Belief in the Angels of Allah

An Islamic Blog for Seekers of God & New Muslim Converts

The second article of faith to embrace is the belief in the Angels. The Angels are part of the unseen world; we cannot comprehend and prove it scientifically. You cannot see the Angels unless God allows you to and enables your vision. Muslims believe in Angels because they are mentioned numerous times throughout the Holy Quran and in the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, a body of work that Muslims call Hadith.

"The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His Angels and His Books and His Messengers…" (Quran 2:285)

God describes Angels' appearance, attributes, characteristics, and responsibilities in His Holy Book. We do not know precisely when the Angels were created, but they predate the creation of human beings. The Angels were created from pure shining light (Noor in Arabic). They are light-giving entities. Angels are generally more powerful than humans and travel at the speed of light. The Angels have certain specialties and capacities that humans do not possess. God refers to the Angels as honored servants.

"...Rather, they are but honored servants." (Quran 21:26)

In Arabic, Angels are called 'Mala'ika,' which means "to assist and help." Angels are Holy and exist in a constant state of worship and praise to God all day and all night; they do not disobey Him. They worship Allah constantly without growing bored or tired.

"They exalt Him night and day and do not slacken." (Quran 21:20)

The sole purpose of the Angels is to execute the commandments of Allah. An Angel has no needs or desires for material goods. Angels do not eat, drink, sleep, marry, or procreate. The Angels do not die. The same Angels that existed when Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, was created still exist today and will continue to live until the trumpet is blown for the Day of Judgment.

"…And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him…" (Quran 74:31)

The Angels have no gender; they are not female nor male. Angels are physically very beautiful, except the Angel guardian of the hellfire, who wears a stern expression and never laughs. The Greatest of these Angels are magnificent in size, far beyond our imagination. The largest and most significant is the Angel Gabriel (Jibril in Arabic), the Angel descended from Heavens to instruct the Prophets on how to teach and preach the religion. All Angels have wings; some possess two, three, or four pairs - or more. Angel Gabriel has 600 wings and is of a size so great that it fills the space between Heaven and Earth, blocking the entire horizon.

You learn about the Angels to ponder, reflect, and reaffirm the Greatness of your Creator. The experience of having knowledge and belief in the Angels adds to the awe you feel toward God, in that He can create this great being and, indeed, can create whatever He Pleases and Wills. The awe and magnificence of the Almighty's creation reveal and indicate the Magnificence, Glory, and Majesty of the Almighty Himself. This should humble you and increase your God-consciousness, love, and fear of the Almighty. Knowing of the Angels also reminds you that your actions are continuously recorded by the Angels, hopefully decreasing your sins and increasing your good deeds.

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