If Allah communicates directly with Iblis, does that technically make him some kind of prophet?

Question

It's not your everyday Joe who gets to communicate with Allah, directly or indirectly:

And it is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a partition or that He sends a messenger to reveal, by His permission, what He wills. Indeed, He is Most High and Wise. -- Qur'an 42:51

As I understand, communicating directly with Allah is reserved for prophets, such as Prophet Musa (And Allah spoke to Moses with [direct] speech. 4:164) and Prophet Isa ([Mention] when Allah said, "O Jesus, indeed I will take you and raise you to Myself... 3:55).

However, in e.g. Qur'an 15:32-33, Allah directly communicates with Iblis:

[ Allah ] said, O Iblees, what is [the matter] with you that you are not with those who prostrate?"

He said, "Never would I prostrate to a human whom You created out of clay from an altered black mud."

Question: If Allah communicates directly with Iblis, does that technically make him some kind of prophet?

I assume the answer is a resounding no, but I'm not clear why.

Answer 1

Messengers, Men or, Angels.

The Messengers can be of Mankind or Angels only.

22:75 اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا وَمِنَ النَّاسِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ

Allah chooses from the angels messengers and from the people. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Seeing.

Shaytan is a jinn

Not from People neither Mankind, so He is not a messenger even.

18:50 . ..but not Iblis: he was one of the jinn and he disobeyed his Lord’s command

Does Allah Speak to dwellers of Hellfire?

3:77 Nor will Allah (Deign to) speak to them or look at them on the Day of Judgment, nor will He cleans them (of sin): They shall have a grievous penalty.

Also

2:174 Indeed, they who conceal what Allah has sent down of the Book and exchange it for a small price - those consume not into their bellies except the Fire. And Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. And they will have a painful punishment.

Two Opinions:

In Some verses you see Allah speaking to hellfire dwellers, replying to them

28:65 And [mention] the Day He will call them and say, "What did you answer the messengers?"

Also

26:92 And it will be said to them, "Where are those you used to worship [1]

They Speak to Allah example:

23:107 Lord, take us away from this and if we go back to our old ways, then we shall really be evildoers.’

And the reply comes:

23:108 He will say, "Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me.

The main opinion of Scholars is that the speech of Allah is honouring if carried blessings, mercy, good tidings, and goodness. And this is exclusive to Believers.

And if Allah addresses evildoers, He is punishing them with what they had ended in, extending the misery they have incurred by their deeds.

The other opinion is based on many verses where angels speak to them, and as you could see in previous example (#1) verse 26:92.

Shaytan was not, nor is counted as a prophet, as this is exclusive to Mankind, or Angels.

And Allah knows best.

Answer 2

A Prophet is one to whom a law is revealed but he is not commanded to convey it while a Messenger is one to whom a law is revealed and he is commanded to convey it.

Only mankind can be prophets and messengers.

Since Iblis is not a human, he cannot be a prophet.

---

Allah says in the Qu'ran:

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

And when said your Lord to the angels , "Indeed, I (am) going to place in the earth a vicegerent, they said, "Will You place in it (one) who will spread corruption in it and will shed [the] blood[s], while we, [we] glorify (You) with Your praises and we sanctify [to] He said, "Indeed, [I] know what not you know."

^{Qu'ran 2:30}

The verse points out that Allah directly commands the angels.

Ibn Kathir says:

“When Allah Most Exalted commanded angels to prostrate before Adam, Satan was also included in this command. For although he was not of their kind, he resembled them and performed their deeds. Therefore, Satan was also counted as addressee to this command which was directed to angels. And he was condemned because he did not fulfill the command.” (36)

Ibn Kathir, 1/133.

And from this, whenever the angels were commanded to do something, Iblis also had to do it and was also considered among the angels but not an angel. His nature was very pious and highly respected that he was elevated to this position even though he was a jinn. Even though his nature was similar to the angels, he unlike the angels has free will and is not infallible and therefore he was able to disobey Allah while the angels cannot.

In this way, the angels and iblis are spoken to directly but that does not make them a prophet or messenger since only humans can be prophets and messengers and therefore if Allah directly communicates which someone, it doesn't mean that person is a prophet.

To summarise, Iblis is not a prophet and never could be a prophet because he doesn't have the characteristics of a prophet.