PILLARS OF IMAN (2): BELIEF IN ANGELS
INTRODUCTION
The Root of the word Malā’ikah مَلَائِكَة is أَلُوْكة which means ‘a message’. This is because, of the most well-known duties of the Angels is that they were the messengers of Allah S.W.T. to His prophets on Earth.
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ جَاعِلِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا
All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, Who made the angels messengers, (Al-Fatir, 1).
They do not eat or drink, nor do they get bored or tired or worshipping Allah S.W.T.
يُسَبِّحُونَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لَا يَفْتُرُونَ
They glorify His Praises night and day, (and) they never slacken (Al-Anbiyā, 20)
Angels are part of the unseen world, but we believe in their existence with certainty and conviction. Angels are beautiful winged creatures who have the ability to change form (by Allah’s permission) and vary in size, status and merit. They are honourable slaves of Allah who were created (from light) before human beings and will eventually suffer death. They submit themselves to Allah, obey him and execute his commands.
Angels do not possess any fixed material form and due to our limited faculties, we are not able to see them (in this world). However, one of the miracles of our Prophet ﷺ)) was that he saw Jibreel A.S in both his true and human form.
Belief in Angels is one of the six fundamental pillars of imān, without which one cannot be considered a believer. The branches of imān, which we shall cover soon, complete and perfect our imān.
“…, and whosoever disbelieves in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day, then indeed he has strayed far away (An-Nisa, 136).”
THE VIGILANT WATCHERS
إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى الْمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌ
Remember, there are two receivers, one sitting on the right and one on the left, recording everything
مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيد
Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a vigilant watcher at hand (ready to record it) [Surah Qaaf, 17-18].
Throughout his life, man is under the ever-present watch of 2 angels appointed over him, who record every move he makes, every word he utters and every thought he entertains and nothing remains unrecorded.
These verses in Surah Qaaf also teach us that in the hereafter, these angels will produce documentary evidence of all the actions and thoughts of the individuals they monitored. The exact nature of this is beyond our perception so we believe in its import and accept it as it stands.
SIGNIFICANCE OF BELIEVING IN ANGELS
The significance of belief in angels is for human beings to know that all of their deeds are being recorded, and their thoughts are being monitored. This firm belief helps us to pause and reflect before acting, because it is when we haste that we fall into sin. Our Prophet ﷺ)) said that, “deliberation and careful action is from Allah and haste is from Shaytaan.”
Believing in Angels and their varying roles and abilities also adds to the Khashyah (خَشْيَة) that one feels towards Allah S.W.T. indeed the magnificence of his creation is a proof of the magnificence of the creator.
Khashyah = respect combined with fear and wonder.
THE ANGELS AND ADAM (AS)
When Allah S.W.T. wanted to create Adam He informed His angels of that. They asked Him the reason behind that, because they knew that the sons of Adam would cause corruption and shed blood, and they would disobey Allah and disbelieve in Him. He told them that there were reasons for the creation of Adam which they did not know. Allah Says in the Quran:
And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?” He [Allah] said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.” [Quran 2:30]
Their prostration to Adam when he was created:
Allah commanded His angels to prostrate to Adam when He had completed his creation and breathed His soul into him. They responded to the command, except for Shaytaan.
So the angels prostrated — all of them entirely. Except Satan; he was arrogant and became among the disbelievers. [Quran 38:73-74]
How the angels taught Adam :
It is narrated that Abu Hurayrah said:
The Messenger of Allah said: “Allah created Adam in his image (i.e. without progressing through the stages of a normal human, starting from a sperm until the completion of his human formation), and he (Adam) was sixty cubits tall. When He had created him, He said, `Go and greet them – a group of angels who were sitting – and listen to how they respond, for that will be your greeting and the greeting of your descendents.’ So he said, ‘As-Salamu `Alaykum,’ and they said, ‘As-Salamu `Alayka wa rahmat-Allahi. So they added the words wa rahmat-Allah.” [Al-Bukhari]
The angels washed Adam when he died:
When Adam died, his children did not know what they should do with his body, so the angels taught them. Ubayy Ibn Ka’b narrated that the Prophet said: “When Adam, died, the angels washed his body with water an odd number of times, then they buried him in a grave with a niche (land), and said: This is the way of the sons of Adam.”[Al-Hakim and At-Tabarani]
The connection between the angels and the descendents of Adam is very strong. They are there when a person is created, they guard him/her after he/she emerges into this world. They bring the revelation from Allah and they watch over people’s actions and behaviour. They bring a person’s soul forth from his body when his appointed time (of death) comes.
THE ANGELS AND THE SONS OF ADAM (AS)
Their role in the creation of man:
It is narrated that Ibn Mas’ood, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “The Messenger of Allah who is the most truthful one, told us: “Each one of you comes together in mother’s womb for forty days, then becomes an ‘Aalaqah (clot) for a similar period of time. Then he becomes a Mudhghah (chewed lump of flesh) for a similar length of time. Then Allah sends an angel to him, who is commanded with four things. It is said to him: Write down his deeds, his provision, and whether he is doomed (destined for Hell) or blessed (destined for Paradise). Then the soul is breathed into him.'” [Al-Bukhari]
The angels guard the sons of Adam :
Almighty Allah Says (what means): “It is the same [to Him] concerning you whether one conceals [his] speech or one publicizes it and whether one is hidden by night or conspicuous [among others] by day. For him [i.e. each one] are 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.” [Quran 13:10-11]
Ibn `Abbas has explained that what is meant by “successive angels” is the angels whom Allah appoints to guard a person from before and from behind. Then when the decree of Allah comes, which Allah wills should befall him, they withdraw from him.
Mujahid said: “There is no person who does not have an angel appointed to protect him when he is asleep and when he is awake, from the jinn, other men and savage beasts. None of these come to him, but the angel tells it, `Keep away!’ except for that which Allah has given permission to befall him.”