IIPH (International Islamic Publishing House)

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ISLAMIC CREED SERIES • 2
THE WORLD OF
THE NOBLE ANGELS
In the Light of the Qur'an and Sunnah
jlj.Ål
'Umar S. al-Ashqar
INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC PUBLISHING HOUSE
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PUBLISHER'S NOTE
TRANSLATOR'S FOREWORD
AUTHOR'S FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
DEFINITION OF THE ANGELS AND BELIEF IN THEM
CHAPTER ONE
THEIR PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, ATTRIBUTES
AND ABILITIES
1 - PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
(l) What they were created from and when
Seeing the angels
(2) Their great physical size
The great size Of Jibreel
The great size Of the bearers Of the Throne
(3) Their most important physicål characteristics
2 - ATTRIBUTES
The angels are honourable and obedient
The modesty of the angels
3 - ABILITIES
(1) Their ability to take on different forms
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The orthe Noble Angels
(5) Recording the good and bad deeds of the
sons of Adam
(6) Testing the sons of Adam
(7) The angels take the soul from the body when the
appointed time of death comes
(8) The relationship Of the angels with man in the gravey
on the Day of Resurrection and in the Hereafter
3 - THE ANGELS AND THE BELIEVERS
(I) The role of the angels with the believers
(2) The obligations of the believers towards the angels
4 - THE ANGELS AND THE KUFFAÄR
AND EVILDOERS
(l) Bringing the punishment down upon the kuffaar
(2) Their destruction of the people of the Prophet Loot
(3) Their cursing Of the kuffaar
(4) The demand of the kuffaar to see the angels
CHAPTER FOUR
THE ANGELS AND OTHER CREATED THINGS
1 - THE BEARERS OF THE THRONE
2 • THE ANGELS OF THE MOUNTAIN
3 - THE ANGELS WHO ARE APPOINTED
OVER RAIN, VEGETATION AND PROVISION
CHAPTER FIVE
WHO IS SUPERIOR — THE ANGELS OR THE SONS
OF ADAM?
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CHAPTER ONE
THEIR PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS,
ATTRIBUTES AND ABILITIES
In this chapter we look at what we have learned from the satee& texts
about the physical characteristics as well as the attributes Of the angels,
then we will discuss the abilities which Allah has granted to them.
1 - PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
(1) What they were created from and when
The substance from which Allah created them is light. lil Muslim
it is narrated from i Aaiishah (may Allah be pleased with her and her
father) that the Messenger Of Allah said: "The angels were created
from light; the jinn were created from smokeless fire, and Adam was
created from that which has been described to you." J
The Messenger (g) did not explain what light this is that they were
created from. Hence we cannot indulge in üying to say more about this
matter, because it is the matter ofthe unseen concerning which no further
clarification has been narrated, apart from this hadith.
It is narrated that 'Ikrimah 'VThe angels were created from the light
of glory and Iblees was created from the fire of glory." And it is narrated
that 'Abd-Allah ibn 'Amr *Rid, "Allah created the angels from the light
ofthe arms and chest," It is not pennissible to accept these views, even if
they are narrated through sound chains from these scholars, because they
are not infallible, and they may have taken these from the
Muslim; 4/2294, hadith no. 2996.
Some Of those who claim to be scholars reject this hadith and Others like it,
Claiming that it is a hadith and that a hadith aa&aad cannot be relied on
in matters of •ageedoh. I have criticized this view and explained its flawed nature
in e paper entitled
CHAPTER ONE
THEIR PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS,
ATTRIBUTES AND ABILITIES
In this chapter we look at what we have learned from the satee& texts
about the physical characteristics as well as the attributes Of the angels,
then we will discuss the abilities which Allah has granted to them.
1 - PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
(1) What they were created from and when
The substance from which Allah created them is light. lil Muslim
it is narrated from i Aaiishah (may Allah be pleased with her and her
father) that the Messenger Of Allah said: "The angels were created
from light; the jinn were created from smokeless fire, and Adam was
created from that which has been described to you." J
The Messenger (g) did not explain what light this is that they were
created from. Hence we cannot indulge in üying to say more about this
matter, because it is the matter ofthe unseen concerning which no further
clarification has been narrated, apart from this hadith.
It is narrated that 'Ikrimah 'VThe angels were created from the light
of glory and Iblees was created from the fire of glory." And it is narrated
that 'Abd-Allah ibn 'Amr *Rid, "Allah created the angels from the light
ofthe arms and chest," It is not pennissible to accept these views, even if
they are narrated through sound chains from these scholars, because they
are not infallible, and they may have taken these from the
Muslim; 4/2294, hadith no. 2996.
Some Of those who claim to be scholars reject this hadith and Others like it,
Claiming that it is a hadith and that a hadith aa&aad cannot be relied on
in matters of •ageedoh. I have criticized this view and explained its flawed nature
in e paper entitled
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From the moment on individual is conceived in his
mother's womb. until his death and beyond, angels
play a part in human life, Aguwls bring forth the
-soul Of the Gying and they bring comfort or inilia
torment in the grave, An angel will sound thc
Tiumpct on the Last Day, tod angels will be present
on the Oay Of Judgement unti] they accompany
people to their ultimate desqirnti011 in Paradise or
Almost all human cultures, ancient and modern,
have some kind or belief about angels;
pre•lslamic Arabs believed them to be daughters Of
the Almighty. Some philosophess thought that
angels were the stars in the sky. In modern times, there has beena Of
interest: in angels, and they feature prominently in movies and Other forms Of
popular western culture.
But these myths have no role to play in the belief of lhe Muslim.
Our beliefs arc based on the teachings of the Qur•an and Sunnåh„ which tell us
all we need to know about the reality Of the unseen, including the world of the
am;els. In this book. Dr. Umar S, al-Ashqar draws on thesources Of Islam to give
us a comprehensive picture of who thc angelsare, their role in thc universe and
ihcir interaction with mankind in this world and the nextu
ISLAMIC CREED SERIES
I • Belief in Allah
2 • The World of the Noble Angels
3 • The World of thc Jinn and Devils
4 • The Messengers and the Messages
5 • The Minor Resurrection (What happens after death}
6 • The Day of Resurrection
7 • Paradise and Hell
8 • Divine Will and Predestinaåon