Chapter 20 of the Quran states: “We made a covenant with Adam before you, but he forgot, and We found him lacking in constancy. When We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate yourselves before Adam,’ they all prostrated themselves, except for Satan, who refused. We said, ‘Adam, [Satan] is an enemy to you and to your wife. Let him not turn you both out of Paradise and thus make you come to grief.’” (20:115-117)

To adhere steadfastly to God’s commandments, an unwavering determination is essential. If a person is influenced by irrelevant factors, he will undoubtedly deviate from the path of God. In order to remain steadfastly on the path of God, it is not enough to know what His commandments are; it is also absolutely necessary to have the will to resist all that goes against His commandment, and not to let oneself be influenced by it.

When God ordered that all should kneel down before Adam, the angels immediately dropped to their knees. But Satan did not do so. The reason for this difference in behaviour was that the angels treated this matter as pertaining to God, whereas Satan, on the contrary, saw it as the affair of a mere mortal. When an issue concerns God, a person has no option but to bow to His wishes. But when it is treated as relating to a human being, the person in question will appraise the human being before him. If the latter is comparatively stronger, he will kneel down; otherwise, he will refuse to kneel down, even if such an action be the demand of truth and justice.

This story of Adam and Satan is being enacted in the life of every person. Everyone is confronted with this situation: in life’s activities or dealings he is often faced with such a person to whom he owes something, whether it be in the form of some action or in the form of some good word. On all such occasions a person is again being tested; it is just the same kind of test as the first man was given. On all such occasions a person must surrender before the truth. One who surrenders before the truth is as if surrendering before God. And one who does not surrender before the truth is as if following Satan.

Source: The Spirit of Islam

Chapter 50 of the Quran states: “We created man—We know the promptings of his soul, and are closer to him than his jugular vein—and the two recording angels are recording, sitting on the right and the left: each word he utters shall be noted down by a vigilant guardian. The trance of death will come revealing the truth: that is what you were trying to escape. The trumpet will be sounded. This is the Day [you were] warned of. Each person will arrive attended by an [angel] to drive him on and another to bear witness. You were heedless of this, but now We have removed your veil, so your sight today is sharp. His companion attendant will say, ‘I have here his record ready.’ ‘Cast into Hell every ungrateful, rebellious one, hinderer of good, transgressor, causing others to doubt, who has set up another god besides God: cast him into severe punishment’ — and his associate [Satan] will say, ‘Lord, I did not make him transgress, he had already gone far astray himself.’ God will say, ‘Do not quarrel in My presence. I gave you the warning beforehand and My word shall not be changed, nor am I unjust to My servants.’” (50:16-29)

The study of this world shows that there is an unerring system of recording in operation here. A person’s thoughts are impressed on the membrane of his brain. Every utterance he makes is permanently preserved in the shape of sound waves in the air. A person’s actions are preserved in the external world by means of heat waves in such a way that they can be repeated at any time. All these are known facts of today, and these known facts are what make the Quran’s claim credible: a person’s intentions, his utterances, and his actions are all in the knowledge of his Creator. All affairs of all human beings are entered in the registers of the angels.

In these verses, a picture has been drawn of death and Doomsday thereafter. It shows what will happen to those who, finding themselves free in this world, become arrogant. This description of Doomsday is so clear that it needs no explanation.

Source: The Spirit of Islam

The quantum theory made inferential argument as valid as direct argument. For example, subatomic particles are not visible and can be known only through their effects. Their effects lead scientists to conclude that subatomic particles do exist. The same argument is applicable to religious matters. That is, although we do not see angels directly, we can believe in them indirectly by their effects.

How do things around us function? How does photosynthesis take place in the leaves? How does cow take in grass and make milk? How does the salty water of seas get converted into fresh water in the rain? How is everything in nature so systematic? These effects would lead to an inference that there is someone who is controlling all these natural processes. God has His angles positioned to take care of these processes. One may say that these processes are ‘automatic processes’ or ‘self-occurring processes’, but I would say these are just another name of ‘angelic processes’. Someone may use the word ‘automatic’, I use the word ‘angelic’. Thus, the concept remains the same.

According to religious belief in Islam, Satan has a role to play. A person’s mind has ego and desires. Each desire is an entry point for Satan wherefrom it enters. When Satan enters one’s mind, the Quran says:

When any evil suggestion from Satan touches those who fear God, they are instantly alerted and become watchful. (Quran 7:201)

The final decision rests with man and man alone is accountable for his actions. Satan cannot make a person commit sins. He can only act as a catalyst.