Is Iblees the father of all the jinn?

The devils (shayaateen) are the kuffaar of the jinn. Allaah, may He be exalted, says of the accursed Iblees (interpretation of the meaning): 

“except Iblees (Satan). He was one of the jinn; he disobeyed the Command of his Lord”

[al-Kahf 18:50]. 

Many scholars are of the view that Iblees is the father of all of the jinn, both the believing and disbelieving ones among them. He is their origin and they are his offspring. This view was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas, Mujaahid, Qataadah, al-Hasan al-Basri and others.  

See: Tafseer al-Tabari (1/507) and al-Durr al-Manthoor (5/402). 

There is a hadeeth concerning that which is attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It was narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Mu’jam al-Awsat (6/197) from Mu’aawiyah ibn al-Hakam al-Sulami. But it is very weak (da’eef jiddan), as it was narrated only by Talhah ibn Zayd al-Qurashi of whom ‘Ali ibn al-Madeeni said: He used to fabricate hadeeth. See: Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb (5/16). 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah called Iblees the father of the jinn in more than one place (see Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 4/346, 235), as did his student Ibn al-Qayyim, then al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari (6/369). 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (9/370-371): The shaytaan is the father of the jinn according to a number of scholars. He is the one who disobeyed his Lord and was too proud to prostrate to Adam, so Allaah expelled him and cast him away. End quote. 

It says in Fataawa Noor ‘ala al-Darb by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (al-Jinn wa’l-Shayaateen, question no. 2) : 

Undoubtedly Iblees is the father of the jinn, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning) : 

“And the jinn He created from a smokeless flame of fire”

[al-Rahmaan 55:15]

And He describes Iblees when he addressed the Lord of Glory (may He be glorified and exalted) (interpretation of the meaning) : 

“ ‘I am better than him (Adam), You created me from fire, and him You created from clay’”

[al-A’raaf 7:12]

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Will you then take him (Iblees) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you?”

[al-Kahf 18:50]

This evidence clearly indicates that Iblees has offspring and that the jinn are his offspring, but how did that come about? This is something of which we have no knowledge and it is something concerning which it does not matter if we are ignorant, and knowing it does not bring any benefit. And Allaah knows best. End quote. 

For more information please see the answer to question no. 13378. 

And Allaah knows best.