Angels, books and messengers

"The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and so do the believers: all believe in Allah, His angels, His books and His messengers; we make no distinction between any of His messengers" (meaning of verse 2:285).

The angels. They are creatures of Allah, created from light (Muslim 2996), who obey Him. We do not usually see them. Some are named: Jibril (Gabriel), who brought revelation to the prophets; Mikaa'iil (Michael). Other angels record our deeds. Believing in angels reminds us that we are never alone and that our actions count.

The books. Allah revealed books to guide people. The Qur'an names several: the Torah (Tawraat) given to Musa (Moses), the Psalms (Zabuur) given to Dawud (David), the Gospel (Injiil) given to 'Isa (Jesus), and the scrolls of Ibrahim (Abraham) and Musa (87:19). The Qur'an, revealed to Muhammad ﷺ, is the last; Allah has promised to preserve it (15:9).

The messengers. Allah sent prophets to every people, with the same message: worship Allah alone. The Qur'an names twenty-five of them, including Adam, Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim, Musa, 'Isa and Muhammad ﷺ. Muslims love and respect them all. 'Isa is a great prophet in Islam: born of Maryam (Mary) without a father, by a miracle of Allah (see Surah Maryam, 19).

Muhammad ﷺ is the last of the prophets (33:40). His message is addressed to all of humanity.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation The angels. The Qur'an describes them as servants who do not disobey Allah and do what they are commanded (meaning of verse 66:6). Each has a role: Jibril brings revelation, the angel of death takes the souls (32:11), other angels record our deeds, "noble scribes who know what you do" (meaning of verses 82:10-12). The authentic sources say little about the details; we keep to what the Qur'an and the Sunna say, without adding unfounded stories. For example, the Qur'an speaks of "the angel of death" without naming him; the name often heard is not established in the authentic sources. [À VÉRIFIER]

The books. Muslims believe in the revealed books as they were originally given. The Qur'an confirms them and watches over them (meaning of verse 5:48): it is the reference. It is the only one whose preservation Allah has guaranteed (15:9).

The messengers. The same message, worship Allah alone, was brought to every people: "We sent to every community a messenger" (meaning of verse 16:36). The practical rules could differ from one prophet to another, but the faith is the same. The Qur'an mentions five great messengers together: Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, 'Isa and Muhammad ﷺ (33:7).

Common misunderstandings: thinking that Muslims reject Musa or 'Isa, when believing in them is part of faith; attributing to angels powers that belong to Allah alone.

Lessons to draw • Remember that our deeds are recorded: a reason to take care of our words and actions, even alone. • Respect all the prophets and speak of them with honour: it opens good conversations with Jewish and Christian neighbours. • Make the Qur'an your reference and check stories before repeating them. • Follow the prophets' example in patience and sincerity.

Key points • The angels obey Allah; Jibril brought revelation. • Torah, Psalms, Gospel, the scrolls of Ibrahim and Musa, and the Qur'an, the last book, preserved. • All the prophets called to worship Allah alone; Muhammad ﷺ is the last.

The main message Believing in the angels, the books and the messengers is seeing the history of humanity as one single message from Allah, carefully passed on to us.