THE ANGEL POSSESSED OF POWER: JIBRIL (also called Gabriel / Jibreel)
Truly it is the speech of a noble Messenger, (Surat at-Takwir, 19)
He is the Raiser of ranks, the Possessor of the Throne,
He sends the Spirit by His command to whichever of His servants He wills
so that he may warn mankind about the Day of Meeting: (Surah Ghafir, 15)
It is nothing but Revelation revealed, taught him by
one immensely strong, possessing power and splendour. He stood there stationary
- (Surat an-Najm, 4-6)
And veiled herself from them. Then We sent Our Spirit
to her and it took on for her the form of a handsome, well-built man.
She said, 'I seek refuge from you with the All-Merciful if you guard against
evil.' He said, 'I am only your Lord's messenger so that He can give you
a pure boy.' She said, 'How can I have a boy when no man has touched me
and I am not an unchaste woman?' He said, 'It will be so! Your Lord says,
"That is easy for Me. It is so that We can make him a Sign for mankind
and a mercy from Us." It is a matter already decreed.' (Surah Maryam,
17-21)
JIBRIL'S SPLENDID BEAUTY
It is nothing but Revelation revealed, taught him by one immensely strong, possessing power and splendour. He stood there stationary. (Surat an-Najm, 4-6)
PROPHET MUHAMMED'S (PBUH) SEEING JIBRIL
And certainly he saw him in another descent, at the farthest
lote-tree; near which is the garden, the place to be resorted to. When
that which covers covered the lote-tree; the eye did not turn aside, nor
did it exceed the limit. Certainly he saw of the greatest signs of his
Lord. (Surat an-Najm, 13-18)
JIBRIL'S APPEARANCE ON THE HORIZON
He saw him on the clear horizon. (Surat at-Takwir, 23)
JIBRIL'S DESCENT TO MARYAM IN THE FORM
of a Handsome Man
And veiled herself from them. Then We sent Our Spirit
to her and it took on for her the form of a handsome, well-built man.
She said, 'I seek refuge from you with the All-Merciful if you guard against
evil.' He said, 'I am only your Lord's messenger so that He can give you
a pure boy.' (Surah Maryam, 17-19)
TWO OBSERVING AND RECORDING ANGELS AT EVERYBODY'S SIDE
We created man and We know what his own self whispers
to him. We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. And the two recording
angels are recording, sitting on the right and on the left. He does not
utter a single word, without a watcher by him, pen in hand! (Surah Qaf,
16-18)
Standing over you are guardians, noble, recording, who
know what you do. (Surat al-Infitar, 10-12)
Everyone has a succession of angels in front of him and
behind him, guarding him by Allah's command. Allah never changes a people's
state until they change what is in themselves. When Allah desires evil
for a people, there is no averting it. They have no protector apart from
Him. (Surat ar-Ra'd, 11)
MESSENGER AnGELS WITH WINGS - TWO, THREE AND FOUR
Praise be to Allah, the Bringer into Being of the heavens
and earth, He Who made the angels messengers, with wings - two, three
or four. He adds to creation in any way He wills. Allah has power over
all things. (Surah Fatir, 1)
STERN AND STRONG ANGELS OVER THE FIRE OF HELL
You who believe! Safeguard yourselves and your families
from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones. Harsh, terrible angels are
in charge of it who do not disobey Allah in respect of any order He gives
them and carry out what they are ordered to do. (Surat at-Tahrim, 6)
ANGELS ASCEND TO the PRESENCE OF Allah IN A DAY
FIFTY THOUSAND YEARS long
The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day whose
length is fifty thousand years. (Surat al-Ma'arij, 4)
ANGELS' WITNESSING
On the Day We gather them all together and then say to
the angels, 'Was it you whom these people were worshipping?' they will
say, 'Glory be to You! You are our Protector, not them. No, they were
worshipping the jinn. They mostly had faith in them.' (Surah Saba, 40-41)
But Allah bears witness to what He has sent down to you.
He has sent it down with His knowledge. The angels bear witness as well.
And Allah suffices as a Witness. (Surat an-Nisa, 166)
Allah bears witness that there is no god but Him, as
do the angels and the people of knowledge, upholding justice. There is
no god but Him, the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Surah Al 'Imran, 18)
THE FAVOURED ANGELS' SERVITUDE TO Allah
The Messiah would never disdain to be a slave to Allah
nor would the angels near to Him. If any do disdain to worship Him, and
grow arrogant, He will in any case gather them all to Him. (Surat an-Nisa,
172)
ANGELS CIRCLING ROUND THE THRONE
You will see the angels circling round the Throne, glorifying
their Lord with praise. It will be decided between them with truth. And
it will be said: 'Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.' (Surat
az-Zumar, 75)
ANGELS DRAWN UP IN RANKS AND GLORIFYING ALLAH
There is not one of us who does not have a known station.
We are those drawn up in ranks. We are those who glorify.' (Surat as-Saffat,
164-166)
The thunder glorifies His praise, as do the angels, out
of fear of Him. He discharges the thunderbolts, striking with them anyone
He wills. Yet still they argue about Allah when He is inexorable in His
power! (Surat ar-Rad, 13)
The heavens are all but rent asunder from above when
the angels glorify their Lord with praise and ask forgiveness for those
who are on the earth. Allah is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful (Surat
ash-Shura, 5)
ANGELS PROSTRATING themselves TO the PROPHET ADAM (as)
When your Lord said to the angels, 'I am putting an overlord
on the earth,' they said, 'Why put on it one who will cause corruption
on it and shed blood when we glorify You with praise and proclaim Your
purity?' He said, 'I know what you do not know.' He taught Adam the names
of all things. Then He arrayed them before the angels and said, 'Tell
me the names of these if you are telling the truth.' They said, 'Glory
be to You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. You are
the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.' He said, 'Adam, tell them their names.'
When he had told them their names, He said, 'Did I not tell you that I
know the Unseen of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you make
known and what you hide?' We said to the angels, 'Prostrate to Adam!'
and they prostrated, with the exception of Iblis. He refused and was arrogant
and was one of the disbelievers. (Surat al-Baqara, 30-34)
ANGELS FEAR THEIR LORD AND DO WHAT THEY ARE ORDERED TO DO
Everything in the heavens and every creature on
the earth prostrates to Allah, as do the angels. They are not puffed up
with pride. They fear their Lord above them and do everything they are
ordered to do. (Surat an-Nahl, 49-50)
ANGELS RANK UPON RANK
And your Lord arrives with the angels rank upon rank (Surat al-Fajr,
22)
ANGELS' PRAYER THAT BELIEVERS BE BROUGHT OUT OF
DARKNESS INTO THE LIGHT
You who believe! Remember Allah much, and glorify Him
in the morning and the evening. It is He Who calls down blessing on you,
as do His angels, to bring you out of the darkness into the light. He
is Most Merciful to the believers. (Surat al-Ahzab, 41-43)
ANGELS' ASKING FOR BLESSINGS ON THE PROPHET
Allah and His angels call down blessings on the Prophet.
You who believe! Call down blessings on him and ask for complete peace
and safety for him. (Surat al-Ahzab, 56)
ANGELS' DESCENDING TO BELIEVERS AND GIVING THEM GLAD TIDINGS
The angels descend on those who say, 'Our Lord is Allah,'
and then go straight: 'Do not fear and do not grieve but rejoice in the
Garden you have been promised. We are your protectors in the life of this
world and the hereafter.You will have there all that your selves could
wish for. You will have there everything you demand. Hospitality from
One Who is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.' (Surah Fussilat, 30-32)
Allah ASSISTS BELIEVERS WITH ANGELS
Remember when you called on your Lord for help and He
responded to you: 'I will reinforce you with a thousand angels riding
rank after rank.' Allah only did this to give you good news and that so
your hearts would be at rest. Victory comes from no one but Allah. Allah
is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat al-Anfal, 9-10)
Allah helped you at Badr when you were weak so have fear
of Allah, so that hopefully you will be thankful. And when you said to
the believers, 'Is it not enough for you that your Lord reinforced you
with three thousand angels, sent down?' Yes indeed! But if you are steadfast
and guard against evil and they come upon you suddenly, your Lord will
reinforce you with five thousand angels, clearly identified. Allah only
did this for it to be good news for you and so that your hearts might
be set at rest by it (help comes from no one but Allah, the Almighty,
the All-Wise) and so that He might cut off a group of those who are disbelievers,
or overwhelm them so that they retire, frustrated. (Surah Al 'Imran, 123-127)
You who believe! Remember Allah's blessing to you when
forces came against you and We sent a wind against them and other forces
you could not see. Allah sees what you do. (Surat al-Ahzab, 9)
ANGELS' DESCENDING TO EARTH ON THE NIGHT OF POWER
BY THEIR LORD'S AUTHORITY
Truly We sent it down on the Night of Power. And what
will convey to you what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better
than a thousand months. In it the angels and the Spirit descend by their
Lord's authority with every ordinance. It is Peace -until the coming of
the dawn. (Surat al-Qadr, 1-5)
THEIR CURSE UPON DISBELIEVERS
But as for those who disbelieve and die while they are
disbelievers, the curse of Allah is upon them and that of the angels and
all mankind. (Surat al-Baqara, 161)
ANGELS ARE HONOURED SERVANTS
They say, 'The All-Merciful has a son.' Glory be to Him!
No, they are honoured servants! They do not precede Him in speech and
they act on His command. He knows what is in front of them and what is
behind them. They only intercede on behalf of those with whom He is pleased,
and even they are apprehensive out of fear of Him. Were any of them to
say, 'I am a god apart from Him,' We would repay him with Hell. That is
how We repay wrongdoers. (Surat al-Anbiya, 26-29)
ANGELS THAT CAME IN TO the PROPHET Ibrahim (as)
And tell them about the guests of Ibrahim. When they
came in to him, they said, 'Peace!' He said, 'Truly we are afraid of you.'
They said, 'Do not be afraid. We bring you the good news of a boy of great
knowledge.' He said, 'Do you bring me this good news despite the fact
of old age having reached me? What kind of good news are you bringing
me?' They said, 'We bring you good news of the truth, so do not be among
those who despair.' He said, 'Who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except
for misguided people?' He added, 'What is your business, messengers?'
They said, 'We have been sent to a people who are evildoers -with the
exception of the family of Lut, all of whom We will save, except for his
wife. We have decreed her to be one of those who stay behind.' (Surat
al-Hijr, 51-60)
Our messengers brought the good news to Ibrahim. They
said, 'Peace!' and he too said, 'Peace!' and brought in a roasted calf
without delay. When he saw that their hands were not reaching for it,
he suspected them and felt afraid of them. They said, 'Have no fear! We
have been sent to the people of Lut.' His wife was standing there and
she laughed out loud. So We gave her the good news of Ishaq, and beyond
Ishaq, Ya'qub. She said, 'Woe is me! How can I give birth when I am an
old woman and my husband here is an aged man? This is indeed an astonishing
thing!' They said, 'Are you astonished at Allah's command? May Allah's
mercy and His blessings be upon you, People of the House! He is Praiseworthy,
All-Glorious.' (Surah Hud, 69-73)
Our messengers brought the good news to Ibrahim. They
said, 'Peace!' and he too said, 'Peace!' and brought in a roasted calf
without delay. When he saw that their hands were not reaching for it,
he suspected them and felt afraid of them. They said, 'Have no fear! We
have been sent to the people of Lut.' (Surah Hud, 69-70)
ANGELS THAT CAME TO the PROPHET LUT (as)
When the Messengers came to the family of Lut, he said,
'You are people we do not know.' They said, 'We have come to you with
what they had doubts about. We have brought you the truth and we are certainly
truthful men. Travel with your family in the dead of night, following
behind with them in front of you. None of you must look back. Go where
you are ordered to.' (Surat al-Hijr, 61-65)
When Our Messengers came to Lut, he was distressed on
their account, feeling incapable of protecting them. They said, 'Do not
fear and do not grieve. We are going to rescue you and your family - except
for your wife; she will be one of those who stay behind. We will bring
down on the inhabitants of this city a devastating punishment from heaven
because of their deviance.' (Surat al-Ankabut, 33-34)
When Our messengers came to Lut, he was distressed for
them, and very concerned for them, and said, 'This is a dreadful day.'
(Surah Hud, 77)
ANGELS THAT CAME TO the PROPHET Zakariyya (as)
The angels called out to him while he was standing in
prayer in the Upper Room: 'Allah gives you the good news of Yahya, who
will come to confirm a Word from Allah, and honorable and chaste and a
Prophet and one of the righteous.' He said, 'My Lord, how can I possibly
have a son when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?' He said,
'It will be so. Allah does whatever He wills.' He said, 'My Lord, appoint
a Sign for me.' He said, 'Your Sign is that you will not speak to people
for three days, except by gesture. Remember your Lord much and glorify
Him in the evening and after dawn.' (Surah Al 'Imran, 39-41)
'Zakariyya! We give you the good news of a boy
named Yahya, a name we have given to no one else before.' He said, 'My
Lord! How can I have a boy when my wife is barren and I have reached advanced
old age?' He said, 'It will be so! Your Lord says, "That is easy for me
to do. I created you before, when you were not anything."' He said, 'My
Lord, give me a Sign.' He said, 'Your Sign is not to speak to people for
three nights despite the fact that you are perfectly able to.' (Surah
Maryam, 7-10)
ANGELS THAT CAME TO MARYAM (as)
And when the angels said, 'Maryam, Allah has chosen you
and purified you. He has chosen you over all other women. Maryam, obey
your Lord and prostrate and bow with those who bow.' This is news from
the Unseen which We reveal to you. You were not with them when they cast
their reeds to see which of them would be the guardian of Maryam. You
were not with them when they quarrelled. When the angels said, 'Maryam,
your Lord gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah,
'Isa, son of Maryam, of high esteem in this world and the hereafter, and
one of those brought near. He will speak to people in the cradle, and
also when fully grown, and will be one of the righteous,' she said, 'My
Lord! How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?' He said,
'It will be so.' Allah creates whatever He wills. When He decides on something,
He just says to it, 'Be!' and it is. (Surah Al 'Imran, 42-47)
And veiled herself from them. Then We sent Our Spirit
to her and it took on for her the form of a handsome, well-built man.
She said, 'I seek refuge from you with the All-Merciful if you guard against
evil.' He said, 'I am only your Lord's messenger so that He can give you
a pure boy.' She said, 'How can I have a boy when no man has touched me
and I am not an unchaste woman?' He said, 'It will be so! Your Lord says,
"That is easy for Me. It is so that We can make him a Sign for mankind
and a mercy from Us." It is a matter already decreed.' (Surah Maryam,
17-21)
DEATH ANGELS
Everyone has a succession of angels in front of him and
behind him, guarding him by Allah's command. Allah never changes a people's
state until they change what is in themselves. When Allah desires evil
for a people, there is no averting it. They have no protector apart from
Him. (Surat ar-Rad, 11)
How will it be when the angels take them in death, beating
their faces and their backs? That is because they followed what angers
Allah and hated what is pleasing to Him. So He made their actions come
to nothing. (Surah Muhammad, 27-28)
The angels ask those they take while they are wronging
themselves, 'What were your circumstances?' They reply, 'We were oppressed
on earth.' They say, 'Was Allah's earth not wide enough for you to have
migrated to elsewhere in it?' The shelter of such people will be Hell.
What an evil destination! (Surat an-Nisa', 97)
Who could do greater wrong than someone who invents lies
against Allah or denies His Signs, or who says, 'It has been revealed
to me,' when nothing has been revealed to him, or someone who says, 'I
will send down the same as Allah has sent down'? If you could only see
the wrongdoers in the throes of death when the angels are stretching out
their hands, saying, 'Disgorge your own selves! Today you will be repaid
with the punishment of humiliation for saying something other than the
truth about Allah, and being arrogant about His Signs.' (Surat al-An'am,
93)
As for those the angels take in death while they are
wronging themselves, they will offer their submission: 'We did not do
any evil.' Oh yes you did! Allah knows what you were doing. Enter the
gates of Hell, remaining in it timelessly, for ever. How evil is the abode
of the arrogant!' When those who have fear of Allah are asked, 'What has
your Lord sent down?' their reply is, 'Good!' There is good in this world
for those who do good, and the abode of the hereafter is even better.
How wonderful is the abode of those who guard against evil: Gardens of
Eden which they enter, with rivers flowing under them, where they have
whatever they desire. That is how Allah repays those who guard agaisnt
evil: those the angels take in a virtuous state. They say, 'Peace be upon
you! Enter the Garden for what you did.' What are they waiting for but
the angels to come to them or your Lord's command to come? That is like
what those before them did. Allah did not wrong them; rather they wronged
themselves. (Surat an-Nahl, 28-33)
ANGELS BEARING THE THRONE
And Heaven will be split apart, for that Day it will be very frail. The
angels will be gathered round its edge. On that Day, eight will bear the
Throne of their Lord above their heads. (Surat al-Haqqa, 16-17)
HARUT AND MARUT
They follow what the satans recited in the reign of Sulayman.
Sulayman did not become disbeliever, but the satans did, teaching people
sorcery and what had been sent down to Harut and Marut, the two angels
in Babylon, who taught no one without first saying to him, 'We are merely
a trial and temptation, so do not become disbelievers.' People learned
from them how to separate a man and his wife but they cannot harm anyone
by it, except with Allah's permission. They have learned what will harm
them and will not benefit them. They know that any who deal in it will
have no share in the hereafter. What an evil thing they have sold themselves
for if they only knew! (Surat al-Baqara, 102)
ANGELS BEARING THE ARK
Their Prophet said to them, 'Allah has appointed Talut
to be your king.' They said, 'How can he have kingship over us when we
have much more right to kingship than he does? He has not even got much
wealth!' He said, 'Allah has chosen him over you and favoured him greatly
in knowledge and physical strength. Allah gives kingship to anyone He
wills. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.' Their Prophet said to
them, 'The sign of his kingship is that the Ark will come to you, containing
serenity from your Lord and certain relics left by the families of Musa
and Harun. It will be borne by angels. There is a sign for you in that
if you are believers.' (Surat al-Baqara, 247-248)
ANGELS ON THE DAY OF RISING
The Day when Heaven is split apart in clouds, and the
angels are sent down rank upon rank. The Kingdom that Day will belong
in truth to the All-Merciful. It will be a hard Day for the disbelievers.
(Surat al-Furqan, 25-26)
And your Lord arrives with the angels rank upon rank
and that Day Hell is produced, that Day man will remember; but how will
the remembrance help him? (Surat al-Fajr, 22-23)
On that Day, the Occurrence will occur and Heaven will
be split apart, for that Day it will be very frail. The angels will be
gathered round its edge. On that Day, eight will bear the Throne of their
Lord above their heads. (Surat al-Haqqa, 15-17)
On the Day when the Spirit and the angels stand in ranks,
no one will speak, except for him who is authorised by the All-Merciful
and says what is right. (Surat an-Naba, 38)
ANGELS OF PARADISE
Those the angels take in a virtuous state. They say,
'Peace be upon you! Enter the Garden for what you did.' (Surat an-Nahl,
32)
And those who guard against evil of their Lord will be
driven to the Garden in companies and when they arrive there, finding
its gates open, its custodians will say to them, 'Peace be upon you! You
have done well so enter it timelessly, for ever.' (Surat az-Zumar, 73)
Gardens of Eden which they will enter, and all of their
parents, wives and children who were righteous. Angels will enter in to
welcome them from every gate: 'Peace be upon you because of your steadfastness!
How wonderful is the Ultimate Abode!' (Surat ar-Rad, 23-24)
ANGELS OF HELL (CUSTODIANS)
There are nineteen in charge of it. We have only appointed
angels as masters of the Fire and We have only specified their number
as a trial for those who disbelieve; so that those who were given the
Book might gain in certainty, and those who believe might increase in
their faith, and both those who were given the Book and the believers
might have no doubt; and so that those with sickness in their hearts and
the disbelievers might say, 'What did Allah intend by this example?' In
this way Allah misguides those He wills and guides those He wills. No
one knows the legions of your Lord but Him. This is nothing but a reminder
to all human beings. (Surat al-Muddaththir, 30-31)
You who believe! Safeguard yourselves and your families
from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones. Harsh, terrible angels are
in charge of it who do not disobey Allah in respect of any order He gives
them and carry out what they are ordered to do. (Surat at-Tahrim, 6)
It all but bursts with rage. Each time a group is flung
into it its custodians will question them:'Did no warner come to you?'
(Surat al-Mulk, 8)
Those who disbelieve will be driven to Hell in companies
and when they arrive there and its gates are opened its custodians will
say to them, 'Did Messengers from yourselves not come to you, reciting
your Lord's Signs to you and warning you of the meeting on this Day of
yours?' They will say, 'Indeed they did, but the decree of punishment
is justly carried out against the disbelievers.' They will be told, 'Enter
the gates of Hell and stay there timelessly, for ever. How evil is the
abode of the arrogant!' (Surat az-Zumar, 71-72)
They will call out, 'Master, let your Lord put an end
to us!' He will say, 'You will stay the way you are.' We brought you the
truth but most of you hated the truth. (Surat Zukhruf, 77-78)
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