Belief in the Angels

The angles are a matter of the unseen. They are created by Allah and they worship Him. They have no attributes that qualify them to be gods or lords. Allah created them from light, and He bestowed on them the bounty of obeying Him at all times. He gave them the power to carry and implement His orders, (And those who are near Him (the angels) are not too proud to worship Him, nor are they weary (of His worship). They glorify His praises night and day, (and) they never slacken (to do so).) [21:19-20]. They are so numerous that only Allah can count their numbers.

Al-Bukhari and Muslim related that Anas said, while narrating the story of the Prophet's ascension to heaven, that Al-Bait Al-Ma`amur (the House in heaven that is always inhabited. It is, for the inhabitants of heaven, like the Ka`bah for the people of earth) was raised for the Prophet in heaven so he can see it. Each day, seventy thousand angles pray in this House, and when they exit from it, they will never get back into it (this shows how numerous the angels are).

Belief In The Angels Has Four Parts

1- Belief in their existence

2- Belief in what we were told of their names, such as Gabriel, and also belief in other angels whom we were not informed of their names.

3- Belief in what we were told of their attributes. The example to this is the description of Gabriel. The Prophet told us that he saw Gabriel in the shape that Allah created him, having six hundred wings and larger than the horizon.

The angels may change their shapes, by the order of Allah. They may take the shape of men. Allah sent Gabriel to Mariam (Mary) and he came to her in the shape of a man. He was also sent to Prophet Mohammad, while he was sitting down with his companions, in the shape of a man, wearing very white clothes with very dark hair, a stranger to the companions, yet no evidence of traveling was apparent on him. He sat next to the Prophet and laid his knees next to the Prophet's knees and put his hands on the Prophet's thighs. He asked the Prophet about Islam, Iman, lh'san (excellence in the .religion) and the Last Hour and its signs. The Prophet answered him. Then, Gabriel left. The Prophet said to his companions, "This was Gabriel. He came to you to teach you your religion." [Muslim]. Also, Allah sent the angels to Ibrahim (Abraham) and Lut in the shape of men.

4- Belief in the tasks that they perform, by the order of Allah. They praise Allah and worship him at all times without the slightest boredom or fatigue. Some angels may have special tasks to fulfill:

Gabriel is the honorable angels whom Allah sends down with revelation to the Prophets and Messengers.

Mikael is the angel who is controlling rain and vegetation, by the order of Allah.

Israfil is the angel who must blow in the Horn when the Hour (Last Day) has started and when it is time to resurrect the dead.

Malik is the keeper and supervisor of Hell.

The angel of death captures the souls at death.

There are angels who supervise fetuses in the wombs. When a fetus is four months old, Allah sends down an angel and orders him to record the fetus's sustenance, maximum age, deeds and if miserable (destined to Hell) or happy (destined to Paradise).

There are angels who record deeds of mankind. They have a record of everyone's deeds. There are two angels for each person, one to the right and the other to the left.

There are other angels who question the dead when they are in their graves. Two angels come to all dead persons and ask each of them about the Lord he worshipped, the religion he followed and the Messenger he obeyed.

Benefits of Believing In The Angels

1- Knowing Allah's Might, Strength and Power. All the strength of creation is a sign of the Strength of the Creator.

2- Thanking Allah because He takes care of mankind. He appointed angels to protect them, record their deeds and other beneficial tasks.

3- Loving the angels because they are true worshippers of Allah.

Some misguided people reject that the angels exist in a physical form. They claim that the angels are the potential for good that creation possesses. This is a direct rejection to the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger and the ljmaa' (consensus) of Muslims. Allah said, what translated means, (All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the (Only) Originator of the heavens and the earth, Who made the Angels messengers with wings, two or three or four.) [35:1], (And if you could see when the angels take away the souls of those who disbelieve (at death), they smite their faces and their backs.) [8:50], (And if you could but see when the unjust (disbelievers) are in the agonies of death, while the angels are stretching forth their hands (saying): "Deliver your souls.") [6:93], (Until when fear is banished from their (the angels') hearts, they (the angels) say. "What is that your Lord has said?" They say: "The Truth." And He is the Most High, the Most Great.) [34:23] and, (And angels shall enter unto them from every gate (saying): "Peace be upon you for that you preserved in patience! Excellent indeed is the final Home (Paradise).") [13:23-24].

The Messenger of Allah said, what translated means, "When Allah likes a slave, He calls on Gabriel, saying: 'Allah loves so and so (person), therefore, love him.' Then, Gabriel loves him. Afterwards, Gabriel calls on the inhabitants of heaven, saying: 'Allah loves so and so (person), therefore, love him.' Then, the people of heaven love him. Afterwards acceptance (among the community of believers) will be granted for him in earth." [Al-Bukhari] and, "When the day of Friday comes, there stand angels at each of the Masjid's doors. They record the first then the next (one to come to the Masjid). When the Imam sits down (waiting for the call to prayer to end so he can start the speech), they close the books and they come to listen to the Thikr (the remembrance of Allah contained in the Friday speech)." [Al- Bukhari].

The above texts are clear in their meaning that the angels have physical forms and are not a state of the mind, as the misguided claim. The true meaning of these texts, which states that the angels exist in a physical form, is accepted by the entire Ummah.