الْإِيمَانُ بِالْمَلَائِكَةِ

The angels (malaa'ika, مَلَائِكَة) are creatures of Allah that we do not see, but who are very real. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The angels were created from light, the jinn from smokeless fire, and Adam from what has been described to you" (Muslim 2996).

What the Qur'an and the Sunna tell us about them • They always obey: "they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, and they do what they are commanded" (meaning of verse 66:6). • They worship Allah without tiring, night and day (meaning of verses 21:19-20). • They have wings: two, three, four… (35:1). The Prophet ﷺ saw Jibril in his true form, with six hundred wings (Bukhari 3232, Muslim 174). • They are neither daughters of Allah nor gods: they are honoured servants (meaning of verses 21:26-27). • They are very many: only Allah knows their number (meaning of verse 74:31).

Some angels who are named or described • Jibril: he brings revelation to the prophets (2:97); the Qur'an calls him "the trustworthy Spirit" (26:193). • Mikaa'iil: mentioned with Jibril (2:98); it is reported that he is in charge of the rain. [À VÉRIFIER : rôle de Mîkâ'îl, à présenter selon les sources retenues] • Israafiil: in charge of blowing the Trumpet on the Last Day. The Prophet ﷺ named him with Jibril and Mikaa'iil in a supplication of the night prayer (Muslim 770). • The angel of death: he takes the souls (32:11). The Qur'an does not give him a name; the name often heard is not established in the authentic sources, as the adult course also says. [À VÉRIFIER] • Maalik: the keeper of Hell (43:77). • The noble scribes: they record our deeds (82:10-12); one on the right, the other on the left, and "a person does not utter a word without a watcher beside him, ready to write it down" (meaning of verses 50:17-18). • The guardian angels, who protect human beings by Allah's command (13:11).

The angels and us They surround those who gather to remember Allah (Muslim 2700). They pray for the one who stays seated waiting for the prayer (Bukhari 659). They say "aamiin" with us at the end of the Faatiḥa (Bukhari 780).

Challenge: for one day, remember the noble scribes before you post, comment or send a message. Would you like it to be written in your book?

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Believing in the angels means believing in a part of the world our eyes do not see: the ghayb (the unseen). The Qur'an describes the believers as "those who believe in the unseen" (meaning of verse 2:3). This does not mean believing anything at all: we believe what Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have taught us, no more and no less. About the angels, the authentic sources give what is essential and few details. Many stories that go around (names, tales, numbers) are not established: we keep to the Qur'an and the authentic Sunna, and we check before sharing. The angels are not "superheroes" to whom we pray: we pray only to Allah. Nor are they "cute" cartoon beings: they are powerful, noble and obedient servants. Common misunderstandings: taking "Raqiib" and "'Atiid" (50:18) as proper names, when they are descriptions ("watcher", "ready"); confusing angels and jinn; thinking that angels can disobey.

Lessons to draw from it • You are never really alone: take care of your words and actions, even online, even with no witness. • The angels love places of remembrance: a good reason to join the circles at the centre. • The angels' obedience is a model: obeying Allah is not weakness, it is nobility. • Check stories before repeating them, especially about the unseen.

Key points to remember • The angels are created from light (Muslim 2996) and always obey (66:6). • Jibril: revelation; Mikaa'iil; Israafiil: the Trumpet; the angel of death (32:11); Maalik: Hell (43:77). • The noble scribes record our deeds (82:10-12, 50:17-18). • Believing in the unseen (2:3), without adding anything to the sources.

The main message Believing in the angels means knowing that the world is bigger than what we see, and living with the awareness that our deeds are seen and written down.