Knowing The Angels by Muhammad Al Jibaly

Iman Made Easy -2
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Knowing the Angels
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«All praise is to Allah, Creator of
the heavens and Earth, the One
who made the angels messengers
with wings, two or three or four.
He increases in the creation as He
wills. Allah surely has power over
all things.» [ Fatir 35:1]
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IMAN MADE EASY - 2
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KNOWING THE
ANGELS 2° EDITION, REVISED
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9
MUHAMMAD MUSTAFA AL-JIBALY
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Sod cello tee
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AL-KITAAB & AS-SUNNAH PUBLISHING
Copyright © Al-Kitaab & as-Sunnah Publishing, 2014
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced in any language, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without
the express permission of the publisher.
Knowing the Angels

(Iman Made Easy - 2)
Second Edition, Revised
144 p, 22 x 14cm
ISBN 1-891229-83-4
Published by:
Al-Kitab & as-Sunnah Publishing
Telephone Numbers:
+1-817-719-2611 (USA)
+961-3-046338 (Lebanon)
+966-50-9600572 / 4-8466002 (Saudi Arabia)
Web: www.kspublications.com
Email: [email protected]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PRELUDE
Opening Sermon
Our Mission: Purification and Cultivation
1. Purification
a. Purifying Our Sources of Knowledge
b. Purifying Our Beliefs
c. Purifying Our Actions
2. Cultivation
a. Becoming True Followers of the Salaf XIV
b. Calling to the Pure Religion xv
c. Presenting the Islamic Solution
PREFACE
ImGn Made Easy XVII
A Word to Parents and Educators XVIII
The Goals of True Education xvill
Faults in Current Islamic Curricula xvi
Mending the Rift
This Book xix
Acknowledgment XX
1. THE SECOND PILLAR OF FAITH

The Six Pillars of Faith
Belief in the Angels
When Were the Angels Created?
Number of the Angels
Names of the Angels
Angels That We Know
Is Satan an Angel?
Carrying an Angel’s Name

Where Are the Angels?
Do the Angels Die?
Contents vi Knowing the Angels
Are the Angels Better than the Believers? 9

Questions and Exercises 12
2. QUALITIES OF THE ANGELS 15

The Angels Vary in Status 15
“Physical” Qualities of the Angels 16
They Were Created from Light 16
They Have Wings 17
They Are Powerful 18
They Are Large 19
They Are Beautiful 19
Their Color 20
They Do Not Become Hungry, Tired, or Bored 21
They Do Not Eat 21
They Travel Fast 22
They Take Differet Forms 23
They Do Not Have Gender 24
Some Animals Can See Them 24
Character of the Angels 25

They Are Noble and Good 25
They Know as Much as Allah Teaches Them 26
They Like to Listen to Qur'an 27
They Like To Listen To Thikr 29
They Are Shy 32
They Hate Bad Smells 33
They Dislike Dogs, Pictures, and Bells 33
3. WHAT THE ANGELS DO 39

How the Angels Behave with Allah 39
They Are Close to Allah 39
They Constantly Worship and Glorify Allah 39
They Pray in Straight Lines 40
They Make Sujdd to Allah 41
They Go for Hajj 41
They Fear Allah 42
They Obey Allah 43
They Love What Allah Loves and Hate What He Hates 43
They Only Descend with Allah’s Permission 45
Knowing the Angels vii Contents
The Angels with the People 45

They Bring Down Allah’s Messages 45
They Blow Life into People and Record Their Future 46
They Write What the People Do 46
The Angels with the Believers 49

They Make Due for the Believers 49
They Say Amin to the Believers’ Du‘a’ 54
They Intercede for the Believers 56
They Stay with the Believers 56
They Help and Protect the Believers 57
They Love and Help the Seekers of Knowledge 58
They Take Care of the Believers After Death 59
They Fight Alongside the Believers 60
They Remind the Believers of Doing Good 61
They Teach the Believers 62
They Speak upon the Tongues of the Believers 64
The Angels with the Prophets 64
They Say Salah upon the Prophet 65
They Deliver Salam to the Prophet 65
They Protected the Prophet from Harm 66
The Angelis with the Sinners and Disbelievers 68

They Curse the Disbelievers 68
They Punish the Disbelievers 68
They Stay Away from Sinners 69
Other Things the Angels Do 69

They Conduct All Affairs 69
They Protect the Sacred Places 70
4. ANGELS THAT WE KNOW 77

Jibril 77
Names of Jibril 77
The First Meeting with the Prophet 79
Companion During Isr@’ and Mi'raj 81
Teaching Qur'an to the Prophet 82
Teaching the Prophet and the Muslims 84
Supplicating for the Prophet 85
Saying Salam to the Prophet’s Wives 86
Contents viii the
Knowing Angels
Mika'Tl 86
Israfil and the Horn Blower 87
The Angel of Death and His Helpers 90
The Angel of Death 90
The Angel of Death with Misa 91
The Helpers of the Angel! of Death 93
The Angels of Mercy 96
The Angels of Punishment 97
Malik and the Guards of Hell 97

Munkar and Nakir 98
Harut and Marut 99
Conclusion 99
REFERENCES 105
APPENDIX: ARABIC TERMINOLOGY 107

Introduction 107
Translating and Referencing Qur'an and Hadith 107
Relevant Charts 107
Arabic Terms 107
Glossary of Common Terms 108

Arabic Weekdays 114
Islamic Hijri Months 114
Important Places 115
Transliteration 115
Veneration Symbols 117
Index of Arabic Terms 118
PRELUDE
Opening Sermon
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Al-hamdu lillah. Indeed, all praise is due to Allah. We

praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We seek
refuge with Allah from the evil within ourselves and
from our wrongdoings. He whom Allah guides, no one
can misguide; and he whom He misguides, no one can
guide.
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I bear witness that there is no (true) god except Allah—
alone without a partner, and I bear witness that
Muhammad (3%) is His ‘abd (servant) and messenger.
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«O you who believe, revere Allah the right

reverence, and do not die except as
Muslims.»!
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it its mate, and dispersed from both of them
many men and women. Revere Allah
1. Al Imran 3:102.
ix
Prelude x Knowing the Angels
through whom you demand things from one

another; and (cherish the ties of) the
wombs. Indeed, Allah is ever-Watchful over
you.»
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«O you who believe, revere Allah and say

fair words. He will then rectify your deeds
and forgive your sins. He who obeys Allah
and His Messenger has certainly achieved
a great victory.»2-3
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Indeed, the best speech is Allah’s (8) Book and the best
guidance is Muhammad’s (%) guidance. The worst
affairs (of religion) are those innovated (by people), for
every such innovation is an act of misguidance leading
to the Fire.*
Our Mission: Purification and Cultivation

Correct Islamic beliefs and actions must derive from
Allah’s Book and His Messenger’s (38) Sunnah, and
should be guided by the knowledge and understanding
An-Nis@ 4:1,
Al-Ahzab 33:70-71.
The above paragraphs constitute “Khutbat-ul-Hdjah (the Sermon of
Need)”. The Prophet (3%) often started his speeches with this, as was
recorded by Muslim (868), Abi Dawid, and others, from Ibn Mas‘td,
Ibn ‘Abbas, and other companions (4).
4. The Prophet (2) also said this paragraph when starting a speech, as
was recorded by Muslim (867), an-Nasa’l, and others, from Jabir Bin
“Abdillah tae)
Knowing the Angels xi Prelude
of the sahabah (4). This is the clear path of guidance

that Allah (4%) drew for people, leading to their
immediate and ultimate success and happiness.
Sadly, many Muslims have departed, to varying degrees,

from this magnificent path. Thus, any serious work for
reviving Islam among the Muslims must involve two
fundamental components:
1. Purification: the process of clearing this path from
obstacles and obscurities, and guiding people to it.
2. Cultivation: the steady and persistent process of
teaching people how to live upon this path and abide
by its dictates.
These two components were central to the
Prophet’s (#) mission, as Allah (8) indicates:
PES 23 ele poe SENT Calla B

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«It is He who has sent among the unlettered
SI
a Messenger from themselves: reciting to
them His dyat, purifying them, and teaching
them the Book and Wisdom—although they
previously were in clear deviation.»!
From this, we realize the urgency of providing the
English-speaking public with writings that refine the
understanding of Islam and present it in a pure and
simple form that incorporates two aspects:
a. Purified Islamic teachings.
b. Practical guidelines for implementing them.
Indeed, this is the mission that we adopt, and this book
1. Al-Jumu‘ah 62:2.
Prelude xii the
Knowing Angels.
is ahumble step in that direction.
1. Purification
Purification (or tasfiyah) is required in regard to our
knowledge-sources, beliefs, and practices.
A. PURIFYING OUR SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE
Islamic knowledge and religious action may not be
founded on narrations that are falsely attributed to the
Prophet (3) or his companions (4). Such narrations are
among the main causes of deviation from true Islam.
Therefore, purifying our knowledge from weak and
fabricated narrations is an essential task that must be
fully incorporated into our learning and teaching
efforts. Praising those who strive in purifying the
Islamic knowledge, Allah’s Messenger (3) said:
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Salat 355 Guat«
Jes
«This knowledge will be carried by the
trustworthy individuals from every
generation; they expel from it alterations
of extremists, falsehoods of pretenders,
and misinterpretations of the ignorant.>!
B. PURIFYING OUR BELIEFS
Philosophical arguments, cultural dictates, and alien

notions have tainted the beliefs of many Muslims.
Therefore, it is imperative to purify the Islamic faith,
basing it solely on authentic texts from the Qur’an and
Sunnah, cleansing it from all forms of shirk, and aligning
it with the belief of the sahabah that Allah (8) praised,
1. This was recorded by al-Bayhaqi, Ibn ‘Adiyy, and others from Abi
Hurayrah, Ibn Mas‘tid, and other companions (#). It was verified to
be hasan by al-Albani (Hidayat-ur-Ruwah 239).
Knowing the Angels xiii Prelude
saying:
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«So if they believe as you (0 Muhammad
and your companions) believe, they are
truly guided.»!
C. PURIFYING OUR ACTIONS
Innovated acts of worship (bid‘ahs), not authorized by
Allah (8) or His Messenger (3), have marred the
religious practices of many Muslims. Therefore, it is
imperative to purify the Islamic practices, basing them
on authentic texts from the Quran and Sunnah,
matching them with the understanding and practice of
the sahabah, and cleansing them from bid‘ahs. This is
the “path of the believers” that Allah (8) describes as:
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«He who, after guidance has become clear to
him, opposes the Messenger and follows a
path other than that of the believers: We will
give him the consequence he chose and
admit him into hell—the most awful of
2. Cultivation
Cultivation (or tarbiyah) is to establish our beliefs and
actions upon the purified knowledge, and then continue
to grow with this knowledge. Cultivation goes hand-in-
hand with purification.
1. Al-Baqarah 2:137.
2. An-Nisd’ 4:115.
Prelude xiv the
Knowing Angels
A. BECOMING TRUE FOLLOWERS OF THE SALAF

The above discussion about purifying our beliefs and
actions must extend into cultivating ourselves and our
communities upon the purified teachings, striving to be
true followers of our great salaf, the sahdbah (4).
Praising both the sahadbah and their true followers,
Allah (8) says:
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«The first to embrace Islam among the
Muhdjirun and the Ansar, and also those
who follow them in the best way: Allah is
pleased with them and they are with Him.
He has prepared for them gardens beneath
which rivers flow, and in which they will
abide eternally. This is the supreme
success.»!
The sahdbah were the righteous group that Allah (4)
chose to accompany His Prophet (3) and receive His
Message. They left the false religion of their forefathers,
eagerly accompanied the Prophet as) learnt directly
from him, helped him establish the first and best Islamic
community, and precisely disseminated his teachings.
When the Muslims make the sahdbah their true role
models, they will then become inclined toward the
objective pursuit of truth, and their minds will become
free from stubborn and ignorant loyalty to mathhabs
(sects), parties, or factions.
1. At-Tawbah 9:100.
Knowing the Angels xv Prelude
B. CALLING TO THE PURE RELIGION
A vital part of the cultivation process is to invite all peo-

ple, Muslims and non-Muslims, to the pure and unadul-
terated religion of Islam. This should be done through:
a) Being exemplary models for our message, adorning
ourselves with good manners and righteous actions.
b) Presenting our noble message with wisdom, benevo-
lence, and kindness. Allah (8) says:
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«Let there be among you (Muslims) a
community who invite to goodness, enjoin
right, and forbid wrong. Such are the
successful.»!
Undertaking the obligation of inviting to Allah’s path is
the duty of all Muslims, individually and collectively,
each according to his best ability. Allah (8) commands:
a thee Be ORAMae
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«Help one another in righteousness and
piety; and do not help one another in
sinning and transgression.»
This is the only way to attain Allah’s acceptance and
achieve happiness and success. Allah (8%) says:
sion ast WO LS wy a A ©Yrait
pai © 42h G25) SIL poles Pat
«By time, a human is surely in loss, except
1. Al Imran 3:104.
Al-M@idah 5:2.
Prelude xvi the
Knowing Angels
for those who believe, do righteous deeds,

mutually enjoin the truth, and mutually
enjoin perseverance.»!
This, further, is the way to establish among the
believers a true and honest compassion that emanates
from a strong unifying cause. Allah (8) says:
VO ol
we STG
GOSye AM
«Hold fast, all together, to Allah’s rope, and

do not disunite.»2
C. PRESENTING THE ISLAMIC SOLUTION
Inviting to the Truth includes providing realistic Islamic
solutions to contemporary problems. There is no doubt
that Allah’s guidance is the only comprehensive way for
resolving people’s problems at the individual and
communal levels. Allah (48) says:
£4 EG OIG Ao Kiss
«Arbitrate among them (O Muhammad)
according to what Allah has revealed, and
do not follow their errant views.»
Indeed, we seek Allah’s guidance and help, and we
implore Him (8) to enable us to purify and cultivate
ourselves and our communities in the way that is most
pleasing to Him—dmin.
1. Al-‘Asr 103:1-3.
2. Al Imran 3:103.
3. Al-M@idah 5:49.
PREFACE
Iman Made Easy

The Iman Made Easy series covers the six pillars of imdn
mentioned in the hadith of Jibril (ss) and elaborates on
some subjects related to them. The material is well-
founded on authentic proofs from the Qur’an and
Sunnah. The books are written in easy language, making
them accessible to individuals with a limited
vocabulary, including children and young adults.
This series covers the six pillars of imdn and related
subjects as follows:
1
Knowing Allah abl grb
Knowing the Angels i jaa
Knowing Allah’s Books & the 5 Les

abl
Qur’an
Knowing Allah’s Prophets & 412055 abl
of Br
elol 4
oo,
aa
Messengers
Knowing the Last Day PM lS ys

Believing in Allah’s Decree, Qadar Aig Lal OY!
Each book is structured into chapters, sections, and
subsections to organize learning and facilitate grasping
the concepts. Furthermore, each chapter includes
exercises to emphasize, review, and reinforce the
concepts. All of this makes the Iman Made Easy series a
valuable source of reliable study material for schools
xvii
Preface xviii the
Knowing Angels
and individuals.
A Word to Parents and Educators
THE GOALS OF TRUE EDUCATION
True Education is that which improves a person’s
knowledge and understanding of his Din, making him
more aware of the purpose of his creation and of his
role in life. It builds in his heart a strong belief that
enables him to distinguish between right and wrong,
and a strong imdn that compels him to abide by the
right and refrain from the wrong.
True education is a social necessity. It is a prerequisite
for attaining success and dignity similar to those that
were enjoyed by the first Muslim generations.
FAULTS IN CURRENT ISLAMIC CURRICULA
It is indeed sad to see that education, with the above
goals, has largely vanished from among Muslims. Most
of those who took its lead lack in clear Islamic
knowledge and vision. In their heart, there is a great
void that they attempt to fill with numerous imported
educational theories, causing a severe distortion to the
Islamic identity.
Indeed, a quick review of the available Islamic curricula,
as well as the books available for children’s reading,
exposes an obvious problem. There is a_ serious
confusion in determining the right approach and
material to present to the children.
We find that the themes of some Islamic children’s
books revolve around magic and superstition, deviant
beliefs and practices, historical falsehoods and slanders,
offensive thought, or disguised invitations to religious
or ideological beliefs that contradict pure Islam!
Knowing the Angels xix Preface
MENDING THE RIFT

All of this has prompted us to write for our beloved
youth books meant to help in filling the current gaps
and mending the rifts.
In these books, we base the material that we present on
the authentic sources: Allah’s Book, His Messenger’s (38)
Sunnah, and the clear understanding of the true
scholars of Islam.
Without compromising correctness of concepts or
breadth of coverage, we use easy language and
simplified discussions. This makes these books ideal as
textbooks for elementary and intermediate school
levels. In addition, their attractive appearance and
numerous exercises make them useful sources of both
knowledge and entertainment.
These publications are, therefore, humble response to
a
our realization of a great responsibility: that of bringing

forth, before the English speaking youth, reading and
study materials that refine the Islamic concepts and
present Islam pure and simple, as close as possible to
the way that it was understood and practiced by its
early righteous pioneers—the Salaf
This Book
Knowing the Angels is the second book in the Imdn Made
Easy series, thoroughly covering the second pillar of
faith. It targets elementary school students, but has also
been found beneficial for older students and adults.
This book contains a detailed discussion of general
qualities and actions of the angels.
The book is concluded with a discussion of the specific
angels who are mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Preface xx Knowing the Angels
Acknowledgment
All praise and thanks are due to our Lord (8) who
facilitated the completion of this work.
I ask Allah (8) to reward all the Muslims who helped
and supported this effort in various ways.
In particular,ask Him (4%) to reward my shaykh and
I
teacher, Muhammad Nasir-ud-Din al-Albani (#%), whose

works have been of tremendous benefit to me.
I ask Him (4) to reward my wife whose relentless
support and advice have always provided a gentle push
toward the completion of my projects.
I ask Him (8) to reward my daughters and other
individuals who proofread the manuscript and provided
valuable suggestions.
I ask Him (3) to make this humble effort helpful and
profitable to the Muslims, forgive my shortcomings,
purify my work from hypocrisy and conceit, and accept
it from me.
My Lord, forgive me, my parents, and all of the
believers, and bestow Your peace and praise upon our
Prophet Muhammad (38).
ve
dlal,A a
Soca al yi
Muhammad Mustafa al-Jibaly

Al-Madinah an-Nabawiyyah
Safar 1435 | December 2013
1.
THE SECOND PILLAR OF FAITH
The Six Pillars of Faith

In the first book of this
series (Knowing Allah), we
discussed the Six Pillars of
Faith, They were men-
tioned in the hadith of
3 4% 5 6
Jibril (s)—when he came
to the Prophet (4) and asked him about Islam,
Iman, Ihsdn, and the Last Hour. The Six Pillars are:
1. Belief in Allah 2. Belief in the angels
3. Beliefinthe books 4. Belief in the messengers
5. Belief in the Last Day 6. Belief in the gadar.
We must believe in all of these pillars. Allah (8)

mentions the first four of them in the following
ayah:
4s
Ge dy} wel
es
ah gl osag 'y ey) of
“AGA
VAG 5
AS ag iyas ae
«The Messenger (Muhammad)
believes in what was sent down to him
from his Lord, and so do the believers.
They all believe in Allah, His angels,
1
1-The Second Pillar of Faith 2 the Angels
Knowing
His books, and His messengers.»!

Allah (8) also mentions five of them in the
following:
BEG ofS 5 AN KAA WeaIN dp

“ ib S55 seni6 ANls ab ie
3
al
«Righteousness does not (only) mean
that you turn your faces toward east or
west (in the prayer); righteousness is
to believe in Allah, the Last Day, the
angels, the books (of Allah), and the
prophets ...»2
Anyone who does not believe in every single one of
these pillars is not a true believer. Allah (88) says:
5 Tt 8
INS 2h 235
©
2S
KsisWe
35 xs
«Anyone who does not believein Allah,

His angels, His books, His messengers,
or the Last Day, is surely greatly
misguided.»?
3. An-Nisd’ 4:136.
Knowimg the Angels 3 1-The SSecond Fular or Faltn
Belief int Angels

A true believer must believe in all of
Allah’s angels. Believing in the MA
angels is the second pillar of belief.
This is our subject of study in this
book.
The angels are beings that we cannot see. We only
know about them as much as Allah told us in His
Book (the Quran), or His Messenger
Muhammad (32) told us in his Sunnah.
We should learn some of the angels’ qualities, the
tasks that Allah (8) gave to them, and how they
perform their tasks. By learning about the angels,
we can answer many important questions, and can
know what to do to deserve their help and
friendship.
When Were the Angels Created?
We do not know exactly when the angels were
created. All we know is that Allah (8%) created them
before humans. When Allah (4) wanted to create
humans and place them on Earth, He told the angels
about this, and they had a serious concern.
Allah (88) says:
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ANG,
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«And (mention) when your Lord said
to the angels, “I will surely place
1-The Second Pillar of Faith 4 Knowing the Angels
successors on earth.” They said, “Will

You place on it those who will cause
corruption and shed blood, while we
glorify You with praises and honor
You? He said, “Indeed, I know that
which you do not know.”»!
This shows that the angels were created before
Adam (ss8). From what Allah (4%) taught them, they
knew that humans are creatures that can cause evil
and killing on Earth. They mentioned this to Allah
very politely. But Allah knew better. He knew that
some of the humans, such as the prophets and
sahabah, will be good individuals who will obey
Allah and strive for His cause.
Number of the Angels

There are numerous angels, and only
Allah (38) knows their exact number.
Allah (8) says about the angels who
guard hell:
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«I will throw him2 into hell. And what
1. Al-Baqarah 2:30.
2. This refers to al-Walid Bin al-Mughirah, one of the most
stubborn disbelievers from the Quraysh.
Knowing the Angels 5 1-The Second Pillar of Faith
will make you know exactly what is

hell? It does not leave a thing (but
burns it), and it turns the skins black.
It has nineteen guards. We have not
placed as the guards of the Fire except
angels, and We have fixed their
number only as a trial for the
disbelievers.»1
These nineteen angels are enormous and have
many helpers. When this dyah was revealed to
Muhammad (3), Abi Jahl made fun of it and said,
“Muhammad has only nineteen helpers!” Allah (88)
then revealed:
& 4
ce Meee 4a
rs
PIM & Fe Vy chs 332 ASU
«No one knows the number of your
Lord’s soldiers except
This means that the angels are among Allah’s
soldiers, that they are very large in number, and
that He alone knows their count. Also, ‘Abdullah Bin
Mas‘td (#) reported that the Prophet (3) said:
ye, FELL THT oe
pw plas JS Ge ples ATO pare Ee ergs
oR?
elle Hi
<Hell will be pulled on the Day of
Judgment with seventy thousand
ropes, each rope held by seventy
1. Al-Muddaththir 74:26-31.
Al-Muddaththir 74:31.
1-The Second Pillar of Faith 6 Knowing the An
thousand angels.>!
This means that a total of about five billion
powerful angels will be in charge of hell.
There are many other hadiths telling about the
great number of angels. For example, the
Prophet (38) said that the heavens are completely
filled with angels praying to Allah. He also said that
every day seventy thousand additional angels make
hajj to al-Bayt-ul-Ma‘mutr? in the seventh heaven.
And he mentioned that there are angels with every
human being: two of them write all what he does,
others tell him to do good deeds, others protect
him, and so on.3
Also, Abi Hurayrah (#) reported that the
Prophet (3) said:
Ag SG Gy Gy bes Bo HT Ls MS ah Lp
(Al 238 by
SI oN 6
Lh
<Laylat-ul-Qadr (the Night of Decree) is
the night of the twenty-seventh or
twenty-ninth (of Ramadan). Surely,
during it, the number of angels on
earth is more than that of pebbles.»+
1. This was recorded by Muslim (2842) and at-Tirmithi.

“Al-Bayt-ul-Ma‘mur” means the “The Full House of Worship”.
It is similar to the Ka‘bah on earth. Angels go to it to worship
Allah.
3. These hadiths will be presented later in the book.
4. This was recorded by Ahmad and Ibn Khuzaymah, and was
verified to be hasan by al-Albant (as-Sahihah 2205).
Therefore, the number of angels is far more than

what we can imagine.
Names of the Angeis
We only know the names of very few angels. In this
book, we only accept the names that are mentioned
in the Qur'an or authentic Sunnah. Thus, even
though many people think that “Radwan”, “Izra’il’,
and “Raqib and ‘Atid” are names of angels, we do
not adopt this because of the lack of evidence.
ANGELS THAT WE KNOW
In the Allah mentions the names of five
angels: Jibril, Mika’ll (or Mikal), Malik, Harit, and
Marit.
Among the angels that are mentioned by name in
the hadiths of the Prophet (3) are Israfil, Munkar,
and Nakir.
Some angels are mentioned in the Qur’an or the
Sunnah, but we are not told their names. For
example, we are told about the Angel of Death, and
the Angel of Mountains.
Is SATAN AN ANGEL?
Some people think that Iblis! is an angel or that he
used to be an angel because Allah (8) says:
ae LO)I aly YAS (SG \9J oT ae 5

«And (mention) when We said to the
angels, “Make sujiid before Adam.”
They all made sujud—except for Iblis,
1. Iblis is a name for Satan.

who refused.»1
But this dyah only tells us that Iblis used to be with
the angels. Another dyah clearly tells us that Iblis
was never an angel, but is actually from the jinns:
oe o® altsYI pecs oY!Uses) Sich Cis 5}

Os Wags Aegis
«And (mention) when We said to the
angels, “make sujiid before Adam.”
They all made sujid, except for Iblis
who was from the jinns and he
disobeyed his Lord’s order.»2
CARRYING AN ANGEL’S NAME
Is it permissible to carry an angel’s name, such as
Jibril, Mikal, or Israfil? Many of the ‘ulamd’
(scholars) dislike this because the salaf (the early
Muslims) did not name their children such names,
and we should always follow their example. For the
same reason, it is disliked to name a girl Malak or
Malak, both of which mean “angel”.
However, it is permissible to use names that are not
specific to angels, such as Malik, which means
“owner”.
Where Are the Angels?
The angels usually stay in the heavens. They come
down to Earth when Allah orders them. They also
take things up to the heavens, like the good deeds of
1. Al-Baqarah 2:34 and Taha 20:116.

2. Al-Kahf 18:50.
the 9 1-The Second Pillar of Faith
Knowing Angels
the people, and the souls of the dead. They

sometimes come down in large numbers, as on
Laylat-ul-Qadr (Night of Decree). Allah (%€) says
about this:
€OA Fetes oak O05 Kl Hp

«The angels and the Spirit (Jibril)
descend during it (Laylat-ul-Qadr) with
all sorts of orders—by their Lord’s
permission.»1
Do the Angels Die?
We do not know if the angels die during this life.
Allah did not tell us anything about this, and we
may not say anything without knowledge.
But we know that at the end of time, the Last Day or
the Dooms Hour, Allah will make everyone die. He
will remain by Himself. He will then give life back to
everyone on the Day of Resurrection. Allah (#€)
says:
- BL OS
AA & 22 SeYi Mle
«Everything will perish except Allah’s

Face.»
Therefore, even the angels will die at that time.
Are the Angels Better than the Believers?
Who are better, the angels or the righteous
believers? This is a controversial question that is of
1. Al-Qadr 97:4.
2. Al-Qasas 28:88.
no real consequence. We present it here only

because it is often raised by the scholars when
discussing the angels.
The correct answer to this question is:
a) In this life, humans continually sin and
disobey Allah, but the angels never sin and
they always obey and worship Allah. Because
of this, we say that the angels are better than
most people.
b) In the hereafter, the righteous people will be
better than the angels because they had
passed the trial of this life. Allah (4) has
prepared for them great rewards in Jannah.
When they enter it, large numbers of angels
will welcome and serve them. Allah (88) says:
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«(The righteous believers) will enter
everlasting gardens of ‘Adn!, together
with those who were righteous of their
fathers, wives, and children. The
angels will come to them from every
gate saying “Salamun ‘Alaykum—peace
be upon you, because you were
patient! Your final home is surely
1. This is a name for the gardens of paradise.

Knowing the Angels Ni 1-The Second Pillar of Faith
excellent!”»1
1. Ar-Ra‘d 13:23-24.
1-The Second Pillar of Faith 12
Knowing the Angels
Questions and Exercises

1. In the following table, check (~) all
true statements (1 point each):
Statement
1.1 There are five pillars of faith.
We do not have to believe in all of the
1.2
pillars of faith.
Belief in the angels is one of the pillars of
1.3
faith.
1.4 We can see the angels with binoculars.
We know about the angels from the Qur’an,
1.5
the hadiths, and comic books.
1.6 The angels were created before the people.
The angels are better than people in this
1.7
life.
1.8 The angels serve the people of Jannah.
1.9 We know the names of most angels.
1.10 We can make up names for angels.
The angels initially thought that it was not
1.11
a good idea to create Adam.
1.12 The angels never die.
Numerous angels come down to Earth on
1.13
Laylat-ul-Qadr.
# Statement
The angels count pebbles during Laylat-ul-
1.14
Qadr.
1.15 {Iblis was an angel.
1.16 {Iblis refused to make sujtid to Adam.
1.17 |Iblis was obedient to Allah.
1.18 |It is disliked to be named after angels.
The angels say salam to the people of
1.19
Jannah.
2. Mention two benefits of learning about the
angels (2 points):
3. Who besides Allah knows the number of angels?

(Put a Y next to the correct answer; 2 points)
LC) The prophets OC The believers

L] The angels C) No one
4. Where do the angels usually stay? (Put a V next to the

correct answer; 2 points)
LI On other planets CJ In caves

LC] In the heavens CO In the ocean
The Second Pillar of Faith 14
Knowing
the
Angels
5. Mention the names of six angels (3 points):
6. On Judgment Day, hell will be pulled by (rut a v

next to the correct answer; 2 points):
[1 5 thousand angels CL] 5 million angels

[1 5 billion angels LJ nineteen angels
7. Some of the people of Jannah will be joined by

their relatives. Explain briefly how this happens
(3 points):
2.
QUALITIES OF THE ANGELS
Allah created the angels different from us. We

cannot see them, hear them, touch them, or subject
them to any of our human senses.
How then can we learn about the angels? Like other
matters of ghayb!1, we learn about them from what
Allah tells us in His Book, or what the Prophet
Muhammad (38) tells us in his hadiths.
The Angels Vary in Status
There are many characteristics common to all
angels. But this does not mean that all angels are
identical. They vary in power, size, number of
wings, and so on.
An important example of the diversity among the
angels is that they are of different positions and
status. Some of them are nearer to Allah than
others. Allah (8) says:
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«(The angels say:) “Each one of us
surely has a known place. And we
surely are the ones who line up (for
prayer before Allah). And we surely
1. This refers to things beyond our human senses.
15
Knowing the Angels 16 2-Qualities of the Angels
are the ones who glorify lah.”»1

The best of angels are those who fought with the
Muslims in the battle of Badr. Rafi‘ Bin Khadij (#&)
reported that the Prophet (38) said:
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Jibril came to me and said, “How do
you view the Muslims who fought in
the battle of Badr?” I replied, “They are
the best among us.” He said, “We too
recognize the angels who fought in it
as the best.”>2
“Physical” Qualities of the Angels
Since the angels are part of ghayb that is beyond
our physical world, they are not like
anything we see around us. We
have to keep this in mind when we Gy
discuss some of their qualities
(
below. For example, we are told that they have
wings, but this does not mean that their wings are
similar to the wings of birds, bees, or airplanes.
THEY WERE CREATED FROM LIGHT
Allah (8)created the angels from light. This is an
example of how different they are from us and from
other things that we know. ‘A’ishah reported
that the Prophet (3) said:
1. As-SGffat 37:164-166.
2. This was recorded by al-Bukhari (3992, 3994) and Ibn Majah.
2-Qualities of the Angels 17 Knowing the Angels
2 6
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<The angels were created from light,
the jinns were created from dark
flames of fire, and Adam was created
from that which has been described to
you (in the Qur’an).»>!
Therefore, unlike the angels, Allah (8) created the
jinns from the smoke of fire. Some of the jinns are
good, others are bad. We mentioned earlier? that
Shaytan (Satan) is one of the jinns. In this life, we
can neither see the angels nor the jinns.
THEY HAVE WINGS
The angels have wings. Some angels have two
wings, some three, some four, and some many
more. Allah (8) says:
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«All praise is to Allah, Creator of the
heavens and Earth, who made the
angels messengers with wings, two or
three or four. He increases in the
creation as He wills. Allah surely has
1. This was recorded by Muslim (2996).

In Chapter 1.
power over all things.»

In particular, the Prophet (3) told us that Jibril has
six-hundred wings!2
Do the angels have feathery wings like birds? We
cannot say this because Allah did not give us such
knowledge.
THEY ARE POWERFUL
Some angels are stronger than anything we know in
this world. For example, Allah (4%) tells us that only
eight angels bear the greatest of His creation: His
Throne:
chy ye Ses leaks! de whl
«The angels will cover all of heaven’s
corners. And, on that Day, eight
(angels) will carry the Throne of your
Lord above them.»?
Allah (4)also tells us that the angels who are in
charge of hell are extremely strong:
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«In charge of it (hell) are angels who
are harsh and powerful. They do not
disobey Allah in what He commands
them, but do as_ they are
1. Fatir 35:1.
. The hadith about this will be cited in Chapter 4.
3. Al-Hdqqah 69:17.
commanded.»
THEY ARE LARGE
Some angels are larger than anything that we have
seen. For example, the angels that carry Allah’s
Throne are large beyond imagination. Jabir, Abt
Hurayrah, and Anas(#) reported that the
Prophet (3) said:
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“25 Fan’
<Ihave (Allah’s) permission to tell you

about one of the angels who carry the
Throne. His feet are on the lowest
ground and he supports the Throne
with his forehead. It takes a bird seven
hundred years to travel from his
earlobe to his shoulder. He
(constantly) says, “Exalted are You (O
Allah) where you Are.”»2
THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL
The guards of hell and other angels of punishment
are harsh and stern because this is part of their job.
But angels usually have a good appearance. This
truth is commonly known and accepted by people.
1. At-Tahrim 66:6.
This was recorded by Aba Dawid and at-Tabarani, and was
verified to be authentic by al-Albani (as-Sahihah 150-151).
See also ad-Da‘ifah 6923 for incorrect versions of this hadith.
For example, the wealthy women at the time of the

prophet Yusuf (#s) thought that he was so
handsome that he must be an angel. Allah (88) says
about them:
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«They said, “Perfect is Allah! This is

not a human being. This is only a noble
angel.»1
In particular, jibril is a good-looking angel.
Allah (8%) says about him:
aes LACyewhe cep

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«It (the Qur’an) is taught to him (to
Muhammad) by one (angel) of great
might. He had a beautiful form2, as he
appeared in the upper horizon.»
THEIR COLOR
Many ignorant people think that all angels are

white in color. However, we learn from the Sunnah
that when the angels would appear to some people
in this world, they would have colors that fit the
occasion. When the Prophet (3) saw Jibril for the
first time, Jibril was dressed in green*. Munkar and
1. Ydsuf 12:31.
This is Ibn ‘Abbas’s (%) explanation for the Arabic word
‘mirrah’.
3. An-Najm 53:5-7.
4. The hadith about this will be cited in Chapter 4..
2-Qualities of the Angels 21
Knowing the Angels
Nakir are blue-black in color.! The angels of death

come to the believers with white faces, and to the
disbelievers with dark faces.2
THEY Do Not BECOME HUNGRY, TIRED, OR BORED
The angels are always busy obeying Allah’s
commands. Yet, they never need sleep or rest. They
are never tired from worshiping and obeying Allah,
as He (38) says:
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«If they refuse (to obey), then those
(angels) who are near your Lord
glorify Him by night and by day, and
they do not become weary.»?
THEY Do Not EAT
Even though we cannot survive without food,
Allah (8) created the angels so that they never have
to eat! .
For example, Allah (#) sent

angels to tell Ibrahim (sa) that
his wife will bear a boy called
Ishaq. The angels came tohim
™
in the form of men. Thinking that they were

ordinary guests, he hurried to honor and feed them,
and he quickly cookeda fat calf and placed it before
The hadith about this will be cited in Chapter 4.

2. A detailed discussion of this is presented in the Author’s book,
Life in al-Barzakh.
3. Fussilat 41:38.
Knowing the Angels
22 2-Qualities of the Angels
them. They refused to eat, which annoyed Ibrahim

(ss). But they told him not to worry, because they
were angels sent by Allah to him, and also to punish
Lut’s people:
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«Surely, our messengers came to
Ibrahim with the good news (of a
baby). They said, “Salam,” and he said,
“Salam.” He quickly brought a fat calf.
When he saw that they did not extend
their hands to it (to eat), he disliked
that and expected some evil from
them. They said, “Do not worry! We
are only sent to (punish) the people of
Lut.”»!
THEY TRAVEL FAST
The angels travel very fast. They travel between the
heavens and Earth in a short time, bringing down
Allah’s orders, taking up records of our deeds, and
so on.
The angels must then be faster than horses, rockets,
sound, light, or anything else that we know. In our
physical world, we say that nothing can travel
faster than light. But the angels are not controlled
by the laws of this world. Allah (88) is the Creator of
1. Hiid 11:69-70.
the world and its laws. He gives the angels speeds

and powers that suit their missions.
THEY TAKE DIFFERET FORMS
The angels can change their form whenever Allah
wants them to do so. For example, Jibril («) often
came to the Prophet (3) and his companions in the
form of a man, just as the angels came to
Ibrahim (s#) as men. And Allah (8) tells us that
Jibril (#) came to Maryam in the form of a man:
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«And mention in the Book the story of

Maryam, when she stayed away from
her family in an eastern place (for
worship) and set a curtain between
her and them. We sent to her Our
Spirit (Jibril) who appeared to her as a
perfect human. She said, “I surely ask
the Most Merciful to protect me from
you—and you should fear Allah.” He
said, “Indeed, I am nothing but a
Messenger from your Lord to grant you
a good son.”»1!
1. Maryam 19:16-19.
THEY Do NoT HAVE GENDER

We talk about the angels using the male gender:
“he”, “his”, “him”, and so on. But this does not mean
that the angels are male—nor are they female.
The disbelievers during the Prophet's (32) time said
that the angels were the daughters of Allah. It is not
right to say that Allah should have a child, whether
male or female, because He is the Lord and Owner
of everything. He does not have a child, nor does he
need one. Allah (4) says about the disbelievers:
age Oi Sl de BOS (aac Mi

Gees
SANE ONES IGE CREOale

«They say that the angels, who are
servants of the Most Merciful, are
females. Did they witness their
creation? Their saying will be
recorded, and they will be questioned
about it (on the Day of Judgment)!»1
Furthermore, we cannot say that the angels marry
or have children, because nothing like this is
mentioned in the Qur’an or Sunnah.
SOME ANIMALS CAN SEE THEM
The animals can see or hear some things better
than the people. Sometimes, the animals can see the
angels. Abt’ Hurayrah {(#) reported that the
Prophet (38) said:
1. Az-Zukhruf 43:19.
2-Qualities of the Angels 25 Knowing the Angels.
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<When you hear (at night) a rooster’s
crowing, ask Allah for His favor,
because it saw an angel. And when you
hear (at night) a donkey’s braying, ask
Allah to protect you from Satan,
because it saw a devil.>1
Character of the Angels
Allah (8%) chose the angels to be among the best of
His creation. He gave them the best character and
behavior. Allah (88) says:
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«Allah chooses messengers from
among the angels and from among the
people. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and
Seeing.»
THEY ARE NOBLE AND GOOD
Allah (8) made the angels a most noble and good
creation. They are obedient and precise in fulfilling
His commands. Thus, Allah (8) entrusted them
with the delivery of His messages to the prophets.
1. This was recorded by al-Bukhari (3303) and Muslim (2729).
The restriction of (night) is taken from al-Adab-ul-Mufrad 525.
2. Al-Hajj 22:75.
He also entrusted them to care for the Qur’an that is

in the heavens.! Allah (4) says:
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«It (the Qur’an) is (carried) in the
hands of messengers (angels) who are
noble and good.»2
A person who is good in reading the Qur’an will be
with those righteous angels. Our Mother
‘A’ishah reported that the Prophet (38) said:
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<Aperson who is skillful (or good) in
reading the Qur’an is with the noble
and good messengers (of the angels).
And a person who stammers and has
difficulty when reading the Qur’an
receives a double reward.>3
THEY KNOW AS MUCH AS ALLAH TEACHES THEM
The angels receive their knowledge from Allah (8).
They cannot know more than what He teaches
them, nor do they know any less than that.
Allah (8) says about them:
Weal ey at Ye}
1. The Qur’an is preserved in al-Lawh-ul-Mahfiz, which is with
the angels in the heavens. This is discussed in Knowing Allah’s
Books, the third book of the Iman Made Easy series.
2. ‘Abasa 80:15-16.
«They said, “Glory be to You! We only

know what You teach us.”»1
THEY LIKE TO LISTEN TO QuR’AN
The angels like to listen to good things and hate
hearing bad things. They like to listen to Qur’an and
to the praise of Allah. They hate listening to music,
lies, and other things taught by Shaytan.
When the Qur’an is recited nicely and sincerely to
please Allah, the angels come close to listen to it.
Abt Hurayrah (#) reported that the Prophet (3)
said:
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<When a group of people meet in one of
Allah’s houses (or masjids) to recite
Allah’s Book and study it, peace
descends over them, mercy flows
among them, the angels surround
them, and Allah praises them to those
(angels) who are close to Him.»2
One of the sahdabah called Usayd Bin
Hudayr (4) was once reciting Surat al-
°
Baqarah at night while his horse was tied

beside him. The horse suddenly became ¥
uneasy and started jumping. When he stopped
1. Al-Baqarah 2:32.
reciting, the horse became quiet. When he resumed

reciting, the horse became uneasy again. After
repeating this a few times, he stopped reciting and
looked up. He was amazed to see right above him
something that looked like a big cloud of bright
lamps rising up in the sky. The next morning, he
told the Prophet (3) about this, and the Prophet (#)
said:
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<Those were angels who came to listen
to your reading. Had you kept on
reciting until morning, they would
have remained visible for the people to
see them!>!
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<When a person uses siwdk2 and then
stands for the night prayer, an angel
comes and stands behind him. The
angel listens to the Qur’anic recitation
and slowly moves closer. He continues
to listen and move closer until he
1. This was recorded by al-Bukhari (5018).
A stick used to brush the teeth and give the mouth a nice
smell.
finally places his mouth against the

mouth of the person. Every dyah that
the person recites thereafter would go
into the angel. Thus, clean your
mouths for reciting Qur’an.!
This shows the importance of standing in the
prayer with nice smelling breath. If we then
properly recite Qur’an, an honorable guest, an
angel, would come to us and receive our recitation
straight into his mouth so as to take it up to the
heavens.
THEY LIKE TO LISTEN TO THIKR
The angels like to go to places where Allah (3) is
mentioned and_ praised.2 Abia MHurayrah (<5)
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masjid’s doors, writing the
names of those who come
first and those who come
next. When the imam arrives
(to start the khutbah), they fold up
1. This was recorded by al-Bayhaqi and al-Bazzar. It was verified
to be authentic by al-Albant (as-Sahihah 1213 and Sahih-ut-
Targhib 215).
2. Remembering and praising Allah is called thikr.
Knowing the Angels 30 2-Qualities of the Angels.
their sheets and come inside to listen

to the thikr.>1
Also, Abu Hurayrah (#4) reported that the
Prophet (3) said:
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<Other than the angels who record the
deeds of people, there is a group of
Allah’s angels who travel over the
earth. They search for the people who
mention Allah When they find a ().
group of people doing this, they call
each other, “Here is what you are
looking for.” Then they come and cover
that group with their wings until they
are stacked up to the lowest heaven.
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<Allah (#) then asks them—although

He knows better than them, “What are
My worshipers saying?” They reply,
“They exalt You, revere You, praise
You, glorify You, and beg of You.”
Allah (3) then asks, “Have they seen
Me?” The angels reply, “No.” Allah (8¢)
says, “What would they have done if
they could see Me?” The angels reply,
“They would then be even busier in
their worship, praise, exaltation, and
glorification of You.”>
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<Then Allah asks, “What do they ask of

Me?” The angels reply, “They ask for
Jannah.” Allah says, “Have they seen
it?” They reply, “No.” Allah says, “What
would they have done if they had seen
it?” The angels reply, “Had they seen it,
they would desire it more eagerly, and
would work harder to reach it.”>
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<Then Allah asks, “From what thing do

they seek My protection?” The angels

reply, “They seek protection from the
Fire.” Allah says, “Have they seen it?”
They reply, “No.” Allah says, “What
would they have done if they had seen
it?” The angels answer, “Had they seen
it, they would have been keener to run
away from it and to fear it.”>
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Then Allah (3) says, “Be My witnesses:
I forgive them!” The angels say, “But
among them is so-and-so, a sinner who
did not wish to be of them. He only
came to them for a need of his.”
Allah (8%) says, “I forgive him too. He
who sits with those people cannot be a
loser.”>1
This shows how blessed a person would be if he is
able to sit and listen to the thikr so that the angels
would encircle him and tell Allah (38) about him.
THEY ARE SHY
The angels are shy of the righteous believers. They
love them, respect them, and show humbleness in
their presence. The Prophet (3) explained to his

companions how the angels respected ‘Uthman Bin

‘Affan (<). ‘A’ishah (ve) reported that he (3) said:
HES 2s rend
JES ye eel Vin
<Should I not be shy of this man, when
even the angels are shy of him?>!
THEY HATE BAD SMELLS
The angels are displeased and
offended by ugly things that normal
humans dislike, such as bad smells,
spit, filth, and so on. Jabir (8)
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<When a person eats garlic, onion, or
other bad-smelling food, he should not
come near our masjid. Surely, the
angels dislike the same things that
human beings dislike.»2
THEY DISLIKE DoGs, PICTURES, AND BELLS
The angels do not enter houses that have dogs,
bells, or pictures of human beings or animals.
‘A’ishah, Mayminah, Ibn ‘Umar, and Abi
Talhah (#) reported that the Prophet (3) said:
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<Surely, the angels do not enter into a

house that has a dog or a picture.!

Abi Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (4)
said:
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‘The angels do not accompany
travelers who have with them a dog or
a bell.>2
‘A’ishah, Umm Habibah, and Ibn ‘Umar (4)
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<The angels do not enter into a house
(or accompany travelers) where there
is a bell.»3
Thus, if we want the angels to remain around us, we
should avoid things that offend or displease them.
1. This was recorded by al-Bukhari (3224-3227) and Muslim

(2105-2106).
2. This was recorded by Muslim (2113), Abt: Dawid, and others.
There are similar reports from other sahdbah including
‘Mishah, Umm Habibah, Anas, and Ibn ‘Umar (4).
3. This was recorded by Abt Dawid and an-Nasa’. It was
verified to be authentic by al-Albani (Sahih-ut-Targhib 3117-
3121).
2-Qualities of the Angels 35 Knowing
the Angels

1. In the following table, check (“) all
true statements (1 point each):
Statement
11 The jinns are different from the angels.
1.2 All angels have two wings.
1.3 Some angels are better than others.
1.4
The best sahabah are those who fought in
Badr.
1.5 The angels are very strong.
1.6 The wings of angels are full of feathers.
1.7 Some angels are huge.
1.8 Most of the angels are male.
1.9 Allah has no children.
1.10 The angels are white in color.
1.11 The angels are beautiful.
1.12
The angels sit down when they eat or
drink.
1.13 The angels sleep on their right side.
1.14 All angels are identical.
1.15
When the angels are bored, they play
chess.
1.16 Jibril came to Maryam in the form of a man.
1.17 The angels gave Ibrahim good news.
1.18
The angels took good news to the people of
Lut.
Statement
1.19
Ibrahim’s guests refused to eat the meat
because it was not well cooked.
1.20The angels can travel very fast.
121 The animals can sometimes see the angels.
1.22 The animals cannot see the jinns.
1.23
The angels can appear in the form of
people.
1.24 Jibril is the angel with the most children.
1.25
The angels like to listen to Qur’an and
thikr.
1.26
The angels know only what Allah teaches
them.
1.27 The angels are noble and good.
1.28
The angels like to listen to soft music and
singing.
1.29 The angels are shy of good people.
On Jumu‘ah, the angels write the names of
1.30
the people who come early to the masjid.
1.31 The angels like the ringing of bells.
1.32
The angels do not enter into a house that
has a dog or a picture.
1.33
The angels hate the smell of onions, garlic,
cigarettes, and other bad smells.
1.34
It is important to have nice breath when
reciting Qur'an.
2. Use arrows (—) to match between the types of

creation (left) and the substance from which
they were created (right) (3 points):
>| creation |_< )

>a substance L_<
Angels Clay
a
Jinns Light F
Humans 4 Smoke of fire }

}
3. Answer the following questions regarding the

angels who travel over the earth (10 points):
In When do they call each other?
1 What do they do to those mentioning Allah?|
What would the believers have done if they sa

Allah?|

annah‘

he Fire?
4. Answer the following questions regarding Usayd

Bin Hudayr (4) (6 points):
@ Why did he stop reciting Qur’an?
|
@ What did he see in the sky?
@ What
| would havehappened if he had kept
reading?
5. The number of angels who will carry the Throne

on Judgment Day is (check / the correct answer; 2 points):
CL) 8 million CL] 8 thousand C1 8 only
3.
WHAT THE ANGELS DO
In the last chapter, we focused on the angels’

qualities. In this chapter, we focus on actions that
are common to all angels. In the next chapter, we
discuss actions specific to certain angels.
How the Angels Behave with Allah
THEY ARE CLOSE TO ALLAH
The angels are among the best of Allah’s creation.
Because of this, He gave them important duties and
allowed many of them to be close to Him. Allah (3)
says:
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«Al-Masih! will never refuse to be a

servant to Allah, nor will the angels
who are near (to Allah).»2
THEY CONSTANTLY WORSHIP AND GLORIFY ALLAH
The angels constantly worship Allah, praying to
Him, glorifying Him, praising Him, making hajj
(pilgrimage) to al-Bayt-ul-Ma‘mir, and so on.
Allah (88) says:
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1. Al-Masth (or the Messiah) is a name for Isa (or Jesus).

2. An-Nisd’ 4:172.
39
3-What the Angels Do 40 Knowing
the
Angels.
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«Those (angels) near Him are never
too proud to worship Him, nor do they
become tired (of the worship). They
exalt Him night and day without
reducing their worship.»
The Prophet (32) explained what the angels say in
their exaltation:
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which Allah chose for His angels,
“Subhan-Allahi _wa-bi-hamdih—Glory
be to Allah, and praise be to Him.»2
THEY PRAY IN STRAIGHT LINES
The angels pray to Allah (8) in straight lines, just as
we should. Allah (48) says:
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«By the angels who are lined up in

rows (before Allah), and who drive
(the clouds) along, and who recite the
Qur'an ...»3
Jabir Bin Samurah (4) reported that the Prophet
(3) once told his companions:
1. Al-Anbiya’ 21:19-20.
2. This was recorded by Muslim (2731) from Abi Tharr (4s).
3. As-Saffat 37:1-3.
Knowing the Angels 4 3-What the Angels Do
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<Don’t you like to line up like the
angels line up before their Lord? They
complete the first row, then the next;
and they pack together in the rows.>!
THEY MAKE SUJUD TO ALLAH
The angels pray to Allah standing, bowing, and
making sujid. Anas and Hakim Bin Hizam (té)
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<The heavens have squeaked (from
weight), and they have the right to
squeak. There is not even a span2 but
that it has an angel in sujiud or standing
(in prayer), exalting
and praising Allah.»3
THEY Go FOR HAJJ
The angels visit al-Bayt-ul-
Ma‘mir to worship
Allah (8%). Every day,
seventy thousand of them
1. This was recorded by Muslim (430) and others.

2. Aspan is approximately nine inches (22 cm).
3. This was recorded by at-Tahawl, at-Tabarani, and others. It
was verified to be authentic by al-Albant (as-Sahihah 852 and
Sahih-ul-Jami‘ 1020).
3-What the Angels Do 42 Knowing the Angels
enter it and never come back again until the Day of

Judgment. Anas (#) reported that the Prophet
Muhammad (3) said:
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<Al-Bayt-ul-Ma‘mir is in the seventh
heaven. Seventy thousand angels enter
it every day to pray, and (after leaving)
they never return to it.>!
THEY FEAR ALLAH
Allah deserves to be feared; and the angels know
Him so well that they truly fear Him. Allah (4) says:
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«To Allah bow (in sujid) all the living
creatures in the heavens and on Earth.
The angels do too, without any
arrogance. They fear their Lord above
them, and they do as they are
commanded (by Him).»2
The Prophet (3) describes Jibril’s fear of Allah:
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<On the night of Isrd’, I passed by the
highest angels. Jibril looked like a
worn-out rug from fearing Allah (38).>1
THEY OBEY ALLAH
We have seen that the angels are most obedient to
Allah (8) and never disobey Him. Allah also says:
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«They are only honored servants (to
Allah). They cannot speak before Him,
and they act by His command.»2
THEY LOVE WHAT ALLAH LOVES AND HATE WHAT HE HATES
The angels love what Allah loves and hate what He
hates. So they love the people whom Allah (38)
loves and hate those whom He hates. Abu
Hurayrah (#) reported that the Prophet (#4) said:
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1. This was recorded by at-Tabarani (in al-Awsat) and al-Bazzar

from Jabir (4). It was verified to be authentic by al-Albani (as-
Sahihah 2289).
2. Al-Anbiyd’ 21:26-27.
the
Angels.
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<Indeed, when Allah loves a (good)
person, He calls to Jibril (ss), “I love so-
and-so, so love him.” Jibril loves him
and calls out in the heavens, “Allah
loves so-and-so, so love him.” The
heavens’ angels love him, and ac-
ceptance is laid down for him on Earth.
And when Allah hates a (bad) person,
He calls to Jibril, “I hate so-and-so, so
hate him.” Jibril then hates him and
calls out in the heavens, “Allah hates
so-and-so, so hate him.” The angels of
the heavens hate him, and hatred is
laid down for him on Earth.
We saw earlier that the angels also love the
gatherings that Allah (8) loves. They like to
accompany those who pray, recite Qur’an, mention
Allah, or do other good deeds.
From this, we see the great falsehood of the myth
about an angel of love called Cupid. He is pictured
as a young naked boy carrying a bow and arrows.
When he shoots an arrow at two individuals, they
1. This was recorded by Muslim (2637). Al-Bukhari only

recorded the first part about love (3209).
immediately fall in love. True angels only love and

bring love with Allah’s permission.
THEY ONLY DESCEND WITH ALLAH’S PERMISSION
The angels cannot descend from the heavens when-
ever they wish, but only when Allah (4) tells them.
Ibn ‘Abbas (#) reported that the Messenger of Allah
(3) said to Jibril, «93,5 & $51 0,45 Yb «Why don’t you
visit us more often?» Allah (3) then revealed:
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«We (angels) only descend by your
Lord’s command. To Him belongs that
which is before us and that which is
behind us.»! 2
The Angels with the People
THEY BRING DOWN ALLAH’S MESSAGES
Allah (8) selected the angels for a very great and
noble job, which is taking His commands and
teachings to the people. Allah (8) says:
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«All praise is to Allah, the Creator of
the heavens and Earth, the One who
has made the angels messengers ...»3
The angels deserved this great responsibility
because of their wonderful qualities that we
discussed earlier.
1. Maryam 19:64.
2. This was recorded by al-Bukhart (3218).
3. Fatir 35:1.
THEY BLOW LIFE INTO PEOPLE AND RECORD THEIR FUTURE

While we are in our mother’s womb, Allah (8)
sends an angel to blow life into us and write
important things from our future. Ibn Mas‘id (4)
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<The creation of each one of you is
brought together in his mother’s
womb for forty days as a seed, then as
a clot for as long, then as a lump (of
flesh) for as long. Allah then sends an
angel who is commanded to blow the
soul into him and write down four
things: his sustenance, life-span, deeds,
and whether he will be miserable or
happy.>!
THEY WRITE WHAT THE PEOPLE Do
There are angels who stay with us at all times. They
record all what we do, whether good or bad.
Allah (8) says:
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«Do they think that We do not hear

their secrets and private talks? Yes
indeed (We do)! And Our messengers
are by them, recording.»!
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These angels are most noble, and
do not forget to write a thing.
Every person in this life has two
angels: one on his right This igure merely
‘merely
recording his good deeds, and
depicts writing and
one on his left recording his bad does not represent the
deeds. Allah (#8) says: angels’ hands.
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«Surely, there are (angels) appointed
over you to watch you. They are
honorable recorders. They know all
that you do.»2
Also, Allah (4%) says:
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«(We know) when the two receiving

(angels) write, seated on the right and
on the left. He (the person) does not
utter one word but that with him is an
1. Az-Zukhruf 43:80.
Al-Infitdr 82:10-12.
the
Angels
observer ready (to write it).»1

The angel on the left gives a person a chance to
repent from his sin before he records it for him.
Abii Umamah (4s) reported that the Prophet (3)
said:
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«Indeed, the angel on the left lifts the

pen for six hours off a sinful Muslim. If
he then regrets and seeks Allah’s
forgiveness for his sin, the angel drops
it. Otherwise, he records it as one sin.2
Similar to a hadith that we cited earlier3, Abi
Umamah (4) also reported that the Prophet (3)
said:
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<On Jumu‘ah (Friday), the angels stand
at the doors of the masjid holding
records. They write the names of those
who come first and second and third.
When the imam arrives (to give the
1. Qdaf50:17-18.
This was recorded by at-Tabarani, al-Bayhaqi, and Abi
Nu‘aym, and was verified to be hasan by al-Albani (as-Sahihah
1209 and Sahih-ul- amt 2097).
3. In Chapter 2.
Knowing
the
Angels 49 3-What the Angels Do
khutbah), they fold up the records.>!

When we realize that there are two angels seeing
and writing all that we do, this will encourage us to
do more good deeds and avoid sinning.
The Angels with the Believers
The angels are friends of the believers. They do
everything they can in order to help and protect
them.
THEY MAKE Du'‘A’ FOR THE BELIEVERS
The angels make du‘@’ for the believers. They also
make du‘a’ for the believers who perform specific
acts of worship. We will see examples in the
following.
Making general du‘a’ for the believers. The
angels ask Allah to forgive the believers, protect
them from punishment, and admit them into
Jannah. Allah (8) says:
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1. This was recorded by Ahmad and at-Tabarani, and was

verified to be hasan by al-Albani (Sahih-ut-Targhib 710 and
Sahih-ul-Jami* 1958).
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«The angels who carry the Throne and
those around it exalt and praise their
Lord, believe in Him, and seek for-
giveness for the believers (saying),
“Our Lord, You surround all things
with mercy and knowledge; forgive
those who repent and follow Your way,
and protect them from the punishment
of the great Fire. Our Lord, admit them
to the Gardens of ‘Adn that You have
promised them and whoever was
righteous of their parents, spouses,
and children—You surely are the
Mighty and Wise. And protect them
from all harm, for, anyone whom You
protect from harm on that Day will
surely receive Your mercy; that is the
great success.”»1!
Making du‘d’ for those who await the prayers.
The angels make du‘d’ for a person who goes to the
masjid early and waits for the prayer to start. Abu
Hurayrah (%) reported that the Prophet (38) said:
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<A person remains (as though) in
prayer while he sits in the masjid
1. Ghéfir 40:7-9.
waiting for the prayer. The angels

continue to say, “O Allah, forgive him;
O Allah, have mercy on him,” until he
leaves or breaks his wudii’ >!
Making du‘d’ for those who sit after the prayers.
After finishing the prayer, a Muslim should try to
stay in his place for some time to make thikr or read
ur an. When he does this, the angels keep making
du‘@’ for him. Aba Hurayrah (#%) reported that the
Prophet (38) said:
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<The angels pray for any of you who
remains in his place after the prayer,
as long as he keeps his wudi?’ and does
not leave. They say, “O Allah, forgive
him; O Allah, have mercy on him.”»2
The angels’ prayer for the believers means that they
ask Allah to forgive them and show them mercy. As
for Allah’s prayer for a person, as in the next
hadiths, it means that Allah praises that person
among the angels. With Allah’s praise, he is greatly
rewarded in the heavens and on Earth.
Making du‘a’ for those who connect the rows.
ishah reported that the Prophet (3) said:
1. This was recorded by al-Bukhari (176), Muslim (649).

2. This was recorded by al-Bukhari (659), Muslim (649).
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<Indeed, Allah (8)
and His angels pray
for those who connect the rows (in the
prayer). Whoever fills a gap, Allah
raises him one level because of it»!
Making du‘d’ for those who pray in the front. In
addition to going early to pray in the masjid, a
Muslim is encouraged to stand in the front rows. Al-
Bara, Abi Umamah, and other sahdadbah (4)
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«Indeed, Allah and His angels pray for
(those who pray in) the front rows.2
Making du‘d’ for those who sleep with wuda’ Ibn
‘Umar (t#) reported that the Prophet (38) said:
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<When a person goes to sleep with
taharah (or wudwu’), an angel stays in
his covers. If he wakes up at any time
1. This was recorded by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and others, and was
verified to be hasan by al-Albani (Sahih-ul-Jami‘ 1843 and
Sahih-ut-Targhib 501).
2. This was recorded by Ahmad and Abi Dawid. It was verified
to be authentic by al-Albani (Sahih-ul-Jami‘ 1839-1842 and
Sahih-ut-Targhib 491-493).
of the night, the angel says, “O Allah,

forgive Your’ servant so-and-so
because he slept with tahdarah.”>!
Making du‘d’ for those who eating suhur2. Ibn
‘Umar (t%) reported that the Prophet (3) said:
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«Indeed, Allah and His angels pray for

those who eat suhur.3
Making du‘d@’ for those who visit the sick. ‘Ali (4)
reported that the Prophet (#) said:
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Muslim, Allah sends seventy thousand
angels to pray for the visitor. If he
visits him in the morning, they pray for
him until the evening; and if he visits
him in the evening, they pray for him
until the morning.>*
1. This was recorded by Ibn Hibban and at-Tabarani. It was

verified to be authentic by al-Albani (as-Sahihah 2539).
2. Suhur is an early breakfast taken before dawn for fasting.
3. This was recorded by Ibn Hibban and at-Tabarani. It was
verified to be hasan by al-Albani (Sahih-ul-Jami‘ 1844 and as-
Sahihah 1654).
4. This was recorded by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban. It was verified
to be authentic by al-Albani (as-Sahihah 1367).
Making du‘a’ for those who give charity. There

are angels who make du‘d’ for those who give
charity for Allah’s sake. This charity can be for
helping the poor, building masjids, teaching Islam
and Qur’an, and so on. Abu Hurayrah (5) reported
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<Every morning, two angels descend

(from heaven). One of them says, “O
Allah, replenish for those who give
(charity).” And the other says, “O Allah,
give loss to those who refuse to give.”»!
Making du‘d’ for those who say salah upon the
Prophet. ‘Amir Bin Rabi‘ah (&) reported that the
Prophet (2) said:
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<When a person says salah for me, the
angels keep praying for him as long as
he prays for me. Let him then choose
whether to say little or much of this.»2
THEY SAY AMIN TO THE BELIEVERS’ Du‘A’
When a Muslim makes du‘d’ (supplication) for his
This was recorded by al-Bukhari (1442) and Muslim (1010).

2. This was recorded by Ahmad and Ibn Majah. It was verified to
be hasan by al-Albani (Sahih-ul-Jami‘ 5744 and Fadl-us-
Salah 6).
Muslim brother, an angel says, “Amin.”! Abi ad-

Darda’ (#) reported that the Prophet (38) said:
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<A Muslim’s du‘@’ for his brotherin
his absenceis answered (by Allah).
There is an angel who remains
present by his head, and whenever he
asks good things for his brother, the
angel says, “Amin, and may you receive
the same.”»2
Abii Hurayrah (4) reported that the Prophet (3%)
said:
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<Surely, when the imam (of the prayer)
says “dmin” (after reciting al-Fatihah),
the angels in the heavens also say
“amin.” So say “Gmin” when the Imam
says it. Indeed, whoever says “amin” at
the same time as the angels, his
previous sins will be forgiven.’
1. “Amin” means asking Allah to accept the supplication.

This was recorded by Muslim (2732-2733).
3. This is a combined report from al-Bukhari (780) and Muslim
(410).
Umm Salamah reported that the Prophet (3)

said:
ASEM OW IGE gd CN Ga pas
COS58
TF
de O pays
<When you are present with a sick or
dying person, say good things, because
the angels say “admin” to what you
say.>1
THEY INTERCEDE FOR THE BELIEVERS
With Allah’s permission, the angels may intercede
for the believers. Interceding for them means:
asking Allah to forgive them and save them from
the Fire. Allah (%) says:
dae ie JES Haas GEV a GS}

BG aul Aa
«How many angels there are in the
heavens whose intercession will be of
no help except after Allah has
permitted and accepted it.»2
THEY STAY WITH THE BELIEVERS
The angels are with the believers all the time—
except when the believers undress or go to the
toilet3 Abi Hurayrah(#) reported that the
Prophet (34) said:

2. An-Najm 53:26.
3. Asan exception, the recording angels never leave us.
Knowing
the
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<There are two groups of angels who
stay with you, one during the night and
one during the day. They all meet at
the fajr and ‘asr prayers. Those who
have passed the night with you ascend
to heaven, and Allah asks them, though
He knows everything about them,
“How did you leave my servants?” The
angels reply, “When we left them, they
were praying; also when we came to
them, they were praying.”>!
THEY HELP AND PROTECT THE BELIEVERS
The angels love the believers and protect them
from jinns, Satan, disaster, and harm. Allah says:
So
VY AN
Sil all RE Cae

«(For each person) there are (angels)
who follow each other. They stay
before and behind him, guarding him
by Allah’s decree.»
Why do the angels protect the believers, and why
do they stay with them? The answer is that a true

2. Ar-Ra‘d 13:11.
the Angels
believer always tries his best to obey Allah and His

Messenger (#) and do good deeds. He constantly
remembers Allah (36) with his tongue and in his
heart. He remains aware of Allah in all his actions.
This is why the angels guard a believer and love
him.
THEY LOVE AND HELP THE SEEKERS OF KNOWLEDGE
The angels love the knowledge of Islam that brings
a person closer to Allah. They also love anyone who
seeks to learn this important knowledge.
Safwan Bin “Assal (#) reported that he went to the
Prophet (3) and told him that he came to seek
knowledge of Islam. The Prophet (38) said:
tas isd az
Li by sls Nh,
accu x
Ba key
= pi esd ugsst
«Welcome, seeker of knowledge.
Indeed, the angels surround a seeker
of knowledge and shade him with their
wings. Then they mount on top of each
other up to the lowest heaven because
they love what he seeks.>!
Abt ad-Darda’ (4%) reported that the Prophet (#)
said:
ells tls, pid ih esl ee

ead
Mh dp
1. This was recorded by Ahmad, Ibn Hibbdan, and others. It was

verified to be hasan by al-Albani (Sahih-ut-Targhib 71).
<Indeed, the angels lay down their

wings for the seeker of knowledge
because they are pleased with what he
seeks.>!
The angels also pray for the teacher of the
beneficial knowledge. Abi Umamah (4s) reported
gos FESS HD Js
ab op
(FEIlet feb Lat

AO si
«Indeed, Allah, His angels, and even the
ants in their hole and the fish in the
sea, all pray for the teacher of
goodness to people.2
THEY TAKE CARE OF THE BELIEVERS AFTER DEATH
The angels take care of the righteous believers and
martyrs after their death. They cover them with
their wings, and they wash them if they need to be
washed.
Jabir Bin ‘Abdillah (&) reported that when his
father died in the battle of Uhud, Jabir’s aunt
Fatimah started weeping. The Prophet (32) told her:
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SIV
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C23
seth
1. This was recorded by Abi Dawid, at-Tirmithi, and others. It

was verified to be hasan by al-Albani (Sahih-ut-Targhib 70
and Sahth-ul-Jami‘ 1956).
2. This was recorded by at-Tirmithi and at-Tabarani. It was
verified to be hasan by al-Albani (Sahih-ut-Targhib 81 and
Sahih-ul-Jami‘ 1838).
<Do not weep, because the angels

continued shading him with their
wings until he was raised (for burial).>1
Ibn ‘Abbas ()
reported:
<Hamzah Bin “Abd il-Mutalib and
Hanzalah Bin ar-Rahib were both killed
during the battle of Uhud, so Allah’s
Messenger said, « Agha
the angels washing them.»
id
els dl saw
We will also see later in this chapter that the angels

washed Adam (se) when he died.
THEY FIGHT ALONGSIDE THE BELIEVERS
The angels fought in many battles
on the side of the Muslims. For
example, Allah (4) says about the
battle of Badr:
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8 Kas St By ah si
SSSb att LySaol OB a dk
SW EO) ok,See
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yl
«(Remember) when your Lord told the
angels, “Surely, I am with you, so help
the believers. I will put fear in the
hearts of the disbelievers. So hit (with
your swords) over their necks, and on

This was recorded by at-Tabarani and Ibn Sa‘d. It was verified
to be authentic by al-Albani (Ahkam-ul-Jand’iz 75).
the 61 3-What the Angels Do
Knowing Angels
their fingers.”»1
And the Prophet (3%) said on that day:
et a eRe FA
CoA
BIBI ale 5b pele SET fe pe
Neo
<I see Jibril holding the reins of his

horse and ready with weapons for the
battle.»2
THEY REMIND THE BELIEVERS OF DOING GOOD
While devils whisper to people to do bad things, the
angels whisper to the believers to do good things.
Ibn Mas‘id (4) reported that the Prophet (3) said:
CASO11 85 LN Gye Ba
Spe 585 V] aT be pie
bw
<For each one of you is assigned a

companion from the jinns and a
companion from the angels.»
The sahabah asked the Prophet (3), “Do you too
have a companion from the jinns, O Allah’s
Messenger?” He said:
SE USSLSBM 46 Skis
<Yes, I do too. But Allah has helped me
to make him a Muslim. So he only tells
me to do good things.>3
Ibn Mas‘td (4) also reported that the Prophet (3)
said:
1. Al-Anfal 8:12.
2. This was recorded by al-Bukhari (3995) from Ibn ‘Abbas (#).
sae fa, eee fae Te 9)

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<A human is touched by a devil and an

angel. As for the devil’s touch, it is that
he calls to doing evil and denying the
truth. And as for the angel’s touch, it is
that he calls to doing good and
accepting the truth. When you feel this
(the angel’s touch), know that it is
from Allah and praise Allah for it. And
when you feel the other touch, seek
Allah’s protection from the Devil.»!
THEY TEACH THE BELIEVERS
Most of the good things that the people learnt from
their prophets were taught to them by the angels.
Jibril (4) taught the Qur'an and many other things
to the Prophet Muhammad (38).
The angels also taught us practical things to do in
our life. For example, Ubayy Bin Ka‘b (2) reported
that Allah’s Messenger (38) said:
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1. This was recorded by Ahmad and at-Tirmithi. It was verified

to be authentic by al-Albani (al-Mishkat 70).
<When Adam died, the angels washed

him with water an odd number of
times, dug his grave, and said, “This
will be a guidance (in funerals) for
Adam’s descendants.”>!
Also, Abi Hurayrah (#) reported that the
Prophet said:
244
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«After Allah created Adam, He told

him, “Go to those angels sitting out
there, give them salam, and listen to
how they will respond to you because
that will be your greeting and your
offspring’s. So Adam went to them and
said, “As-Salamu ‘alaykum—peace be
on you,” and they responded, “As-
salamu ‘alayka_ wa-rahmat-Ullah—
peace be on you, and Allah’s mercy,”
adding “Allah’s mercy” to what he
said.»
Thus, the angels taught Adam (#3) how to answer
1. This was recorded by al-Hakim and at-Tabarani, and was

verified to be authentic by al-Albani (Sahih-ul-Jami‘ 5207 and
ad-Da‘ifah 2872).
the
Angels.
the salam of others.

THEY SPEAK UPON THE TONGUES OF THE BELIEVERS
The angels are Allah’s witnesses in the heavens.
They cause the righteous believers to say the right
thing about a person—whether he is good or bad.
Anas () reported that the Prophet (38) said:
a *
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<The angels are Allah’s witnesses in the
heavens, and you (the believers) are
Allah’s witnesses on Earth. Indeed,
Allah has angels who speak upon the
tongues of people telling what good or
evil is in a person.>!
This means that the angels cause the righteous
people to have a true opinion about others. For
example, if the righteous people say that someone
is good, most probably he is.
THE ANGELS WITH THE PROPHETS
Of all believers, the angels have a special love and
respect for the prophets. They took Allah’s
revelation to them, and they gave them advice and
guidance.
In particular, we will see below that the angels do
special things for our prophet Muhammad (38).
1. This was recorded briefly by al-Bukhari (1367), Muslim (949),

and with more detail by others (as-Sahihah 1694).
Knowing
the
THEY SAY SALAH UPON THE PROPHET

The angels say salah upon the Prophet (3). This
means that they make du‘@’ for him. Allah (8%) says:
on
pig cel & ane Negana]
<Surely, Allah and His angels say salah
upon the Prophet.>!
THEY DELIVER SALAM TO THE PROPHET
There are angels whose job is to receive the salah
and salam that the Muslims say for the Prophet (38).
They then take them to him in his grave. ‘Abdullah
Bin Mas‘tid (#) reported that the Prophet (3) said:
? 7
oF
Weed sal oe sek yet Bre
he 4556 ah of
<Surely, Allah has angels that travel

over the earth and bring to me the
salam from my followers.>2
Abt Bakr () reported that the Prophet (3) said:
5
ag die Ka yy
#
ai O8 fe LANL \s
ees di JI as ghrboe be
Ee fs be Se
<Say salah for me in plenty. Indeed,
Allah has appointed an angel by my
grave. When one of my followers says
1. Al-Ahzab 33:56.
2. This was recorded by Ahmad and an-Nasa’1. It was verified to
be authentic by al-Albani (Sahih-ul-Jami‘ 2174 and al-Mishkat
884).
salah for me, the angel says, “O

Muhammad, so-and-so has just said
salah for you.”»!
THEY PROTECTED THE PROPHET FROM HARM
Abu Hurayrah (4) reported that the evil disbeliever
Abt Jahl once wanted to harm the Prophet 36) He
said, “Surely, if see Muhammad praying at the
I
Ka‘abah, I will step on his neck.” But when he tried

doing this, he was scared by great fires and wings
that he saw in front of him. When the Prophet (3)
heard of this, he said:
(Nae ace ASS y os G3 »
<if he came any closer, the angels

would surely have torn him to pieces.»2
There is an angel whom Allah has made in charge of
the mountains. He was ready to destroy the
disbelievers who harmed the Prophet (3).
‘A’ishah («&) reported that the Prophet (38) said:
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1. This was recorded by ad-Daylami, at-Tabarani, and others,

and was verified to be hasan by al-Albani (as-Sahihah 1530).
Ol (3
ce
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<I have suffered so much harm from
your people (the Quraysh). The

hardest was during the Day of
‘Aqabah!. I became so depressed that I
walked for a long time without paying
attention to anything. Finally, I found
myself at Qarn-uth-Tha‘alib2. A cloud
covered me and, looking __
up, I saw Jibril. He said, _ .

“Indeed, Allah has heard Tok ik
what your people said
and did to you. He has
sent to you the Angel of Mountains so
you would tell him what you want him
to do to them.” After giving me salam,
the Angel of Mountains said, “O
Muhammad, whatever you wish! If you
wish, I will break down the two great
mountains (of Makkah) over them.” I
said, “Rather, I hope that Allah will
raise from among their offspring those
who will worship Allah alone, not
joining any partners with Him.”>3
1. ‘Aqabah is on Makkah’s western side, at the border of Mina.

2. This was a hill approximately one kilometer beyond Mina.
The Angels with the Sinners and Disbelievers

The angels hate those who disbelieve in Allah (#
and do things that displease Him. They hate sins
and sometimes curse those who commit them.
THEY CURSE THE DISBELIEVERS
The angels curse the kuffar because they do not
believe in Allah and they do bad things. Allah (#
Says:
AES ple SINISE BiG \9 GAN 3
3
yal ©) aa ASS
«Surely, those who disbelieve in Allah
and die as kuffar, on them is the curse
of Allah, the angels, and all people.»
THEY PUNISH THE DISBELIEVERS
Sometimes, the angels bring down
Allah’s punishment and anger upon
the disbelievers and wrongdoers.
As an example, we saw earlier? that #
the angels who came to Ibrahim
were also sent to punish the people
of Lut. Allah (8) punished those
people by making the angels drop
down upon them poisonous stones from hell,
1. Al-Baqarah 2:161-162.
2. In Chapter 2.
THEY STAY AWAY FROM SINNERS

A sinner loses the company of angels and gains the
company of devils. He can only change this by
quickly repenting to Allah (48).
Ibn ‘Abbas (#) reported that the Prophet (38) said:
_
OG
chee Abts \5 LE iSO eV HS

«There are three individuals whom the
angels do not approach: a junub!, a
drunken person, and a man who wears
khalugq2.»>3
Other Things the Angels Do
THEY CONDUCT ALL AFFAIRS
Allah (%) can do everything
by Himself. Things can
happen immediately by
Allah’s command. But Allah’s
great wisdom has dictated
that things in this world happen through some
means. And the angels are among the means for
doing most things. Allah (#) decreed that the
angels bring down His revelation, record our deeds,
take our souls, and manage rain, plants, and food.
1. “Junub” is a person who is in a state of major impurity or

uncleanliness requiring ghusl (bath). It is prohibited to remain
junub for a long time, because this would prevent from prayer
and from remembering Allah.
2. “Khaliq” is a women’s perfume that contains saffron. It is
prohibited for men to wear it.
3. This was recorded by al-Bazzar and al-Bukhari (in at-Tarikh).
It was verified to be authentic by al-Albani (as-Sahihah 1804).
Allah (#) describes the angels as:

cle EO GTS ~~
«And (I swear by) those (angels) who

arrange all matters (according to
Allah’s orders).»
He (8%) also says:
OI scalp
«And (I swear by) those (angels) who
distribute all things (according to
Allah’s orders).»2
As an example, the Prophet (3%) tells us that thunder
is actually the sound of an angel who praises Allah
and manages the clouds. Ibn ‘Abbas (t&) reported
a a “ Ye
Oy we Zi °¢
GE S52 cal KS ye He Len
@ oO
yt
“ On - 4
(Au nee
G
Geb gow yb
‘Thunder is one of Allah’s Angels. He is
in charge of the clouds, and he has
spears of fire that he uses for driving
the clouds wherever Allah wills.
THEY PROTECT THE SACRED PLACES
The angels protect the three sacred cities: Makkah,
al-Madinah, and Jerusalem. The Prophet (#) said:
1. An-Nazi‘at 79:5.
Ath-Thariyat 51:4.
3. This was recorded by Ahmad, at-Tirmithi, and others. It was
bc GELY Hal Ot fe
<There are angels around the corners of
al-Madinah, so that plague and ad-Dajjal
(the Great Liar) may not enter it.>!
Anas (#) reported that the Prophet (3) said:
Spl Bath Be Vy SEI pes Yas Sch
aU Che Vie le
<Every town will be entered by ad-

Dajjal, except for Makkah and al- _
Madinah. There are angels lined up to

guard every corner around them.»2
Zayd Bin Thabit (#) reported that the Prophet (#)
said:
fe Gases |
daly ab
AG ep LEU Ge
sb
<Glad news are for Sham (Jerusalem
and the surrounding area). Allah’s
angels spread their wings over Sham.>?
1. This was recorded by al-Bukhari (1880) from Abu

Hurayrah ( as

This was recorded by at-Tirmithi and al-Hakim. It was verified
to be authentic by al-Albani (as-Sahihah 503).

1. In the following, check (v) all true
statements (1 point each):
Statement
1.1 The angels worship Allah all the time.
The angels do not fear Allah because they
1.2
know Him.
1.3 Jesus is an obedient servant to Allah.
1.4 The angels cannot obey Allah all the time.
The heavens are completely filled with
1.5
angels.
The angels descend to Earth during their
1.6
free time.
1.7 The angels are close to Allah.
1.8 The angels love whatever they want.
1.9 The angels form straight lines before Allah.
1.10 The angels say salah upon the Prophet.
The angels stay with the believers all the

1.11
time.
1.12 The angels make hajj (pilgrimage).
The angels write what the believers do, and
1.13
the jinns write what the disbelievers do.
The angels convey Allah’s messages to the
1.14
people.
1.15 “Cupid” is a friendly angel.
1.16 The angels would never harm anyone.
the 73 3-What the Angels Do
Knowing Angels
Statement ee
1.17 Al-Bayt-ul-Ma‘mtr to the angels is like al-

Ka‘bah to us.
1.18 Allah sends an angel to give us life.
When we reach puberty, an angel writes
1.19
our future.
1.20 The angels say Gmin before the imam.
There is an additional reward for making
1.21
du ‘a’ for a Muslim in his absence.
1.22 It is not important to sleep with taharah.
1.23 The angels protect the sacred places.
2. In the following, check (Y)
all true statements
about the angels who record our deeds (5 points):
Statement
2.1 There are two of them on each side of us.
2.2 They are honorable and precise.
2.3 They do not know what we do secretly.
Each of them records our good and bad
2.4
deeds.
2.5 They give us a chance to repent from our

sins.
3. The best thikr is (2 points):
4. Mention three acts of worship the angels do

(6 points):
5. Mention ten things the angels do that show their

love for the believers (10 points):
6. Mention eight situations where the angels

supplicate for the believers (8 points):
7. Mention three things the angels do that show

their love for the Prophet (38) points):
@
8. Mention five things that the angels ask Allah to

give to the believers, as in the beginning of Surat
Ghafir (10 points):
9. Mention three things that the angels do to the

kuffar and other wrongdoers (3 points):
10. Explain how the angels conduct all affairs

_
(3 points):
4.
ANGELS THAT WE KNOW
In this chapter, we introduce specific angels that

have been mentioned in the Qur’an or Sunnah, and
we highlight some important things that we know
about them.
Jibril
The most important angel is Jibril See He is
respected and obeyed by all other angels. Allah (38)
says about him:
AO BoW 0558 Mp
SAC)ol
«This (Qur'an) is surely a Word
brought by a noble Messenger (Jibril).
He is powerful, and has a high position
with the Lord of the Throne (Allah). He
is obeyed (in the heavens) and is
trustworthy.»!
NAMES OF JIBRIL
The English word for Jibril is Gabriel. Jibril is
mentioned many times in the ur an, sometimes by
name and sometimes by description.
Jibril (##) is called in the Qur'an “ar-Rih” which

means “the Spirit” or “the Life”. The reason for this
1. At-Takwir 81:19-21.
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77
4-Angels That We Know 78 Knowing the Angels
name is that Jibril is the angel who carried the

(%#a)
teachings from Allah (3) to the Prophets. These
teachings gave life and spirit to the hearts of many
people.
Jibril (sa) was also chosen to blow the life of the
noble prophet ‘Isa (#s) into the body of his mother
Maryam. He breathed into an opening in her
clothes. The breath traveled into her body, and she
became pregnant with ‘Isa (sa).
Jibril (#4) is also called “ar-Rih-ul-Amin” which
means “the Trustworthy Spirit”. Allah (8) says:
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«And truly, this
(Qur’an) is sent down
from the Lord of the worlds. The
Trustworthy Spirit has brought it
down upon your heart (O Muhammad),
so that you may be of the warners.»!
Allah gave Jibril the most important responsibility
of delivering His messages to the human
messengers.
Jibril (#) is also called “Rtth-ul-Qudus”, which
means “the Spirit that Belongs to the Holy One.”
“The Holy One” or “al-Qudus” is Allah (@). Allah
also called Jibril “Ruhuna”, which means, “the Spirit
that Belongs to Us.”
1. Ash-Shu‘ara@ 26:192-194.
the 79 That We Know
Knowing Angels 4-Angels
THE FIRST MEETING WITH THE PROPHET

The Prophet Muhammad (38)
saw Jibril for the first time in
Makkah. The Prophet (3%)
was sitting alone at the
entrance of a small cave on a
mountainside when he saw
him up in the sky. Jibril then
came down until he was very close to the
Prophet (3). Allah (8) says:
EO walt 23 SHA ey? 5G

«And he (Jibril) was at a distance of
two bow lengths or nearer. And He
(Allah) revealed to His servant
(Muhammad) what He revealed.»!
‘Aishah (v4) said that the Prophet (3) told her:
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<l saw twice in his actual
Jibril Sek)
form in which Allah created him: once

at Sidrat-ul-Muntaha2, and once in
Ajyad3. I saw him flying down from
heaven, having six-hundred wings, and
1. An-Najm 53:8-9.
2. This is the “Destination Fern Tree” at the Throne.
3. This is a place in Makkah.
his huge size covered all space from

heaven to Earth.>!
Ibn Mas‘td (4%) reported that the Prophet (3) said:
(ily gle 4
3 a
2% a be gu
came to me wearing green silk
jibril
garments with pearls attached to
them.>2
‘Abdullah Bin also
Mas'ud (#)a "reported:
_ Hi.ple
4)
143734 Sul gw (51)
dete ch
1855
<Allah’s Messenger (38) saw a_ green

pe 3
screen covering the horizon. He saw Jibril

in his (original) form, with six-hundred
wings.>3
Of course, when Jibril took a human form, he did
not have the wings, nor did he come in that large
size. Rather, he resembled a handsome sahabi
called Duhyah al-Kalbti (#).
A’ishah and Jabir (#)
of
pow E515
a hh
<The person that I saw most similar to
1. This is combined from al-Bukharl (3234-3235) and Muslim

(177).
2. This was recorded by Ahmad and ad-Daraqutni; it was
3. This is combined from al-Bukhari (3232-3233) and Muslim
(174).
Knowing the Angels 81
4-Angels That We Know
Jibril is Duhyah al-Kalbi.>!

COMPANION DuRriNG /SRA’ AND
Jibril accompanied the Prophet (3) on his night

journey from Makkah to Jerusalem. That journey is
called al-Isra’. During the same night, he also went
up with the Prophet (4%) on a journey to the
heavens. That journey is called al-Mi‘rdj.
The story of al-Mi‘rdj is told by Anas Bin Malik (4s).
He said that Allah's Messenger (38) said:
bo jie JB a lg oy aks Ep
ba cle pi oly
hed
Gg ie co ales
3
xi i Sg ho SEs Wey ES sea
<While I was at Makkah, the roof of my
house opened and Jibril descended. He
opened my chest and washed it with
Zamzam water. Then he brought a
golden bowl full of wisdom and faith,
poured its contents into my chest, and
closed it.»
The Prophet (3%) then described the Isrd’ from
Makkah to Jerusalem. Then he continued:
3 “ - tube
Oi fete SG CJM ot y
ae 08
guy SETS
4
aan
Je re! SES dai4 Te" LW
ov
oon a
etn 4 “iM
Sel SB" ES aaad Gas ja"
1. This was recorded by Muslim (167) and others (see as-

Sahihah 1111).
CU NUS a asda” as” SE 8a)

<He took my hand and ascended with
me. When we reached the lowest
heaven, Jibril said to its gatekeeper,
“Open the gate.” The angel asked,
“Who is it?” Jibril answered, “This is
Jibril.”. The angel asked, “Is there
anyone with you?” Jibril replied, “Yes,
Muhammad (3) is with me.” The angel
asked, “Has he been summoned?” Jibril
replied, “Yes.” So the gate was opened,
and we went up into the lowest
heaven.>!
This hadith continues to tell the story of the trip of
the Prophet (3) with Jibril all the way up to the
highest heaven. Jibril then showed him Jannah:
CAA IF yy ogg Joes gs 55 Ht Chest sh
< o@ ota
<I was then admitted into Jannah. I saw

in it tents made of pearls, and I found
that its soil is made of musk.”>2
The full story of al-Isrd’ and al-Mi‘raj is long, and we
hope to have it in a separate book, in-sha@’ Allah.
TEACHING QuR'AN TO THE PROPHET
Jibril (=) brought the Qur’an |
from Allah(ss) to the

2. This was recorded by al-Bukhari (349), Muslim (163), and
others.
Knowing the Angels 83 4-Angels That We Know
Prophet (3). He taught the Prophet (#4) how to read

it and understand it. Fatimah said that her ()
father, the Prophet (32), told her shortly before he
died:
ier O})
£
3 Gf
aye
ee al Sah ig (LET Ze Vy olg V5 Suy pt
aye
MGAJI 5 BBs nly ah 2b 6S

<dndeed, Jibril used to check my
knowledge of the Qur’an once every
year. But indeed, he has done this
twice this year. I only see this as a sign
that my time (of death) has come. And
indeed, you are the first member of my
household to follow me. So fear Allah
and be patient. Indeed, I am the best
role-model for you.>1
Jibril usually taught the Qur’an to the Prophet (3)
during the month of Ramadan. Ibn ‘Abbas (t#) said:
a, gl tes A
Olas; GO SS be S51 OSG ._ WI S551 al D425 OW)

Boek Teh Fo ae
TEL a5) al Saat col jal aa tas ener asl Oe
ogy Ae
«
ALON Ge
<The Messenger of Allah (34) was the most
generous person. And he was most
generous during Ramadan when Jibril

others. The last sentence is not in al-Bukhari or Muslim, but is
came to him to teach him the Quran.

Surely, the Messenger of Allah was then
more generous than free wind.>!
TEACHING THE PROPHET AND THE MUSLIMS
Jibril (ss) gave much advice to the Prophet (3%) and
taught him many important things. We have seen
how he visited the Masjid of the Prophet (3) and
taught the Muslims about Islam, Imdn, and Ihsan?
In another example, ‘A’ishah said that the
Prophet (38) said:
2 SEF
sy
(145
geo
008,
CES Ss dt fe
ee I IIS la»
<Jibril kept telling me to be kind to the
neighbors until I thought that he
would tell me to give them of the
inheritance?,>+
Jibril taught the Prophet (#) how to perform wudu’
and prayer. The Prophet (38) said:
Ao IG IIa bie ath

4 ° Goer z oe. ° «a
cls
«In the beginning of my message, Jibril
came to me and taught me how to
perform wudw’ and salah.5

2. This incident is detailed in Knowing Allah, which is the first
book of the Jman Made Easy series.
3. Money left by a person after death.
5. This was recorded by Ibn Majah, Ahmad, and others, from
Zayd Bin Harithah (#). It was verified to be authentic by al-
Albani (as-Sahihah 841).
Knowing
the 85 4-Angels
That We Know
Angels
The Prophet (3) also tells us that Jibril taught him

how and when to perform the five prayers:
Lhe Ga Sh oh
a Soha Ip
288
(40 ELL ites Ete ab clos

<jibril descended and led me in the
prayer. I prayed with him, then I
prayed with him (the next prayer),
then I prayed with him, then I prayed
with him, then I prayed with him.
Jibril and Mika’ll also taught the Prophet (38) how to
read the ur’an in seven different ways.2
SUPPLICATING FOR THE PROPHET
Jibril (#) taught the Prophet (3) many du‘a’s and
athkar for protection from harm. For example, Abu
Sa‘id al-Khudri (4) reported that once Jibril visited
the Prophet (#) and asked him, “O Muhammad, are
you sick?” He replied, « <Yes. Jibril then said:
SF yn
pail IS 7b ye ELSE eed IS Lye ASST atl
LEST ah peg Ab Lule

ote
<Bismillahi arqik, min kulli shay’in
yu thik, min sharri kulli nafsin aw ‘ayni
hadsid; Allah yashfik; bismillahi arqik—
With Allah’s Name I shelter you, from

others from Abt Mas‘id (8).
2. This was recorded by an-Nasa’l, Ahmad, and others, from
Ubayy Bin Ka‘b (#). It was verified to be authentic by al-
Albani (as-Sahihah 841).
Inat we Know tne
4-Angels 6oO Knowing Angels
all that ails you, from the evil of any

soul, and that of the envious eye. May
Allah cure you; with Allah’s Name I
shelter you.>!
SAYING SALAM TO THE PROPHET’S WIVES
Jibril (ss) would often ask the Prophet (32) to give
salam to his wives. For example, Abi Hurayrah (#4)
reported that the Prophet (3) said that Jibril told
him:
iy NS lah aie
ie MIE Se
<O Muhammad, give salam to Khadijah
from her Lord.2
Similarly, ‘A’ishah (s&) reported that on a number
of occasions, the Prophet (3) would say to her:
CSE SE fete 1k
<O‘A’ishah, Jibril is here, and he gives
you salam.
Mika ‘Tl
Mika’ll is one of the nearest angels to Allah. Some of
the scholars believe that his jobs include bringing
rain, plants, and food to the creation (all by Allah's
permission). We must love him and all the angels,
as Allah (38) says:
-
er BG SE OE
fer bse ge
rye
Safes sh 055 os B

BEC) & poe at OG

«Whoever is an enemy of Allah, His
angels, His messengers, Jibril, and
Mikal: surely, Allah is an enemy to the
disbelievers.»!
Mika’ll stopped smiling when Allah (8) created
hell. The Prophet (3) said:
SES KAS flee2d ge :

jose Elon
O 5Neca ES Ged
asked Jibril, “Why do I never see
«dl
Mika’il smile?” Jibril replied, “Mika’il

never smiled since the Fire was
created.”»2
israfil and the Horn Blower
Israfil (#=) is not mentioned in the Qur’an, but is
mentioned in the following du‘a@’ that the
Prophet (3) sometimes said when he started his
night prayers:
ARN 5bU fall 215
is
file huts
256
Keb Nolte SA CT bly wedi dle ly
1. Al-Baqgarah 2:98.
2. This was recorded by Ahmad and Ibn Abi ad-Dunya from
Anas a)
It was verified to be hasan by al-Albani (as-Sahihah
2511).
4-Angels
That We Know 88 Knowing
the Angels
eG °
ye
BE) Bay GE Se ad CHEE IS Gaal 8 ga 093

1
IS
cee bi- ts Se
dy
<All4ahumma rabba jibrila wa-mika’lla

wa-israfil, fatir as-samawati wal-ard,
‘alim al-ghaybi wash-shahadah, anta
tahkumu bayna ‘ibadika fima kani fthi
yakhtalifin. Ihdini li-ma-khtulifa fihi
min al-haqqi bi-ithnika, innaka tahdi
man tasha’u tla siratin mustaqim—
Oh Allah! You are the Lord of Jibril,
Mika’ll, and Israfil. You are the Creator
of the heavens and Earth. You know all
about what we cannot see and what we
can see. You judge among Your
servants when they disagree. So guide
me, by Your permission, to the truth
when the people differ. You truly guide
whom You will to the Straight Path.!
When Allah wants to end the life in this world, a
horn will be blown. Everyone will
then die except for those whom
Allah wants to keep alive. The ws”
horn will be blown again, and everyone will rise
from death. Allah (8%) says:
seal 8
BSS
PING CH) Sf bs’1G AG wth as 2

«And the Horn will be blown. All who
1. This was recorded by Muslim (770) from ‘A’ishah (vw).
are in the heavens and on Earth will

fall dead, except those whom Allah will
spare. Then it will be blown again, and
at once they will all be standing and
looking around them.»!
This Horn will be blown by an angel whom Allah
appointed for this job. Abt’ Hurayrah (4) reported
pS tes Geet y Js 2 5 AI ole Gib op

iis Os Eb GS SE shi
£91055 ols3s
«Indeed, the eyesight of the holder of
the Horn is ever-ready since he was
given charge of it. He looks steadily
toward the Throne, fearing (if he
blinks) that the command will come
before his glance returns to him. His
eyes are like two bright planets.»2
Similarly, Abi Sa‘id al-Khudri and a number of
other sahadbah (#) reported that the Prophet (3)
said:
CGE 355 ial oS Lele pith 85 asi

w2S)
(
pty OEE cea enol
01
Ce ON
<How can I feel secure when the holder
1. Az-Zumar 39:68.
This was recorded by al-Hakim and was verified to be
authentic by al-Albani (as-Sahihah 1078).
of the Horn has placed the Horn

against his mouth and has bent his
forehead. He listens carefully, awaiting
the command to blow so as to blow it.»!
There is no authentic hadith giving the name of the
Horn Blower, but most ‘ulamd’ believe that it is
Israfil (ss).
The Angel of Death and His Helpers
THE ANGEL OF DEATH
Allah gave some of
the angels the job of
taking the lives of people. The chief of these angels
is known as the Angel of Death. Allah (8) says
about him:
Bre
BR Syl als
§ WEG SS Gf
«Tell them (O Muhammad), “The Angel
of Death, who is assigned to you, will
take away your lives. Then you will be
brought before your Lord.”»2
Some people call the Angel of Death “Izra’il”. As we
indicated earlier3, it is wrong to use this name
because it is not mentioned in the Qur’an or
Sunnah.
1. This was recorded by Ahmad, at-Tirmithi, and others. It was

2. As-Sajdah 32:11.
3. InChapter 1.
THE ANGEL OF DEATH WITH MUSA

In the early times, the Angel of Death sometimes
came to humans in the form of a man. This
happened to the noble prophet Musa (ss). When
the angel came to take away his life, Misa did not
recognize him at first. When he told him, “Get ready
to die,” Misa thought that he was an evil person
trying to harm him, so he punched him in the eye.
Abi Hurayrah (#) reported that the Prophet (38)
said:
ge gag AS he 551 5h He Sp
oll ME BRE og ial "85 col aj Sls

<The Angel of Death used to come to
(some) people in a visible way (i.e., in
the form of a man). So, he came to
Misa Se and said to him, “Come to
your Lord.” On hearing this, Musa
punched him and knocked out his eye
Y Aoi By 7 tt Js! YH gs ho
Che Vis. cs 1B 55
Bele tears SSL
<The angel went back to Allah and said,
“My Lord, You sent me to a person who
does not wish to die. Indeed, he has
knocked out my eye. If he did not have
a noble position with You, I would
have dealt with him harshly.”>
x Be? ed
Gay5 SEN fab gle
om 4,0
A wep
5" UBS ze a) Ab
OF ga BLT
3550
That We Know 92
4-Angels Knowing the Angels
DE ENS cy
OS oh Se B05 aad BAIA 5 Cis OF

i "ic
tas EO 358 34
Ue
<So Allah restored his eye and said, “Go

back to my servant and ask him if he
wishes to live longer. If he does, then
tell him to put his hand on the back of
a bull. For every hair that his hand
touches, he will have a year to live.”>
we OMB" SES lh
SB
SG9s CP St
sein
Fee 5 A Wo Ge ISS.See
ce ON GY WS a
<When the angel told Misa this, Musa
asked Allah (3%), “What after that long
life, my Lord?” Allah revealed to Musa,
“After that, you will die.” Musa said,
“Then, let it be now. And my Lord, let
me die a stone’s throw away from the
Holy Land.” So with one sniff, the
Angel of Death took Miisa’s soul. After
this incident, the Angel of Death
always came to people in an invisible
form.
The Prophet Muhammad (3) then added:
GE N28 SENsate Si 3)
<If I was near that place, I would have
1. This means Jerusalem.

Knowing the Angels 93 4-Angels
That We Know
shown you his grave by the road at the

foot of the red mountain.>!
THE HELPERS OF THE ANGEL OF DEATH
There are other angels who accompany the Angel of
Death when he takes the souls from the bodies.
They come with him when a person is close to
death. Allah (8%) says about them:
EO SEB hs OSS ED
ele
«When death comes to one of you, Our
messengers (the angels) take his soul,
and they never neglect their duty.»
There are many hadiths about the Angel of Death
and his helpers. For example, the Prophet (38) said:
Leh 4S cls OS Se ITI als)

ote - oe 7" oie 2 ote
Ho IST Ces GIGS
oN"
SE" WS Gs
abl Sb". eh 2s
yg all
GS 2h 32
Sls ol
ely iF
Wh ge Uo des
<The angels took the soul of a man
from the previous nations. They asked
him, “Have you done any good deeds?”
He said, “No, except that I used to lend
money to people, and I was easy in
1. This hadith was recorded by al-Bukhart (3407), Muslim

(2372), Ahmad, and others (see as-Sahihah 3279).
2. Al-An‘dm 6:61.
demanding repayment from_ the

wealthy, and I pardoned the poor,
hoping that Allah (3) would pardon
me.” Allah then said, “I have more right
to pardon than you.” And He
commanded the angels, “Pardon my
servant.”>!
There are two types of these angels of death: the
angels of mercy and the angels of punishment. They
are both mentioned by the Prophet (%) in the
following story:
Es SS ud Cees
é
£5 OS ceed oy
[5 drs pa)
tats (5G SG 20 Le JS oN a eI
(Bba [55 EY" SU SoS MG
LL Spal
<A man from the people who lived
before you killed ninety-nine persons.
He wanted to repent, so he asked who
was the most learned person on earth.
He was directed to a monk. He went to
him and told him that he had killed
ninety-nine persons, and asked if he
may repent. The monk said, “No!” The
man killed him, making this his
hundredth murder.
Oy JUS le 5 be 55 25M jal lefts Sus »
1. This was recorded by al-Bukhari (2077) and Muslim (1560)

from Huthayfah and Abii Hurayrah (‘#).
5 aS
SB HS tT GL
eb ain its et
5
os 1585 155 251 Sy Sibi a5
C55 SHEE Het Sy pe 5 V5 paca alt
<Still wishing to repent, the man again
asked who was the most learned
person on earth. He was directed to a
‘alim (scholar). He
went to him and told
him that he had
killed one hundred
persons, and asked if .,
he may repent. The
‘alim answered, “Certainly! Who can
prevent you from repenting? Go to
such-and-such town. You will find
people who worship Allah, so worship
Him with them, and do not return to
your land because it is an evil land.”>
la»
13)
sli, He EAE HAN ENE ie Be; HI

a5 SAS Kae L155". Sus att J)
<Following the ‘alim’s advice, the man
started in the direction of the good
town. When he was near the middle of
the way, he suddenly died.
The angels of mercy and the angels of
punishment disputed over him. The
4-Angels
Inat we Know yo Knowing
tne Angels
angels of mercy said, “He came

repenting, his heart turning’ to
Allah 36) The angels of punishment
said, “But he never did a good deed.”>
Shyla” SUS Gs 6 gla
265735 9 Ge
Gy
3\
9s 221 GS ST OS eelI gh
NIE BAS Sst St 25M
<Allah then sent an angel in the form of
a man to resolve the dispute. He said,
“Measure his distance to each of the
two lands, and consider that he
belonged to the land nearer to him.”
They did this and
found him just a little
nearer to the good
land. So, the angels of
mercy took his soul.>!
THE ANGELS OF MERCY
The angels of mercy come to the believers at the
time of death in a kind manner. They remove their
souls kindly and tell them of their great rewards in
Jannah. Allah (8%) says:
oll 5
2
Fee =HHA
A AG? 4
».
TE GES
Ves lS anf
La,
5 |
UIA Y Ys Vela yi

others from Abii Sa‘id al-Khudri (4).
chai£525 BC ys Boyt a
«Surely, those who say, “Our Lord is

Allah Alone,” and do good, the angels
descend to them (at the time of death)
saying, “Do not be afraid or sad. We
bring you the good news of the Jannah
that you have been promised. We have
been your friends in the life of this
world, and will be so in_ the
hereafter.”»!
THE ANGELS OF PUNISHMENT
The angels of punishment come to the disbelievers
at the time of death in a cruel and horrible manner.
They tear out their souls and beat them hard.
Allah (3) says:
4) At Jah AS Shs BA SG 1s
GS %
dor
«Then how will it be when the angels

will take their souls at death, beating
their faces and backs?»?
Malik and the Guards of Hell

The guards of hell keep it hot and
burning for the evil people. Their
leader is called Malik. Allah (#8) says:
1. Fussilat 41:30-31.
2. Muhammad 47:27.
}|nat we Know
4 Angelis YG Knowing tne Angels
INE WL SD
«Then let him (Abi Jahl) call upon his
helpers: We will call the guards of hell
(to deal with him).»1
Malik has no mercy or kindness toward the kuffar.
Allah (8%) says:
GEE oh
BO GIS KYSE Sees Gp
SHIELD Sd SSS, M
«And they (the people of the Fire) will
cry, “O Malik! Let your Lord make an
end of us.” He will say, “You will stay!
Indeed, We have brought the truth to
you, but most of you (people) have a
hatred for the truth.’»2
Munkar and Nakir
Munkar and Nakir are two angels whose job is to
question the people in their grave. They ask them
about their Lord, their religion, and about the
Prophet Muhammad (3%). The believers give right
answers to these questions, which result in a restful
stay in the grave. The disbelievers give wrong
answers, which result in their punishment in the
grave.3 The Prophet (32) said:
1. Al-‘Alaq 96:17-18.
2. Az-Zukhruf 63:77-78.
3. This is detailed in the Author’s book, Life in al-Barzakh.
(Kee {oi
E15 ZEA
<When a dead person is buried, two

black-blue angels come to him. One of
them is called Munkar, and the other
Nakir.>!
Hardt and Marit
Hartt and Marut are two angels that Allah (8)
mentions in the Qur’an.? He sent them to an old city
called Babylon where the devils taught its people
magic. The two angels showed the people a more
powerful magic, but warned them, “If you insist on
learning this from us, you should know that we
have only been sent to try you with this knowledge.
Magic often leads to disbelief in Allah and to evil.”
The devils and the evil people learned from these
two angels magic that enabled them to break-up
families and caused great harm on earth. By that,
they deserved Allah’s anger and punishment.
Conclusion
Correct belief in the angels helps us know these
sublime and righteous beings. It also teaches us
what we should do to deserve their love, help, and
support.
1. This was recorded by at-Tirmithi from Abt Hurayrah. It was

verified to be hasan (good) by al-Albani (Sahih-ul-Jami‘ 724
and as-Sahihah 1391).
That We Know 100
Knowing the Angels
4-Angels
With this belief, we also understand that those who

obey Allah (3%) are many more than those who do
not. They include the angels and multitudes of
other created things. The disobedient humans are
indeed very few compared to them.
Indeed, Allah (8) only loves the obedient, and will
surely admit them into His Jannah. May He make us
of them, amin.
Knowing the Angels 101
4-Angels That We Know

1. In the following, check (v) all true
statements (1 point each):
Statement
The first time that the Prophet (3) saw
11
Jibril was in his house in Makkah.
1.2 Jibril went with the Prophet (#) to the
seventh heaven.
Al-Isrd’ was the trip from Makkah to al-
1.3
Madinah.
was the trip from Makkah to
14 |Al-Mi‘raj
Jerusalem.
The Prophet (3) knew how to perform
1.5
wudw’ and pray since he was a child.
The Prophet (3) was the most generous
1.6
person.
1.7 Jibril learned Qur’an from the Prophet (3).
1.8 Jibril often gave advice to the Prophet (3).
1.9 Misa a8) was afraid to die.
Allah is kind to those who are kind to the
1.10
poor.
Allah does not accept the repentance of a
1.11
killer.
1.12 The Angel of Death is called *Izra’il.
The angels of mercy take the souls of the
1.13
believers.
The people in the Fire will be allowed to
1.14
die.
4-Angels
That We Know 102 Knowing the Angels
Statement
~
Munkar and Nakir take the disbelievers’

1.15
souls.
The disbelievers’ souls are removed
1.16
harshly at death.
The Prophet (3) saw Jibril in his original
1.17
form every Friday.
1.18 There is a tree by Allah’s Throne.
1.19 There are pearls on Jibril’s garments.
1.20 Jibril liked to speak to Duhyah al-Kalbi.
1.21 The soil of Jannah is made of musk.
An angel performed surgery for the
1.22
Prophet (3).
1.23 Jibril does not need permission to enter
into the heavens.
1.24 Fatimah (%) died shortly before the

Prophet (28).
1.25 A Muslim should be kind to his
neighbors.
1.26
The Prophet (3) learned things from both
Jibril and Mika’il.
1.27 Jibril shook hands with Khadijah and
‘A’ishah.
1.28
When the Prophet (3) was sick, Jibril said a
du‘a@’ for him.
1.29 Mika’ll is the most humorous angel.
1.30 Israfil is mentioned in the Qur’an.
1.31 Israfil is probably the Horn Blower.
Statement
1.32
The Horn Blower will get ready to blow it
after the return of ‘Isa.
1.33 The Horn Blower never blinks.
1.34
The Angel of Death used to come in human
form.
1.35
Musa had the choice to live thousands of
years.
1.36 Misa died very close to Jerusalem.
1.37
The angels never dispute among each
other.
1.38 Hartt and Marit came to Babylon.
1.39 Among Allah’s creation, the obedient are
less than the disobedient.
1.40
The Prophet’s (38) heart was filled with
wisdom.
1.41
It is important to live among righteous
people.
2. Mention 6 qualities of Jibril as in Sdrat at-Takwir
(12 points):
3. Mention 2 of Jibril’s names in the Qur’an (4 points):
4, Use arrows (—) to match between the angel

names (left) and their tasks (right). The option “No
authentic mention” applies to angels who were not
named in the Qur'an or authentic Sunnah, yet many
people give them certain names. (8 points):
Names Tasks
{ Munkar \ Blows the

4
& Nakir i \ _ Horn
*Izra
il
|
}
\
Try people in
thegrave
|
{ Harit& |
Marat
\ 7 Brings rain }
Coan \.
andfood ]
No authentic.)
Raqib
mention
‘Atid
\
( Radwan } In charge of
Hell
Malik
Tried the
people with
Mika’ll
magic
REFERENCES
Al-‘Agidat-ul-Islamiyyah (The Islamic Creed), Muham-

mad Zinui, Mu/’assasat-ul-Haramayn, Riyadh, 1410
(1990).
Al-‘Aqidat-us-Sahihah (The Correct Creed), ‘Abd-ul-‘Aziz
Bin Baz, Dar-ul-Watan, Riyadh, 1412 (1992).
Al-Bayanu fi Arkan-il-Islam (Clarification Regarding the
Pillars of Islam), Majd Makki, Dar-Nir-il-Maktabat,
Jeddah, 1424 (2003).
Al-Iman (Iman), Muhammad Yasin, (publisher & date
not noted.)
Al-Irshadu ila Sahihi-littiqad (Guidance to Correct
Beliefs), Salih al-Fawzan, Dar-uth-Thakha’ir, Dammam,
1414 (1994).
Al-Mal@ikat-ul-Mugqarrabin (The Nearest Angels),
Muhammad al-‘Aqil, Adwa’-us-Salaf, Riyadh, 1422
(2002).
‘Alam-ul-Mald@’ikat-il-Abrar (World of the Righteous
Angels), ‘Umar al-Ashgar, Dar-un-Nafa’is, Amman, 1410
(1990).
A‘lam-us-Sunnat-il-Manshirati li-‘Tiqdd-it-T@ifat-in-Na-
jiyat-il-Mansutrah (Raised Banners of Sunnah for the
Saved and Victorious Group’s Creed), Hafiz Bin Ahmad
al-Hakami, Maktabat-ul-Ghuraba’, Madinah, 1418
(1997).
‘Aqidat-ul-Firqat-in-Najiyah (Creed of the Saved Sect),
Muhammad Bin ‘Abd-il-Wahhab, ad-Dar-us-Salafiyyah,
Kuwait, (date not noted.)
105
References 106 Knowing the Angels
Ras@il fil-‘Aqidah (Essays in Creed), Muhammad Bin

Salih al-‘Uthaymin, Dar Taybah, Riyadh, 1406 (1986).
Sharhu Hadithi Jibril fi Ta‘lim-id-Din (Explanation of
Jibril’s hadith of Teaching the Religion), ‘Abd-ul-Muhsin
al-‘Abbad al-Badr, Safir Printers, Riyadh, 1424 (2003).
Sharhu Usil-il-Iman (Explanation of the Basics of Iman),
Muhammad Bin Salih al-Uthaymin, Dar-ul-Watan,
Riyadh, 1414 (1994).
Tathir-ul-Jina@ni_ wal-Arkan ‘an Daran-ish-Shirki wal-
Kufran (Purifying the Heart and Limbs from the Dirt of
Polytheism and Disbelief), Ahmad Bin Hajar Al Batami,
Idaratu Ihya’-it-Turath-il-Is]ami, Qatar, (date not noted.)
APPENDIX:
ARABIC TERMINOLOGY
Introduction
TRANSLATING AND REFERENCING QUR’ AN AND HADITH
The Qur’an contains Allah’s exact words. These words cannot
be precisely translated into other languages because of possible
misinterpretation and limited human understanding. We may
only translate the meanings as understood by trustworthy
Islamic scholars. With this in mind, our Quranic quotes include
the Arabic text, the English meaning in «boldface», and a
footnote specifying the location of the cited adyah(s).
Likewise, our hadith quotes (as well as some quotes from the
Salaf) include the Arabic text, the English meaning in
«boldface», and a footnote briefly specifying its location in
hadith compilations and its level of authenticity. If the hadith
contains a supplication or exaltation, we normally include a
transliteration of its text.
RELEVANT CHARTS
Near the end of this appendix, we present two important charts.
The first defines the transliteration symbols used in this book.
The second defines veneration terms that should be uttered at
the mention of Allah or one of His righteous worshipers.
ARABIC TERMS
The following glossary contains definitions of Arabic terms that
are commonly used in Islamic discussions. These terms
constitute a basic vocabulary for readers of Islamic material.
The glossary is followed with charts of Arabic week-days,
Islamic lunar months, and important Islamic places.
Other terms specifically pertinent to the current book are
included in the “Index” section at the end of this appendix,
together with a page-reference indicating where they are first
defined in this book.
107
Arabic Terminology 108 the
Knowing Angels
Glossary of Common Terms

Term Definition
‘Abd Slave, servant, or worshiper. Pl.: ‘tbdd or ‘abid.
|Adab Good characters or manners; etiquette. Pl.: ddab.
Akhirah |Thelast life (or hereafter).
Al- The first chapter of the Qur'an.
Fatihah
‘Alim Scholar; learned man.
‘Allamah |Exaggerated form of “‘alim”.
Amin “O Allah, grant my request,” said in concluding a du‘a’.
Ansar Residents of Madinah who supported the Prophet (38).
‘Asr Afternoon; the third daily obligatory prayer.

Athan Announcement; call to the prayer.
Weakness that requires protection; body-parts that
‘Awrah
should be concealed from others.
Miracle; sign; a of the text that is
Ayah portion Qur’anic
usually one sentence in length. Pl.: ayat.
Bid‘ah unjustified change in the Islamic teachings.
_|Innovation;
Da‘wah_|Call; mission.
Din Religion - often used in reference to Islam.
Dinar Old currency x 4.25 g of 22k gold in today’s standards.
Dirham |Old currency = 3.0 g of pure silver in today's standards.
Du‘@’ Invocation; supplication; prayer.

Dunya |Thelower (i.e., worldly) life.
Fajr Dawn; the first daily obligatory prayer.
Obligation. Fard Kifayah: A communal obligation that
Fard must be performed by at least a few Muslims. Fard ‘Ayn:
An obligation upon every Muslim.
Fatwa |Religious verdict. Pi fatawad or fatawi.
Understanding; Islamic jurisprudence—a subject
Figh
dealing with practical regulations in Islam.
the 109 Arabic Terminology
Knowing Angels
Term Definition
Fitnah |Trial; test; temptation; affliction.
Fitrah |The pure nature upon which Allah (3€) created people.
Ghayb knowledge beyond the reach of human perception.
|All
Bath; ritual bath required after intercourse, ejaculation,

Ghusl
and after woman completes her menses.
a
Talk; speech; reports of the Prophet’s (38) sayings,

Hadith . .
actions, and tacit approvals.
Hajj Major pilgrimage to Makkah.
Halal Permissible.
Halqah |Circle or ring; study circle.
Haram _|Prohibited.
Hasan Good; acceptable.
Hilal Crescent.
Hijab Cover; curtain; the Muslim woman’s proper attire.

Hijrah __|Migration; the early Muslims’ migration to al-Madinah.
‘Id Festival. Pl.: a‘yad.
Ihram
Prohibition; a state assumed by pilgrims, prohibiting for
°
them specific acts, such as hunting, perfume, marriage.
Ijma‘ Consensus.
Ability to reach correct conclusions from the available

Ijtihad .
evidence.
Leader (of a nation, prayer, etc.); distinguished Islamic
Ima
mam
scholar.
Iman Faith; belief.
Iqa@mah_ ‘Establishment; call for starting the prayer.
‘Isha’ Night time; the fifth daily obligatory prayer.
Isndd Chain of narrators of a hadith.
Jahan-_ |Hell.
nam
Jahiliy- |The era of ignorance (jahl) and disbelief prior to Islam.

lyah
Arabic Terminology lio Knowing
the
Angels
Term Definition
Jama‘ah |Muslim community; congregation of prayer.
State of “uncleanliness” arising from ejaculation or

Jandbah intercourse. Jandbah is terminated with ghusl.
Jandzah \Funeral.
Jannah |Garden; the gardens of paradise.

ihad Striving (or fighting) for Allah’s cause.
Creation that Allah (3) made from fire, sometimes
Jinn translated as “demon”. Satan is one of the jinns.
Jumu‘ah |Friday; the Friday mid-day prayer.
Junub Person in a state ofjandbah.
Kafir Person who practices kufr. Pl.: kuffar.

Successor. A Muslim ruler who succeeded the
Khalifah Prophet (3%). Pl.: khulafa’.
Khamr |Aicoholic beverage.
Khildfah |Succession; caliphate - a khalifah’s rule.

Kufr Ingratitude; disbelief; rejection of the faith of Islam.
Khutbah |Speech; sermon.
Maghrib |Sunset; the fourth daily obligatory prayer.
act thatis disapproved but not prohibited in
Makriah Disliked;
Islam.
A man closely related to woman and. permanently
a
prohibited from marrying her; examples: father, son,

Mahram |brother, uncle, nephew, father-in-law, son-in-law, son
through nursing. Non-mahrams_ include: cousin,
stepbrother, brother-in-law.
Masjid _\Place designated for sujiid; mosque.
Mathhab
Way or approach. It often refers to one of the four
schools offiqh: the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi, or Hanbali.
Minbar _|Raisedplatform in a masjid for delivering a khutbah.
Mufti A ‘alim who gives fatwa.
Migrant; immigrant; person who undertakes hijrah. Pl:
Muhajir muhdjirii(i)n.
Knowing the Angels m Arabic Terminology
Term Definition
Mujahid |Person who performs jihad. Pl.: mujahidu(i)n.
Munkar |Disapproved or rejected act. Pl.: munkarat.

Musalld_ |Placedesignated for salah (or prayer).
Mushaf_ Collection of “suhuf” or sheets; book of the Qur’anic text.
Mushrik |\Person who practices shirk, PL: mushrikd(i)n.
Nafl Extra; voluntary; supererogatory deeds.

Qada’ Allah’s decree and measure.
Qadar __|Allah’s predestination; often used as synonym of gada’.
Qiblah _|Direction of al-Ka‘bah in Makkah.
Qiyam __|Standing; the night prayer.
Quast
Holy. A qudst a
hadith is statement
that the Prophet
()
attributes to Allah (88), though it is not from the Qur’an.
Rak‘ah |Full prayer unit, containing one ruki‘. Pl: rak‘at.
Riba Usury; interest.

Ruki‘ Bowing; bowing in the prayer.
Sadaqah |Charity.
Sahadbah |Companions of the Prophet (38). Singular: sahabi.
Sahih True; authentic.
Salaf The early righteous pioneers and scholars of Islam.
Salah Prayer; supplicating for the Prophet (3%).
Salam Peace; greeting with peace: as-salamu ‘alaykum.
Sanad___|Sameas isnad.
Shaha- Testimony; the Testimony of Islam: “There is no true

god but Allah, and is Allah’s Messenger’;
dah Muhammad
martyrdom for Allah’s (€) cause.
person for Allah’s cause. Fem.:
Shahid Witness; martyred
shahidah, shuhada’.
Pl\.:
Middle-East area of Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and

Sham
Lebanon.
Shar‘(or |The Islamic Law. Shari: legislated or permissible
Shari‘ah) Legislator (Allah 4).
|matter. Ash-Shdri‘: the
Arabic 112 the
Terminology Knowing Angels
Term Definition
Elderly man; title of respect for man with an above-
a
Shaykh
average level of Islamic knowledge.
Shaytdn |Satan; devil.
Shirk Polytheism; paganism; joining partners with Allah (4).
Sirah Biography; the Prophet's (38) biography.
Siwak Stick from a desert tree, used for brushing the teeth.
Siyam Fasting.
Sujiid Prostration; prostration in the prayer.
the Prophet's (3) way and
Sunnah Way; guidance; teachings;
guidance.
Sdrah Qur’anic chapter.
TabiT |Follower; student of the sahdabah. Pl.: tabii(i)n.
Qur’anic interpretations and commen-
Tafsir Explanation;
taries.
Takbir _|Saying, “Allahu Akbar - Allah is the greatest.”
= Saying, “Ld ildha illallah - There is no (true) god except
Tahlil Allah.
(Also, praise; saying, “Al-hamdu lillah - Praise be
Tahmid hamd):
to Allah.
Tagqlid _|Imitation, especially without knowledge.
Taqwa __\Fearing and revering Allah.
Tarbiyah \Cultivation or education.

Tasbih |Saying, “Subhdn-Alldh
- Exalted be Allah.”
Tasfiyah |Filtration or cleansing.
Tashah- |Pronouncing the Shahddah; the last part of prayer that
hud includes pronouncing the Shahddah.
Taslim concluding the prayer with saldm.
_|Saying salam;
Tawaf _|Circumambulation around the Ka‘bah.

Belief that Allah is the only Lord and God to be wor-
Tawhid |shiped, and that He possesses the most sublime
attributes.
Knowing the Angels n3 Arabic Terminology
Term Definition
Symbolic ablution, in the absence of water, performed
y
Tavam-
by . wiping clean dust over the face and hands (to the
mum
wrists).
Thikr Remembrance and extolment of Allah (38). Pl.: athkar.
‘Ulama’_ |Plural of “alim”.
Ummah_ Community; nation; followers.
< Minor form of pilgrimage to Makkah that may be
Umrah
performed at any time of the year.
Wahy Revelation; inspiration.
Wajib Obligatory or required; obligation.
Wali Friend; ally; guardian.
Odd number; last part of the night prayer (consisting of
Wiitr
an odd number of rak‘at).
Ritual ablution for the prayer; it includes washing the
Wudi’ and forearms, wiping over the head, and washing
_|face
the feet.
Zakah Obligatory charity. Zakat-ul-fitr: charity in the form of,

food given to the needy at the end of Ramadan.
Zind Adultery or fornication.
Zuhr Noon; the second daily obligatory prayer.
Arabic Terminology 114 Knowing the Angels
Arabic Weekdays
Weekday Arabic Name aa

Friday Al-Jumu‘ah race
Saturday As-Sabt cet
Sunday Al-Ahad iN
@ Monday Al-Ithnayn oa
@ Tuesday Ath-Thulath@’ |
@ Wednesday Al-Arbu‘a’ 5M)
Thursday Al-Khamis ell
Islamic Hijrt Months
Lunar Month sel Lunar Month fel
Al-Muharram eel @ Rajab
Safar wa © Sha‘ban
Rabi-ul-Awwal | 3M! a2) © Ramadan
Rabi-uth- Thani
(or Rabr-ul-AKhir)
bl 8? © Shawwal Js
Jumdda al-Ula
|
a gle @ Thul-Qa‘dah | 2a 55
© Juméd-al-Akhirah
(or ath-Thaniyah)
eT golt © Thul-Hijjah | aady
Knowing the Angels ns Arabic Terminology
Important Places
The following is a brief list of important places and locations
for Muslims.
Place Location
The Prophet’s (32) birthplace and the holiest town in
Makkah
Islam. It is located in western central Arabia.
The town in Arabia to which the Prophet (%) migrated,
Al-
built his Masjid, and lived the last ten years of his life.
Madinah
Its old name was Yathrib, but he changed it to Taybah.
The holy town of Jerusalem. It contains the third most
Al-Quds =
sacred masjid in Islam.
of worship in Makkah that all Muslims face
Al-Ka‘bah The house
in their prayers.
Al-Masjid- |The Sanctified Mosque; the grand masjid in Makkah

ul-Haram that contains al-Ka‘bah at its center.
Transliteration
Except for proper nouns, transliterated Arabic terms are
italicized. In general, the rules of English pronunciation are
applicable. The following table includes additional symbols
employed in this book to help pronounce the Arabic terms.
Symbol | Stands for English Equivalent Sounds
5A ()) Alif Mostly: Man, sad.

4
At times: Father, hard, god.
(long vowel a)
(9) Waw
u,U (long vowel Root, soup, flute.
u)
(<) Ya’ Seed, lean, piece, receive.

(long vowel i)
The first consonant vocal sound uttered
(s) Hamzah when saying: at, it, oh.
Arabic Terminology 116 the
Knowing Angels
Symbol | Stands for English Equivalent Sounds
th, Th (<) Tha’ Three, moth.
No equivalent. Produced in the lower

h, H (c) Ha’ throat, below “h”. It somewhat
resembles the “h” in “ahem”.
= No equivalent. Produced in the back of

(e) Kha
;
kh, Kh the mouth and top of the throat.
th, Th (3) Thal —_|There, mother.
A deeper “s” sound. Somewhat close to

$$ (.) Sad =
the “sc” in “muscle”.
Sounds deeper than a “d”, Produced by

= touching the tongue to the mouth's roof,
aD (4) Dad
.
with the sides of the tongue pressed

against the top molars.
t,T (+) Tah {Similar but deeper than a “t”.
A deeper thal, produced by touching the

ZZ (+) Zah backside of the tongue to the tip of the
upper front teeth.
‘ Produced in the bottom of the throat,

(-) ‘Ayn
#y
underneath the hd’.
A gurgling sound produced in the back

gh, Gh Ghayn jof the mouth, just above the khd’. Simi-
(¢)
lar to the “R” in some French accents.
q.Q (3) Qa@f |Somewhat similar to the “c’” in “coffee”.

Knowing the Angels N17 Arabic Terminology
Veneration Symbols
Out of love, appreciation, and gratitude, a Muslim is urged to
utter the following phrases at the mention of Allah, His
messengers, or other righteous individuals.
Phrase &
Transliteration Meaning Uttered with
Subhadnahii wa ae He is exalted above
ta ‘ala; weakness and indignity;
we exalted is His Allah
Jalla jalatuh; glory; He is
‘Azza wajal 3B | exalted and glorified.
5
Sallallahu ‘alayhi May Allah’s peace and Muhammad

wasallam a praise be on him.
prophets
e
uel Remarkably
A layhi ,
ssalam: se |Peacebe on him, her,| righteous
‘Alayha-ssalam;
‘Alayhi
‘ ayhima-ssalam;
7 He
both of them, or all of|
them.
individuals
. ~ (prophets,
‘Alayhimu-ssalam | | angels, etc.)
Ses
Radiy-alldhu ‘anhu;
adiy-alldhu
‘ & Allah be pleased
thu anha; wb May
~ with him, her, both of] Sakabah
‘anhuma:
te them, or all of them.
Radty-allahu
‘anhum
Rahimahulla;
hollah- ty, | May Allah have mercy on| Past ‘ulama@’
him, her, both of them, or| or righteous
Rahimahumallah: | ay.
ae
Rahimahumullah
=} tt
all of them. Muslims
ois
AvaDIC Lerminotlo ng Knowing the Angels
Index of Arabic Terms

Ad-Dajjal 71
“Adn 10
Ajyad 79
Al-Bayt-ul-Ma‘mir 6
Al-Lawh-ul-Mahfaz 26
Al-Masih 39
‘Aqabah 67
Iblis 7
Khaliq 69
Laylat-ul-Qadr 9
Malak 8
Malak 8
Qarn-uth-Tha‘alib 67
Sidrat-ul-Muntaha 79
Suhur 53
PUBLISHED TITLES BY THE AUTHOR
Fiqh Handbooks
1. Festivals & Celebrations in Islam, 2™ Ed., 272 p, 2005.
2. The Night Prayers, Qiyam & Tarawih, 2" Ed., 195 p, 1999.
The Inevitable Journey

1. Sickness, Regulations and Exhortations, 2nd Ed., 327 p, HB, 2003.
2. Inheritance, Regulations and Exhortations, 2nd Ed., 175 p, HB, 2005.
2a. Islamic Will & Testament, 2nd Ed., 31 p, 2012.
3. Funerals, Regulations and Exhortations, 2nd Ed., 326 p, HB, 2003.
4. Life in al-Barzakh, from Death until Resurrection, 2nd Ed., 269 p, 2006.
5. The Dreamer’s Handbook, Sleep Etiquettes & Dream Interpretation, 360 p,
HB, 2006.
The Muslim Family
1. Quest for Love & Mercy, Rev. Ed., 204 p, 2005.
2. Closer than a Garment, Rev. Ed., 192 p, 2005.
3. The Fragile Vessels, Rev. Ed., 190 p, 2005.
4. Our Precious Sprouts, 234 p, 2002.
Iman Made Easy

Knowing Allah, Rev. 2nd Ed., 134 p, 2014.
Knowing the Angels, Rev. 2nd Ed., 138 p, 2014.
Knowing Allah’s Books & the Qur’an, Rev. 2nd Ed., 124 p, 2007.
Knowing Allah’s Prophets & Messengers, 127 p, 2002.
Knowing the Last Day, 216 p, 2004.
Believing in Allah’s Decree, Qadar, 247 p, 2004.
Enter into Islam Completely
1. The Beard & Other Traits of Fifrah, 2nd Ed., 111 p, 2005.
2. Smoking, Intoxicants, and Narcotics, 2nd Ed., 174 p, 2012.
3. Birth Prevention; an Islamic Perspective, 2nd Ed., 126 p, 2008.
4. Regulations of Worship During Menses, 2nd Ed., 127 p, 2007.
Authentic Stories
1. Adam, Father of Humanity, 215 p, 2009.
2. Ibrahim, A Nation in One Man, 184 p, 2003.
Other Titles
1. The Spiritual Journey (at-Tabikiyyah), Rev. 2nd Ed., 131 p, 2007.
2. Commanding Good & Forbidding Evil According to Ibn Taymiyyah, 54 p,
1997.
Allah’s Right upon His Servants: Tawhid vs. Shirk, 51 p, 1995.
The Qur’an and the Sunnah, 38 p, 1982.
Conceptual Physical Science for Arab Students, 189 p, 2010.
Review Questions for Conceptual Physical Science for Arab Students,
160 p, 2011.
Iman Made Easy
This is a simplified series of books covering the six pillars of

islamic faith. The material is founded on authentic proofs from the
Qur'an and Sunnah. The books are written in easy language,
making them accessible to individuals with a limited vocabulary,
including children and young adults.
Each book is structured into chapters, sections, and subsections to

organize learning and facilitate grasping the concepts. Each
chapter includes exercises to emphasize, review, and reinforce the
concepts. All of this makes the Iman Made Easy series a valuable
source of reliable study material for schools and individuals.
Knowing the Angels

This book, the second book in the Iman Made Easy series,
thoroughly covers the second pillar of faith. It targets elementary
school students, but has also been found beneficial for older
students and adults.
This book contains a detailed discussion of general qualities and

actions of the angels, and is concluded with a discussion of the
specific angels who are mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah.
www.sunniconnect.com
ISBN 149122°983-4
anti|
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Publishing een a
Printed in Lebanon

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Iman Made Easy -2

MUHAMMAD MUSTAFA AL-JIBALY

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

Knowing the Angels

1. THE SECOND PILLAR OF FAITH

Carrying an Angel’s Name

Are the Angels Better than the Believers? 9

2. QUALITIES OF THE ANGELS 15

Character of the Angels 25

Questions and Exercises 35

3. WHAT THE ANGELS DO 39

The Angels with the People 45

The Angels with the Believers 49

The Angelis with the Sinners and Disbelievers 68

Other Things the Angels Do 69

Questions and Exercises 72

4. ANGELS THAT WE KNOW 77

Malik and the Guards of Hell 97

APPENDIX: ARABIC TERMINOLOGY 107

Glossary of Common Terms 108

Al-hamdu lillah. Indeed, all praise is due to Allah. We

«O you who believe, revere Allah the right

through whom you demand things from one

Kas Ole Bupa ra per

GOW CLEGG 5635

«O you who believe, revere Allah and say

9M BG ASE 5b cdl GEG call SUS Gud) FEO A Lal)

«CSI 3 IS acy INS ey 83 ou Siz 553 Ga

Our Mission: Purification and Cultivation

of the sahabah (4). This is the clear path of guidance

Sadly, many Muslims have departed, to varying degrees,

PES 23 ele poe SENT Calla B

is ahumble step in that direction.

«GN a, JUS 5 gg Syke JS te chi is atin

Philosophical arguments, cultural dictates, and alien

A. BECOMING TRUE FOLLOWERS OF THE SALAF

oh Ae SNE JONG pes G Seth

B. CALLING TO THE PURE RELIGION

A vital part of the cultivation process is to invite all peo-

FEES abl BANG IAT

sion ast WO LS wy a A ©Yrait

pai © 42h G25) SIL poles Pat

«By time, a human is surely in loss, except

for those who believe, do righteous deeds,

«Hold fast, all together, to Allah’s rope, and

Iman Made Easy

Knowing the Angels i jaa

Knowing Allah’s Books & the 5 Les

Knowing the Last Day PM lS ys

MENDING THE RIFT

our realization of a great responsibility: that of bringing

teacher, Muhammad Nasir-ud-Din al-Albani (#%), whose

Muhammad Mustafa al-Jibaly

The Six Pillars of Faith

1. Belief in Allah 2. Belief in the angels

3. Beliefinthe books 4. Belief in the messengers

5. Belief in the Last Day 6. Belief in the gadar.

We must believe in all of these pillars. Allah (8)

His books, and His messengers.»!