BELIEF IN ANGELS CHAPTER. Lesson 1 Understanding God s Existence. Lesson 2 Six Articles of Faith Lesson 3 The Essence and Attributes of God

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BELIEF IN ANGELS Faith is the actual reason for

God s Existence Lesson 2 Six Articles of Faith

Messenger believes in what has been revealed to

All believe in Allah, His Angels and His

1 BELIEF IN ANGELS Faith is the actual reason for human existence CHAPTER 3 Lesson 1 Understanding God s Existence Lesson 2 Six Articles of Faith Lesson 3 The Essence and Attributes of God The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. All believe in Allah, His Angels and His Messengers. (Qur an 2:285) Interior of the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul

Lesson 1 Introduction Belief in angels is the second article of the six essential principles of faith. THINK Did you know? Fundamental needs for human beings such as sustenance do not apply to angels.

The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. All believe in Allah, His Angels and His Messengers.

2 Lesson 1 Introduction Belief in angels is the second article of the six essential principles of faith. THINK Did you know? Fundamental needs for human beings such as sustenance do not apply to angels. They are nourished through the act of worship and serving Allah. Angels do not have a gender. They do not have children. The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. All believe in Allah, His Angels and His Messengers. (Qur an 2:285) Belief in angels is the second article of the six essential principles of faith. In proximity, angels are the closest beings to the Almighty Allah. They are created out of Nur. Angels do not have desires of their own, and neither do they eat or drink. Angels are the honored servants of Allah and they never disobey His exalted commands. They are constantly in the service of their eternal Master. Some angels worship Allah continuously as they stand in upright position, bowing position or prostration position. Some angels have ongoing individual duties, whereas some perform collective duties. There are angels called up on only in certain circumstances and there are those whose duties are limited to one single mission. Angels do not have a gender. They do not have children. However, angels do possess intelligence and the power of reasoning. This is quite evident in many Qur anic verses: proximity: the state of being near Nur: pure light prostration: lying with the front of your body turned toward the ground

3 ...When your Lord said to the angels: I am setting on the earth a vicegerent. The angels asked: Will you set therein one who will cause disorder and corruption on it and shed blood, while we glorify You with Your praise (proclaiming that You are absolutely above having any defect and that all praise belongs to You exclusively), and declare that You alone are All-Holy and to be worshipped as Allah and Lord? He said: Surely I know what you do not know. (Qur an 2:30) It is clear from the verse above that angels were wondering about the purpose behind the creation of human beings, hence, they asked their Lord why He would create a being that would cause mischief and shed blood on earth. DISCUSS We know now that the angels wondered about our purpose for being created. What is the purpose of our creation? (Hint: This should be a review from the previous chapters) Following the creation of Adam, peace be upon him, Allah taught him the names of all things. Then He asked His angels to name these things, yet they could not. When Adam, peace be upon him, spoke and told them all the Names, Allah said: Following the creation of Adam, peace be upon him, Allah taught him the names of all things. Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of heaven and earth, and I know what you reveal and what you conceal? (Qur an 2:33) By the commandment of Allah, the angels then bowed and prostrated before Adam, peace be upon him. The only being who refused to bow down was Iblis (Satan). This incident also teaches us that although Allah has given angels the ability to question and comprehend, they do not possess the freewill to disobey. Satan, on the other hand, was not an angel. He was a Jinn created out of smokeless fire, therefore, he possessed freewill. commandment: an important rule given by God that tells people how to behave

4 CAN ANGELS BE SEEN WITH THE NAKED EYE? The fact that a thing is not seen does not indicate its nonexistence IMAGINE We now learned that there are two angels who record our every deed and action, as assigned by Allah. Reflect on how this knowledge will help you make good choices in regards to behavior, prayers, and how you treat others? There are also many angels who protect and join us during our Prayers and worship. Since angels are spiritual beings, ordinary human beings cannot see them in their natural form, unless they take on a visible form. Prophets, on the other hand, are bestowed with a special gift that allows them to observe angels in their natural form. Prophets also possess the special Allah-given ability to have conversations with angels. The fact that a thing is not seen does not indicate its nonexistence According to a narration by Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, recorded in Bukhari, the noble Messenger has seen Jibril (Gabriel) twice in his natural form. Furthermore, he has seen the Angel many times in the appearance of a handsome young man who resembled a Companion named Dihya. This is an indication that with the permission of Allah, angels can take a visible physical form. This is also evident in some Qur anic verses such as the one that mentions the story of Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him. He was given the glad tidings of a son by three angels sent by Allah. These angels also travelled to Prophet Lot, peace be upon him, to assist him. There is also a Hadith recorded in Muslim which states that a man came to the noble Prophet and asked questions about Iman (faith) and Ihsan (perfect goodness). This occurred in front of a public audience and the man who visited the Prophet was no other than Jibril (Gabriel) himself, in human form. Although, we as ordinary people may never actually see an angel in our lifetime, we constantly interact with them throughout our lives. The Noble Recorders (Kiraman Katibin) for example, are the two angels who stand by our right and left sides at all times to record our every deed and action. There are also many angels who protect and join us during our Prayers and worship. Apart from the countless number of angels who serve Allah at all times, there are four great angels that were distinguished from the rest. They are Jibril, Mikail, Israfil and Azrail. Allah gave all these great Angels unique duties. Jibril is the most distinguished of all angels. He is entrusted with conveying the Divine revelations to the Messengers of Allah. Mikail is the angel who is entrusted with the sustenance of all creatures. Israfil is the angel who will blow the Trumpet (Sur) indicating the time of the Judgment Day and; Azrail is the angel of death who is entrusted with the duty of collecting the souls of all living creatures in the universe. Without question, angels are truly astonishing creations of Allah. Those who contemplate and reflect on the angels of Allah will no doubt strengthen their belief in the All-Powerful and Omnipotent Allah, the Almighty Allah. sustenance: something (such as food) that keeps someone or something alive contemplate: to think deeply or carefully about (something)

5 WHAT DID WE LEARN? LESSON SUMMARY: In proximity, angels are the closest beings to the Almighty Allah. They are created out of Nur (pure light). Angels do not have desires of their own, and neither do they eat or drink. Angels are the honored servants of Allah and they never disobey His exalted commands. They are constantly in the service of their eternal Master. Since angels are spiritual beings, ordinary human beings cannot see them in their natural form The Noble Recorders (Kiraman Katibin) for example, are the two angels who stand by our right and left sides at all times to record our every deed and action. Apart from the countless number of angels who serve Allah at all times, there are four great angels that were distinguished from the rest. They are Jibril, Mikail, Israfil and Azrail LESSON REVIEW: INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT 1. According to the text what are angels created out of? 2. Why can t we see angels? 3. Do angels have freewill? Are the able to disobey Allah? 4. What are the names and duties of the four great angels mentioned in the text? ESSAY Compare and contrast your new understanding of angels with your understanding of them before the lesson. What did you already know, what did you learn, and what else do you want to know? LESSON VOCABULARY Proximity Nur Prostration Sustenance Commandment Contemplate REFERENCE PAGE Ergi, Omer A. Understanding the Basic Principles of Islam. Clifton: Tugra Books, Print. Merriam-Webster s Learner s Dictionary. Merriam-Webster s Learner s Dictionary. N.p., n.d.

Articles Of Faith. Describe the six Articles of Faith in Islam (Imaan Mufassil).

Articles Of Faith. Describe the six Articles of Faith in Islam (Imaan Mufassil). Articles Of Faith Describe the six Articles of Faith in Islam (Imaan Mufassil). A Muslim is not a complete Muslim if there are weaknesses in his belief. Allah warns us that rejecting faith will render