Fruits for the Week

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Details: Published: 22 December 2022

About the birth and mission of Jesus, Allah said in the Qur’an: “Then she pointed to him. They said: How can we talk to one who is in the cradle, a young boy? He (Jesus) spoke: Lo! I am the slave of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and has appointed me a Prophet, and has made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and has enjoined upon prayer and almsgiving so long as I am alive, and has made me dutiful toward her who bore me, and has not made me arrogant. Peace on me the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive! Such was Jesus, son of Mary, a statement of the truth concerning which they doubt. It befitted not (the Majesty of) Allah that has should take unto Himself a son. Glory be to Him! When He decreed a thing, He said unto it only: Be! And it is.” (19: 29-35)

Details: Published: 15 December 2022

The names of the angels

The angels have names, but we only know a few of those names. Below are the verses in which some of the names of angels have been mentioned:

1 Jibril, and 2 Mikail

Allah (SWT said: “Say, O Muhammad, whoever is an enemy to Jibril (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur’an) down to your heart by Allah’s permission, confirming what came before it and guidance and glad tidings for the believers. Whoever is an enemy to Allah, His angels, His Messengers, Jibril and Mikail, then verily, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.” (Qur’an 2: 97-98)

Jibril is the trustworthy Ruh mentioned in the ayah: “Which the trustworthy Ruh (Jibril) has brought down upon your heart (O Muhammad) that you may be (one) of the warners. “(Qur’an 26: 193-194). And he is the Ruh whom Allah sent to Maryam: “Then We sent to her Our Ruh {Jibril}.” (Qur’an 19: 17)

3. Israfil.

Another of the angels is Israfil, who will blow the Trumpet. Jibril, Mikail, and Israfil are the angels who mentioned by the Messenger (SAW) in the du’a with which he opened his prayer at night: “Allahumma Rabba Jibril wa Mikail wa Israfil, Faatir as-samaawaati wal ard, ‘Aalimil ghaibi wal shahadaah, anta tahkumu baina ‘ibadika fima kaanu fihi yakhtalifuun, ihdini lima ukhtulifa fihi min al-haqq bi idhnika, innaka tahdi man tasha’ ila siratim mustaqin.” This means: “O Allah, Lord of Jibril, Makail, and Israfil, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You judge among Your slaves concerning that in which they differ. Guide me by Your Leave with regard to that in which they differ concerning the truth, for You guide whomsoever You will to a straight path.” (Muslim)

4. Malik

And among the angels is Malik, the keeper of Hell. Allah (SWT) said: “And they will cry: ‘O Malik{keeper of Hell}Let your Lord make an end of us.’ He will say: ‘Verily, you shall abide forever.’” (Qur’an 43: 77)

5. Ridwan

Ibn Kathir said: “The keeper of Paradise is an angel called Ridwan, as is clearly stated in some hadiths.”

6. Munkar and 7. Nakir

And among the angels whose names were mentioned by the Messenger (SAW) are Munkar and Nakir. They are mentioned in the hadiths which talk about questioning in the grave.

8. Harut, and 9. Marut

And among the angels are two whom Allah called Harut and Marut. Allah (SWT) said: “Sulaiman did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Harut and Marut, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, ‘We are for trial, so disbelieve not {by learning this magic from us}.’” (Qur’an 2: 102)

From the context of the ayah, it is clear that Allah sent them as a test for mankind at some time. Many myths surround them in the books of tafsir and history, for which there is no proof in the Qur’an and Sunnah. It is sufficient to know about them only what is indicated in this verse.

Izrail

According to some reports, the Angel of Death is called Izrail. However, this name is not mentioned in the Qur’an, or in the sahih hadiths. (Al-Bidayah wal Nihayah)

Raqib and ‘Atid

Some scholars mentioned that among the angels are two called Raqib and ‘Atid, based on the ayah: “Remember, that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each human being), one sitting on the right and one on the left (to note his or her actions). Nor a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher (raqib) by him ready (‘atid) to record it.” (Qur’an 50: 17-18).

What they mentioned is not correct. The words raqib (watcher) and ‘atid (ready) here are adjectives describing the two angels who are always present and witnessing, who are never away from a person. It does not mean that these are the names of the angels.

The death of the angels

The angels die just as humans and jinn die. This is stated clearly in the ayah: “And the trumpet will be blown and all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth will swoon away, except him whom Allah wills. Then it will be blown a second time, and behold they will be standing, looking on {waiting}.” (Qur’an 39: 68)

The angels are included in this ayah because they are in the heavens. Ibn Kathir said in his commentary on this verse: “This is the second trumpet blast, the blast which will cause all creatures to fall unconscious. This will cause all living beings in the heavens and on earth to die, except for those whom Allah wills, as is clearly stated in detail in the famous hadith about the trumpet. Then He will take the souls of those who are left, and the last one to die will be the Angel of Death. Then only the Ever-Living, Self-Sustaining will be left, Who was the First, and Who alone will be the Last, Everlasting and Eternal. He will say, ‘Who is the Sovereignty today?’ three times, then He will answer Himself by saying, ‘It is Allah’s, the One, the Irresistible.’” (Qur’an 40: 16). Another verse that indicates that they (the angels) will die is: “Everything will perish save His Face.” (Qur’an 28: 88).

by Dr. Umar S. Al-Ashqar

Details: Published: 09 December 2022

They do not eat and drink

The angels cannot be described as being male or female. Similarly, they do not eat or drink the type of food we (humans) eat and drink. Allah has told us that the angels came to Prophet Ibrahim (AS) in human form, and he offered them food, but they did not stretch out their hands towards it. He felt afraid of them, but then they told him of their true identity, and his fear left him.