The Belief In The Angels

The Angels are creation from the world of Al-Ghayb (42) who worship Allah and possess nothing from the Divine Qualities of Rububiyyah and Uloohiyyah. Allaah created them from light and granted them the complete submission to His commands and ability to execute it.

Allaah تعالى said :




And those who are near Him (i.e the angles) are not too proud to worship Him , nor are they weary ( of His worship). ( Qura’an 21:19-20)


They are great in number , none can enumerate them except Allaah تعالى . It is confirmed from the hadeeth of Anas in his narration if the story of Al-Mi’raaj (43) that the prophet Mohammed said:

" فرفع لى البيت المعمور فسألت جبريل فقال هذدا البيت المعمور يصلى فيه كل يوم سبعون ألف ملك إذا خرجوا لم يعودوا إليه آخر ما عليهم. "

“… I was shown Al-Bait Al-Ma’mour.44 I asked Jibreel about it he said: ‘ this is Al-Bait Al-Ma’moor where seventy thousand angles perform salat daily. When they leave, they never return to it. (But always a fresh batch comes into it daily.)(44)


The Belief in The Angels Comprises Four Matters:

First : The Belief in their existence.

Second: To believe in those whose names are known to us, like Jibreel, and to generally believe in those whose Names we don not know.

Third: The belief in what we know from their attributes, like that of Jibreel whom the prophet Moahmmed saw in his genuine shape in which he was created, having six hundred wings, and covering the whole horizon.(45)

The angels may , by Allaah’s Command , take the form of a man as happened to Jibreel when Allaah sent him to Mariam where he appeared to her in the form of a man in all respects.(46) Also When he came to the prophet Mohammed while he was sitting in the company of his Sahaaba . He ( Jibreel) appeared in the form of a man dressed in extremely white clothes, his hair exceedingly black ; there was signing of journeying were to bee seen on him, and none of the Sahaabah knew him. He sat down by the prophet Mohammed resting his knees against his and placing the palms of his hands upon his thighs. He then asked the prophet Mohammed about Islaam , Eaman , Ihsan (47) , the Hour (i.e Day of Resurrection) and its signs. The prophet Mohammed said :

" هذا جبريل أتاكم ليعلمكم دينكم"

“ That was Jibreel , who came to teach you your Deen.”

Similarly, the angels whom Allaah sent to Ibraaheem and Lut appeared in the the form of men.


Fourth: To believe in what we know of their deeds, which they perform in compliance with the Command of Allaah, تعالى like their Tasbeeh and worship of Allaah(48) day and night without boredom or slackness.


Some Angels May Have Specialized Tasks.

Example:

Jibreel : the Al-‘Ameen ( the entrusted) on Allaah’s Revelation. He تعالى sends him to the prophets and messengers.

Meekaa’eel: In charge of Al-Qadar i.e rainfall and plants (49)

Israafeel: Responsible for the blowing of the Trumpet on the Day of the when the Hour will be established and creation will be resurrected.(50)

Malakul Mawt( The angel of Death): Assigned to pull out the souls at the time of death.(51)

The Angels appointed to the womb: When the embryo completes four months in the mother’s womb, Allaah sends to him an angel and orders him to record his provision , his life term , his deeds , and whether he will be of the wretched or the blessed ( in the Hereafter)

The Angels appointed to watch and keep records of the deeds of the children of Adam (mankind) : one sitting on the right and one on the left of each person. (52)

The angels assigned to question the dead once they are buried . Two angles come and ask him about his Rabb ( Allaah) , his religion, and his prophet. (53)


The Belief in the Angels Yields Great Benefits

Amongst Them:

First: Being aware of Allaah’s Greatness, power and Authority. Certainly the Greatness of creation (in this case the angles) is due the Greatness of the Creator.

Second: To give thanks to Allaah for His concern for the children of Adam whereby He assigned some of these angels to protect their deeds as well as other interests.

Third: To love the Angels for what they have done from worship to Allaah تعالى .

Some of those who deviated ( from the straight path) denied that the angles are genuine forms. They said that they represent the power of the potential good in creation. This position belies the Book of Allaah , the Sunah of His Messenger and general consensus of Muslims.

Allaah تعالى said:

( الحمد لله فاطر السموات و الأرض و جاعل الملائكة رسلا أولى أجنحة مثنى و ثلاث و رباع) ( فاطر ،1)

All praise is due to Allaah , the ( only) originator (or Creator) of the heavens and the earth Who made the angels messengers with wings-two , three and four ( Qura’an 35:1)

( و لو ترى لإذ يتوفى الذين كفروا الملائكة يضربون و جوهم و أدبارهم ) ( الأنفال ،50)

And if you could see when the angles pull away the souls of the Kufar ( at death) , they smite their faces and their backs. (Qura’an 8:50)

( و لو ترى إذ الظالمون فى غمرات الموت و الملائكة باسطوا أيديهم أخرجو إنفسكم ) ( الأنعام ،93)

And if you could but see when the Thamlimeen ( polytheists, wrong doers, etc.) are in the agonies of death , while the angles stretching forth their hands (saying) : “ Deli ever your soul”. ( Qura’an 6:93)

( حتى إذا فزع عن قلوبهم قالوا ماذا قال ربكم الحق و هو العلى الكبير ) ( سبأ، 23)

Until when fear is banished from their ( angle’s) hearts, they ( angles) say : “ What is that your Rabb has said”? They say: “ The truth . And He is the most High , the Great.” ( Qura’an 34:23)

Allah also said about the people of Al-Jannah that:

( و الملايكة يدخلون عليهم من كل باب * سلام عليكم بما صبرتم فنعم عقب الدار) ( الرعد ، 23-24)

And the angels shall enter unto them from every gate (saying) :” Salaam be upon you for that persevered in patience. Excellent indeed is the final home.” (Qura’an : 13: 21-24)

The prophet (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) said in the hadeeth reported by Abu Hurairah and collected in Saheeh Al-Bukharee:

عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه عن النبى صلى الله عليه و سلم قال : إذا أحب الله عبدا نادى جبريل إن الله يحب فلانا فأحبه فيحبه جبريل فينادى جبريل فى أهل السماء إن الله يحب فلانا فأحبوه فيحبه أهل السماء ثم يوضع له القبول فى أهل الأرض * رواه البخارى

If Allaah loves a person, He calls Jibreel that : Allaah loves so and so . O Jibreel Love him. “ Jbreel would love him and make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the heaven: “ Allaah loves so-and-so, therefore you should love him also .” The inhabitants of the heavens would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people or the earth”.(54)

In the same book, (Saheeh Al-Bukharee) , the prophet Mohammed (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) said:

عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم إذا كان يوم الجمعة كان على كل باب من أبواب المسجد الملائكة يكتبون الأول فالأول فإذا جلس الإمام طووا الصحف و جاءوا يستمعون الذكر *- رواه البخارى

“ On every Friday the angels take the stand at every gate of the mosque regarding the names of the people one after the other ( according to the time of their arrival for Friday prayer), and when the imam sits ( one the pulpit) they fold up their scrolls and get ready to listen to thikr ( Kutba: the Friday speech).(55)

The above texts clearly states that the angels are genuine forms ( of creation) and normal forces as those who deviated ( from the straight path) say. The general consensus of the Muslims is in accordance with above texts.




42 Al-Ghayb : Realities and domains beyond human perception.{TN}

43 Which describes the ascent of the prophet Mohammed to the Heaven. See for example Saheeh Al-Bukharee,V.1, Hadeeth #345 , and V.5 , Hadeeth #277.{TN}

44 Al-Bait ( the House) Al-Ma’mour( Inhabited) : in the seventh heaven parable to Ka’aba in Makkah , continuously visited by the angles .Ibn Katheer said: “ It is the Ka’aba for the inhabitant of the seventh heaven.” See Tafseer Ibn Katheer ( Qura’an 52:4) and As-Silasilah Al-Saheeha by Shayaikh Nassir udeen Al-Albaani , V1,#477 {TN}

44 Saheeh Al-Bukharee V.4, Hadeeth # 455-457

45 See Saheeh al-Bukharee , V.4 , Hadeeth #455-457

46 See Qura’an 19:17

47 When Jibreel asked the prophet Mohammed about Ihsan , he replied : Ihsaan is to worship Allaah as though you are seeing Him , and while you see Him not yet truelly He sees you .” For full account og this Hadeeth , see Saheeh Muslim , V.1, Hadeeth # 1, and Saheeh Al-Bukharee , V.1, Hadeeth # 47.{TN}

48 Magnifying the Perfection of Allaah , Most High .{TN}

49 See Al-Biddaayah wa Al-Nihayyah by Ibn Katheer , V.1, p.50 {TN}

50 See Fathul AlBaree by Ibn Hajer Al-‘Asqlaanee,V.11,p.368.{TN}

51 Allaah تعالى said: ( قل يتوفاكم ملك الموت الذى وكل بكم الذى وكل بكم ثم إلى ربكم ترجعون)( السجدة،11) Say: “ The angel of death , who is set over you , will take your souls, then you shall be brought to your Rabb.” ( Qura’an 32:11) {TN}

52 Allaah , The Exalted Said: (و إن عليكم لحافظين كراما كاتبين يعلمون ما تفعلون) ( الأنفطار، 12-12) But verily , over you ( are appointed angles in charge of mankind) to watch you . ( They) are honorable in Allaa’s sight , writing down ( you needs). They know all that you do. Qura’an 82:10-12) . ( إذ يتلقى المتلقيان عن اليمين و عن الشمال قعيد ) ( ق، 17-18) ( Remember)! That the two receivers ( recording angles) receive , one sitting on the right and one on the left ( to note his or her action) Not a word does he (or she) utter , but there is a watcher by him ( her) ( to record it) ( Qura’an 50:17-18){TN}

53 “ When a dead person is buried , two black ( looking) angles having blue eyes , one ic called Munkar and the other Nakeer , will come to him. They will ask about Allaah , the prophet and his religon . Ahadeeth related by Al-Tirimeethee and shayekh Al-Albanee said it is hassan.See AtTahaawiyya , FN.#528 .p.399 –As-Saheeh , Hadeeth # 1391 , and At-Tabreezee’s Mushkaatul Massabeeh,V.1, Hadeeth # 130{TN}

54 Saheeh Al-Bukharee

55 Saheeh Al-Bukharee, V.4 , Hadeeth #433