Reality of the Angels
In ordinary peoples, the angels are regarded as good forces of nature, as a luminous appearance or illusion. On western icons, the angels are sometimes depicted as fat, chubby babies or as handsome young men or women with a glow around their heads. According to the Islamic teaching, these are actually created beings who may also suffer death and who are normally hidden from our senses.
They are neither divine nor semi-divine, nor are they God’s partners who care for different parts of the universe. Accordingly, one must not serve them and also not worship them. Nor are they “mediators” between people and Allah and do not convey our prayers to God. They are all subject to God and carry out His orders.
From an Islamic perspective, there are no fallen angels: they are not divided into “good” and “bad” angels. People do not become angels after death. Satan is not a fallen angel, but one of the Ginn, creatures that God created in parallel with people and angels.
The angels were created from light before human beings were created, and their representation or representation in Islamic art is very rare. Nevertheless, according to the Islamic scriptures, they are generally beautiful beings with wings.
Angels of different cosmic hierarchies and with different tasks differ in size, position and merit.
The greatest of them is Gabriel. The Prophet of Islam saw him in his actual form. The bearers of God’s throne are also among the greatest angels. They love believers and ask God for forgiveness for their sins. They carry God’s throne, and the Prophet Muhammad spoke about them, may God praise him and give him peace:
“I have been given permission to speak of one of God’s angels who hold the throne. The distance between his earlobes and his shoulders is a journey of seven hundred years. ” (Abu Dawud)
You don’t eat or drink. The angels do not get bored and they do not tire of serving God:
“They praise (Him) night and day and do not abate.” (Quran 21:20)
The number of angels
How many angels are there? Only God knows. The Frequently Visited House is a venerable, heavenly sanctuary above the Kaaba, the black, cube-like building in the city of Mecca. Seventy thousand angels come to visit it daily and leave without ever returning, followed by another group. [1]
The names of the angels
Muslims believe in certain angels mentioned in Islamic sources such as Ğibriel (Gabriel), Mika’iel (Michael), Israfiel, Malik – the guardian of hellfire and others. Of these, only Ğibriel and Mika’iel were mentioned in the Bible.
Angelic Abilities
The angels have great powers that God has given them. They can take different forms. The scriptures of the Muslims describe how God sent Gabriel in the form of a man to Mary at the moment of Jesus‘ conception:
“We sent Our Angels to her. He presented himself to her as a well-formed human being. ” (Quran 19:17)
Abraham was also visited by angels in human form. Similarly, angels in the form of handsome young men came to Lot to save him from danger. Gabriel used to visit the Prophet Muhammad in different forms. Sometimes he appeared in the shape of one of his followers and sometimes in the shape of a Bedouin from the desert.
So angels have the ability to take human form in some circumstances, including ordinary people.
Gabriel is God’s heavenly emissary to people. He brought the divine revelation to His human messengers. God says:
“Say: Whoever is an enemy of Gabriel, he has revealed it (the Quran) to your heart with Allah’s permission …” (Quran 2:97)
The angels‘ duties
Some of the angels are responsible for executing God’s rules in the world. Michael is responsible for the rain, he directs it to wherever God wishes. He has helpers who support him in this on the instructions of his master; they control the winds and the clouds as God wills. Another is charged with blowing the horn; his name is Israafiel and he will blow it at the beginning of the day of judgment. Still others take the souls of the dying out of their bodies in the hour of death: these are the angel of death and his helpers. God says:
„Say: The angel of death who is entrusted to you will be called off, and you will then be brought back to your Lord.“ (Quran 32:11)
Then there are the guardian angels who are responsible for protecting every believer throughout their life, be it at home or on the road, while sleeping or awake.
Others are responsible for reporting on people’s deeds, good and bad. These are known as the „Honorable Writers“.
Two angels, Munkar and Nakier, are tasked with questioning the people in their graves.
The keepers of paradise and the nineteen “guards” of hellfire, whose leader is ´Malik´, are also angels.
There are also angels who are responsible for breathing the soul into the fetus and writing down his care, lifespan, deeds and whether he will be unhappy or happy.
Some angels travel around the world to attend meetings where God is thought. There are also angels who represent God’s heavenly army, they stand in rows, never get tired or sit down. And still others bow or prostrate and never raise their heads, they always worship God.
As we learn from the above, the angels represent an excellent creation of God, different in number, roles and abilities. God does not need these creatures, but knowing and believing in them increases our awe that we feel towards God and the belief that He is able to create everything He wants: for the splendor of His Creation is a testament to the magnificence of the Creator.
Footnotes:
[1] Sahih Al-Bukhari.
Source: https://www.islamland.com/deu/articles/glaube-an-die-engel