Angels and Jinnat in Islam Dr Bilal Philips

7/29/2019 Angels and Jinnat in Islam Dr Bilal Philips

1/12

JINNS AND ANGEL IN THE LIGHT OF ISLAM

The world of the Jinn.

Praise be to Allaah.

The Quraan and Sunnah indicate that the jinn exist, and that there is a purpose for theirexistence in this life, which is to worship Allaah Alone, with no partner or associate. Allaah says

(interpretation of the meanings):

And I (Allaah) created not the jinns and humans, except they should worship Me (Alone). [al-Dhaariyaat 51:56].

O assembly of jinns and mankind! Did there not come to you Messengers from amongst you,

reciting unto you My Verses? [al-Anaam 6:130]

The world of the jinn is an independent and separate world, with its own distinct nature and

features that are hidden from the world of humans. Jinns and humans have some things in

common, such as the possession of understanding and the choice between the way of good andthe way of evil. The word jinn comes from an Arabic root meaning hidden from sight. Allaah

says (interpretation of the meaning):

Verily he [Shaytaan] and his qabeeluhu [his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe] see you from

where you cannot see them [al-Araaf 7:27]Allaah has told us in His Book the essence from which the jinn were created. He says

(interpretation of the meaning):

And the jinn, We created aforetime from the smokeless flame o fire. [al-Hijr 15:27]And the jinns did He create from a smokeless flame of fire. [al-Rahmaan 55:15].

According to a hadeeth narrated by Aaishah, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be

upon him) said: The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from fire, and Aadam

was created from that which has been described to you. (Reported by Muslim, 5314).

Types of jinn

Allaah has created different types of jinn. Among them are some who can take on different

forms, such as dogs and snakes; some who are like flying winds with wings; and some who can

travel and rest. Abu Thalabah al-Khushani said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessingsof Allaah be upon him) said: The jinn are of three types: a types that has wings, and they fly

through the air; a type that looks like snakes and dogs; and a type that stops for a rest then

resumes its journey. (Reported by al-Tahhaawi in Mushkil al-Athaar, 4/95, and by al-Tabaraani

in al-Kabeer, 22/214. Shaykh al-Albaani said in al-Mishkaat (2/1206, no. 4148): al-Tahhaawiand Abul-Shaykh reported it with a saheeh isnaad).

The jinn and the sons of Aadam

Every individual among the sons of Aadam has a jinn who has been appointed to be his constant

companion (qareen). Ibn Masood said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of

Allaah be upon him) said, There is not one of you who does not have a jinn appointed to be hisconstant companion. They said, And you too, O Messenger of Allaah? He said, Me too, but


2/12

Allaah has helped me and he has submitted, so that he only helps me to do good. (Reported by

Muslim, 2814). Al-Nawawi said in his commentary on Muslim (17/175): He has submitted

he became a believing Muslim. This is the apparent meaning. Al-Qaadi said: Know that theummah is agreed upon the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was

protected from Shaytaan, physically and mentally, and with regard to his speech. This hadeeth

contains a reference to the warning against the fitnah (temptation, trial) and whispers of theqareen (constant companion from among the jinn). We know that he is with us so we shouldbeware of him as much as possible.

Their powers

Allaah has given the jinn powers that he has not given to humans. Allaah has told us about some

of their powers, such as the ability to move and travel quickly. An ifreet from among the jinn

guaranteed to the Prophet Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) that he would bring the throne of theQueen of Yemen to Jerusalem in a moment faster than that needed for a man to get up from

where he was sitting. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

An ifreet (strong one) from the jinns said: I will bring it [her throne] to you before you risefrom your place (council). And verily, I am indeed strong, and trustworthy for such work. One

with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an

eye! then when Sulaymaan saw it placed before him, he said, This is by the Grace of my

Lord [al-Naml 27:39-40].

The food and drink of the jinn

The jinn eat and drink. Ibn Masood said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of

Allaah be upon him) said: Someone from among the jinn called me, and I went with him and

recited Quraan for them. He took us and showed us the traces of where they had been and the

traces of their fires. They asked him for food and he said, You can have every bone on whichthe name of Allaah has been mentioned that comes into your possession, as meat, and all the

droppings as food for your animals. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)

said, So do not use [these things] for cleaning yourselves [after relieving oneself], for they arethe food and provision of your brothers. (Reported by Muslim, 450). According to another

report: A delegation of jinn from Naseebeen came to me, and what good jinn they are! They

asked me for food and I prayed to Allaah for them, so that they would not pass by bones ordroppings, but they would find food on them. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 3571). The believing

jinn may eat any bone on which the name of Allaah has been mentioned, because the Messenger

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not permit them to have anything on which

Allaahs name has not been mentionedthose are for the kuffaar among the jinn.

The beasts of the jinn

According to the hadeeth narrated by Ibn Masood, that we have quoted above, the jinn asked theMessenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for provision, and he said to them:

and [you can have] all the droppings as food for your animals.

The dwelling-places of the jinn


3/12

The jinn live on this earth where we do. They are mostly to be found in ruins and unclean places

like bathrooms, dunghills, garbage dumps and graveyards. Hence the Prophet (peace andblessings of Allaah be upon him) taught us to take precautions when entering such places, by

reciting the adhkaar (prayers) prescribed by Islam. One of these was reported by Anas ibn

Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: When the Messenger of Allaah (peace andblessings of Allaah be upon him) entered the toilet, he would say, Allaahumma innee aoodhubika min al-khubuthi wal-khabaaith (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from the evil ones, male

and female). (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 142; and Muslim, 375). Al-Khattaabi explained that

khubuth is the plural of khabeeth (evil or dirtymasculine form), and khabaaith is the plural ofkhabeethah (evil or dirtyfeminine form), and that what is meant is male and female

shayaateen.

Some jinns are Muslims and some are kaafirs

Allaah tells us that some of the jinn said (interpretation of the meaning): And some of us are Muslims, and of us some are al-qaasitoon (disbelieversthose who have

deviated from the Right Path). And whosoever has embraced Islam, then such have sought the

Right Path. And as for the qaasitoon, they shall be firewood for Hell. [al-Jinn 72:14-15]The Muslims among the jinn are of different levels as regards righteousness and taqwa. Allaah

says (interpretation of the meaning):

[Some jinn said:] There are among us some that are righteous, and some the contrary; we are

groups, each having a different way (religious sects, etc.) [al-Jinn 72:11]The story of how the first jinn of this ummah became Muslim was narrated by Abd-Allaah ibn

Abbaas, who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went out with a

group of his Companions heading for the marketplace of Ukaaz. This was when the shayaateenwere prevented from getting any news from heaven, and shooting stars had been sent against

them. The shayaateen went back to their people, who said, What is the matter with you? They

said, We cannot get news from heaven, and shooting stars were sent against us. Their people

said, Nothing is stopping you from hearing news from heaven except some new event that musthave happened. Go and look in the east and the west of the earth, and see if you can find out

what it is that is stopping you from hearing news from heaven. Those who went out in the

direction of Tihaamah came upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) inNakhlah, when he was on his way to Ukaaz, and found him leading his Companions in Fajr

prayer. When they heard the Quraan, they listened to it and said, By Allaah, this is what is

stopping us from hearing news from heaven. When they went back to their people, they said, Oour people, we have heard a wonderful Recital (the Quraan). It guides to the Right Path, and we

have believed therein, and we shall never join (in worship) anything with our Lord (Allaah). [al-

Jinn 72:2interpretation of the meaning]. Then Allaah revealed to His Prophet peace and

blessings of Allaah be upon him) the words (interpretation of the meaning): Say (OMuhammad): It has been revealed to me that a group of jinns listened (to this Quraan) [al-

Jinn 72:1], and Allaah revealed to him what the jinn had said. (reported by al-Bukhaari, 731).

Their reckoning on the Day of Resurrection

The jinn will be called to account on the day of Resurrection. Mujaahid (may Allaah have mercyon him) said, concerning the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): but the jinns know well

that they have indeed to appear (before Him) (i.e., they will be brought to account) [al-Saffaat

37:158]: They will be brought to judgement. Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Baab Dhikr al-Jinn waThawaabihim wa Iqaabihim.


4/12

Protection from the harm of the jinn

Because the jinn can see us while we cannot see them, the Prophet (peace and blessings of

Allaah be upon him) taught us many ways to protect ourselves from their harm, such as seekingrefuge with Allaah from the accursed Shaytaan, reciting Soorat al-Falaq and Soorat al-Naas (the

last two Soorahs of the Quraan), and reciting the words taught by Allaah inthe Quraan

(interpretation of the meaning): Say: My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings(suggestions) of the shayaateen (devils). And I seek refuge with You, my Lord, lest they mayattend (or come near) me. [al-Muminoon 23:97-98]

Saying Bismillaah (in the Name of Allaah) before entering ones home, before eating or

drinking, and before having intercourse will also keep the Shaytaan from entering the house orpartaking with a person in his food, drink and sexual activity. Similarly, mentioning the name of

Allaah before entering the toilet or taking off ones clothes will prevent the jinn from seeing a

persons awrah or harming him, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)

said, To put a barrier that will prevent the jinn from seeing the awrah of the sons of Aadam, letany one of you say Bismillaah when entering the toilet. (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 551; Saheeh

al-Jaami, 3611).

Strength of faith and religion in general will also prevent the jinn from harming a person, somuch so that if they were to fight, the one who has faith would win. Abd-Allaah ibn Masood

(may Allaah be pleased with him) said: A man from among the Companions of Muhammad met

a man from among the jinn. They wrestled, and the human knocked down the jinn. The human

said to him, You look small and skinny to me, and your forearms look like the front paws of adog. Do all the jinn look like this, or only you? He said, No, by Allaah, among them I am

strong, but let us wrestle again, and if you defeat me I will teach you something that will do you

good. The human said, Fine. He said, Recite, Allaah! None has the right to be worshippedbut He, the Ever-living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists [Aayat al-Kursial-

Baqarah 2:255interpretation of the meaning]. The human said, Fine. He said, You will

never recite this in your house but the Shaytaan will come out of it like a donkey breaking wind,

and he will never come back in until the next morning. (Reported by al-Daarimi, 3247).This is a brief summary about the jinn, and their nature and characteristics. Allaah is the Best of

protectors and the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.

For more information see Aalam al-Jinn wal-Shayaateen by Umar Sulaymaan al-Ashqar.

Al-Malaaikah (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: Allaah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and that predestination,both good and bad, comes from Allaah.

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 Quraan and via His Prophet Muhammad (Peace & Blessingsof Allaah 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:


5/12

Of what are they created?

They are created from light, as Aaishah reported: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings

of Allaah be upon Him) said: The angels are created from light, just as the jinn are created fromsmokeless fire and mankind is created from what you have been told about." (Reported by

Muslim, no. 2996).

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 Quraan says (interpretation

of the meaning): "Behold, your Lord said to the angels: I will create a vicegerent on earth. . . ."[al-Baqarah 2:30] The fact that Allah told them of His intention to create man indicates that they

already existed.

Their great sizeAllaah 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) theCommands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely) what they are commanded." [al-Tahreem

66:6]

The greatest of all the angels is Jibreel (Gabriel), upon whom be peace, who was described in thefollowing report:

"From Abdullaah ibn Masood, who said: the Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah

be upon Him) saw Jibreel in his true form. He had six hundred wings, each of which covered thehorizon. 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-Bidaayah 1/47 that its isnaad is

jayyid.

The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said, describing Jibreel:

"I saw Jibreel descending from heaven, and his great size filled the space between heaven and

earth." (Reported by Muslim, no. 177).

Among the greatest angels are those who carry the Throne (of Allaah), who were described in

the following report:"From Jaabir ibn Abdullaah from the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him), who

said: I have been given permission to speak about one of the angels of Allaah who carry the

Throne. The distance between his ear-lobes and his shoulders is equivalent to a seven-hundred-

year journey." (Sunan Abee Daawood, Kitaab al-Sunnah, Baab fil-Jahamiyyah).

They have wings

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Praise be to Allaah, Who created (out of nothing) the heavens and the earth, Who made theangels messengers with wings - two, or three, or four (pairs) adds to Creation as He pleases: for

Allah has power over all things." [Faatir 35:1]

Their beauty


6/12

Allaah 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." [al-Najm 53:5-6]

Ibn Abbaas said: "Dhoo Mirrah means that he has a beautiful appearance." Qutaadah said: "He

is tall and beautiful."

The idea that angels are beautiful is firmly established in all peoples 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 theirhands: they said: Allah preserve us! no mortal is this! This is none other than a noble angel!"

[Yoosuf 12:31]

Their differences in size and statusThe 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 Muaadh ibn Rifaaah al-Zuraaqi from his father, who had beenone of the people present at Badr. He said: "Jibreel came to the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of

Allaah 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." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 3992).

They do not eat or drink

This is indicated by the conversation between Ibraaheem, the "friend" of Allaah and the angelswho visited him. Allaah 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."[al-Dhaariyaat 51:26-28]

Elsewhere, Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):"But when he [Ibraaheem] saw their hands went not towards the (meal), he felt some mistrust of

them, and conceived a fear of the. They said: Fear not: we have been sent against the people of

Lut." [Hud 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." [al-Anbiyaa 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)." [Fussilat 41:38]

Their number

The angels are many, and their number is known only to Allah. The Prophet (Peace & Blessings

of Allaah be upon Him) said, described the Much-Frequented House (al-Bayt al-Mamoor) in theseventh heaven:


7/12

"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." (Reported by al-

Bukhaari, Fath, no. 3207).

Abdullaah said: "The Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said:

Hell will be brought forth that day by means of seventy thousand ropes, each of which will bepulled by seventy thousand angels." (Reported by Muslim, no. 2842).

Their names

The angels have names, but we know only the names of a few of them. We have to believe in thenames reported in the Quraan and Sunnah texts, as a part of general belief in the angels. Among

the names of angels that are known to us are:

(1) Jibreel (Gabriel) and (2) Mikaaeel (Michael)

"Say: Whoever is an enemy to Jibreel - for he brings down the (revelation) to your heart by

Allahs will, a confirmation of what went before, and guidance and glad tidings to those whobelieve -

Whoever is an enemy to Allah, and His angels and prophets, to Jibreel and Mikaaeel - Lo! Allah

is an enemy to those who reject Faith." [al-Baqarah 2:97-98]

(3) Israafeel

From Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Awf, who said: "I asked Aaishah the Mother ofthe Believers about what the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) used to start

his prayer with when he got up to pray at night (qiyaam 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, Mikaaeel

and Israafeel, Creator of heaven and earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You are the Judgeof 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." (Reported by

Muslim, no. 270).

(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!. . ." [al-Zukhruf 43:77]

(5) Munkar and (6) Nakeer

From Abu Hurayrah, who said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah 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. Thenhis grave will be widened for him to a size of seventy cubits by seventy cubits and it will be


8/12

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 sayingsomething 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." (reported by al-Tirmidhi, no.1071. Abu Isa said: It is a ghareeb hasan hadeeth. It is judged hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami, no.724).

(7) Haaroot and (8) Maaroot

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

". . . and such things as came down at Babylon to the angels Haaroot and Maaroot . . ." [al-

Baqarah 2:102]". . . and none can know the forces of your Lord, except He. And this is no other than a warning

to mankind."

[al-Muddaththir 74:31]

Their powers

The angels have great powers given to them by Allaah, 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 (Mary) 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."[Maryam 19:17]

Angels also came to Ibraaheem 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 & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) in different

forms: sometimes he would appear in the form of Dihyah al-Kalbi, a Sahaabee who was very

handsome, and sometimes in the form of a Bedouin. The Sahaabah saw him in his human form,as is reported from Umar ibn al-Khattaab in the two Saheehs. (Umar) said:

"One day while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be

upon Him), there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and whosehair 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 & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him). Resting

his knees against his and placing his hands on his thighs, he said: O Muhammad, tell me about

Islam.. . ." (Saheeh Muslim, no..

Many other ahaadeeth refer to the angels taking human forms, such as the hadeeth about the one

who killed a hundred, in which it says ". . . there came to them an angel in human form . . ." andthe hadeeth about the blind man, the bald man and the leper.

Their speed


9/12

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 & Blessings of Allaah 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, Jibril, upon whom be peace. Allah says:

"Say: whoever is an enemy to Jibreel - for he brings down the (revelation) to your heart by Allahs will. . .

" [al-Baqarah 2:97]

"Which the trustworthy spirit has brought down,

Upon your heart, that you may be (one) of the warners."

[al-Shuaraa 26:193-194]

Another is responsible for rain, directing it wherever Allah wishes. This is Mikaaeel, upon whom be

peace. He has helpers, who do what he tells them, by the command of his Lord; they direct the winds

and clouds, as Allah wills.

Another is responsible for blowing the Trumpet, which will be blown by Israafeel at the onset of the

Hour (the Day of Judgement).

Others are responsible for taking peoples souls: these are the Angel of Death and his helpers. Allaah

says (interpretation of the meaning): "Say: the Angel of Death, put in charge of you, will (duly) take your

souls, then shall you be brought back to your Lord." *al-Sajdah 32:11] There is no proof in any saheeh

hadeeth that his name is Azraaeel.

Others are responsible for protecting the slave throughout his life, when he stays home and when he

travels, when he is asleep and when he is awake. These are the "angels in succession" concerning whom

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"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 each (person), there are angels in succession, before and behind him. They guard him by the

Command of Allaah. Verily! Allaah will not change the good condition of a people so long as they do not

change their state of goodness themselves (by committing sin and by being ungrateful and disobedient

to Allaah). But when Allaah wills a peoples punishment, there can be no turning back of it, and they will

find besides Him no protector."

[al-Rad 13:10-11]

Others are responsible for recording the deeds of man, good and bad. These are the "honourable

scribes" (kiraaman kaatibeen) and are referred to in the aayaat (interpretation of the meanings):

". . . and He sends guardians (angels guarding and writing all of ones good and bad deeds) over you . . ."


10/12

[al-Anaam 6:61+

"Or do they think that We hear not their secrets and their private counsel? (Yes We do) and Our

Messengers (appointed angels in charge of mankind) are by them, to record."

[al-Zukhruf 43:80]

"(Remember!) that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each human being after he or she has

attained the age of puberty), one sitting on the right and one on the left (to note his or her actions).

Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)."

[Qaaf 50:17-18]

"But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you,

Kiraaman (honourable) kaatibeen - writing down (your deeds)."

[al-Infitaar 82:10-11]

Others are responsible for testing people in the grave. These are Munkar and Nakeer. From Abu

Hurayrah who said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah 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

ofwhom is called Munkar and the other Nakeer. They ask him, What did you used to say about this

man? . . ." *The hadeeth is quoted in full above+

Some of them are the keepers of Paradise. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And those who kept their duty to their Lord will be led to Paradise in groups, till, when they reach it, its

gates will be opened and its keepers will say: Salaamun alaikum (peace be upon you!). You have done

well, so enter here, to abide therein."

[al-Zumar 39:73]

Some of them are the keepers of Hell, the "guards of Hell", whose number is nineteen and whose leader

is Malik, upon whom be peace. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups, till, when they reach it, the gates thereof

will be opened. And its keepers will say, Did not the Messengers come to you from yourselves,- reciting

to you the Verses of your Lord, and warning you of the Meeting of this Day of yours? They will say: Yes,

but the Word of torment has been justified against the disbelievers!" *al-Zumar 39:71]

"Then. let him call upon his council (of helpers),

We will call the guards of Hell (to deal with him)!" [al-Alaq 97:17-18]

"And what will make you know exactly what Hell-fire is?

It spares not (any sinner), nor does it leave (anything unburnt)!

Burning the skins!

Over it are nineteen (angels as guardians and keepers of Hell).


11/12

And We have set none but angels as guardians of the Fire, and We have fixed their number only as a trial

for the disbelievers - in order that the People of the Scripture may arrive at a certainty and the believers

may increase in Faith . . ." [al-Muddaththir 74:27-31]

"And they will cry: O Malik (Keeper of Hell)! Let your Lord make an end of us. He will say: Verily you

shall abide forever." *al-Zukhruf 43:77]

One of the angels is responsible for the sperm in the womb, as is mentioned in the hadeeth of Ibn

Masood (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of

Allaah be upon Him), whose truthfulness is confirmed, said: The way that each of you is created is that

he is gathered in his mothers womb for forty days as a sperm drop, and then for a similar length of time

as a blood-clot, and then for a similar length of time as a lump of flesh. Then an angel is sent and he

breathes the spirit into (the foetus), and is charged with four commands: to write down his provision, his

life-span, his actions, and whether he will be wretched or happy. By the One besides Whom there is no

other god, one of you may do the deeds of the people of Paradise until he is just a cubit away from

entering it, then his fate will overtake him and he will begin to do the deeds of the people of Hell, so he

will enter Hell; and one of you may do the deeds of the people of Hell until he is just a cubit away from

entering it, then his fate will overtake him and he will begin to do the deeds of the people of Paradise,

so he will enter Paradise." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 3208 and by Muslim, no. 2643).

Some angels carry the Throne of Allaah, as He describes in the Quraan (interpretation of the meaning):

"Those (angels) who bear the Throne (of Allaah) and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord, and

believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah) (saying): Our Lord!

You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who repent and follow Your way,

and save them from the torment of the blazing Fire!" *Ghaafir 40:7+

Some of the angels travel throughout the world, seeking out gatherings of dhikr (remembrance of

Allaah). Abu Hurayrah said: "The Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said:

Allah, be He be blessed and exalted, has angels who travel the highways seeking out the people of

dhikr. When they find people remembering Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, they call out to one another,

"Come to what you hunger for!" and they enfold them with their wings, stretching up to the lowest

heaven. Their Lord asked then, and He knows better than them, "What are My slaves saying?" They say:

"They are glorifying, magnifying, praising and extolling You." He asks, "Have they seen Me?" They say,

"No, by Allaah, they have not seen You." He asks, "And how would it be if they saw Me?" They say,

"They would be even more fervent and devoted in their praise and worship." He asks, "What are they

asking me for?" They say, "They ask You for Paradise." He asks, "And have they seen it?" They say, "No,

by Allaah, O Lord, they have not seen it." He asks, "And how would it be if they saw it?" They say: "They

would be even more eager for it and they would beseech You even more earnestly." He asks, "And what

do they seek My protection from?" They say, "From the Fire of Hell." He asks, "Have they seen it?" They

say, "No, by Allaah, they have not seen it." He asks, "And how would it be if they saw it?" They say:

"They would be even more afraid and anxious to escape it." Allah says: "You are My witnesses that I

have forgiven them." One of the angels says: "So-and-so is not really one of them; he came (to the

gathering) for some other reason." Allah says, "They were all in the gathering, and one of them will not


12/12

be excluded (from forgiveness)."" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 6408).

Some of them are responsible for the mountains. Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) asked the

Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him): "Have you ever faced any day more difficult than the

day of Uhud?" He said: "I suffered at the hands of your people and the worst that I suffered was what I

suffered at their hands on the day of Aqabah. That was when I went to call Ibn Abd Yaalayl ibn Abd al-

Kalaal to Islam, and he did not respond. I left, feeling depressed and hardly knowing where I was going. I

did not recover until I found myself in Qarn al-Thaaalib. I raised my head and saw that I was being

shaded by a cloud. I looked, and saw Jibreel in the cloud. He called me and said: Allah has heard what

your people said and how they responded to you. He has sent the Angel of the Mountains so that you

can tell him to do to them whatever you want. The Angel of the Mountains called me and greeted me,

then said: O Muhammad, tell me what you want me to do. If you want, I can crush them between two

mountains." The Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: "All I hope for is that Allah will

bring forth from their loins people who will worship Allah alone and not associate any partner with

Him." (Reported by al-Buhaari, Fath, no. 3231).

Some of them visit the Much Frequented House (al-bayt al-mamoor). In the lengthy hadeeth describing

the Israa and Miraaj (the Night Journey and the Ascent to Heaven), the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of

Allaah be upon Him) said:

"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."

There are also angels standing in rows, who never get tired or sit down, and others who bow or

prostrate, and never raise their heads, as was reported by Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him,

who said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: I see what you do

not see and hear what you do not hear. The heaven makes a noise like groaning, and it has the right to

(or it is no surprise), for there is no space in it the width of four fingers, but there is an angel there,

placing his forehead in sujood (prostration) to Allaah. By Allaah, if you knew what I know, you would

laugh little and weep much, you would not enjoy your relationships with women and you would go out

in the street praying to Allaah." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 2312)

This is a summary of Islamic teachings concerning the noble angels of Allaah. We ask Allaah to make us

believe in them and love them. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Detailed Books in English

Documents

Angels and Jinnat in Islam Dr Bilal Philips