The Peacock Angel

Was Iblis definitively cast out of divine mercy? Why do certain traditions associate an angelic figure with the peacock? And what does this story reveal about the true meaning of obedience?

The forty-second and final Door of The Goal of the Wise brings us back to one of the most mysterious figures in religious history: Iblis.

Since the first chapters, the book has examined his place in creation, his opposition to Adam and the consequences of his pride.

But this final Door approaches the subject from a new angle.

It explores the mystery of the Peacock Angel and raises a fundamental question concerning the relationship between divine justice, disobedience and mercy.

1. A dream at the origin of a revelation

The chapter begins with the account of a dream experienced by Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq in June 2019.

In this dream, he finds himself in a car driven by Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace).

The two men converse during their journey.

The author reports having asked the Imam about a Quranic verse announcing the curse of Iblis until the Day of Recompense.

When he wakes up, this dream continues to puzzle him.

He then decides to put the question directly to Ahmed Al-Hassan.

2. Is the curse of Iblis eternal?

In the usual religious understanding, Iblis represents disobedience and pride.

His refusal to prostrate before Adam constitutes one of the founding events of the Quranic narrative.

But the chapter invites us to examine precisely the duration and the meaning of the curse.

What does a curse announced until a set day mean?

The question is important, because it concerns the difference between an absolute condemnation and a period of punishment.

The book develops this inquiry within the framework of its teachings on divine justice.

3. The Peacock Angel and the religious traditions

The figure of the Peacock Angel is particularly associated with the Yazidi tradition, in which Melek Taus occupies a major place.

Representations of this figure have often been misunderstood by outside observers.

Some interpretations have notably wrongly equated Yazidi beliefs with devil worship.

The chapter of The Goal of the Wise proposes its own spiritual reading of the mystery of the Peacock Angel. This interpretation should be distinguished from the beliefs actually professed by the Yazidi communities.

4. Obedience and disobedience

The book returns to a central question in the story of Adam.

Why did Iblis refuse to recognize the place granted to Adam?

In the previous Doors, the author had presented envy, pride and the love of power as the essential causes of his fall.

This final Door extends that reflection.

True obedience does not consist only in recognizing the existence of God.

It also implies accepting His will when it contradicts our personal preferences.

5. Does divine mercy have limits?

The theme of mercy occupies an important place in spiritual reflection.

Religious traditions present God as just and merciful.

But how should the relationship between punishment, repentance and forgiveness be understood?

The chapter examines this question through the destiny of Iblis.

It invites reflection on the possibility that certain spiritual realities are more complex than the usual representations of good and evil.

6. Knowledge does not guarantee humility

The fifteenth Door had presented Iblis as a being possessing considerable knowledge.

Yet this knowledge would not have prevented him from falling into pride.

The final Door thus reminds us of one of the major lessons of the book.

Spiritual knowledge is not enough if it is not accompanied by humility.

A being can know many truths and nevertheless refuse to recognize an authority that does not correspond to its expectations.

7. The return to the beginning of the story

The structure of The Goal of the Wise gives this final Door a particular significance.

The first Door led us toward Adam, the Garden of Eden and the origin of humanity's first trials.

The last brings us back to Iblis, to obedience and to divine justice.

The journey of the book thus forms a reflection that links the beginning of human history to its spiritual fulfillment.

Between these two extremes, the author has presented the Covenants, the return of souls, the mysteries of creation and the hope of a just world.

8. The final teaching: overcoming pride

Beyond the particular doctrines concerning the Peacock Angel, this Door raises a question accessible to everyone.

Are we capable of recognizing our mistakes?

Can we accept that a truth calls our certainties into question?

Do we know how to distinguish our love of God from our attachment to our own understanding of God?

These questions run through the entire book.

They remind us that spiritual seeking requires as much sincerity as knowledge.

Conclusion — The final Door and the mystery of mercy

With The Peacock Angel, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq (From Him is Peace) concludes his book by returning to one of the oldest questions in religious history: that of obedience to God.

The final Door invites reflection on justice, on mercy and on the limits of our understanding.

It also brings us back to individual responsibility.

If pride was one of the first trials of creation, does our greatest spiritual victory not consist in truly learning humility?

It is with this question that our journey through the forty-two Doors of The Goal of the Wise comes to an end.