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A Summary of the Creed of Ahl al-Sunnah

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Belief in the angels: general and detailed

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Belief in the angels is the second pillar of faith.

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Allah Almighty said:

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“The messenger believeth in that which hath been revealed unto him from his Lord and (so do) believers. Each one believeth in Allah and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers - We make no distinction between any of His messengers - and they say: We hear, and we obey. (Grant us) Thy forgiveness, our Lord. Unto Thee is the journeying.” (2:285)

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“The messenger believeth in that which hath been revealed unto him from his Lord and (so do) believers. Each one believeth in Allah and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers - We make no distinction between any of His messengers - and they say: We hear, and we obey. (Grant us) Thy forgiveness, our Lord. Unto Thee is the journeying.” (2:285)

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And in the hadith of Gabriel, when he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about faith,

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he (peace be upon him) said:

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“O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and His messenger and the Scripture which He hath revealed unto His messenger, and the Scripture which He revealed aforetime. Whoso disbelieveth in Allah and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers and the Last Day, he verily hath wandered far astray.” (4:136)

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"And that you believe in the divine decree, both the good and evil thereof."

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Reported by Muslim.

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Belief in the angels is both general and detailed.

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As for general belief, it is an obligation upon every believer,

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which is to firmly affirm their existence and their worship of their Lord.

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“O ye who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire whereof the fuel is men and stones, over which are set angels strong, severe, who resist not Allah in that which He commandeth them, but do that which they are commanded.” (66:6)

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As for detailed belief, it depends on the knowledge of each accountable individual,

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and it pertains to what has been conveyed in the Holy Qur'an

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and what has been authentically established in the Prophetic Sunnah,

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concerning their names, attributes, and functions.

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Since belief in the angels is one of the six pillars of faith,

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and they were the intermediaries in the descent of revelation,

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invalidating belief in them invalidates faith in its entirety.

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Therefore, one must beware of falling into any of these nullifiers,

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the most significant of which are:

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First: Denying their existence,

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as it entails belying the texts of the Qur'an and the authentic, mutawatir Sunnah that mention them.

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Second, and related to this:

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Denying what has been mentioned in the texts regarding their descriptions, actions, or names.

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Third: Hating them or showing animosity toward them,

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as in the words of Allah Almighty:

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“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)

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“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)

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Fourth, and related to this: Cursing them, mocking them, or deriding their functions.

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The origin of the creation of angels and the origin of the creation of Iblis

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The angels are created from light,

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as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

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"The angels were created from light,

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“And the jinn did He create of smokeless fire.” (55:15)

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and Adam was created from what has been described to you."

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Reported by Muslim.

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This alludes to the fact that they are inherently guided to the truth,

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so they never disobey their Lord nor do they act arrogantly.

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As for Iblis, he is definitively not from the angels,

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and it is incorrect to claim so based on the fact that he was commanded to prostrate to Adam,

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as Allah Almighty said:

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“He said: What hindered thee that thou didst not fall prostrate when I bade thee? (Iblis) said: I am better than him. Thou createdst me of fire while him Thou didst create of mud.” (7:12)

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and because Allah, Glorified be He, explicitly stated that the command to prostrate was addressed to the angels,

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as Allah Almighty said:

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"And when We said to the angels, 'Prostrate to Adam,' and they prostrated,

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except for Iblis; he refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers."

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This claim is invalid for the following reasons:

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First: Allah, Glorified be He, explicitly declared that Iblis was from the jinn.

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Allah Almighty said:

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“And (remember) when We said unto the angels: Fall prostrate before Adam, and they fell prostrate, all save Iblis. He was of the jinn, so he rebelled against his Lord's command. Will ye choose him and his seed for your protecting friends instead of Me, when they are an enemy unto you? Calamitous is the exchange for evil-doers.” (18:50)

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Second:

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The exception of Iblis from the angels' prostration in all the relevant verses

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is a discontinuous exception (istithna' munqati'),

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meaning that the excepted entity in all of them is not of the same genus as that from which it was excepted;

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it is a grammatical construct indicating rectification, in the sense of "however."

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This is proven by the explicit statement in Surah al-Kahf

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that Iblis was from the jinn.

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Third:

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Iblis himself never claimed to be an angel;

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rather, he explicitly stated that he was created from fire.

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He said: "I am better than he; You created me from fire and created him from clay."

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Thus, he is from the jinn, as explicitly stated by Allah Almighty,

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and as the Messenger (peace be upon him) informed us

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that the jinn are the ones created from fire.

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The command to prostrate was directed to Iblis along with the angels,

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even though he was not one of them,

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because he initially displayed worship and obedience to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic,

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and exerted great diligence therein.

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So he was tested with the command to prostrate along with the angels to Adam,

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whereupon his fiery nature became manifest,

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which is characterized by levity, rashness, and arrogance.

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Some descriptions of the angels, peace be upon them

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Among the most important descriptions of the angels mentioned in the Book and the Sunnah:

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First: They are servants of Allah,

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worshipping Him, Glorified be He,

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and they never grow weary nor do they display arrogance.

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Allah Almighty said:

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"And to Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth..."

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“Unto Him belongeth whosoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those who dwell in His presence are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they weary;” (21:19)

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“They glorify (Him) night and day; they flag not.” (21:20)

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Second:

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They are inherently disposed to obedience.

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Allah Almighty said:

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“O ye who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire whereof the fuel is men and stones, over which are set angels strong, severe, who resist not Allah in that which He commandeth them, but do that which they are commanded.” (66:6)

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And Allah Almighty said:

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“They fear their Lord above them, and do what they are bidden.” (16:50)

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Third:

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They possess wings,

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as Allah Almighty said:

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"[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, [who] made the angels messengers having wings, two or three or four..."

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“Praise be to Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who appointeth the angels messengers having wings two, three and four. He multiplieth in creation what He will. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.” (35:1)

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"Indeed, Allah is over all things competent."

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And Gabriel, peace be upon him, has six hundred wings,

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as established when the Messenger (peace be upon him) saw him in his original form in which Allah created him,

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blocking the horizon.

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This demonstrates the immense grandeur of the angels' creation.

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Fourth:

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They may appear in human form,

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as Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, recounted regarding the angels who came to Abraham,

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and then to Lot, peace be upon them.

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Allah Almighty said:

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“And Our messengers cam unto Abraham with good news. They said: Peace! He answered: Peace! and delayed not to bring a roasted calf.” (11:69)

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"He said, 'Peace...'"

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“And Our messengers cam unto Abraham with good news. They said: Peace! He answered: Peace! and delayed not to bring a roasted calf.” (11:69)

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That was because he thought they were humans

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who had arrived as guests.

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“And when he saw their hands reached not to it, he mistrusted them and conceived a fear of them. They said: Fear not! Lo! we are sent unto the folk of Lot.” (11:70)

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"They said, 'Do not fear...'"

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“And when he saw their hands reached not to it, he mistrusted them and conceived a fear of them. They said: Fear not! Lo! we are sent unto the folk of Lot.” (11:70)

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And as conveyed in the famous hadith of Gabriel:

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"While we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),

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there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes

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and with exceedingly black hair.

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No signs of travel were seen upon him,

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and none of us knew him."

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At the end of the hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):

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"O 'Umar,

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do you know who the questioner was?"

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'Umar replied,

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"Allah and His Messenger know best."

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The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

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"Indeed, he was Gabriel,

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who came to you to teach you your religion."

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Reported by Muslim.

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Names and functions of some of the angels

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Part of the detailed belief in the angels

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is believing in their names and functions mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah.

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Among them are:

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First: Gabriel, peace be upon him,

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who is the greatest and most virtuous of the angels,

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entrusted with bringing down the revelation,

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and titled "the Trustworthy Spirit" (al-Ruh al-Amin),

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as Allah Almighty said:

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“Which the True Spirit hath brought down” (26:193)

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“Upon thy heart, that thou mayst be (one) of the warners,” (26:194)

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The name of Gabriel is also mentioned in the words of Allah Almighty:

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"Whoever is an enemy to Allah, His angels, and His messengers,

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and Gabriel and Michael..."

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“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)

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Second:

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Israfil,

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entrusted with blowing the Trumpet when the Hour is established;

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and Michael,

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entrusted with rain and vegetation.

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The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned them together

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along with Gabriel

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in the opening supplication of the night prayer,

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saying:

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"O Allah, Lord of Gabriel, Israfil, and Michael,

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Creator of the heavens and the earth..."

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the hadith.

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Reported by Muslim.

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The Holy Qur'an mentioned Michael using the phrasing "Mikal,"

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as in the preceding verse.

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Third:

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Malik, the keeper of Hellfire.

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Allah Almighty said:

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"And they will call, 'O Malik, let your Lord put an end to us!'"

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His assistants are described as the keepers of Hell.

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Allah Almighty said:

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“And those in the Fire say unto the guards of hell: Entreat your Lord that He relieve us of a day of the torment.” (40:49)

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"'Pray to your Lord to lighten for us a day from the punishment.'"

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Fourth:

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The Angel of Death.

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He has become famous among people by the name 'Izra'il,

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but this is from the Isra'iliyyat (Judeo-Christian traditions),

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and he is not confirmed by this name in either the Qur'an or the Sunnah;

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rather, he is referred to as the Angel of Death.

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Allah Almighty said:

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“Say: The angel of death, who hath charge concerning you, will gather you, and afterward unto your Lord ye will be returned.” (32:11)

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Fifth:

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Munkar and Nakir,

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the two angels entrusted with questioning the servant in the grave about his Lord, his religion, and his Prophet.

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Sixth:

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The Bearers of the Throne, and they are eight.

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Allah Almighty said:

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"And the angels will be at its edges..."

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“And the angels will be on the sides thereof, and eight will uphold the Throne of thy Lord that day, above them.” (69:17)

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Seventh:

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The Noble Scribes (al-Kiram al-Katibun).

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Every servant has two angels who record his deeds and keep account of them against him:

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one on his right and the other on his left.

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Allah Almighty said:

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“When the two Receivers receive (him), seated on the right hand and on the left,” (50:17)

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“He uttereth no word but there is with him an observer ready.” (50:18)

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And Allah Almighty said:

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"And indeed, appointed over you are keepers,

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noble and recording;

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they know whatever you do."

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Eighth:

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Guardian angels who protect a person from harm in worldly life.

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Allah Almighty said:

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“For him are angels ranged before him and behind him, who guard him by Allah's command. Lo! Allah changeth not the condition of a folk until they (first) change that which is in their hearts; and if Allah willeth misfortune for a folk there is none that can repel it, nor have they a defender beside Him.” (13:11)

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Ninth:

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And among the angels as well:

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the angel entrusted with the mountains,

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the angel entrusted with the drop of fluid in the wombs,

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angels who fight alongside the believers and reassure them by Allah's command,

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the visitors of al-Bayt al-Ma'mur,

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and wandering angels who attend gatherings of remembrance,

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among others.

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The impacts of belief in the angels

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Belief in the angels and their functions yields many positive impacts,

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including:

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First:

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Loving them and finding solace in them,

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as they are noble servants

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who love the believers and seek forgiveness for them.

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Second:

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Fear of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and venerating and revering Him,

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because these angels, despite their immense and formidable creation,

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fear their Lord and stand in awe of Him;

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so how much more should weak, helpless man?

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Third:

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Modesty before Allah and before the noble recording angels,

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who never depart from the servant and account for his deeds,

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such that the servant feels ashamed that they should observe him committing acts of disobedience to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, that he ought not to commit.

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Fourth:

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Reassurance and steadfastness during times of hardship and jihad,

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knowing that Allah strengthens the believers with angels who fight alongside them.

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A Summary of the Creed of Ahl al-Sunnah