Angels (ملائكة malāʾikah; singular: ملاك malāk) are a creation of Allah SWT and are made of light. They were created before mankind, and created to follow the commands of Allah SWT. They cannot deviate from obeying His command, therefore they do not have a free will and they are free of sin. says of angels: “Who disobey not, (from executing) the commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded.”
Angels can be of different size, status or merit. They cannot be described as
male or female, as such an attribute is not assigned them. The number of Angels
is unknown to anyone but Allah the All-Mighty. Some people commonly believe
Shaytan (Satan/Iblis) is a fallen angel; this belief is FALSE, as Angels are creation
which cannot disobey the command of Allah (Shaytan is of the Jinn, which will
be explained below).
Angels have many and varied responsibilities assigned to
them by the Creator. Some of the tasks we know Angels preside over
are: to question people in the grave, to deliver messages, to blow life into
the fetus, to record human beings' good and bad deeds, to guard paradise, to
carry the throne of Allah SWT, to worship Allah, to blow the horn on the Day of
Judgement, to seek out venues of remembrances (dhikr) such as halakah and
salah, etc. Additionally, we learn from Qur'an and hadith that Angels were also
tasked with protecting and guarding the Prophet Muhammad SAW. These
responsibilities mentioned are only a few of the assignments for angels that we
know of.
The angels can possess great powers given to them by Allah SWT. For
example, they can take on different forms. In Qur'an, Allah describes how He
sent the angel Jibril (Gabriel, AS) in the form of a man at the moment of Isa’s
(Jesus') conception: “…Then We sent to her [Maryam] Our angel,
and he appeared before her as a man in all respects,” .
Angels also never tire of worshiping Allah the
Almighty: "They celebrate His praises night and day, nor do they ever
slacken," .
Angels are not visible to mankind, however the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
was able to see the angel Jibril (AS). The Qur'an says that we should not be
concerned with how the angels appear, however in one hadith the Prophet SAW
said, “I have been given permission to speak about one of the angels of God
who carry the Throne. The distance between his ear-lobes and his shoulders is
equivalent to a seven-hundred-year journey,” (Abu Dawud).
Muslims should be careful to not assign attributes to
the angels which have not been revealed from Qur'an and sunnah. For example, in
western culture there is the idea that angels are cherub-like, feathery,
billowy, etc. It is best to refrain from depiction of angels so as not to do
something sacrilege.
What are the function, appearance, form and powers
of Angels?
Belief in angels is one of the six pillars of belief or
faith without which there is no faith. Whoever does not believe in any of these
pillars is not a believer (mumin). These pillars are belief in: Allah, His
angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and that predestination, both
good and bad, comes from Allah.
Angels are a part of the world of the “Unseen” which we cannot
comprehend. Allah has told us about them in many places in the Quran and via
His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). There follows
a number of proven reports concerning the angels, which hopefully will make you
realize the greatness of the Creator and the greatness of this religion which
has told us so much about them:
Of what are they created?
They are created from light, as ‘Aishah (may Allah be
pleased with her) reported: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘The angels are created from light, just
as the jinn are created from smokeless fire and mankind is created from what
you have been told about.’" [Muslim].
When were they created?
We have no knowledge of precisely when they were created,
because there is no text to tell us this. But they were created before mankind
for certain, because the Quran says (interpretation of the meaning): "Behold,
your Lord said to the angels: ‘I will create a vicegerent on earth.’"
[2:30] The fact that Allah told them of His intention to create man indicates
that they already existed.
Their great size
Allah says concerning the angels of Hell:
"O
you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is
men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern and severe, who flinch
not (from executing) the commands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely)
what they are commanded." [66:6]
The greatest of all the angels is Jibreel, upon whom be peace, who was
described in the following report:
"From
‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: the Messenger
of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw Jibreel in his true
form. He had six hundred wings, each of which covered the horizon. There fell
from his wings jewels, pearls and rubies, only Allah knows about them."
It was reported by Ahmad in al-Musnad, and Ibn Katheer said in al-Bidayah that
its isnad (chain of narrators) is jayyid (good).
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said, describing Jibreel:
"I
saw Jibreel descending from heaven, and his great size filled the space between
heaven and earth." [Muslim].
Among the greatest angels are those who carry the Throne (of Allah),
who were described in the following report:
"From
Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: ‘I have been given permission to
speak about one of the angels of Allah who carry the Throne. The distance
between his ear-lobes and his shoulders is equivalent to a seven-hundred-year
journey.’" [Abu Dawood].
They have wings
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Praise
be to Allah, Who created (out of nothing) the heavens and the earth, Who made
the angels messengers with wings - two, or three, or four (pairs) adds to
Creation as He pleases: for Allah has power over all things."
[35:1]
Their beauty
Allah said, describing Jibreel, upon whom be peace
(interpretation of the meaning):
"He
[the Prophet] has been taught by one Mighty in Power, Dhoo Mirrah (free from
any defect in body and mind), then he rose and became stable."
[53:5-6]
Ibn ‘Abbas said: "‘Dhoo Mirrah means that he has a beautiful
appearance." Qutadah said: "He is tall and beautiful."
The idea that angels are beautiful is firmly established in all people’s minds,
so much so that they liken a beautiful human to an angel, as the women said
about Yoosuf:
".
. . When they [the women] saw him, they did extol him and (in their amazement)
cut their hands: they said: ‘Allah preserve us! No mortal is this! This is none
other than a noble angel!’" [12:31]
Their differences in size and status
The angels are not all of one size or status; there are
differences between them just as there are differences in virtue. The best of
them are those that were present at the battle of Badr, as is stated in the
hadeeth narrated by Mu‘adh ibn Rifa‘ah al-Zuraqi from his father, who had been
one of the people present at Badr. He said: "Jibreel came to the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon Him) and asked, ‘How do you rate the people
among you who were present at Badr?’ He said: ‘They are the best of the
Muslims,’ or something similar. [Jibreel] said: ‘So it is with the angels who
were present at Badr.’" [al-Bukhaari].
They do not eat or drink
This is indicated by the conversation between Ibrahim, the
"friend" of Allah, and the angels who visited him. Allah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Then
he turned quickly to his household, brought out a fatted calf, and placed it
before them. He said, ‘Will you not eat?’ (When they did not eat), he conceived
a fear of them. They said: ‘Fear not,’ and they gave him glad tidings of a son
endowed with knowledge." [51:26-28]
Elsewhere, Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"But
when he [Ibrahim] saw their hands went not towards the (meal), he felt some
mistrust of them, and conceived a fear of them. They said: ‘Fear not: we have
been sent against the people of Lut.’" [11:70]
They do not get bored or tired of remembering and worshipping Allah.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): "They celebrate His praises
night and day, nor do they ever slacken." [21:20]
".
. . For in the presence of your Lord are those who celebrate His praises by
night and by day. And they never become tired (nor feel themselves above
it)." [41:38]
Their number
The angels are many, and their number is known only to
Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, describing
the Much-Frequented House (al-Bayt al-M’amoor) in the seventh heaven:
"Then
I was taken up to the Much-Frequented House: every day seventy thousand angels
visit it and leave, never returning to it again, another [group] coming after
them." [al-Bukhaari].
‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Hell will be brought forth
that day by means of seventy thousand ropes, each of which will be pulled by
seventy thousand angels." [Muslim].
Their names
The angels have names, but we know only the names of a few
of them. We have to believe in the names reported in the Quran and Sunnah
(prophetic teachings) texts, as a part of general belief in the angels. Among
the names of angels that are known to us are:
(1) Jibreel and (2) Mikail
"Say: Whoever is an enemy to Jibreel - for he brings
down the (revelation) to your heart by Allah’s will, a confirmation of what
went before, and guidance and glad tidings to those who believe -
Whoever is an enemy to Allah, and His angels and prophets, to Jibreel and
Mikail - Lo! Allah is an enemy to those who reject faith." [2:97-98]
(3) Israfil
From Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, who said: "I
asked ‘Aishah, the Mother of the Believers, about what the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) used to start his prayer with when he got up to
pray at night (qiyam al-layl). She said: ‘When he got up to pray at night, he
would start his prayer (with the words): ‘O Allah, Lord of Jibreel, Mikail and
Israfil, Creator of heaven and earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You
are the Judge of the matters in which Your slaves differ; guide me with regard
to disputed matters of truth by Your permission, for You guide whomever You
will to the straight path.’" [Muslim].
(4) Malik
He is the Keeper of Hell, as Allah says (interpretation of
the meaning): "They [the people in Hell] will cry: ‘O Malik! Would that your
Lord put an end to us!’" [43:77]
(5) Munkar and (6) Nakeer
From Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
‘When the deceased is buried (or he said: when one of you is buried), there
come to him two blue-black angels, one of whom is called Munkar and the other
Nakeer. They ask him, ‘What did you used to say about this man?’ and he says
what he used to say: ‘He is the slave and Messenger of Allah: I bear witness
that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is the slave and Messenger
of Allah. They say, ‘We knew beforehand that you used to say this.’ Then his
grave will be widened for him to a size of seventy cubits by seventy cubits and
it will be illuminated for him. Then they tell him, ‘Sleep.’ He says, ‘Go back
to my family and tell them.’ They tell him, ‘Sleep like a bridegroom whom
no-one will wake up except his most beloved,’ until Allah raises him up. If
(the deceased) was a hypocrite, he says, ‘I heard the people saying something
so I said something similar; I do not know.’ They say: ‘We knew beforehand that
you used to say this.’ The earth will be told to squeeze him, so he will be
crushed until his ribs are interlocked, and he will remain like that until
Allah raises him up.’" [al-Tirmidhi].
(7) Haroot and (8) Maroot
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
".
. . and such things as came down at Babylon to the angels Haroot and Maroot . .
." [2:102]
". . . and none can know the forces of your Lord, except He. And this is
nothing other than a warning to mankind." [74:31]
Their powers
The angels have great powers given to them by Allah,
including the following:
The ability to take on different forms. Allah has given the angels the ability
to take on forms other than their own. Allah sent Jibreel to Maryam in the form
of a man, as Allah says:
".
. . Then We sent to her Our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all
respects." [19:17]
Angels also came to Ibrahim in human form, and he did not know that they were
angels until they told him so. Similarly, angels came to Lut in the form of
young men with beautiful faces. Jibreel used to come to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon Him) in different forms: sometimes he would appear
in the form of Dihyah al-Kalbi, a sahaabee (companion) who was very handsome,
and sometimes in the form of a Bedouin. The sahaabah (companions) saw him in
his human form, as is reported from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased
with him) in the two Saheehs Al-Bukhari and Muslim). (‘Umar) said:
"One
day while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him), there appeared before us a man whose clothes were
exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black; no signs of travel were
to be seen on him, and none of us knew him. He walked up and sat down by the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Resting his knees against
his and placing his hands on his thighs, he said: ‘O Muhammad, tell me about
Islam.’..." [ Muslim].
Many other ahadeeth (report) refer to the angels taking human forms, such as
the hadeeth (report) about the one who killed a hundred, in which it says ".
. . there came to them an angel in human form . . ." and the
hadeeth about the blind man, the bald man and the leper.
Their speed
The greatest speed known to man today is the speed of light;
the angels are able to travel much faster than this. Hardly had an enquirer
completed a question to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
but Jibreel would bring the answer from Allah.
Their duties
Among the angels is one whose task it was to convey the
revelation from Allah to His Messengers; this is al-Rooh al-Ameen, Jibreel,
upon whom be peace. Allah says:
"Say:
whoever is an enemy to Jibreel - for he brings down the (revelation) to your
heart by Allah’s will. . . " [2:97]
"Which
the trustworthy spirit has brought down, Upon your heart, that you may be (one)
of the warners." [26:193-194]
How many times Hazrat Jibreel (Gabriel) came to
earth?
Jibreel (AS) is the first being that Allah (SWT) ever gave
life to. He was created before heaven and hell as per the hadith recorded in
Bukhari.
When Allah (SWT) created the Garden, He asked the Angel
Jibreel (AS) to go and take a look at it. So he went and looked at the Paradise
and at all that Allah had prepared for its inhabitants. Then he said “O My
Lord! By Your Honour, No one who hears about this place would stay away from
it.” Then Allah surrounded the Paradise by difficulties and hardships
and asked Jibreel again to go and take another look. Jibreel went again and
after looking at it came back and said “O My Lord! By Your Honour, I am afraid now
that no one will be able to enter it.” Then after Allah created the
Hell, He asked Jibreel to go and take a look. When Jibreel came back he said
“O My Lord! By Your Honour, no one who hears about it will ever enter it.”
Then Allah surrounded the Hell by all kinds of lusts and desires and asked
Jibreel to take another look. This time after looking at it Jibreel said “O My
Lord! By Your Honour, I am afraid that no one will be able to avoid it.”
The name Jibreel is broken down and translates as: Jibra
(‘Abd/Slave) + Eel (Allah) = Jibreel (Abdullah/Slave of Allah). All inhabitants
of heaven obey and respect Jibreel, not because he is fierce but because he is
trustworthy. One of Jibreel’s names is an-Namoos, the keeper of the secret
(revelation). This is the opposite of jasoos, a spy, which generally has
negative or evil connotations. Other variations of the name include Jibraeel
and Jibreen. Sometimes the Prophet (SAW) would say Jibreel SalAllahu Alayhi
Wasallam.
Jibreel (AS) apportions the commands of Allah (SWT) and is
responsible for revelation and war, war being against those who reject
revelation. He is responsible for the light in our heart through bringing us
the revelation. He brings us our soul and gives us life by giving us
revelation.
Jibreel (AS) has 600 wings… Pearls and diamonds drip from
these wings… Dehya ibn Kalbi (RA) was the most handsome of the Companions of
Muhammad (SAW) and it is narrated that he resembled Jibreel…
Jibreel (AS) had relationships with many of the Prophets of
Allah, as detailed in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and briefly outlined below:
Idris (AS)
He was the first Prophet to write with a pen. Jibreel took
him to the heavens 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.
Ibrahim (AS)
Jibreel appeared when Ibrahim (AS) was thrown in the fire,
and asked if he could help Ibrahim, who responded that Allah (SWT) is enough
for him. We learn that Jibreel (AS) always wanted to help the prophets.
Jibreel also came to help Haajar, the wife of Ibrahim (AS),
tapping his heel to produce the water of Zamzam.
A group of Angels also went to the house of Ibrahim (AS) to
give him the glad tidings of a righteous son in his old age, and that they are
there to destroy the nation of Lut (AS).
Lut (AS)
Three angels – some accounts mention Jibraeel, Mikaeel and
Israfeel – went to the town of Sadoom in the guise of handsome men. The first
person to see them was the daughter of Lut (AS), 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 Lut (AS) could safely
lead them inside. He (AS) 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 Lut (AS) perhaps did not realise was that in dropping these hints, he was
actually providing witness against his community. No community had been
destroyed in the past until its Prophet had provided evidence against it. The
angels sent to Lut (AS) were in actuality recording his statements as proof
against his people.
As the travellers arrived at the house of Lut (AS), his
wife, a disbeliever, informed the town of the arrival of the guests and their
beauty:
The people had become angry and broke into into Lut’s house.
Seeing his (AS) grief and helplessness, the angels revealed their true nature
and purpose and assured Lut (AS) he would not be harmed. Upon hearing this, the
people left the house, threatening Lut (AS) as they did so. The angels warned
Lut (AS) to leave the house before sunrise, taking his entire family except his
wife.
Yusuf (AS)
As soon as Yusuf (AS) was thrown into the well by his
brothers, Jibreel (AS) was standing at the bottom of the well to catch him. He
caught him and comforted him (AS). As soon as Yusuf (AS) left the protection of
his father, Allah (SWT) and Jibreel (AS) became his protectors.
Zakariyya (AS)
Zakariyya (AS) came to Maryam (AS) asking her where she gets
all her provisions from. He was given the glad tidings of a son, Yahya (AS).
Maryam (AS)
When Maryam (AS) went to the east to contemplate and be away
from the people, Jibreel (AS) came in the form of a perfect symmetrical man,
whereupon she told him to fear Allah in case he had bad intentions, so he
changed to his angelic form. He (AS) gave Maryam (AS) the glad tidings of Isa
(AS).
Isa (AS)
Jibreel (AS) raised Isa (AS) to Allah (SWT) when the people
came to kill him. Isa was raised to Allah and Judas was made to look like Isa
and was killed instead of Isa (AS).
Muhammad (SAW)
Jibreel (AS) was the wali of the Prophet (SAW). Their first
interaction was when Jibreel came down and Muhammad’s heart was cleansed as a
child. At Mount Hira, Jibreel (AS) came to Muhammad (SAW) in the form of a
human being and the process of Revelation began with Jibreel squeezing Muhammad
(SAW) and ordering him to read.
The nature of revelation was such that it caused angels to
faint. The sound would be like the pulling of a heavy chain over Mount Safa.
Angels would ask Jibreel what Allah (SWT) had said, and he would reply ‘haqq’
(Abu Dawud). Angels could not handle the Revelation, so imagine the weight upon
the heart of the Prophet (SAW). Revelation would shatter a mountain. The
Prophet said the Revelation was like the ringing of a bell and then he would
remember what Jibreel (AS) had brought to him from Allah (SWT). Sometimes he
(SAW) would lose consciousness and sweat on a cold day.
The Prophet (SAW) was on a camel when Surah An’am revealed.
70000 angels brought it down. It was a harsh task, hence the squeezing by
Jibreel in Hira as a preparation.
Jibreel (AS) had modesty. He would not enter when Muhammad
(SAW) was in the lap of Khadijah (RA) or when Aisha (RA) was not fully covered.
Jibreel (AS) would teach the Prophet the Sunnah as well as
the Qur’an in the same way, for example when he (AS) told the Prophet to take
his shoes off while praying as there was dirt on them.
Umar (RA) who said “One day while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (SAW), there came before us a man with extremely white clothing and extremely black hair. There were no signs of travel on him and none of us knew him. He came and sat next to the Prophet (SAW). He supported his knees up against the knees of the Prophet (SAW) and put his hand on his thighs. He said, ‘O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.’ The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, ‘Islam is to testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish the prayers, to pay the zakat, to fast the month of Ramadan, and to make pilgrimage to the House if you have the means to do so.’ He said, ‘You have spoken truthfully or correctly.’ We were amazed that he asks the question and then says that he had spoken truthfully. He said, ‘Tell me about Imaan (faith).’ The Messenger of Allah (SAW) responded, ‘It is to believe in Allah, His angles, His books, His messengers, the Last Day and to believe in the divine decree, both the good and the evil thereof.’ He said, ‘You have spoken truthfully.’ He said, ‘Tell me about al-Ihsaan (goodness).’ The Prophet (SAW) answered, ‘It is that you worship Allah as if you see Him. And even though you do not see Him, you know He sees you.’ He said, ‘Tell me about the time of the Hour,’ The Prophet (SAW) answered, ‘The one being asked does not know more than the one asking.’ He said, ‘Tell me about it’s signs.’ He answered, ‘The slave-girl shall give birth to her master, and you will see the barefooted, scantily-clothed, destitute shepards competing in constructing lofty buildings.’ Then he went away. I stayed for a long time. Then he (SAW) said, ‘O Umar, do you know who the questioner was?’ I said, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘It was the angel Jibreel who came to teach you your religion.’ (Muslim)
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