The Angels IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE COMPASSIONATE, THE MERCIFUL All praise is due to Allah, the Lord and the Cherisher of the Universe. May the peace and mercy of Allah be upon our beloved prophet, Muhammad (PBUH), his household, companions and all followers of the right guidance till the Day of Judgment. Allah, the Exalted, says, "It is not righteousness that you face the east or the west. But righteousness it is to believe in Allah and the Last Day and the ANGELS and the Book and the Messengers; to spend of your substance out of love for Him for your kin for orphans for the needy for the wayfarer for those who ask and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which you have made; and to be firm and patient in pain (or suffering) and adversity and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah-fearing." Q2:177. Faith is very important in Islam, there are six articles of faith one of which is to believe in the Angels of Allah. Some people confuse angels with jinns. These are two distinct creatures of Allah. I have written about the jinns in the past. Like human being, some jinns believe and worship Allah while some do not, the leader of disbeliever among the jinns is Satan. Satan (Iblis) belongs to the family of the jinns, he is not a "fallen angel". Satan is an enemy and rival of human beings because Allah gave both of them freewill but Allah honored human beings above the angel and jinn. "We have honored the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favors above a great part of Our Creation". Q17:70 "We created man from sounding clay from mud molded into shape; And the Jinn race We had created before from the smokeless fire. Behold! Thy Lord said to the angels: 'I am about to create man from sounding clay from mud molded into shape; When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit fall you down in obeisance unto him' So the angels prostrated themselves all of them together: Not so Iblis (satan): he refused to be among those who prostrated themselves". Q15:26 "Behold! We said to the angels 'Bow down to Adam': they bowed down except Iblis. He was one of the JINNS and he broke the Command of his Lord. Will you then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me? And they are enemies to you! Evil would be the exchange for the wrongdoers". Q18:50 "(Allah) said: 'what prevented thee from bowing down when I commanded thee?' He said: 'I am better than he: thou did create me from fire and him from clay'. Q7:12. The angels were created from light. Aisha (RA) narrated that Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said: "The Angels were created out of light and the Jinns were created out of the smokeless fire and Adam was created as he has been defined (in the Qur'an) for you (i.e. he is fashioned out of clay)". (Muslim 7134) Angels are Messengers of Allah, the Exalted, they do not eat, drink, reproduce, get old or die unlike man and jinn. Satan requested Allah to give him respite till the end of the world. He (Satan) said: "give me respite till the day they are raised up". (Allah) said: "be thou among those who have respite."Q7:14-15. So, only Satan, among the jinns, will live till the end of the world to mislead and seduce mankind from the worship of Allah." Angels have no freewill like human beings and jinns, they obey Allah absolutely in everything. "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". Q66:6 Angels are spirits with wings, "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): He adds to Creation as He pleases: for Allah has power over all things". Q35:1. They can change their form like the jinns. Angel Gabriel visited prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a very handsome man while the prophet was in the presence of his companions. One day while the Prophet was sitting in the company of some people, one man came and asked, 'What is faith?' Allah's Apostle replied, 'Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, (the) meeting with Him, His Apostles, and to believe in Resurrection'. Then he further asked, 'What is Islam?'.... 'What is Ihsan (perfection)?' Allah's Apostle replied, 'To worship Allah as if you see Him ...." Then he further asked, 'When will the Hour be established?' Allah's Apostle replied, "The answerer has no better knowledge than the questioner...The Prophet then recited: Q31:34. Then that man left and the Prophet asked his companions to call him back, but they could not see him. Then the Prophet said, 'That was Gabriel who came to teach the people their religion'. (Bukhari 1.47) "He (Allah) sends down His angels with inspiration of His Command to such of His servants as He pleases (saying): 'Warn (Man) that there is no god but I: so do your duty unto Me." Q16:2. "But how (will it be) when the angels take their souls at death and smite their faces and their backs?' Q47:27 "And whether you hide your word or publish it He certainly has (full) knowledge of the secrets of (all) hearts. Should He not know He that created? And He is the One that understands the finest mysteries (and) is well-acquainted (with them)". Q67:13-14. "They may hide (their crimes) from men but they cannot hide (them) from Allah seeing that He is with them (by His Knowledge) when they plot by night in words that He does not approve: and Allah ever encompasses round all that they do." Q4:108 Copyright © 2011 www.nmnonline.net. All rights reserved. |