Belief in The Angels

As a Muslim we believe Allah has Angels who he created to obey him. He describes them as being revered salves who give his word precedence and carry out his command.

“He knows what is before them and what is behind them, they cannot intercede except for him with whom he is pleased. They stand in awe for fear of him” (21:28)

The Angels are of different varieties. Some are responsible for carrying the throne, some guard paradise and hellfire, and some are responsible for writing down peoples actions.

We believe in those who have been mentioned by name by Allah and his messenger (sallalahu alayhiwassalam). These include Jibreel, Meekaa’eel, Malik the Gaurdian of hell, Israafeel the one responsible for blowing the trumpet on the day of resurrection. And also in the other angels whom we were no informed of their names.

We also believe in what has been established in the hadeeth of sahih Muslim wherein the prophet (sallalahu alayhi wasallam) said: “the angels were created from light, the jinn were created from a smokeless flame of fire and Adam was created by that which has been described to you (by Allah in the Quran)” 

Six Fundamentals Of Eemaan

The evidences in the book of Allah and the sunnah of his messenger (sallalahu alayhi wasallam) show the six fundamentals of  Eemaan are to believe in:

1) Allah

2) His Angels

3) His Books (original and unaltered)

4) His Messengers

5) The last Day (of Judgement)

6) Predestination – the good and bad of it.

These six matters are the fundamentals of Eemaan  and the correct Aqeedah with which Allah the Almighty revealed his book and sent his Messenger Muhammad (sallalahu alayhi wasallam).

All issues concerning the unseen and all that we have been informed of from Allah and his messenger (sallalahu alayhi wasallam) stem from the above principles and it is obligatory to believe in them.

The evidences from Quran and Sunnah are many. These include the sayings of Allah:

“it is not righteousness that you turn your faces to the east or the west (in prayers) but righteousness is to believe in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Books and the Prophets” (2:177)

“The messengers believe in what is sent down to him from his lord, as do the faithful believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books and His Messengers. (They say:) We make no distinction between one and another of his messengers.” (2;285)

“O you who believe! Believe in Allah, His Messenger (Muhammad), the Book (Quran) which he has sent down to his messenger, and the scriptures which he’s enter down to those before (him). Whosoever disbelievers in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day has strayed far away.” (4:136)

“Do you not Know that Allah knows all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth? Verily it is all in a record. Verily, that is easy for Allah” (22:70)

Theres also many authentic hadeeth that prove these fundamentals. Amongst them is the famous authentic hadeeth narrated by Muslim in his saheeh on the authority of the leader of the believers, Umar (radi allahu anhu), that angel Jibreel (alayhisallam) asked the prophet (sallalahu alayhi wasallam) about Eemaan. He replied:

“Eemaan is to believe in Allah,  his Angels, his. Books, his Messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in. Predestination – the good and the bad of it” 

All the Obligatory matters if belief relating to Allah, the Day of judgement and other matters of the unseen originate from these six principles.

[Source: The Correct Islamic Aqeedah & that which opposes it, By Skaykh Abdul-Aziz Ibn Baz. Publisher: Dar us-Sunnah]