Angels
are unseen creatures of light created by Allah to act as intermediaries between Him and the visible
world. The Islamic concepts of creation, revelation, prophecy, events that occur in the world,
worship, the spiritual life, death, resurrection, and the central position of man in the cosmos
cannot be understood without reference to the angels.
Belief
in angels is one of the six pillars of belief or faith without which there is no faith. 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 Qur’an and via His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
Although
we cannot see angels, Allah may show them to some humans. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings
be upon him) saw Jibreel (Gabriel) in his real shape with six hundred wings that covered the
horizons. As angels can also change shape and appear in any form, Jibreel (peace be upon him) came
to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was among his Companions in the
appearance of an unknown man with very white clothes and very black hair.
Angels
are assigned certain functions. These functions include delivering the revelation from Allah to
whomever He wishes among His prophets. The Angel Jibreel is the angel in charge of this. The Angel
Mika’eel (Michael) is in charge of rain and the growth of plants. Israfeel is in charge of blowing
the horn to announce the day of resurrection. The Angel of Death takes away people’s souls at the
time of death, while Malik is the keeper of Hell.
Other
angels are in charge of embryos in wombs, or responsible for protecting human beings. The
recording angels are busy recording people's deeds. Two angels are in charge of questioning the dead after they
are placed in their graves. Some angels are in charge of Paradise
while others are in charge of Hell.
The
angels are not all of one size or status. The biggest and most important of the angels is Jibreel
(peace be upon him). The number of angels is known only to Allah.
Angels
are different from human beings in that they do not have a will of their own. They were created for
the specific purpose of serving Allah and carrying out his commands. Some angels are in a state of
constant worship to Allah, prostrating to Him and never raising their heads.
