Angels

 

Angels

 

God ﷻ  [Allah, jalla jalāluhu: Great is His Majesty], the Exalted ﷻ, created angels from light. To believe in them is one of the essential pillars of our faith  [īmān] – and the Qurʾān abounds with references to them in 75 of its verses and 33 chapters, upholding and affirming the importance of believing in them.  Indeed to deny the existence of angels, is to fall from the circle of belief to the darkness of unbelief [kufr].  As believers we must embrace the certainty of knowing that Allah ﷻ in all His Greatness  has created the radiant and magnificent angels to worship Himﷻ and obey His ﷻ commands.

We read in Quranic verses,

ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ‌ۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيۡنَ أَحَدٍ۬ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ‌ۚ وَقَالُواْ سَمِعۡنَا وَأَطَعۡنَا‌ۖ غُفۡرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيۡكَ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ

“The Messenger ˹firmly˺ believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. They ˹all˺ believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. ˹They proclaim, ˺ ‘We make no distinction between any of His messengers.’ And they say, ‘We hear and obey. ˹We seek˺ Your forgiveness, our Lord! And to You ˹alone˺ is the final return.’”  Qurʾān: The Cow [Al-Baqara] 2:285

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ ءَامِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ ٱلَّذِى نَزَّلَ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ وَٱلۡڪِتَـٰبِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ مِن قَبۡلُ‌ۚ وَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ فَقَدۡ ضَلَّ ضَلَـٰلاَۢ بَعِيدًا

“O believers! Have faith in Allah, His Messenger, the Book He has revealed to His Messenger, and the Scriptures He revealed before. Indeed, whoever denies Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day has clearly gone far astray.”  Qurʾān: Women [An-Nisāʾ] 4: 136

 وَإِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةِ إِنِّى جَاعِلٌ۬ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ خَلِيفَةً۬‌ۖ قَالُوٓاْ أَتَجۡعَلُ فِيہَا مَن يُفۡسِدُ فِيہَا وَيَسۡفِكُ ٱلدِّمَآءَ وَنَحۡنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمۡدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ‌ۖ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَعۡلَمُ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ

 “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 You? ’He said, ‘Indeed, [I] know what not you know.’” Qurʾān: The Cow [Al-Baqara] 2:30

What are angels?

Allah ﷻ created these pure angels from light as depicted by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  :

 Aisha رضى الله عنھا  [radiallāhu-ʿanhā : May Allah be pleased with her]  reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessing be upon him, said, “The angels were created from light, the Jinns were created from a mixture of fire and Adam was created as has been described for you –” (Source: Ḥadīth – Saḥīḥ Muslim 2996)

 

In their divinely created perfection, Angels are obeying servants of Allah ﷻ and they never disobey Him ﷻ.  In the  Qurʾān, we read:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ وَأَهۡلِيكُمۡ نَارً۬ا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلۡحِجَارَةُ عَلَيۡہَا مَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ۬ شِدَادٌ۬ لَّا يَعۡصُونَ ٱللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمۡ وَيَفۡعَلُونَ مَا يُؤۡمَرُونَ

 “O believers! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, overseen by formidable and severe angels, who never disobey whatever Allah orders – always doing as commanded.”  Qurʾān: Cattle [al Anʿām] 66:6

Angels have no gender and unlike humans and jinn, they do not eat, drink or procreate. They do not become tired and never get bored of worshipping Allah ﷻ. Only He ﷻ knows their number. Angels vary in their sizes and also in their ranks and virtuous characteristics.  They can be in many places at the same time and great powers have been bestowed upon them from our most enabling Lord ﷻ. Yet of course, their will or power [irāda] is only what Heﷻ wills.

Angels have wings, sometimes in pairs of two, three, or four as narrated the noble Qurʾān:

ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ فَاطِرِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَاعِلِ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةِ رُسُلاً أُوْلِىٓ أَجۡنِحَةٍ۬ مَّثۡنَىٰ وَثُلَـٰثَ وَرُبَـٰعَۚ يَزِيدُ فِى ٱلۡخَلۡقِ مَا يَشَآءُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ قَدِيرٌ۬

 “All praise is for Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, who made angels ˹as His˺ messengers with wings—two, three, or four. He increases in creation whatever He wills. Surely Allah is the Most Capable of everything.” Qurʾān: The Creator  [Fātir] 35:1

Imperceptible to our limited physical vision and not bound by any fixed material form, angels are able to appear in forms that we can imagine and recognise.  And so we learn that  Angel Gabriel عليه السلام [Jibreel,‘alayhi salām: Peace be upon him] appeared to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the form of a human being.  Also, Angels have set positions and honoured stations as described in the most holy Qurʾān:

وَمَا مِنَّآ إِلَّا لَهُ ۥ مَقَامٌ۬ مَّعۡلُومٌ۬

“ ˹The angels respond, ˺ ‘There is not one of us without an assigned station ˹of worship.˺’” Qurʾān: Ranged in Rows [As-Ṣāffāt] 37:164

 

وَقَالُواْ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُ وَلَدً۬ا‌ۗ سُبۡحَـٰنَهُ ۥ‌ۚ بَلۡ عِبَادٌ۬ مُّكۡرَمُونَ

  “And they say, ‘The Most Compassionate has offspring!’ Glory be to Him! Those ˹angels˺ are only ˹His˺ honoured servants,” Qurʾān: The Prophets [Sūrah Al-ʾAnbiyāʾ] 21: 26

 Angels do not perform any actions without the command of Allah ﷻ :

لَا يَسۡبِقُونَهُ ۥ بِٱلۡقَوۡلِ وَهُم بِأَمۡرِهِۦ يَعۡمَلُونَ

  “who do not speak until He has spoken, ˹only˺ acting at His command.” Qurʾān: The Prophets [Sūrah Al-ʾAnbiyāʾ] 21:27

Angels fear Allahﷻ and the Qurʾān narrates beautifully of their constant bowing of humble submission:

 وَلِلَّهِ يَسۡجُدُ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مِن دَآبَّةٍ۬ وَٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةُ وَهُمۡ لَا يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ

 “And to Allah ˹alone˺ bows down ˹in submission˺ whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth of living creatures, as do the angels—who are not too proud ˹to do so˺.” Qurʾān: The Bee [Sūrah An-Naḥl] 16:49

 In another verse also:

 يَخَافُونَ رَبَّہُم مِّن فَوۡقِهِمۡ وَيَفۡعَلُونَ مَا يُؤۡمَرُونَ

“They fear their Lord above them and do whatever they are commanded.” Qurʾān: The Bee [Sūrah An-Naḥl] 16:50

The noble Angels’ fear of Allah ﷻ and their ultimate obedience to Him ﷻ make it impossible for them to disobey Him ﷻ.  By loving them, we also learn to marvel at their divinely granted characteristics of obedience and tireless worship. How inspiring and how beautiful their example is, and how their frequent mention in the Qurʾān  is like a thread of silver light that illumines our consciousness and inspires yearning to improve our worship and draw closer to Allah ﷻ.

Why do we need to know about angels?

Belief in the divinely and exquisitely created angels of light, is a key element of our faith as muslims. And knowledge about them is required to assist and strengthen what we believe.

1)  Knowing about the noble angels opens the doors to recognising the vast knowledge of Allah ﷻ  and His ﷻ  great skill and wisdom in creating them in their uncountable numbers, bestowing on them great ability and the power to change shape according to the task.

2)    To believe in the angels is a test for us, since believing in the unseen creation of Allahﷻ  is part of our absolute submission to what has come in the Book [Qurʾān] of Allah ﷻ  and the ways [Sunnah] of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

3)    Allah ﷻ has created the angels pure and strong, and He ﷻ has assigned to each their own duties. They are a most sublime manifestation of Allah’s ﷻ power and great dominion [mulk]. He ﷻ is the King ﷻ of kings, Who gives orders for their duties: for example, blowing the soul into the embryo, invigilating the deeds of humans and protecting them, and taking their soul at the time of death.

 4)    Allah has sent angels ﷻ with duties towards us and so we need to know how to act towards them.  How the divine Mercy manifests through the two honourable  angels who record our deeds!  Each one of us has one angel on our right shoulder who writes our good deeds, and  one on the left who writes our bad deeds.  However, if we do a bad deed the angel on the right will ask the angel on the left not to write it immediately and to allow us a certain time to ask for forgiveness from Allah ﷻ.  If we then seek pardon from our most forgiving Lord ﷻ, it will not be recorded against us.  Only if we fail to repent, will it be written as a single bad deed. 

It is enough for us to know their elevated station before Allahﷻ, so we can understand how they should be in our hearts.

“Say: Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel-for he brings down the (revelation) to thy heart by Allah’s will, a confirmation of what went before and guidance and glad tidings for those who believe.― (97) Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and prophets to Gabriel and Michael-Lo! Allah is an enemy to those who reject faith.”  Qurʾān: The Cow [Al Baqarah] 97 -98

 

 “˹And it will be said,˺ “Read your record. You ˹alone˺ are sufficient this Day to take account of yourself.” Qurʾān: The Night Journey [Al-Isrāʾ] 17 :14

5)    To show the importance of sacred law, Allah ﷻ has chosen honourable Angels to carry  Messages from Him ﷻ to His chosen Prophets, in order to teach their people the laws that will lead them and provide them with benefits, happiness, and bring honour to His ﷻ servants.

 يُنَزِّلُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةَ بِٱلرُّوحِ مِنۡ أَمۡرِهِۦ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِۦۤ أَنۡ أَنذِرُوٓاْ أَنَّهُ ۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۟ فَٱتَّقُونِ

“He  sends down the angels with revelation by His command to whomever He wills of His servants, ˹stating: ˺ ‘Warn ˹humanity˺ that there is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Me, so be mindful of Me ˹alone˺.’”  Qurʾān: The Bee [Sūrah An-Naḥl] 16 :2

How do angels worship Allah ﷻ?

Angels were created to worship Allah ﷻ and carry out orders in both the unseen and physical worlds. Angels praise, glorify, and pray to Allahﷻ , never tiring or wavering in their worship.  In the Qurʾān we read:

وَلَهُ ۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۚ وَمَنۡ عِندَهُ ۥ لَا يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ عَنۡ عِبَادَتِهِۦ وَلَا يَسۡتَحۡسِرُونَ

 “To Him belong all those in the heavens and the earth. And those nearest to Him are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they tire.” Qurʾān: The Prophets [Sūrah Al-ʾAnbiyāʾ] 21:19

 In another verse we also find:

يُسَبِّحُونَ ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّہَارَ لَا يَفۡتُرُونَ

“They glorify ˹Him˺ day and night, never wavering.” Qurʾān: The Prophets [Sūrah Al-ʾAnbiyāʾ] 21 :20

The Frequented House [Bait-ul-Ma’mūr] is located in the Seventh Heaven, directly above the Kaʿbah on Earth. The angels  worship Allah in this sacred House and make pilgrimage [Hajj] to it, just as we make our pilgrimage [Hajj] to the Kaʿbah on Earth which is a replica of it.  It is also mentioned in the Holy  Qurʾān:

 وَٱلۡبَيۡتِ ٱلۡمَعۡمُورِ

“And by the Bait-ul-Ma’mur (the house over the heavens parable to the Kaʿbah at Makkah, continuously visited by the angels),” Qurʾān: The Mountain [Sūrah At-Tūr] 52:4

 Every single day 70,000 angels visit the Frequented House [Baitul Maʿmur] , where they  perform prayers and circumambulation [tawāf]; as soon as they finish, they leave and never return there again. This sublime passage of devotion and worship  will continue until the Day of Resurrection. One Angel from this heavenly group is appointed their leader and is given the duty of taking the other angels to one place in Heaven where they will stand tall, reciting the glorification [tasbīh] whilst other angels are always in humble prostration [sujūd] or bowing [rukūʾ] . They  continuously  worship their Lord ﷻ and yet on the Day of Judgement they will say, “Oh Allah ﷻ we did not worship you as we should have.” 

 

In  the two sound narrations [Saḥīḥs], it is confirmed that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said in a narration [ḥadīth] about the Night Journey [AlʾIsrāʾ] , afterʾ ascending the seventh heaven:

“Then I was taken to Al-Bayt Al Maʾmur.  It is visited every day by seventy thousand angels who will not come back to visit it again. 

The angels worship Allah in Al-Bayt Al Maʾmur and perform Tawaf around it just as the people of earth perform Tawaf around the Kaʿbah.   Al-Bayt Al Maʾmur is the Kaʿbah of those who reside in the seventh heaven.” Saḥīḥ al-Bukhāri and Saḥīḥ Muslim

Abu Dharr رضى الله عنه [radiallāhu ʿanhu: May Allah be pleased with him] reported that the Prophet ﷺ  said: “I see what you do not see. Heaven is groaning and it has a right to be groaning.  There is no space the width of four fingers in it but an angel is placing his forehead in prostration to Allah the Exalted.”  [Ibn Mājah – At-Tirmidhī – Aḥmad]

 

How do angels serve us?

Different angels have different functions, such as protecting mankind, according to Allah’s ﷻ will.  We do not see them and yet they play an active role in our lives serving us in a multitude of  ways.  This begins soon after conception and continues until the moment of death and beyond in the grave and the Afterlife.

The sheer number of angels is uncountable yet we are required to know the following ten and their roles:

1.Gabriel عليه السلام [Jibrīlʿalayhi salām: Peace be upon him]

Firstly and most importantly is the Archangel Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام who is the noble leader of all the angels.  He plays a vital role in revealing Allah’s ﷻ messages to His ﷻ prophets. Indeed it is Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام  who revealed the  Qurʾān to the Prophet Muhammadﷺ.

 In the  Qurʾān, Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام is also known as the Holy Spirit. In three places of the Qur’an, he is also referred to  as a Noble Messenger [Rasūlun Karīm],  the Faithful/trustworthy Spirit [Rūh al-Amīn] and the Holy Spirit [Rūh al-Qudus].

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  saw Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام  one hundred and thirty thousand times. On at least two occasions he ﷺ beheld him in his original form.  The first time was on his ﷺ first night in Hira on the mountain and the second was on the miraculous Night Journey [ʾIsrāʾwal Mirāj].

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ describes Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام as having six-hundred wings,  each pair so enormous that they crowded the space between East and West with pearls, rubies, and diamonds dripping from each wing.  His majestic and dazzling  form filled up the entire horizon on all sides.

 When Gabriel [Jibrīl]  عليه السلام took human form, he resembled  Diḥyah bin Kalbī رضى الله عنه [radiallāhu ʿanhu: May Allah be pleased with him], who was a very handsome man amongst the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ and was famously called the “Yūsuf of Banū Kalb” (referring to how handsome Prophet Joseph [Yūsuf] عليه السلام was in his time).

 Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام and the Prophet ﷺ

Angel Gabriel’s [Jibrīl] عليه السلامfirst encounter with the Prophet ﷺ  was when he cleansed  his ﷺ heart when he ﷺ was a child.

 It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) that Gabriel عليه السلام came to the Messenger of Allahﷺ when he was playing with the other boys. He took hold of him and threw him to the ground, then he opened his chest and took out his heart, from which he took a clot of blood and said: “This was the Shaytaan’s share of you.” Then he washed it in a vessel of gold that was filled with Zamzam. Then he put it back together and returned it to its place. The boys went running to his mother – meaning his nurse – and said: Muhammad has been killed! They went to him and his colour had changed. Anas said: I used to see the mark of that stitching on his chest. Narrated by Muslim (162)

 Later, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ experienced this again on the night of the miraculous Night Journey [ʾIsrāʾwal Mirāj].

 

Abu Dharr  رضى الله عنه  used to narrate that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ  said: “The roof of my house was opened when I was in Makkah, and Gabriel came down and split open my chest, then washed it with Zamzam water. Then he brought a golden basin filled with wisdom and faith and emptied it into my chest. Then he sealed it…” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari (349) and Muslim (163))

 

Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام and his duty of revealing the message of Allahﷻ

The process of revelation began, when Gabriel [Jibrīl]  عليه السلام came to the Prophet ﷺ  in  human form on the Mount Hira , where the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  used to go in seclusion, worshipping Allah ﷻ continuously for many days and nights until he desired to see his family.

Whilst the Prophet ﷺ  was in the cave of the mountain Hira the Angel Jibreel عليه السلام came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet ﷺ replied, “I do not know how to read.” The Prophet ﷺ added, “The Angel caught me and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it anymore. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied: I do not know how to read; thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time until I could not bear it anymore. He then released me and again asked me to read but I replied: I do not know how to read; thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said: ‘Read in the name of your Lord, who has created everything, who has created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous.’” (96:1-3)

The revelation that was sent from Allah ﷻ to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  through  Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام took 23 years to complete. It was so great and intense. The Prophet ﷺ said the revelation was like the ringing of a bell and then he would remember what Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام had brought to him from Allah ﷻ. Sometimes He ﷺ would lose consciousness and sweat on a cold day.

It was narrated from Aishah رضى الله عنھاthat: Al-Harith bin Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: ‘How does the Revelation come to you?’ He said: ‘Like the ringing of a bell, and this is the hardest on me. When it departs I remember what he said. And sometimes the angel appears to me in the form of a man and speaks to me, and I remember what he said.’ Aishah said: ‘ I saw him when the Revelation came to him on a very cold day, and his forehead was dripping with sweat.’ Sunan an-Nasāʿi 934

Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام would come to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  at appointed times, to reveal verses of the  Qurʾān and ask him  ﷺ to repeat them. The Prophet ﷺ  would then listen, repeat, and memorise the words of Allah. The Angel Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام would often take on the shape or form of a man when appearing to the Prophet ﷺ . At other times, he would share the revelation by voice only.

 

Narrated Abu Huraira رضى الله عنه  [radiallāhu-ʿanhu: May Allah be pleased with him]: The Prophet ﷺ  said, “If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel saying, ‘Allah loves so and-so; O Gabriel! Love him.’ Gabriel would love him and announce to the inhabitants of Heaven. ‘Allah loves so-and-so, therefore you should love him also,’ and so all the inhabitants of Heaven would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth.  Saḥīḥ Muslim 2637

 

The Story of Ṭāʿif

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  set out to visit the major tribal chiefs of Ṭāʿif,  with the hope and purpose of inviting them to accept Islam. However they rejected his message and disrespected him, setting the children of Ṭāʿif to hurl stones at him ﷺ and drive him ﷺ out of their town. Insulted and mocked, and with his ﷺ ankles bleeding, he ﷺ ran to seek shelter in an empty orchard. ﷺ   Resting on a rock, alone, bleeding, and rejected, Prophet Muhammad  ﷺ  prayed to Allahﷻ.

“To You, my Lord, I complain of my weakness, lack of support, and the humiliation I am made to receive. Most Compassionate and Merciful, you are the Lord of the weak, and You are my Lord. To whom do You leave me? To a distant person who receives me with hostility. Or to an enemy, you have given power over me? As long as you are not displeased with me, I do not care what I face. I would, however, be much happier with Your mercy. I seek refuge in the light of Your face by which all darkness is dispelled and both this life and the life to come are put in their right course against incurring your wrath or being the subject of your anger. To You, I submit, until I earn Your pleasure. Everything is powerless without your support.”

At that moment, Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام came to him ﷺ  and told himﷺ that if he ﷺ desired, Allah could command an angel to collapse the two mountains surrounding the people of Ṭāʿif and crush them.

However, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  was so merciful that he responded to Angel Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام, “I rather hope that Allah will raise from among their offspring people who will worship Allah the One ﷻ and will not ascribe partners to Him ﷻ.”

The Ḥadīth of Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام

Also on the authority of ʿUmar (ra) who said:

While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair.  No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him. He sat down close by the Prophet ﷺ , rested his knees against the knees of the Prophet ﷺ  and placed is palms over his thighs, and said: “O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam.” The Messenger  of Allah ﷺ replied:  “Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger, that you should  perform  salah (ritual prayer), pay the Zakat, during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Kaʿbah of Makkah) – if you can find a way to it (or find the means of making a journey to it).”  He said: “You have spoken the truth.” We were astonished at his thus questioning him  ﷺ , and then telling him that he was right, but he went on to say:  “Inform me about Iman (faith)?” He (the Prophet ﷺ) answered, “It is that you believe in  Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messenger and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar) both in its good and in its evil aspects.” He said, “You have spoken the truth.” Then he (the man) said, “Inform me about Ihsan.” He (the Prophet ﷺ)  answered, “It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you.”  He said, “Inform me about the Hour.” He (the Prophet ﷺ) said, “ About that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner.”  So he said, “Well, inform me about its signs.” He ﷺ said, “They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, and that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked,  the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other)  in raising lofty buildings.  Thereupon  the man went off.  I waited  a while, and then he (the Prophetﷺ ) said , “O ʿUmar, do you know who that  questioner  was?” I replied, “Allah and His Messenger ﷺ  know better.” He ﷺ said, “That was Jibreel. He came to teach you your religion.” [Muslim] Hadith 2, 40 Hadith of an-Nawawi

Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام and the Prophets of Allah  عليهم السلام

Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام had interactions with the Prophets of Allah, as detailed in the Qurʾān and Sunnah:

Idrīs عليه السلام was the first prophet to write with a pen.  Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام took him  to the Angel of Death in the fourth Heaven to ask how much time he had to live, and his soul was taken there and then.

We  learn how Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام always wanted to help the prophets. عليهم السلام

Abraham [Ibrāhīm] عليه السلام

Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام appeared when Abraham [Ibrāhīm] عليه السلام was thrown into the fire, asking if he could help him.  In response, Abraham [Ibrāhīm] عليه السلام stated that Allahﷻ was enough for him.

 Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلامalso came to help Hājar, the wife of Abraham [Ibrāhīm] عليه السلام, tapping his heel to produce the water of Zamzam. A group of angels also went to the house of Abraham [Ibrāhīm] عليه السلام to give him the glad tidings of a righteous son in his old age, and also that they had come to destroy the nation of Lot [Lūt]عليه السلام.

Lot [Lūt] عليه السلام

Angels went to the town of Sodom in the guise of handsome men. The first person to see them was the daughter of Lot [Lūt] عليه السلام, who was a believer. Recognising their beauty and fearing what would happen to them if they entered the city, she asked them to remain outside the city until Lot [Lūt] عليه السلام could safely lead them inside. He led them back to his house at night, dropping numerous hints about the corruption and evil practices of the people of the city, hoping that the travellers would change their mind about staying there. What Lot [Lūt] عليه السلام perhaps did not realise was that in dropping these hints, he was providing a witness against his community. No community had been destroyed in the past until its Prophet had provided evidence against it. The angels sent to Lot [Lūt] عليه السلام were in actuality recording his statements as proof against his people.

As the travellers arrived at the house of Lot [Lūt] عليه السلام, his wife, who was a disbeliever, informed the town of the arrival of the guests and their beauty. The people then became angry and broke into Lot’s عليه السلام house. Seeing his grief and helplessness, the angels revealed their true nature and purpose and assured Lot [Lūt]  عليه السلام that he would not be harmed. Upon hearing this, the people left the house, threatening Lot [Lūt] عليه السلام as they did so. The angels warned Lot [Lūt] عليه السلام to leave the house before sunrise, taking his entire family except for his wife.

Joseph[Yūsuf]  عليه السلام

When Joseph[Yūsuf] عليه السلام was cast into the well by his brothers, Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام was standing at the bottom of the well to catch him and give him comfort.  So here we see that as soon as Joseph[Yūsuf] عليه السلام left the protection of his father, Allahﷻ continued to protect him and sent His noble Archangel عليه السلام to assist him. These stories serve as a reminder to us that we have to trust Allahﷻ, the Best Disposerﷻ of all our affairs and  in all circumstances, and Allah ﷻ will protect us in every way even through sending angels to us. Like He did on the Battle Of Badr, where the angles led by Gabriel, fought alongside the Muslims and won the first battle in Islam.  

 

Jesus [ʿĪsā] عليه السلام

When Mary [Maryam] عليها السلام went to the east to contemplate and be away from the people, Archangel Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام came to her in the form of a perfect symmetrical man.  She told him to fear Allah ﷻ in case he had bad intentions, whereupon he changed to his angelic form. He then gave Maryam عليها السلام  the glad tidings of Jesus [ʿĪsā] عليه السلام.

When the people came to kill Jesus [ʿĪsā], Gabriel raised him to Allahﷻ whilst Judas was made to look like Jesus [ʿĪsā] عليه السلام and was killed instead of him.

2.Michael [Mīkāʿīl] عليه السلام

The Angel Michael [Mīkāʿīl] عليه السلام is one of the four greatest angels. Michael’s responsibility is provision [rizq] and to manage the mundane necessities of people, such as bringing forth rain, overseeing the cultivation of crops, and providing material food for the body and spiritual food for the soul.

Michael [Mīkāʿīl] عليه السلام  assisted the Prophet Mohammed ﷺ  several times throughout hisﷺ spiritual journey.  Also, Allah ﷻ mentioned the angel Michael [Mīkāʿīl] عليه السلام in the Holy Qurʾān:

“Whosoever is an enemy to God, or his angels, or his apostles, or to Gabriel or to Michael, verily God is an enemy to the unbelievers.”  Qurʾān: The Cow [Al Baqarah] 2:98

Narrated Abu Saʾeed Al-Khudri:

that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “There is no prophet except that he has two ministers among the inhabitants of the heavens, and two ministers among the inhabitants of the earth. As for my two ministers from the inhabitants of the heavens, they are Jibril and Mikaʾil and as for my two ministers from the inhabitants of the earth, then they are Abu Bakr and ʿUmar.” Jamiʿ al-Tirmidhī 3680

 

 3.Isrāfīl عليه السلام

 Isrāfīl عليه السلام, known as the Angel of  the Trumpet [Sūr],  is amongst the four great angels of Allah. His  duty is to blow the Trumpet twice:  On  the first blow,  Doomsday will occur and on the second, the Resurrection will begin.

 وَنُفِخَ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَصَعِقَ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَمَن فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّا مَن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ‌ۖ ثُمَّ نُفِخَ فِيهِ أُخۡرَىٰ فَإِذَا هُمۡ قِيَامٌ۬ يَنظُرُونَ

The Trumpet will be blown and all those in the heavens and all those on the earth will fall dead, except those Allah wills ˹to spare˺. Then it will be blown again and they will rise up at once, looking on ˹in anticipation˺. Qurʾān: The Troops [Az Zumar] 39:68

When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  was asked about the nature of the trumpet, he answered: “A horn that is blown.” Aḥmad b. Hanbal, II, 196                                                                                                         

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  said that “Israfel is awaiting the order of blowing while He grasps the trumpet”. Ṭabarī Jāmiʿ al-bayān, VII, 211; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīru’l-Qur’an-il Aẓīm, Egypt, n.d. II, 276

4.Azrael [ʿAzrāʾīl] عليه السلام

The Angel of Death [Malak-ul Mawt], Azrael  عليه السلام  is one of the four greatest angels. His responsibility is to grasp the souls of people at the time of their death. In the holy Qurʾān, we read:

 قُلۡ يَتَوَفَّٮٰكُم مَّلَكُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ ٱلَّذِى وُكِّلَ بِكُمۡ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمۡ تُرۡجَعُونَ

“Say: The angel of death who is given charge of you shall cause you to die, then to your Lord, you shall be brought back.” Qurʾān: The Prostration [Al-Sajda] 32:11

 

حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ تَوَفَّتۡهُ رُسُلُنَا وَهُمۡ لَا يُفَرِّطُونَ

“When death approaches one of you, Our angels take his soul, and they never fail in their duty.”  Qurʾān:  Livestock [al Anʿām] 6: 61

 

حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَتۡہُمۡ رُسُلُنَا يَتَوَفَّوۡنَہُمۡ قَالُوٓاْ أَيۡنَ مَا كُنتُمۡ تَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ

“When our messengers (of death) arrive and take their souls, they say: “Where are the things that ye used to invoke besides Allah.” Qurʾān: The Heights  [Al Aʿrāf] 37

5.Riḍwān عليه السلام

Riḍwān عليه السلام is the angel and  guardian, who is in charge of maintaining Paradise [Jannah]. 

6.Malik عليه السلام

Malik عليه السلام is the guardian of Hellfire together with other angels,  called Zabānia.

In the holy Qurʾān it is mentioned:

وَسِيقَ ٱلَّذِينَ ڪَفَرُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ زُمَرًا‌ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُوهَا فُتِحَتۡ أَبۡوَٲبُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ خَزَنَتُہَآ أَلَمۡ يَأۡتِكُمۡ رُسُلٌ۬ مِّنكُمۡ يَتۡلُونَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّكُمۡ وَيُنذِرُونَكُمۡ لِقَآءَ يَوۡمِكُمۡ هَـٰذَا‌ۚ قَالُواْ بَلَىٰ وَلَـٰكِنۡ حَقَّتۡ كَلِمَةُ ٱلۡعَذَابِ عَلَى ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ

‘Those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in ˹successive˺ groups. When they arrive there, its gates will be opened and its keepers will ask them: “Did messengers not come to you from among yourselves, reciting to you the revelations of your Lord and warning you of the coming of this Day of yours?” The disbelievers will cry, “Yes ˹indeed˺! But the decree of torment has come to pass against the disbelievers.”’ Qurʾān: The Troops [Az-zumar] 39:71

قِيلَ ٱدۡخُلُوٓاْ أَبۡوَٲبَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا‌ۖ فَبِئۡسَ مَثۡوَى ٱلۡمُتَڪَبِّرِينَ

‘It will be said to them, “Enter the gates of Hell, to stay there forever.” What an evil home for the arrogant!’ Qurʾān: The Troops [Az-zumar] 39:72

 

7.Raqīb and Atīd  – the Honourable Scribes [Kirāman Katibīn] عليهما السلام

Together Raqīb عليه السلام and Atīd عليه السلام are called the Honourable Scribes. Every person has one sitting on the right shoulder and one on the left shoulder and they record his or her actions.

“Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it).” Qurʾān: Qaf [Qāf]  50:18

 In another chapter these Angels are described  as honourable scribes:

وَإِنَّ عَلَيۡكُم لَحَـٰفِظِينَ (١٠) كِرَامً۬ا كَـٰتِبِينَ (١١) يَعۡلَمُونَ مَا تَفۡعَلُونَ (١٢)

“And most surely there are keepers over you. Honourable recorders. They know what you do.” Qurʾān: The Cleaving [Al Infitār] 82: 10-12

وَهُوَ ٱلۡقَاهِرُ فَوۡقَ عِبَادِهِۦ‌ۖ وَيُرۡسِلُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ حَفَظَةً

“And He is the Supreme, above His servants, and He sends keepers over you.” Qurʾān: The Cattle [al Anʿām] 6: 61

 

مَّا يَلۡفِظُ مِن قَوۡلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيۡهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ۬ (١٨)

Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it).” Qurʾān: Qaf [Qāf] 50:16-18

The system of recording of deeds is detailed in a Sacred Narration [Ḥadīth Qudsi]. This is a special type of narration where the meaning is from Allahﷻ and the wording is from the Prophet  Mohammed ﷺ.

 

On the authority of  ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), from what he narrates from his Lord:

“Verily, Allah ta-ala has defined the good and the evil deeds, and then explained them. So, whoever had the thought to do a good deed, but did not do it, Allah writes it for him as a complete good deed, while if he actually did it, Allah writes it for him as ten good deeds, or up to seven hundredfold, or even many times more. And, if he had a thought to do an evil deed, but dispelled the thought and did not do it. Allah writes it for him as a complete good deed, while if he entertained the thought and acted on it, Allah writes it as a single evil deed.” (Bukhāri and Muslim) Ḥadīth 37,  40 Ḥadīth An-Nawawi

8.Munkar عليه السلامand Nakir عليه السلام

Munkar عليه السلامand Nakir عليه السلام are the angels that question a person after they die, and they are in the grave. They use the following questions and treat them according to the answers that they receive: Who is your lord? Who is your prophet? What is your book?

It is reported from Abu Hurayra that the Prophet ﷺ  said:

“When the deceased is buried, two angels, black and blue-eyed, come to him. One of them is called Munkar, and the other Nakir. They say to the dead person, ‘What do you say about this man (the Messenger of Allah)?’ He says what he said about him before death, ‘He is Allah’s slave and His Messenger. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.’ The angels will say, ‘We knew that you said this.’ Then, his grave is expanded to seventy by seventy cubits, and is illuminated for him. “If he is a hypocrite, he will say: ‘I heard people saying something; so, I said the same; I do not know.’ The angels will say, ‘We knew that you said this.’ Then, the earth is addressed as follows: ‘Constrict him.’ The earth constricts him, squeezing his ribs together. He continues being punished like that until Allah resurrects him from his resting place.” (Tirmidhī, Janāʾiz, 70)

Other Angels mentioned in Holy Qurʾān.

The Angels who are brought near to Allahﷻ [Al Muqarrabūn]

There are  angels who are known as the Karūbbiyyūn, meaning that they are the most honoured angels who are responsible for glorifying Allah,ﷻ are very close to Himﷻ and have an exalted place before Himﷻ. And the best of these Karūbbiyyūn are

ٱلَّذِينَ يَحۡمِلُونَ ٱلۡعَرۡشَ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَهُ ۥ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّہِمۡ وَيُؤۡمِنُونَ بِهِۦ وَيَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ

“Those who sustain the Throne (of Allah) and those around it sing Glory and Praise to their Lord; believe in Him; and implore forgiveness for those who believe.” Qurʾān: The Forgiver [Ghāfir] 40: 7

9.Angels who carry the Throne

Eight angels will carry the Throne [ʿarsh] which is Allah’s ﷻ greatest creation, on the Day of Judgement:

وَٱلۡمَلَكُ عَلَىٰٓ أَرۡجَآٮِٕهَا‌ۚ وَيَحۡمِلُ عَرۡشَ رَبِّكَ فَوۡقَهُمۡ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ۬ ثَمَـٰنِيَةٌ۬

“And the angels will be on its sides, and eight angels will that Day, bear the throne of your Lord above them.” Qurʾān: The Reality [Al-Hāqqah] 69:17

10.The Guardians  – [Hafiḍa]

They are angels who protect us from whatever evil Allah ﷻ wills to save us from.

لَهُ ۥ مُعَقِّبَـٰتٌ۬ مِّنۢ بَيۡنِ يَدَيۡهِ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِۦ يَحۡفَظُونَهُ ۥ مِنۡ أَمۡرِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوۡمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنفُسِہِمۡ‌ۗ وَإِذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِقَوۡمٍ۬ سُوٓءً۬ا فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَهُ ۥ‌ۚ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ مِن وَالٍ

“For each one there are successive angels before and behind, protecting them by Allah’s command. Indeed, Allah would never change a people’s state ˹of favour˺ until they change their own state ˹of faith˺. And if it is Allah’s Will to torment a people, it can never be averted, nor can they find a protector other than Him.” Qurʾān: The Thunder [Ar-Rʿad] 13:11

 

To Conclude

Believing in these beautiful angels  is one of the pillars of our faith [īmān].  We need to know them, love them and honour them.  Since their creation until the end of time, the angels, born of light, are tirelessly worshipping, remembering [tasbiḥ] or perfectly following  the orders of Allah ﷻ. Radiant and noble, angels only obey their Lord, Allahﷻ.  He ﷻ has praised them, the Prophet Muhammadﷺ has praised them; they are intricately bound with our lives and we cherish them in our hearts.