Summary of the Concepts of Ahl al-Sunnah
Nullifiers of Faith in the Angels
Since belief in the angels is one of the six pillars of faith,
and since they served as the intermediaries through whom revelation descended,
invalidating one's belief in them invalidates faith in its entirety.
Therefore, one must exercise the utmost caution against falling into any of these nullifiers,
the most significant of which are: First, denying their existence.
For in doing so, one disbelieves the texts of the Qur'an and the authentic, mass-transmitted Sunnah that mention them.
Second—and related to this—is
denying what has been established in the primary texts regarding their attributes, deeds, or names.
Third, hating them or harboring animosity toward them,
as in the statement of Allah Almighty:
“Who is an enemy to Allah, and His angels and His messengers, and Gabriel and Michael! Then, lo! Allah (Himself) is an enemy to the disbelievers.” (2:98)
“Who is an enemy to Allah, and His angels and His messengers, and Gabriel and Michael! Then, lo! Allah (Himself) is an enemy to the disbelievers.” (2:98)
Fourth—and related to this—is
reviling them or mocking them or their assigned duties.