....Allah Almighty has put order into the material world. The creatures in this world have been created from certain elements, according to certain principles and time frames. Yet, every being beyond the material world (i.e. things in `Alam al 'Amr [the Worldof Command]), assumes existence spontaneously on the exercise of Divine will or command. The angels are non material and created from noor (light), without any intervention of materiality, they are free from matter, movement, change, alteration, and keep the same state throughout their lives.
....Angels are non-material beings and dependent directly on the name of Al-Hayy (The Ever-Living) of Allah Almighty; they do not eat, drink or breathe, nor do they have sexes nor the need to reproduce. They do not have a nervous system, a digestive system, a respiratory system, or genitals; nor do they feel wrath, lust, hatred, desire, greed, or egotism. They are neither male nor female. They are spiritual and non-material beings.
....Since ancient times, some people who have lost their way have imagined the angels as being beautiful girls with wings; this is often reflected through paintings.
....Regarding those, Allah Almighty says:
...."Those who believe not in the Hereafter name the
angels with female names. But they have no knowledge therein. They follow nothing but conjecture; and conjecture avails nothing against Truth." (Najm, 27-28)
....Allah Almighty calls those who perceive angels as beautiful girls, "Those who believe not in the Hereafter." That means that they are unbelievers, as believing in the Hereafter is one of the fundamentals of faith.
....Let us now turn to the wings of the angels.
....Allah Almighty says:
...."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." (Fatýr, 1)
....The word wings may remind us of the wings of birds, since we tend to compare things we do not see with things that we know well. Some angels have two pairs wings, while others have three or four. Allah Almighty gives even more to some. For example, Archangel Gabriel has six hundred wings. However, we cannot know for certain what the word wings actually means, or whether it is a metaphor or not. Instead of leaving it to our imagination, it is more appropriate to say that Allah knows best.
....We say that individuals who cause no harm to any being who are calm, harmonious, tolerant, and upright are "like angels." This is appropriate, because this is how angels are.
....Allah Almighty says:
...."Angels flinch not (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely) what they are commanded." (Tahrim, 6)
Allah has appointed some places to the angels; their nurishment is spiritual abundance, and their ultimate goal is to attain the consent of Allah.
....Once our beloved Prophet desired to meet with the angel called Gabriel more often, and so he asked him to come. Archangel Gabriel replied him: "We descend not but by command of thy Lord." (Maryam, 64)
....Only Allah Almighty knows the qualities, numbers, duties, and prayers of the angels. Let us summarize some of the angels that are named in the Qur'an.
....The Carriers of the Throne: These are the angels who carry the Divine Throne,
....The angels surrounding the Divine Throne on all sides, Mala-i A'la (High Council): The archangels in supreme and divine places.
....Gabriel -alaihissalam- :Gabriel, one of the most powerful, most illustrious, and sacred angels, who is in charge of delivering the Revelation to the prophets. Moreover, the duties of Gabriel include earthquakes, storms, floods, torrents, the destruction of some places, the eruption of volcanos, the events on stars, and the explosions on the Sun. These duties also include the destruction of people upon whom Allah's wrath is to be sent.
....Michael -alaihissalam- : Michael, one of the greatest and sacred angels, runs the rule of causality on the Earth and in the skies for the sustenance of creatures foreordained and inscribed on the Guarded Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz).
....The duties of Michael and the angels that help him include the condensation of water vapor within the clouds
and making the clouds move over the land to their predestined areas, and finally precipitation, that is, water descending from the clouds, either as rain, snow, or hail.
....Azrail -alaihissalam- (The Angel of Death): One of the most powerful, greatest, and grand angels is Azrail. He is entrusted with taking the souls of all creatures. Whatever the reason for death, either war, earthquake, flood, car accident, cancer, heart attack, stroke, or old age, Azrail takes the souls of everyone who has finished their lives, finished their sustenance, and completed their predestined breaths.
....Israfil -alaihissalam- : One of the greatest, strongest, and most sacred angels is Israfil. His duty is to blow the trumpet twice. He now stands at the base of the Throne and awaits the Divine Order. The first trumpet blast will cause an unimaginable crash of the Earth and the skies, the death of every living creature in the Heavens and the Earth, and the destruction of all created things. This will occur on the day that is called Doomsday. The second trumpet blast will cause the same kind of effect and then a new order will be established which will make all the creatures gather together on the Day of Judgment.
....The Angels in the Heaven: Each of these is very beautiful and bright, and they are guarded by Ridwan.
....The Angels in Hell: Each of them is very strong, splendid, and ruthless; and they are guarded by Malik.
.... In the seven Heavens are angels who worship Allah Almighty, bowing and prostrating to Him.
....On the Earth are angels who have been assigned different duties. If we could clearly see the angels and speak to them, the notions of "test" and "faith in the unseen" would lose their meaning. The misguided belief of "I do not believe in what I cannot see" is null and void. The microbes in our hair, skin, fingernails, water, air, and food have been scientifically proven, yet we cannot see them.
....We breathe oxygen as ceaselessly as fish swim in the sea. Yet, we cannot perceive or see it, as it does not have color or taste. While we cannot see microorganisms and atoms in the material world with our sense of sight, the notion that "I do not believe in what I cannot see" is more than a misguided belief; it is denial that is actually obstinate disbelief.
....Fearing neither Hellfire, nor having hope of Paradise, the angels do not eat, drink, sleep, nor have desires or needs. Since they have been created from light (noor), Hellfire cannot burn them, nor can the blessings of Paradise satisfy them.
....The angels, whose only satisfaction is divine abundance and spiritual indulgence, promptly obey the commands of Allah Almighty, pray in an orderly manner and continuously recite the attributes of Allah just as we breathe air. |