Belief in angels is an essential aspect of faith in Islam. The religion holds that there are six pillars of faith and that those who do not believe in any of them are not true believers. The pillars include belief in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and that predestination, both good and bad, comes from Allah.
As stated in the Quran: “The messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers; they all believe in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers.” (2:285).
Angels are spiritual beings created by Allah to carry out various tasks. There are many of them, and they are bound to obey Allah’s commands. Unlike humans, angels do not have the ability to make choices between right and wrong.
Angels are created from light and therefore, cannot be seen, heard, or touched by humans using normal senses and perceptions. The Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said, “Angels are created from light and jinn from fire, whereas Adam is created out of what is described to you”.
While the Quran does not specify how angels were created, it describes them as winged beings, “Praise be to God, The Originator of the heavens and the earth, The Maker of the angels (as) messengers endowed with wings, two’s, three’s and four’s. He increases in creation as He decides; surely God is Ever-Determiner over everything.” (Quran, 35:1)
Although they are immaterial and invisible, angels have the ability to assume physical forms, such as the human shape. Gabriel frequently took on human form during his visits to the Prophet Muhammad and also did the same when he appeared to Mary and the delegation of angels who visited Prophet Abraham.
Angels have different ranks and grades. Some are always in a state of ruku’ while others are perpetually in a state of prostration.
Angels are different from humans and jinn in the following ways:
- They do not eat or drink.
- They do not marry or procreate.
- They do not have gender.
We do not know when angels were created, as there is no text to indicate this, but it is known that they were created before mankind.
Each person has two angels, known as “angels in succession,” who protect them from harm unless the harm is decreed by Allah. The Quran states: “For each (person), there are angels in succession, before and behind him. They guard him by the command of Allah…” (13:11).
In conclusion, Angels play a vital role in Islam and are believed to be responsible for many aspects of the natural and spiritual world. They are a reminder of Allah’s power and presence and are considered to be messengers of His will.
Recommended reading: Islamic view of the afterlife