And from the totality of the creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jamaa'ah (i.e. the people of the Prophetic Way and the Group) is imaan (i.e. faith) in Allah and the Angels and His Books (i.e. His Scriptures) and the Messengers (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon them) and the Resurrection after Death and imaan (i.e. faith) in Al-Qadar (i.e. the pre-decree of Allah).
So having imaan (i.e. faith) in Allah is to confirm His Ruboobiyyah (i.e. His Lordship over all things and His creating and providing for all things and giving life and death to all things and His being All-Powerful and in control over all things) and His Uloohiyyah (i.e. His right to be worshipped to the exclusion of all other things) and His Asmaa was-Sifaat (i.e. His Most Beautiful Names and Perfect and Complete Attributes). And elucidation of this has preceded.
Belief in the Angels
And imaan (i.e. faith) in the Angels is by believing in their existence and what was mentioned to us of their names and their tasks. He (high above is He) said, "The Messenger believes in what was sent down to him and so do the believers. All of them believe in Allah and His Angels and His Books and His messengers..." (Surat Al-Baqarah, Ayah #285)
And He (high above is He) said, "Righteousness is not that you turn your faces to the east or the west, rather righteousness is (the characteristic of) the one who believes in Allah and The Last Day and The Angels and The Book and The Prophets..." (Surat Al-Baqarah, Ayah #177)
And (it is reported) in the Saheeh of Muslim from the long narration of 'Umar ibn Al-Khattaab in which Jibreel (peace be upon him) asked the Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) about Al-Imaan (i.e. Faith), thus (in response) the Prophet (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) said, "Al-Imaan (i.e. Faith) is that you believe in Allah and His Angels and His Books and His Messengers and the Last Day and Al-Qadar (i.e. the pre-decree), the good of it and the bad of it."
Description of The Angels
And Allah has described them in His Book by His statement, "To Him belongs whosoever is in the Heavens and on Earth. And those who are near Him (i.e. the Angels) are not too proud to worship Him, nor are they weary (of His worship). They (i.e. the Angels) glorify His Praises night and day, (and) they never slacken (to do so)." (Surat Al-Anbiyaa', Ayahs #19 and 20)
And He (high above is He) also said, "...Rather they are (but) honored slaves. They do not precede Him (i.e. Allah) in speech and they act (only) according to His command." (Surat Al-Anbiyaa', Ayahs #26 and 27)
And He (high above is He) said, "Indeed those who are with your Lord (i.e. the Angels) are not too proud to worship Him and they glorify Him and to Him they prostrate." (Surat Al-A'araaf, Ayah #206) *(13)
The Angels Are Slaves of Allah
Hence they are slaves of Allah and creatures from His tremendous creatures; they do not deserve anything of worship. He (high above is He) said, "And on the day when He will gather them all together (and) then He will say to the Angels, 'Was it you that these ones used to worship?' They will say, 'Glory be to You, You are our Walee (i.e. Lord) to the exclusion of them. Rather they used to worship the Jinn, most of them (i.e. these people) having believed them (i.e. the devils from the Jinn).'" (Surat Saba', Ayahs #40 and 41) *(14)
And He (high above is He) said, "Nor is it for him to order you to take the Angels or the Prophets as lords. Would he order you with disbelief after you were Muslims?" (Surat Aal-'Imraan, Ayah #80)
And in the Saheeh of Muslim (it is narrated) on the authority of 'Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who said, "The Messenger of Allah (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) said, 'The Angels were created from light and the Jinn were Created "min maarijin min naar" (i.e. from a flame of smokeless fire) *(15) and Adam was created from that which has been described to you.'"
And from the description of their physical appearance is that they have wings, so from them are those who have two wings by two wings (i.e. two wings on each side), and three wings by three wings (i.e. three wings on each side), and four wings by four wings (i.e. four wings on each side) and like this, Allah (high above is He) said, "All Praise is for Allah, the Originator of the Heavens and the Earth, Who made the Angels messengers with wings, two or three or four. He increases in creation what He wills. Indeed Allah Allah is able to do all things." (Surat Faatir, Ayah #1)
And (it is narrated) in the Saheeh of Al-Bukhari on the authority of Ibn Mas'ood (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) saw Gabriel (peace be upon him) and he had six hundred wings.
Their Ability to Change States
And Allah has made them able to change into beautiful forms, just as Gabriel (peace be upon him) appeared to Maryam (i.e. Mary) in the form of a complete and handsome man, and like they appeared to Abraham (may peace and commendations be upon him) when they stopped over by him as honored guests, and like when they came to Lot (peace be upon) in order to bring down the punishment upon his people, and (in occurrences) similar to these.
The Refutation of the Statement of the Mushrikoon: "The Angels are the Daughters of Allah"
And Allah has refuted the statement of the mushrikoon (i.e. the polytheisits, Arab pagans) that the Angels are the daughters of Allah (high above is He). He is extremely far above all that the wrongdoers say about Him. Thus He, high above and holy is He, said (in response to this claim), "And they say, 'The Most Merciful (Allah) has begotten a son (or children).' Glory to Him! Rather they are (but) honored slaves. They do not precede Him in speech, and they act on His Command. He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede except for him with whom He (i.e. Allah) is pleased. And they stand in awe for fear of Him." (Surat Al-Anbiyaa', Ayah #26-28)
"Now ask them (Oh Muhammad), 'Are there (only) daughters for your Lord and sons for them?' Or did We create the Angels females while they were witnesses? Truly, it is of their falsehood that they (i.e. the Quraish pagans) say, 'Allah has begotten (i.e. begotten children - their statement that the Angels are the daughters of Allah).' And, indeed, they are liars! Has He (then) chosen daughters rather than sons? What is the matter with you? How do you decide? Will you not then remember? Or is there for you a plain authority (i.e. a clear proof)? Then bring your Book if you are truthful!" (Surat As-Saaffaat, Ayahs #149-157)
Then He (High Above is He) Also Said About The Angels...
"There is not one of us (angels) but has his known place (or position); and verily we (i.e. the Angels), we stand in rows (for the prayers), and verily we (i.e. the Angels), we are they who glorify (Allah's Praises)." (Surat As-Saaffaat, Ayahs #164-166)
Jibreel (Peace be Upon Him)
From them (i.e. the Angels) is Jibreel (Gabriel), peace be upon him, who is entrusted with (bringing down) the revelation. He (high above is He) said: "Say (oh Muhammad) whosoever is an enemy to Jibreel (Gabriel) then verily he is the one that brought it (i.e. the Qur'aan) down upon your heart by the permission of your Lord..." (Surat Al-Baqarah, Ayah #97)
And The Prophet (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) saw him in Al-Ubtuh and he had 600 wings, the vastness of his physique having covered the horizon. Then also he saw him the Night of Ascension, in Heaven. Just as He (high above is He) said, "And indeed he (Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) saw him (Gabriel) at a second descent (i.e. another time). Near Sidratul-Muntahaa [the lote-tree of the utmost boundary (beyond which none can pass)], Near it is the Paradise of Abode." (Surat An-Najm, Ayahs #13-15)
And he did not see him in his (true) form except on these two occasions. As for all the other times (that he saw Gabriel), then (Gabriel came) in the form of a man, and mostly in the form (of a man named) Dahya Al-Kalbee.
Allah (high above is He) said concerning Gabriel (peace be upon him), "Verily, this is the Word (this Qur'aan brought by) a most honorable messenger [Jibreel (Gabriel), from Allah to the Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him)], (he is a) possessor of strength (and a possessor of) high rank with the Lord of the Throne. (He is) obeyed (by the angels), trustworthy there (in the heavens). And (Oh people) your companion (Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) is not a madman. And indeed he saw him (i.e. Gabriel) in the clear horizon (towards the east)." (Surat At-Takweer, Ayahs #19-23)
Mikaa'il (Peace be Upon Him)
And from them (i.e. the Angels) is Mikaa'il (i.e. Michael) who is entrusted with the raindrops and directing them to wherever Allah (mighty and majestic is He) orders him to. Imam Ahmed cited (a narration) on the authority of Anas (who mentioned) that the Prophet (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) said to Jibreel (Gabriel), "Why do I not see Mikaa'il (Michael) laughing (smiling) ever?" So he said, "Mikaa'il (i.e. Michael) has not laughed (smiled) *(16) since the Fire was created."
Allah (high above is He) said, "Whoever is an enemy of Allah and His Angels and Messengers and Jibreel (Gabriel) and Mikaal (i.e. Michael) then indeed Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers." (Surat Al-Baqarah, Ayah #98)
Israafeel (Peace be Upon Him)
(And from the Angels is) Israafeel, and he is the one who is entrusted with the soor (i.e. the horn). He will blow into it three times by the command of His Lord, mighty and majestic is He. (These three instances are), the blow that will strike terror into the hearts of the creatures *17, the blow that will cause all the creatures to pass away except for whomsoever Allah wills to exempt *18, and the blow that will cause the creatures to arise in order to stand before the Lord of the 'Aalameen (i.e. mankind, jinn, and all that exists). *19 And these three angels are those who The Messenger of Allah (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) mentioned in his du'aa (i.e. invocation) in the night prayer, "Oh Allah, Lord of Jibreel (Gabriel) and Mikaa'il (Michael) and Israafeel, Originator of The Heavens and The Earth, Knower of the unseen and the visible; You judge between Your slaves concerning that which they used to dispute about. Guide me, by your permission, to that which is correct concerning that which was differed about of the truth. Indeed, You guide whomsoever You will to a straight path." (Narrated by Muslim)
And (it is narrated) in the Sunan of An-Nasaa'i on the authority of A'aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said, "The Messenger of Allah (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) said, 'Oh Allah, Lord of Jibraa'il (Gabriel) and Mikaa'il (Michael) and Lord of Israafeel, I seek refuge in You from the heat of the Fire and from the punishment of the grave.'"
The Angel of Death
And from them is Malakul Mawt (i.e. the Angel of Death). And He is the one who is entrusted with taking the souls (at the point of death). He (high above is He) said, "Say, 'Malakul Mawt (i.e. the Angel of Death), who is set over you, will take your souls, then you shall be brought back to your Lord.'" (Surat As-Sajdah, Ayah #11)
The Guardian Angels (Peace be Upon Them)
And from them (i.e. the Angels) are the Angels that are entrusted with guarding the children of Adam in all of their circumstances whether they are at their places of residence or traveling or sleeping or awake. He (high above is He) said, "It is the same (to Him) whether any of you conceal his speech or declare it openly, whether he be hid by night or go forth freely by day. For him (i.e. for each person), there are Mu'aqqibaat (i.e. angels in succession), before and behind him. They guard him by the Command of Allah. Indeed Allah will not change the condition of a people as long as they do not change what is within their selves. But when Allah wills a people's punishment, there can be no turning back of it, and they will find besides Him no protector." (Surat Ar-Ra'd, Ayahs #10-11)
Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said with regards to His (high above is He) statement "For him, there are Mu'aqqibaat": "(They are) angels that guard him (i.e. a person) from in front of him and behind him, then if his qadar (i.e. whatever is pre-ordained for the person) comes they depart from him."
The Noble Scribes (Peace be Upon Them)
And from them are the Noble Scribes. And they are those who write down the deeds of the slaves whether good or bad. He (high above is He) said, "And indeed there are watchers over you. (They are) kiraaman kaatibeen (i.e. noble ones who are writing). They know (all) that you do." (Surat Al-Infitaar, Ayahs #10-12.)
The Great Number of Angels (Peace be Upon Them)
And he (the Prophet Muhammad), may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him, informed, "Verily Al-Bayt Al-Ma'moor (i.e. name of a place of worship) in Heaven; 70,000 angels enter it..." And (it is reported) in another narration "(70,000 angels) pray in it each day, then they do not return to it; that is the last (time) for them (i.e. that is the last time they enter it)."
Whosoever Rejects the Existence of Angels Has Disbelieved
And whosoever rejects the existence of the Angels then he has disbelieved according to the consensus of the Muslims. He (high above is He) said, "Oh you who believe! Believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book (i.e. the Qur'aan) which He has sent down to His Messenger, and the Scripture which He sent down to those before (him), and whosoever disbelieves in Allah and His Angels and His Books and His Messengers and the Last Day, then indeed he has strayed far away." (Surat An-Nisaa', Ayah #136)
Translator's Footnotes
*(13) This particular Ayah (i.e. verse) is an ayah (i.e. verse) of prostration, which means it is legislated for the person reciting it to prostrate after finishing it. And from what it is legislated to say whilst in this prostration is (what means in English), "My face is prostrated to the one Who created it and made its hearing and sight by His Ability and Strength, therefore blessed is Allah the best of creators." [Translator]
*(14) The Angels will disavow themselves before Allah from those who used to worship them and they will say that it was the Jinn, meaning the devils from the Jinn, that these people truly used to worship. This is because when they claimed to worship the Angels they were actually worshipping the devils from The Jinn who used to whisper to them to worship other than Allah and they believed what these devils were telling them and complied with and obeyed these devils. See the explanation of Ibn Katheer and As-Sa'dee and Al-Jalaalayn to gain this understanding of the Ayah. [Translator]
*(15) I translated this phrase in the hadeeth "من مارج من نار min maarijin min naar" as "a flame of smokeless fire" due to the fact that this translation is in The Noble Qur'aan translation by Al-Hilali and Khan and also Tafseerul-Jalaalayn for the verse in The Qur'aan that has this phrase. There are other close explanations for what it means though. [Translator]
*(16) From what I understand, the word used in Arabic in the hadeeth ضَحِك "dahika" could possibly linguistically refer to either laughing or smiling, which is why I put both meanings in the translation, as I'm not sure which one its referring to here. Allah is more knowledgeable. [Translator]
*(17) نفخة الفزع Nafkhatul Faza' [Translator]
*(18) نفخة الصْعق Nafkhatus-Sa'q [Translator]
*(19) نفخة القيام لرب العالمين Nafkhatul Qiyaam li Rabbil-A'alameen [Translator]
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