpent; or a certain species of serpents, having a mane, of foul aspect; or, as some say, a slender, light, or active, serpent.
1.2its fruit is as though it were the heads of the شياطين—طَلْعُهَا كَأَنَّهُ رُؤُوسُ الشَّيَاطِينِ
On this saying in the Qur'ān 37:63, Fr says that there are three ways in which it may be explained. First: the طلع is likened to the heads of the شياطين, meaning devils, in respect of foulness, or ugliness, because these are described as foul, or ugly; or it is likened to the evil disposition of the jinn, because these are imagined as foul, or ugly.
as though it were the face of a devil—كَأَنَّهُ وَجْهُ شَيْطَانٍ
as though it were the head of a devil—كَأَنَّهُ رَأْسُ شَيْطَانٍ
Zj says, in explaining it, that one says this of a thing deemed foul, or ugly.
Though the شيطان is not seen, he is conceived in the mind as the foulest, or ugliest, of things.
The second way: the Arabs apply the name شيطان to a sort of serpents, having a mane, foul, or ugly, in the head and face.
The third way: a certain foul, or ugly, plant is named رُؤُوسُ الشَّيَاطِينِ, which is explained in the K only as meaning a certain plant.
1.3figurative · مجاز — inferredthirst—شَيْطَانُ الفَلَا
Literally, the devil of the waterless deserts.
1.4figurative · مجاز — inferredany blamable faculty, or power, or propensity, of a man—شَيْطَانٌ
This definition is Er-Rāghib's.
his anger got the upper hand over him; he was, or became, angry—رَكِبَهُ شَيْطَانُهُ
he plucked out his pride—نَزَعَ شَيْطَانَهُ
1.5figurative · مجاز — inferred
Also a mark made with a hot iron in the upper part of the haunch of a camel, perpendicularly, upon the thigh, extending to the hock; probably so called as being likened to a serpent. From the "Tedhkireh" of Aboo-'Alee. It is likewise called مُشَيْطَنَةٌ.
Qur’ānic occurrences شَيْطَٰن 5 shown of 78
26:210
وَمَا تَنَزَّلَتْ بِهِ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينُNo evil ones have brought down this (Revelation):
37:7
وَحِفْظًا مِّن كُلِّ شَيْطَـٰنٍ مَّارِدٍ(For beauty) and for guard against all obstinate rebellious evil spirits,
37:65
طَلْعُهَا كَأَنَّهُۥ رُءُوسُ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينِThe shoots of its fruit-stalks are like the heads of devils:
38:37
وَٱلشَّيَـٰطِينَ كُلَّ بَنَّآءٍ وَغَوَّاصٍAs also the evil ones, (including) every kind of builder and diver,-
81:25
وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَيْطَـٰنٍ رَّجِيمٍNor is it the word of an evil spirit accursed.
Occurrences of this form in the Qur’ān, not Lane’s choice of verse. They show the word in use; they do not say which sense above applies. Where more occur than are shown, the shortest āyāt are chosen.
Show Lane's original text
a word of well-known meaning [i. e. A devil; and with the article ال , the devil, Satan]: (S, K:) any that is excessively, or inordinately, proud or corrupt or unbelieving or rebellious, or that is insolent and audacious in pride and in acts of rebellion, of mankind, and of the jinn, or genii, and of beasts; (A'Obeyd, S, Msb, K;) as is shown in relation to the first and second of these by what is said in the Kur vi. 112, and ii. 13 and 96: (TA:) the ن is radical, (S, Msb, TA,) the word being of the measure فَيْعَالٌ , from شَطَنَ , (Msb, TA,) signifying “ he was, or became, distant, or remote, ” (TA,) or signifying “ he was, or became, remote, or far, from the truth, and from the mercy of God; ” (Msb;) as is indicated by the pl. شَيَاطِينُ ; [for] the reading of El-Hasan in the Kur xxvi. 210, الشَّيَاطُونَ , is anomalous, [like بَسَاتُونَ for بَسَاتِينُ ,] and is said by Th to be a mistake: (TA:) or, as some say, the ن is augmentative, (S, Msb, TA, *) and the ى is radical, so that the word is of the measure فَعْلَان , (Msb,) from شَاطَ , aor. يَشِيطُ , (Msb, TA,) signifying “ it was, or became, null, void, of no account, ” and the like, and “ it burned, ” or “ became burnt, ” (Msb,) or signifying “ he burned with anger: ” but the former opinion is the more common: (TA:) [in the Kur, the word is always perfectly decl.; and so it is said to be by SM, in art. شيط of the TA; unless used as a proper name: but J says,] if you make it to be of the measure فَيْعَال from تَشَيْطَنَ said of a man, [or rather because they say of a man تشيطن ,] you make it perfectly decl.; but if you make it to be from شَيَّطَ [“ he burned ” a thing], you make it imperfectly decl., because it is of the measure فَعْلَان . (S.) Also The serpent: (S, K:) or a certain species of serpents; (Fr, S, TA;) having a mane, of foul aspect: or, as some say, a slender, light, or active, serpent. (TA.) Respecting the saying in the Kur [xxxvii. 63], طَلْعُهَا كَأَنَّهُ رُؤُوسُ الشَّيَاطِينِ [Its fruit is as though it were the heads of the شياطين ], Fr says that there are three ways in which it may be explained: one is, that the طلع is likened to the heads of the شياطين [meaning devils] in respect of foulness, or ugliness, because these are described as foul, or ugly: (S:) or it is likened to the evil in disposition of the jinn, because these are imagined as foul, or ugly: Zj says, in explaining it, that one says of a thing deemed foul, or ugly, كَأَنَّهُ وَجْهُ شَيْطَانٍ [as though it were the face of a devil], and كَأَنَّهُ رَأْسُ شَيْطَانٍ [as though it were the head of a devil]; for though the شيطان is not seen, he is conceived in the mind as the foulest, or ugliest, of things: (TA:) the second is, that [the meaning is foul, or ugly, serpents; for] the Arabs apply the name شيطان to a sort of serpents, having a mane, foul, or ugly, in the head and face: (S, TA: *) the third is, that a certain foul, or ugly, plat is named رُؤُوسُ الشَّيَاطِينِ ; (S, TA;) which is expl. in the K only as meaning a certain plant. (TA.) شَيْطَانُ الفَلَا [lit. The devil of the waterless deserts] means thirst. (K.) شَيْطَانٌ signifies also Any blamable faculty, or power, [or propensity,] of a man. (Er-Rághib, TA.) One says, رَكِبَهُ شَيْطَانُهُ i. e. [His anger got the ascendency over him; or] he was, or became, angry. (TA.) And نَزَعَ شَيْطَانَهُ He plucked out his pride. (TA.) Also, [probably as being likened to a serpent,] A mark made with a hot iron in the upper part of the haunch of a camel, perpendicularly, upon the thigh, extending to the hock; (K, TA;) from the “ Tedhkireh ” of Aboo-'Alee; (TA;) likewise called مُشَيْطَنَةٌ . (AZ, K, TA.)