The Articles of Faith (Series 2): Faith in the Angels.
Bismillahi Rahman Roheem.
All Praise is for Allah. We adore Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We have Faith and Trust in Him. We seek Allah’s refuge against evil tendencies of our Soul and our bad deeds.
He whom Allah guides no one can lead him astray. And he whom Allah lets go astray there is none to guide him. We bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, the One and without any Partner; and we also bear witness that Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and Messenger. Allah had sent him with Truth, to give good tidings and to warn before the Doomsday. Whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be successful and well guided.
And whosoever disobeys either of them has gone astray. Such a person harms none save himself; he does no harm to Allah. The best Word is the Book of Allah. And the best Guidance is that given by Muhammad (SAW). Good things are the firm (original) ones, and Bad things are those introduced later on. And everything introduced later (in religion) is innovation. And every innovation is Hell fire.
The messenger of Allah Muhammad (SAW) has further instructed us to have faith in the existence of Allah’s Angel. This is the second article of Islamic faith that Insha Allah we are to discuss this week and its very important, because it absolves the concept of Tawhid from all impurities and frees it from the danger of every conceivable shadow of Shirk (Polytheism).
The Polytheists have associated two kinds of creatures with Allah:
I. Those which have material existence and are perceptible to the human eye, such as the sun, moon, stars, fire, water, animals, great men.
II. Those who have no material existence and are not perceptible to the human eye: the unseen beings who are believed to be engaged in the administration of the universe; for instance, one controls the air, another imparts light, another brings rains, etc.
The alleged deities of the first kind have material existence and are before man’s eye. The falsity of their claim has been fully exposed by the Kalimah (Lah ilaha illa Allahu). This is sufficient to dispose of the idea that they enjoy any share in Divinity or deserve any reverence at all. The second kinds of notion, being immaterial, are hidden from the human eye and are mysterious; the polytheists are more inclined to pin their faith in them. They consider them to be deities, gods, and God’s children. They make their images and render offerings to them, in order to purify belief in the unity of Allah, and to clear it from the admixture of this second of the unseen creatures, this particular article has been expounded.
Muhammad (SAW) the Noble messenger of Allah has indeed informed us that these imperceptible spiritual beings, whom people believe to be deities, gods or God’s children, are really His Angels, His laborers. They have no share in Allah’s Divinity; they cannot deviate from His commands even by the slightest fraction of an inch.
“The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination." Q2:285
“O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] Angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded”. Q66:6
Allah employs them to administer His kingdom, and they carry out His orders exactly and accurately. They have no authority to do anything of their accord; they cannot present to Allah any scheme conceived by them, they are not even authorized to intercede with Allah for any man.
To worship them and to solicit for their help is degrading and debasing for man and his intellect. For, on the very first day of man’s creation, Allah had made them prostrate before Adam, granted to him greater knowledge than they possessed and bestowed on Adam His own vicegerent on this earth in preference to them.
“And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate before Adam"; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers”. Q2:34.
“And We have certainly created you, [O Mankind], and given you [human] form. Then We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam"; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He was not of those who prostrated”. Q7:11.
What debasement can, therefore, be greater for man than prostrating himself before those who had prostrated themselves before him lately?
We have not been informed of the intrinsic nature of the Angels. The Arabic word for them is Malak, according to the root word from which it is derived, Malak means Messenger, envoy, etc.
Angels are beings who build relations between the spiritual world and the material one, and convey the commands of Allah, superintended or direct the acts and lives beings and represent their worship in their realms.
“O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] Angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded”. Q66:6
Only some of their attributes or virtues have been mentioned to us in the hadith of the noble messenger Muhammad (SAW) and ask to believe in their existence. We have no other means of knowing their natures, attributes and their qualities and it would therefore be sheer folly on our part to attribute any form of quality or attribute to them. We have to believe exactly in what the prophet Muhammad (SAW) said about them and denying their existence is Kufr, for first we have no reason for such a denial, and secondly our denial of them would be tantamount to calling Muhammad (SAW) a liar and attributing untruth to him. So in view of the fact that they are in the realm of the unseen we believe in them only because Allah’s true and seal of messengers Muhammad (SAW) has informed us about them.
And Muhammad (SAW) warned and forbade us to worship them or associate them with the Divinity of Allah. He also informed us that they were just chosen creatures of Allah, free from sins, from their very nature unable to disobey Allah, and ever engaged in carrying His orders.
“they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded”. Q66:6
The messenger of Allah (SAW) also told us about how they surround us from all sides, are attached to us, and are always in our company. They observe and note down all our actions, good or bad. They preserve a complete record of every man’s life from birth to death. After death, when we shall be brought before Allah, they will present a full report of our life’s work on earth, not likened to that of the evil CIA or the other manipulated made agents. We shall find everything correctly recorded, not a single movement will be left out, how carefully concealed it may be.
“Bismillahi-Rahman-Roheem; when the sky breaks apart, And when the stars fall, scattering, And when the seas are erupted, And when the [contents of] graves are scattered, A soul will [then] know what it has put forth and kept back. O mankind, what has deceived you concerning your Lord, the Generous, Who created you, proportioned you, and balanced you? In whatever form He willed has He assembled you. No! But you deny the Recompense. And indeed, [appointed] over you are keepers, Noble and recording; They know whatever you do. Indeed, the righteous will be in pleasure, And indeed, the wicked will be in Hellfire. They will [enter to] burn therein on the Day of Recompense, And never therefrom will they be absent. And what can make you know what the Day of Recompense is? Then, what can make you know what the Day of Recompense is? It is the Day when a soul will not possess for another soul [power to do] a thing; and the command, that Day, is [entirely] with Allah”.Q82:1-19.
Angels have different kinds and there are four Archangels; Angel Jibreel (A.S) ‘is the exalted Messenger of God to all prophets’, Mikhail (A.S) ‘Angel in charge of the rain’, Israpheel (A.S) ‘the blower of the trumpet’, and Izrael (A.S) Angel in Charge of taking soul (Death) though his name is not mentioned in the Noble Quran but his duty was mentioned.
Allah says “Say, "The angel of death who is set over you, will take your souls, which has been entrusted with you. Then to your Lord you will be returned." Q32:11.
So we must have faith specifically in these Angels named in the sources of Islam, and as for the others who are not named, we must have a general faith in the Angels and their duties, which they perform, in the universe. We must also have faith in the categories, functions of all the Angels mentioned in the Noble Quran and the saying of Muhammad (SAW).
“And the angels will be on its sides, and eight [of them] will that Day (Judgement Day) bear the Throne of your Lord above them”. Q69:17.
There are also Angels appointed to Paradise and Hell-fire:
As for the dwellers of fire “And they will call, "O Malik (keeper of Hell), let your Lord put an end to us!" He will say, "Indeed, you will remain there forever." Q43:77.
“And those in the Fire will say to the keepers of Hell, "Supplicate your Lord to lighten for us the punishment for a day."Q40:49.
“And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve – that those who were given the Scripture will be convinced and those who have believed will increase in faith and those who were given the Scripture and the believers will not doubt and that those in whose hearts is hypocrisy and the disbelievers will say, "What does Allah intend by this as an example?" Thus does Allah leave astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And mention of the Fire is not but a reminder to humanity”. Q74:31.
And for those who are products of Paradise, Allah says to them:
“And indeed, [appointed] over you are keepers, Noble and recording; They know whatever you do. Indeed, the righteous will be in pleasure”.Q82:10-13.
“For each one is successive [angels] before and behind him who protect him by the decree of Allah. Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allah intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it. And there is not for them besides Him any patron”.Q13:11
“Or do they think that We hear not their secrets and their private conversations? Yes, [We do], and Our messengers are with them recording”. Q43:80.
Nature and Characteristics of the Angels:
1. Angels; particularly the Angel of Mercy, do not enter the houses where there are statues and dogs are fed, and refrain from close contact with those who are ritually unclean.
2. They also keep aloof from those who have bad breath because of what they have had like garlic and onions or because of smoking.
3. Angels do not visit those who break off relationship with their parents and relatives.
4. Angels do come into the Aid of believers in struggle on the path of Allah.
5. Angels can impersonate anyone, according to the Noble Quran:
“And mention, [O Muhammad {SAW}], in the Book [the story of] Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the east. And she took, in seclusion from them, a screen. Then We sent to her Our Angel, and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man”.Q19:16-17.
6. The Angels do have wings according to the Quran but the number of wings is not because it is not fixed.
“All praise is [due] to Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, [who] made the angels- messengers having wings, two or three or four. He increases in creation what He wills. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent”. Q35:1
7. And their relationship with Allah is only of pure servant hood, submission and obedience to the commandments of Allah (SWT). There is no other relationship between them and Allah:
“They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded”. Q16:50.
“The Angels say, "There is not among us any except that he has a known position. And indeed, we Angels, we stand in rows as you Muslims stand in rows for prayers. And verily we Angels, indeed are those who glorified Allah’s praises (i.e. perform prayers). Q37:164-166.
So the Angels are not gods, deities or His sons:
“And they say, “The Most Merciful has taken a son.” Exalted is He! Rather, they (Angels) are but honored servants. They cannot precede Him in word, and they act by His command. He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they cannot intercede except on behalf of one whom He approves. And they, from fear of Him, are apprehensive”. Q21:26-28.
It is Shirk (Polytheism) to believe that the Angels possess any form of power:
“Nor could he order you to take the angels and prophets as lords. Would he order you to disbelief after you had been Muslims?” Q3:80.
Belief in Angels has many benefits for man; it provides man with some sort of peace and removes his loneliness. The inspiration breathed by Angels exhilarates him, enlightens him intellectually and opens for him new horizons in knowledge and thinking all these by Allah’s might. Awareness of the continuous company Angels holds man back from committing sins and improper behaviour.
Let us be Muslim and a model for others to follow and Insha Allah we will continue next with belief in Books,the second articles of Faith.
I ask for Allah forgiveness upon you and me, May He gives us the strength to be firm on the path of Islam, if you find any mistake in this discussion indeed it’s from me and whatever therein that benefit you is definitely Allah’s guidance. May Allah continue to Guide and Guard us aright. Amin
Oh Allah! We implore your extended mercy that will forgive our sins and erase our misdeeds and errors. Oh Allah Forgive all our sins hidden and open, big and small.
Oh Allah forgives all our dead love ones, our parents living and dead. Oh Allah preserve our teachers those that are dead and those that are living make them a great guide for us to Aljannah and not a distractor. Amin
Alahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni!
(OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me!)
“Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded". (6:90)
May Allah bless us to serve him in all aspects of our lives.
Wa Salaam Alaikum Waramotullahi Wabarakatuhu
All Praise is for Allah. We adore Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We have Faith and Trust in Him. We seek Allah’s refuge against evil tendencies of our Soul and our bad deeds.
He whom Allah guides no one can lead him astray. And he whom Allah lets go astray there is none to guide him. We bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, the One and without any Partner; and we also bear witness that Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and Messenger. Allah had sent him with Truth, to give good tidings and to warn before the Doomsday. Whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be successful and well guided.
And whosoever disobeys either of them has gone astray. Such a person harms none save himself; he does no harm to Allah. The best Word is the Book of Allah. And the best Guidance is that given by Muhammad (SAW). Good things are the firm (original) ones, and Bad things are those introduced later on. And everything introduced later (in religion) is innovation. And every innovation is Hell fire.
The messenger of Allah Muhammad (SAW) has further instructed us to have faith in the existence of Allah’s Angel. This is the second article of Islamic faith that Insha Allah we are to discuss this week and its very important, because it absolves the concept of Tawhid from all impurities and frees it from the danger of every conceivable shadow of Shirk (Polytheism).
The Polytheists have associated two kinds of creatures with Allah:
I. Those which have material existence and are perceptible to the human eye, such as the sun, moon, stars, fire, water, animals, great men.
II. Those who have no material existence and are not perceptible to the human eye: the unseen beings who are believed to be engaged in the administration of the universe; for instance, one controls the air, another imparts light, another brings rains, etc.
The alleged deities of the first kind have material existence and are before man’s eye. The falsity of their claim has been fully exposed by the Kalimah (Lah ilaha illa Allahu). This is sufficient to dispose of the idea that they enjoy any share in Divinity or deserve any reverence at all. The second kinds of notion, being immaterial, are hidden from the human eye and are mysterious; the polytheists are more inclined to pin their faith in them. They consider them to be deities, gods, and God’s children. They make their images and render offerings to them, in order to purify belief in the unity of Allah, and to clear it from the admixture of this second of the unseen creatures, this particular article has been expounded.
Muhammad (SAW) the Noble messenger of Allah has indeed informed us that these imperceptible spiritual beings, whom people believe to be deities, gods or God’s children, are really His Angels, His laborers. They have no share in Allah’s Divinity; they cannot deviate from His commands even by the slightest fraction of an inch.
“The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination." Q2:285
“O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] Angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded”. Q66:6
Allah employs them to administer His kingdom, and they carry out His orders exactly and accurately. They have no authority to do anything of their accord; they cannot present to Allah any scheme conceived by them, they are not even authorized to intercede with Allah for any man.
To worship them and to solicit for their help is degrading and debasing for man and his intellect. For, on the very first day of man’s creation, Allah had made them prostrate before Adam, granted to him greater knowledge than they possessed and bestowed on Adam His own vicegerent on this earth in preference to them.
“And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate before Adam"; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers”. Q2:34.
“And We have certainly created you, [O Mankind], and given you [human] form. Then We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam"; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He was not of those who prostrated”. Q7:11.
What debasement can, therefore, be greater for man than prostrating himself before those who had prostrated themselves before him lately?
We have not been informed of the intrinsic nature of the Angels. The Arabic word for them is Malak, according to the root word from which it is derived, Malak means Messenger, envoy, etc.
Angels are beings who build relations between the spiritual world and the material one, and convey the commands of Allah, superintended or direct the acts and lives beings and represent their worship in their realms.
“O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] Angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded”. Q66:6
Only some of their attributes or virtues have been mentioned to us in the hadith of the noble messenger Muhammad (SAW) and ask to believe in their existence. We have no other means of knowing their natures, attributes and their qualities and it would therefore be sheer folly on our part to attribute any form of quality or attribute to them. We have to believe exactly in what the prophet Muhammad (SAW) said about them and denying their existence is Kufr, for first we have no reason for such a denial, and secondly our denial of them would be tantamount to calling Muhammad (SAW) a liar and attributing untruth to him. So in view of the fact that they are in the realm of the unseen we believe in them only because Allah’s true and seal of messengers Muhammad (SAW) has informed us about them.
And Muhammad (SAW) warned and forbade us to worship them or associate them with the Divinity of Allah. He also informed us that they were just chosen creatures of Allah, free from sins, from their very nature unable to disobey Allah, and ever engaged in carrying His orders.
“they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded”. Q66:6
The messenger of Allah (SAW) also told us about how they surround us from all sides, are attached to us, and are always in our company. They observe and note down all our actions, good or bad. They preserve a complete record of every man’s life from birth to death. After death, when we shall be brought before Allah, they will present a full report of our life’s work on earth, not likened to that of the evil CIA or the other manipulated made agents. We shall find everything correctly recorded, not a single movement will be left out, how carefully concealed it may be.
“Bismillahi-Rahman-Roheem; when the sky breaks apart, And when the stars fall, scattering, And when the seas are erupted, And when the [contents of] graves are scattered, A soul will [then] know what it has put forth and kept back. O mankind, what has deceived you concerning your Lord, the Generous, Who created you, proportioned you, and balanced you? In whatever form He willed has He assembled you. No! But you deny the Recompense. And indeed, [appointed] over you are keepers, Noble and recording; They know whatever you do. Indeed, the righteous will be in pleasure, And indeed, the wicked will be in Hellfire. They will [enter to] burn therein on the Day of Recompense, And never therefrom will they be absent. And what can make you know what the Day of Recompense is? Then, what can make you know what the Day of Recompense is? It is the Day when a soul will not possess for another soul [power to do] a thing; and the command, that Day, is [entirely] with Allah”.Q82:1-19.
Angels have different kinds and there are four Archangels; Angel Jibreel (A.S) ‘is the exalted Messenger of God to all prophets’, Mikhail (A.S) ‘Angel in charge of the rain’, Israpheel (A.S) ‘the blower of the trumpet’, and Izrael (A.S) Angel in Charge of taking soul (Death) though his name is not mentioned in the Noble Quran but his duty was mentioned.
Allah says “Say, "The angel of death who is set over you, will take your souls, which has been entrusted with you. Then to your Lord you will be returned." Q32:11.
So we must have faith specifically in these Angels named in the sources of Islam, and as for the others who are not named, we must have a general faith in the Angels and their duties, which they perform, in the universe. We must also have faith in the categories, functions of all the Angels mentioned in the Noble Quran and the saying of Muhammad (SAW).
“And the angels will be on its sides, and eight [of them] will that Day (Judgement Day) bear the Throne of your Lord above them”. Q69:17.
There are also Angels appointed to Paradise and Hell-fire:
As for the dwellers of fire “And they will call, "O Malik (keeper of Hell), let your Lord put an end to us!" He will say, "Indeed, you will remain there forever." Q43:77.
“And those in the Fire will say to the keepers of Hell, "Supplicate your Lord to lighten for us the punishment for a day."Q40:49.
“And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve – that those who were given the Scripture will be convinced and those who have believed will increase in faith and those who were given the Scripture and the believers will not doubt and that those in whose hearts is hypocrisy and the disbelievers will say, "What does Allah intend by this as an example?" Thus does Allah leave astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And mention of the Fire is not but a reminder to humanity”. Q74:31.
And for those who are products of Paradise, Allah says to them:
“And indeed, [appointed] over you are keepers, Noble and recording; They know whatever you do. Indeed, the righteous will be in pleasure”.Q82:10-13.
“For each one is successive [angels] before and behind him who protect him by the decree of Allah. Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allah intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it. And there is not for them besides Him any patron”.Q13:11
“Or do they think that We hear not their secrets and their private conversations? Yes, [We do], and Our messengers are with them recording”. Q43:80.
Nature and Characteristics of the Angels:
1. Angels; particularly the Angel of Mercy, do not enter the houses where there are statues and dogs are fed, and refrain from close contact with those who are ritually unclean.
2. They also keep aloof from those who have bad breath because of what they have had like garlic and onions or because of smoking.
3. Angels do not visit those who break off relationship with their parents and relatives.
4. Angels do come into the Aid of believers in struggle on the path of Allah.
5. Angels can impersonate anyone, according to the Noble Quran:
“And mention, [O Muhammad {SAW}], in the Book [the story of] Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the east. And she took, in seclusion from them, a screen. Then We sent to her Our Angel, and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man”.Q19:16-17.
6. The Angels do have wings according to the Quran but the number of wings is not because it is not fixed.
“All praise is [due] to Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, [who] made the angels- messengers having wings, two or three or four. He increases in creation what He wills. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent”. Q35:1
7. And their relationship with Allah is only of pure servant hood, submission and obedience to the commandments of Allah (SWT). There is no other relationship between them and Allah:
“They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded”. Q16:50.
“The Angels say, "There is not among us any except that he has a known position. And indeed, we Angels, we stand in rows as you Muslims stand in rows for prayers. And verily we Angels, indeed are those who glorified Allah’s praises (i.e. perform prayers). Q37:164-166.
So the Angels are not gods, deities or His sons:
“And they say, “The Most Merciful has taken a son.” Exalted is He! Rather, they (Angels) are but honored servants. They cannot precede Him in word, and they act by His command. He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they cannot intercede except on behalf of one whom He approves. And they, from fear of Him, are apprehensive”. Q21:26-28.
It is Shirk (Polytheism) to believe that the Angels possess any form of power:
“Nor could he order you to take the angels and prophets as lords. Would he order you to disbelief after you had been Muslims?” Q3:80.
Belief in Angels has many benefits for man; it provides man with some sort of peace and removes his loneliness. The inspiration breathed by Angels exhilarates him, enlightens him intellectually and opens for him new horizons in knowledge and thinking all these by Allah’s might. Awareness of the continuous company Angels holds man back from committing sins and improper behaviour.
Let us be Muslim and a model for others to follow and Insha Allah we will continue next with belief in Books,the second articles of Faith.
I ask for Allah forgiveness upon you and me, May He gives us the strength to be firm on the path of Islam, if you find any mistake in this discussion indeed it’s from me and whatever therein that benefit you is definitely Allah’s guidance. May Allah continue to Guide and Guard us aright. Amin
Oh Allah! We implore your extended mercy that will forgive our sins and erase our misdeeds and errors. Oh Allah Forgive all our sins hidden and open, big and small.
Oh Allah forgives all our dead love ones, our parents living and dead. Oh Allah preserve our teachers those that are dead and those that are living make them a great guide for us to Aljannah and not a distractor. Amin
Alahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni!
(OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me!)
“Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded". (6:90)
May Allah bless us to serve him in all aspects of our lives.
Wa Salaam Alaikum Waramotullahi Wabarakatuhu
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