The angels

To believe in the angels is one of the pillars of Eemaan, as indicated by the famous
hadeeth when Jibreel went to the Messenger of Allaah in the form of a man and
said: 'Tell me about Eemaan. He (saw) said: 'It is to believe in Allaah, his Angels, his
Books, his Messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in Divine Destiny, both the
good and the evil.' Jibreel then said: 'you have spoken the truth.'' (Muslim and
Imaam an-Nawawi's forty ahaadeeth, hadeeth #2)

From the moment an individual is conceived in his mother's womb, until his death
and beyond, the angels play a great and important role in our life. They send
blessings upon the believers, bring forth the soul of the dying person, question you
in your grave, inspire you to do good, protect your children from harm and also
curse you and punish you in your grave (if you were from among the sinners).

These angels are so honourable and obedient to their Lord, always making dhikr
and worshipping Allaah (swt) day and night. They are infallible whilst having free
will (they have the capability to disobey but never do so) and they were the ones
who bowed down to us when Allaah ordered them to do so, unlike the arrogant
kaafir Iblees.This article (inshaa-allaah) will examine their (the angels) relationship
with the sons of Aadam (as) in general, as well as their relationship between the
believers, the disbelievers and the environment

The Angels and Man

1. Their role in the creation of man

As mentioned above, the angels have a great role to play with the sons of Aadam
(as). They are present whenever a person is born in order to record its fate.

The proof for this can be found in the following hadeeth narrated by Ibn Mas'ood
that the Messenger (saw) said

'Each one of you comes together in the mother's womb for forty days, then
becomes an 'alaqah (clot) for a similar period of time. Then he becomes a mudghah
(lump of flesh) for a similar length of time. Then Allaah sends an angel to him who is
commanded with four things. It is said to him: 'write down his deeds, his provisions,
and whether he is doomed (destined for Hell) or blessed (destined for paradise).
Then the soul is breathed into him.'' (Muslim, book of Fate, chapter 1 hadeeth
#2643)

2. The angels guard the son of Aadam

Allaah (swt) says:

"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..." (EMQ ar-Ra'd, 13: 10-11)

Ibn 'Abbaas (ra) explained that the word mu'aqqibaat (angels in succession) refers
to the angels whom Allaah appoints to guard a person from before and from behind.
Then when the decree of Allaah comes, which Allaah wills should befall him, they
withdraw from him.

Mujaahid said: 'There is no person who does not have an angel appointed to protect
him when he is asleep and when he is awake, from the jinn, other men and savage
beasts. None of these come to him, but the angel tells it, 'keep away!' except for
that which Allaah has given permission to befall him.'

3. Recording the good and bad deeds of the sons of Aadam

The angels are appointed to record the deeds of the sons of Aadam, both good and
evil. Allaah (swt) says:

"But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch
you,Kiraaman (honourable) Kaatibeen writing down (your deeds)They know all that
you do." (EMQ al-Infitaar, 82: 10-12)

For every person Allaah has appointed two angels who are always present and who
never leave him and they record in detail all which he says and does. Allaah says:

"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)." (EMQ Qaaf, 50: 17-18)

The angels who are appointed to watch a person write down everything he or she
says, and they leave nothing out as Allaah says: 'not a word does he (or she) utter
but…' Each person will find that his book (of deeds) contains everything that he said
and did from the moment he reached the age of responsibility.

When the kuffaar see their book of deeds on the Day of Resurrection they will cry
out:

"And the Book (one's Record) will be placed (in the right hand for a believer, and in
the left hand for a disbeliever), and you will see the Mujrimoon (criminals,
polytheists, sinners, non-Muslims etc.), fearful of that which is (recorded) therein.
They will say: 'Woe to us! What sort of Book is this that leaves neither a small thing
nor a big thing, but has recorded it with numbers!' And they will find all that they
did placed before them, and your Lord treats no one with injustice." (EMQ al-Kahf,
18: 49)

Ibn Katheer also narrated concerning the aayah:

"Not a word does he utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)", that
Ibn 'Abbaas said: 'Everything that you say, good or bad is written down. Even when
a person says, 'I ate', 'I drank', 'I went', 'I saw'.'It is also reported that the Messenger
Muhammad (saw) said:

'The angel on the left holds up his pen (refrains from writing down) for six hours
after a Muslim commits a sin. If the person regrets it and asks Allaah for
forgiveness, he casts it aside (does not write it down), otherwise he writes it down
as one (sayyi-ah).' (Saheeh al-Jaami', 2/212)

4. Testing the sons of Aadam

Allaah (swt) may send some of his angels to try the sons of Aadam and put them to
the test. In Bukhaari and Muslim it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah that he heard the
Prophet (saw) say:

'There were three persons in Banee Israa-eel, one suffering from leprosy, the other
bald-headed and the third one blind. Allaah decided to test them. So he sent an
angel who came to one who was suffering from leprosy and said: Which thing do
you like most He said: Beautiful colour and fine skin and removal of that which
makes me detestable in the eye of people. He wiped him and his illness was no
more and he was conferred upon beautiful colour and beautiful skin. He (the angel)
again said: Which property do you like most He said: Camels, (or he said: Cow - the
narrator is, however, doubtful about it, but (out of the persons) suffering from
leprosy or baldness one of them definitely said: The camel, and the other one said:
Cow).

And he (one who demanded camel) was bestowed upon a she-camel, in an

advanced stage of pregnancy, and while giving he (the angel) said: May Allaah bless
it for you. Then the angel went to the bald-headed person and said: Which thing do
you like most He said: Beautiful hair and that (this baldness) may be removed from
me because of which people hate me He wiped his body and his illness was
removed and he was bestowed upon beautiful hair, and the angel said: Which
wealth do you like most He said: The cow. And he was given a pregnant cow and
while handing it over to him he (the angel) said: May Allaah bless you in this. Then
he went to the blind man and he said: Which thing do you like most He said: Allaah
should restore my eyesight so that I should be able to see people with the help of
that. He wiped his body and Allaah restored to him his eyesight, and he (the angel)
also said: Which wealth do you like most He said: The flock of sheep. And he was
given a pregnant sheep and that gave birth to young ones and it so happened that
one valley abounded in camels and the other one in cows and the third one in
sheep. He then came to one suffering from leprosy in his (old) form and shape and
he said: I am a poor person and my provision has run short in my journey and there
is none to take me to my destination except with the help of Allaah and your favour.
I beg of you in His name who gave you fine colour and fine skin, and the camel in
the shape of wealth (to confer upon me) a camel which should carry me in my
journey.

He said: I have many responsibilities to discharge. Thereupon he said: I perceive as

if I recognise you. Were you not suffering from leprosy whom people hated and you
were a destitute and Allaah conferred upon you (wealth) He said: I have inherited
this property from my forefathers. Thereupon he said: If you are a liar may Allaah
change you to that very position in which you had been. He then came to the one
who was bald-headed in his (old) form and said to him the same what he had said to
him (one suffering from leprosy) and he gave him the same reply as he had given
him and he said: If you 'are a liar, may Allaah turn you to your previous position in
which you had been. And then he came to the blind man in his (old) form and shape
and he said: I am a destitute person and a wayfarer. My provision have ran short
and today there is no way to reach the destination but with the help of Allaah and
then with your help and I beg of you in the (name) of One Who restored your
eyesight and gave you the flock of sheep to give me a sheep by which I should be
able to make my provisions for the journey. He said: I was blind and Allaah restored
to me my eyesight; you take whatever you like and leave whatever you like. By
Allaah! I shall not stand in your way today for what you take in the name of God.
Thereupon, he said: You keep with you what you have (in your possession). The fact
is that you three were put to test and Allaah is well pleased with you and He is
annoyed with your companions.' (Muslim, book 53 hadeeth #2964)

5. The angels take the soul from the body when the appointed time of death
comes

Allaah has appointed some of his angels to pull the soul out of the people's bodies
when their appointed time comes which has been decreed for them by Allaah.
Allaah (swt) says:

"Say: 'The angel of death, who is set over you, will take your souls, then you shall be
brought to your Lord.'" (EMQ as-Sajdah, 32: 11)

The angels take the souls of the kuffaar and sinners in a harsh and severe way, with
no mercy:

"And if you could see when the angels take away the souls of those who disbelieve
(at death), they smite their faces and their backs, (saying): 'Taste the punishment of
the blazing Fire.'" (EMQ al-Anfaal, 8: 50)But when the angels take the souls of the
believers, it is done with kindness and gentleness (note how the angels discriminate
by religion, but not by race or colour):

"Verily, those who say: 'Our Lord is Allaah (Alone)', and then they Istaqaamou (stand
firm), on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death) saying: 'Fear not,
nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been
promised!'" (EMQ Fussilat, 41: 30)
6. Their relationship with man in his grave, on the Day of Resurrection and in the
Hereafter

The angels also have a great relationship and roles with man in his grave and in the
Hereafter, but this can be studied be referring to the Descriptions of Hell and
Paradise.