Reality of Angels
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In common folklore, angels are
thought of as good forces of nature, hologram images, or illusions. Western
iconography sometimes depicts angels as fat cherubic babies or handsome young
men or women with a halo surrounding their head. In Islamic doctrine, they are
real created beings who will eventually suffer death, but are generally hidden
from our senses. They are not divine or semi-divine, and they are not God’s
associates running different districts of the universe. Also, they are not
objects to be worshipped or prayed to, as they do not deliver our prayers to
God. They all submit to God and carry out His commands. In the Islamic
worldview, there are no fallen angels: they are not divided into ‘good’ and
‘evil’ angels. Human beings do not become angels after death. Satan is not a
fallen angel, but is one of the jinn, a creation of God parallel to human
beings and angels.
Angels were created from light
before human beings were created, and thus their graphic or symbolic
representation in
Islamic art is rare.
Nevertheless, they are generally beautiful beings with wings as described in
Muslim scripture. Angels form different cosmic hierarchies and orders in the
sense that they are of different size, status, and merit. The greatest of them is
Gabriel. The Prophet of Islam actually saw him in his original form. Also, the
attendants of God’s Throne are among the greatest angels. They love the
believers and beseech God to forgive them their sins. They carry the Throne of
God, about whom the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be
upon him, 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 Daud) They do
not eat or drink. The angels do not get bored or tired of worshipping God:
“They celebrate His praises night and day, nor do they ever slacken.” (Quran
21:20)
The Number of Angels
How many angels there are?
Only God knows. The Much-Frequented House is a sacred heavenly sanctuary above
the Kaaba, the black cube in the city of Mecca. Every day seventy thousand
angels visit it and leave, never returning to it again, followed by another
group. 1
The Names of Angels
Muslims believe in specific
angels mentioned in the Islamic sources like Jibreel (Gabriel), Mika'eel
(Michael), Israfeel, Malik - the guard over Hell, and others. Of these, only
Gabriel and Michael are mentioned in the Bible.
1 Saheeh Al-Bukhari.
Angelic Abilities
The angels possess great
powers given to them by God. They can take on different forms. The Muslim
scripture describes how at the moment of Jesus’ conception, God sent Gabriel to
Mary in the form of a man: “…Then We sent to her Our angel, and he appeared
before her as a man in all respects.” (Quran 19:17) Angels also visited Abraham
in human form. Similarly, angels came to Lot to deliver him from danger in the
form of handsome, young men. Gabriel used to visit Prophet Muhammad in
different forms. Sometimes, he would appear in the form of one of his handsome
disciples, and sometimes in the form of a desert Bedouin. Angels have the
ability to take human forms in some circumstances involving common people.
Gabriel is God’s heavenly messenger to mankind. He would convey the revelation
from God to His human messengers. God says: “Say: whoever is an enemy to
Gabriel - for he brings down the (revelation) to your heart by God’s will...” (Quran 2:97)
Tasks of the Angels
Some angels are put in charge
of executing God’s law in the physical world. Michael is responsible for rain,
directing it wherever God wishes. He has helpers who assist him by the command
of his Lord; they direct the winds and clouds, as God wills. Another is
responsible for blowing the Horn, which will be blown by Israafeel at the onset
of the Day of Judgment. Others are responsible for taking souls out of the
bodies at the time of death: the Angel of Death and his assistants. God says:
“Say: the Angel of Death, put
in charge of you, will (duly) take your souls, then shall you be brought back
to your Lord.” (Quran 32:11) Then there are guardian angels responsible for
protecting the believer throughout his life, at home or traveling, asleep or
awake. Others are responsible for recording the deeds of man, good and bad. These
are known as the “honorable scribes.” Two angels, Munkar and Nakeer, are
responsible for testing people in the grave. Among them are keepers of Paradise
and the nineteen ‘guards’ of Hell whose leader is named ‘Malik.’ There are also
angels responsible for breathing the soul into the fetus and writing down its
provisions, life-span, actions, and whether it will be wretched or happy. Some
angels are roamers, traveling around the world in search of gatherings where
God is remembered. There are also angels constituting God’s heavenly army,
standing in rows, they never get tired or sit down, and others who bow or
prostrate, and never raise their heads, always worshipping God. As we learn
from above, the angels are a grandiose creation of God, varying in numbers,
roles, and abilities. God is in no need of these creatures, but having
knowledge and belief in them adds to the awe that one feels towards God, in
that He is able to create as He wishes, for indeed the magnificence of His
creation is a proof of the magnificence of the Creator.
Source: islamhouse.com/
Source: islamhouse.com/
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