BELIEF IN ANGELS

Angels are spiritual beings created by God from light, invisible to our eyes. Angels are created solely to do good and worship God. They have no capacity for evil, because God has not given them feelings that incite evil, such as lust and anger. Angels do not eat, drink, sleep, marry, or reproduce like us. There is no male or female gender for them. They are present in the heavens, on earth, everywhere; they have the power to traverse the furthest distances in a short time and to appear in any form or shape they desire. God has given them this power. Angels are occupied with worshiping God day and night, with remembrance, glorification, and praise. This is their sustenance. They never disobey God and never deviate even slightly from His commands. They are innocent and obedient.

Angels, being subtle essences created from light and spiritual beings, cannot be seen by the human eye in their true form and essence. Our ability to see is not created in a way that allows us to perceive angels. However, since God Almighty granted His prophets the ability to see angels, they were able to see them in their true form. Our inability to see angels in their true essence and to perceive them with our five senses does not necessitate the claim that they do not exist. There are many things in the material world that even our sensory organs cannot perceive. Our ears do not hear very high or very low pitched sounds. If we could see all the light waves whose existence is detected by instruments today, especially X-rays and ultraviolet rays, we would know the world very differently than we do now. How can we deny the existence of the infinite events in the infinite universes created by God, when we are not even aware of the truth of the manifestations in our own world? Therefore, not being able to see something with our eyes does not prove that it does not exist. There are many things we cannot see with our eyes, yet we accept their existence through our intellect, knowledge, experience, and experiments. Angels are among those things whose existence we accept even though we cannot see them.

The existence of angels has been reported by all Abrahamic religions, starting with Islam. Prophets have seen them in their true form and received revelation from them. The Quran and other holy books also mention the existence of angels. All of these constitute a definitive proof of the existence of angels, just like seeing them with our eyes. To disbelieve in angels, whose existence is agreed upon in all true religions and prophets, and whose existence is reported by our Prophet and the Quran, simply because "I cannot see them with my own eyes," is a great ignorance and denial. For someone who believes in God, disbelief in angels is inconceivable.

Belief in angels occupies an important place within the articles of faith. Because angels are messengers who convey the divine revelation they receive from God to the prophets. Therefore, believing in revelation and prophets first requires believing in the existence of the angels who bring them the revelation and prophethood. Disbelieving in angels will result in disbelief in prophets as well. This is why belief in angels is mentioned immediately after belief in God.

Angels are created from light; they are luminous and spiritual beings, free from actions and attributes such as eating, drinking, masculinity, femininity, sleeping, fatigue, weariness, youth, and old age: "...Those who are in His presence do not become arrogant or weary in their worship of Him. They glorify Him night and day without ceasing" (Al-Anbiya 21:19-20), "They considered the angels, the servants of the Most Merciful, to be female. Have they seen the creation of the angels? Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned about it." (Al-Zuhruf 43:19; see also Al-Saffat 37:149; An-Najm 53:27-28).

Angels do not disobey God, they do not disobey God's commands, they never commit sins, and they perform the tasks for which they were created. "They fear their Lord above them and they do what they are commanded." (Nahl 16/50; see also Anbiya 21/26-28; Tahrim 66/6).

Angels are extremely swift, powerful, and strong beings: "Praise be to God, who created the heavens and the earth and made the angels messengers with two, three, or four wings. He increases in creation as He wills. Indeed, God is All-Powerful." (Fatir 35:1). While Islamic sources state that angels have wings, it is not possible to say anything about the nature of these wings. Considering that angels are luminous beings, it is clear that it would be incorrect to describe them with material attributes such as bird or airplane wings. The wings of angels can be understood as representing their form, and the number of wings indicates their level of power and speed, and their value in the sight of God.

Angels can assume various forms and appearances with the command and permission of God. Gabriel (peace be upon him) appeared to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the form of Dihya, one of his companions, and sometimes in the form of a person unknown to anyone. Similarly, Gabriel (peace be upon him) appeared to Mary in human form (see Maryam 19:16-17). A group of angels came to Abraham in the form of people bringing him the good news that he would have a son. He mistook them for guests and prepared food for them, but when he saw that they did not eat, he became frightened and then realized that they were angels (Hud 11:69-70). This verse also implies that angels do not eat or drink.

Angels are invisible to the eye. Their invisibility is not because they do not exist, but because the human eye is not created with the ability and capacity to see them. Angels have been seen in their original form by prophets. If they were to transform from their original form into another physical form, such as a human form, then it would be possible for other people to see them. As stated in the hadith known as the Hadith of Gabriel, Gabriel was seen by the Companions in human form (see Bukhari, “Iman”, 37; Muslim, “Iman”, 1; Abu Dawud, “Sunnah”, 15).

Angels cannot know the unseen. Because only Allah knows the unseen. If Allah has given them knowledge of the unseen, they can only know that much. The angels said: "Glory be to You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise." "Did I not tell you that I surely know the unseen of the heavens and the earth? I know what you disclose and what you conceal." (Al-Baqara 2:31-33).

Source: DIB, Islamic Catechism, Volume 1, Creed, Fundamentals of Faith, Belief in Angels.

Angels can be grouped into three main categories: 1. Illiyyun - Mukarrabun Angels, 2. Mudabbirat Angels, 3. Angels related to humans...

These are constantly engaged in remembering God, purifying Him from all imperfections, and glorifying Him with all His perfect attributes. They are in a state of ecstasy within the knowledge and love of God.

These are the angels responsible for administering the universe, ensuring its order and regularity, and enforcing the Divine Laws. They are the overseers and observers of the manifestations of God's will and power in the world.

At the head of these angels is Gabriel (peace be upon him). His duty is to deliver divine revelation to the prophets. For this reason, he is also called the Angel of Revelation. Another duty of the angels associated with humanity is to give strength to God's prophets and righteous servants, to comfort them in times of distress and sorrow, to elevate their morale, and to provide practical assistance if necessary. The Quran informs us that angels actively assisted the believers in the battles of Badr, Uhud, and Hunayn, which took place during the Age of Bliss. Another duty of the angels associated with humanity is to instill good and virtuous things in people, thus guiding them to the right path and enabling their spiritual elevation.

The greatest angels are four: * Gabriel (as): The Angel of Revelation, delivers messages from Allah to the prophets. * Michael (Mikail) (as): Responsible for delivering sustenance and regulating natural phenomena (rain, wind, etc.). * Israfil (as): Responsible for blowing the trumpet (Sur) to announce the Day of Judgment and the resurrection. * Azrael (as): The Angel of Death, responsible for seizing the souls of people. Also called Malak al-Mawt.

* Guardian Angels (Kiramen Katibin): Every human being has two. These angels record all the good and bad deeds, words, and actions of people. * Munkar and Nakir Angels: These are the angels who question people in the grave after death, asking questions such as, "Who is your Lord, what is your religion, who is your prophet?"

Jinn are like humans in their worship of Allah, that is, their servitude. However, their time and space are also different from ours. For example, a jinn who is twenty years old according to their own time may have existed a thousand, or even fifteen hundred years ago in our time. For instance, it is said that the jinn who met our Prophet is still alive. Again, our space, that is, our matter, is like emptiness for them. That is why it is stated that they were created from fire that can penetrate, that is, to seep (See al-Rahman 55/15). Jinn also marry, reproduce, and multiply.

It is true that some evil-spirited people use jinn in matters of magic. However, this is not to the extent that is thought and feared. It is a fact that jinn cannot harm people with strong faith. The Quran already states about those who practice magic: "They cannot harm anyone except by the permission of Allah" (Al-Baqara 2/102). We also learn from the Quran that they often lie. Therefore, most of those who claim to perform magic with jinn have no connection to such things. Believing in such people and thinking they can know the unseen is a grave sin.

Satan is also an evil spirit who constantly incites people to rebel against God. His greatest characteristic is his stubbornness, which prevents him from doing what God commands. Satan is not a power that can rival God; he is a being created by God, and his actions are permitted, so that it may be clear to people who can choose good and who can choose evil.

The Quran informs us of the existence of both jinn and devils. Therefore, not believing in them also constitutes disbelief. Indeed, there is even a separate surah dedicated to jinn. It is therefore wrong to explain their existence with things like microbes.

God could have chosen not to create him. However, then the importance of avoiding evil, the test of life, and spiritual elevation would be lost. The existence of Satan serves as a means of testing for human to direct their will towards good.