He said, “My Lord, because You have led me astray, I shall surely adorn (sin) for them on earth and mislead them all, except Your devoted servants among them.”
“ This is a straight path that leads to Me. Over My servants you shall have no authority, save those who follow you from among the deviant. And surely Hell is the promised place for them all; it has seven gates, each gate allotted its own share.” (al-Ḥijr 15:39–44)

Allah, exalted is He, has narrated this story in Sūrat al-Baqarah, al-Aʿrāf, here (1), in Sūrat “Subḥān” (i.e., al-Isrāʾ), in Sūrat Ṭā Hā, and in Sūrat Ṣād. We have discussed it in full at each of those places in our Tafsīr—praise belongs to Allah—and we shall cite it again under the story of Adam, if Allah wills (2).

The point is that Allah granted Iblis reprieve until the Day of Resurrection as a trial for His servants and a test from Him for them, as He says:
“ He had no authority over them; it was only so that We might make manifest those who believe in the Hereafter from those who are in doubt about it. And your Lord is Guardian over all things.” (Sabaʾ 34:21)

And He says:
“When the matter has been decided, Satan will say, ‘Indeed, Allah promised you the promise of truth, whereas I promised you and failed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you and you answered me. So do not blame me; blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I repudiate your associating me with Allah beforehand. Indeed, the wrongdoers shall have a painful punishment. (22) And those who believed and did righteous deeds will be admitted to gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein forever.’” (Ibrāhīm 14:22–23)

Thus Iblis—may Allah curse him—is alive even now, granted respite until the Day of Resurrection by the explicit wording of the Qur’an. He has a throne upon the surface of the sea; seated upon it, he dispatches his detachments to sow evil and tribulations among humankind. Allah the Exalted says: “Indeed, the scheme of Satan is weak.” (al-Nisāʾ 4:76)

Before his colossal act of disobedience his name was ʿAzāzīl. Al-Naqqāsh said that his kunya was Abū Kurdūs. Hence, when the Prophet ﷺ said to Ibn Ṣayyād, “What do you see?” (3) he replied, “I see a throne upon the water.” The Prophet ﷺ said to him, “Be gone! You will never surpass your station.” (4) The Prophet realized that the source of his clairvoyance was demonic, drawn from Iblis, who indeed beholds his throne upon the sea; therefore he told him, “Be gone! You will never surpass your station,” meaning: you will never rise above your lowly, contemptible worth.

Proof that Iblis’s throne is upon the sea is furnished by the ḥadīth related by Imām Aḥmad: Abū al-Mughīrah narrated to us, Ṣafwān narrated to us, Māʿiz al-Tamīmī narrated to me from Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allah, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Iblis’s throne is upon the sea; each day he dispatches his detachments to tempt people, and the one who causes the greatest trial for the people holds the highest rank with him.” (5)

Aḥmad also said (6): Rūḥ narrated to us, Ibn Jurayj narrated to us, who informed me that Abū al-Zubayr heard Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allah