THE ‘ARSHI OF THE LORD AND HIS ANGLES
1. BELIEF IN AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS)
What do you
believe about angels regarding their function, appearance, form and powers?
Belief in
angels is one of the six pillars of belief or faith without which there is no
faith. Whoever does not believe in any of these pillars is not a believer
(mumin). These pillars are belief in: Allah, His angels, His Books, His
Messengers, the Last Day, and that predestination, both good and bad, comes
from Allah.
Angels are a
part of the world of the “Unseen” which we cannot comprehend. Allah has told us
about them in many places in the Quran and via His Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him). There follows a number of proven reports
concerning the angels, which hopefully will make you realize the greatness of
the Creator and the greatness of this religion which has told us so much about
them:
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) OF WHAT ARE THEY CREATED?
They are
created from light, as ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
‘The angels are created from light, just as the jinn are created from smokeless
fire and mankind is created from what you have been told about.’"
[Muslim].
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) WHEN WERE THEY CREATED?
We have no
knowledge of precisely when they were created, because there is no text to tell
us this. But they were created before mankind for certain, because the Quran
says (interpretation of the meaning): "Behold, your Lord said to the
angels: ‘I will create a vicegerent on earth.’" [Holy Quran Chapter 2:30]
The fact that Allah told them of His intention to create man indicates that
they already existed.
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) THEIR GREAT SIZE
Allah says
concerning the angels of Hell:
"O you who
believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is men and
stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern and severe, who flinch not
(from executing) the commands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely) what
they are commanded." [Holy Quran Chapter 66:6]
The greatest of
all the angels is Jibreel, upon whom be peace, who was described in the
following report:
"From
‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: the Messenger
of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw Jibreel in his true
form. He had six hundred wings, each of which covered the horizon. There fell
from his wings jewels, pearls and rubies, only Allah knows about them." It
was reported by Ahmad in al-Musnad, and Ibn Katheer said in al-Bidayah that its
isnad (chain of narrators) is jayyid (good).
The Messenger
of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, describing Jibreel:
"I saw Jibreel
descending from heaven, and his great size filled the space between heaven and
earth." [Muslim].
Among the
greatest angels are those who carry the Throne (of Allah), who were described
in the following report:
"From
Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: ‘I have been given permission to
speak about one of the angels of Allah who carry the Throne. The distance
between his ear-lobes and his shoulders is equivalent to a seven-hundred-year
journey.’" [Abu Dawood].
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) THEY HAVE WINGS
Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Praise be
to Allah, Who created (out of nothing) the heavens and the earth, Who made the
angels messengers with wings - two, or three, or four (pairs) adds to Creation
as He pleases: for Allah has power over all things." [Holy Quran Chapter 35:1]
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) THEIR BEAUTY
Allah said,
describing Jibreel, upon whom be peace (interpretation of the meaning):
"He [the
Prophet] has been taught by one Mighty in Power, Dhoo Mirrah (free from any
defect in body and mind), then he rose and became stable." [Holy Quran Chapter 53:5-6]
Ibn ‘Abbas
said: "‘Dhoo Mirrah means that he has a beautiful appearance."
Qutadah said: "He is tall and beautiful."
The idea that
angels are beautiful is firmly established in all people’s minds, so much so
that they liken a beautiful human to an angel, as the women said about Yoosuf:
". . .
When they [the women] saw him, they did extol him and (in their amazement) cut
their hands: they said: ‘Allah preserve us! No mortal is this! This is none
other than a noble angel!’" [Holy Quran Chapter
12:31]
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) THEIR DIFFERENCES IN SIZE AND
STATUS
The angels are
not all of one size or status; there are differences between them just as there
are differences in virtue. The best of them are those that were present at the
battle of Badr, as is stated in the hadeeth narrated by Mu‘adh ibn Rifa‘ah
al-Zuraqi from his father, who had been one of the people present at Badr. He
said: "Jibreel came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
Him) and asked, ‘How do you rate the people among you who were present at
Badr?’ He said: ‘They are the best of the Muslims,’ or something similar. [Jibreel]
said: ‘So it is with the angels who were present at Badr.’" [al-Bukhaari].
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) THEY DO NOT EAT OR DRINK
This is
indicated by the conversation between Ibrahim, the "friend" of Allah,
and the angels who visited him. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Then he
turned quickly to his household, brought out a fatted calf, and placed it
before them. He said, ‘Will you not eat?’ (When they did not eat), he conceived
a fear of them. They said: ‘Fear not,’ and they gave him glad tidings of a son
endowed with knowledge." [Holy Quran Chapter
51:26-28]
Elsewhere,
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"But when
he [Ibrahim] saw their hands went not towards the (meal), he felt some mistrust
of them, and conceived a fear of them. They said: ‘Fear not: we have been sent
against the people of Lut.’" [Holy Quran Chapter
11:70]
They do not get
bored or tired of remembering and worshipping Allah
Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"They
celebrate His praises night and day, nor do they ever slacken." [Holy Quran Chapter 21:20]
". . . For
in the presence of your Lord are those who celebrate His praises by night and
by day. And they never become tired (nor feel themselves above it)." [Holy Quran Chapter 41:38]
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) THEIR NUMBER
The angels are
many, and their number is known only to Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) said, describing the Much-Frequented House (al-Bayt
al-M’amoor) in the seventh heaven:
"Then I
was taken up to the Much-Frequented House: every day seventy thousand angels
visit it and leave, never returning to it again, another [group] coming after
them." [al-Bukhaari].
‘Abdullah (may
Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Hell will be brought forth that day by
means of seventy thousand ropes, each of which will be pulled by seventy
thousand angels." [Muslim].
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) - THEIR NAMES
The angels have
names, but we know only the names of a few of them. We have to believe in the
names reported in the Quran and Sunnah (prophetic teachings) texts, as a part
of general belief in the angels. Among the names of angels that are known to us
are:
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) - (1) JIBREEL AND (2) MIKAIL
"Say:
Whoever is an enemy to Jibreel - for he brings down the (revelation) to your
heart by Allah’s will, a confirmation of what went before, and guidance and
glad tidings to those who believe -
Whoever is an
enemy to Allah, and His angels and prophets, to Jibreel and Mikail - Lo! Allah
is an enemy to those who reject faith." [Holy
Quran Chapter 2:97-98]
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) - (3) ISRAFIL
From Abu
Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, who said: "I asked ‘Aishah, the
Mother of the Believers, about what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) used to start his prayer with when he got up to pray at night
(qiyam al-layl). She said: ‘When he got up to pray at night, he would start his
prayer (with the words): ‘O Allah, Lord of Jibreel, Mikail and Israfil, Creator
of heaven and earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You are the Judge of
the matters in which Your slaves differ; guide me with regard to disputed
matters of truth by Your permission, for You guide whomever You will to the
straight path.’" [Muslim].
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) - (4) MALIK
He is the
Keeper of Hell, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): "They [the
people in Hell] will cry: ‘O Malik! Would that your Lord put an end to
us!’" [Holy Quran Chapter 43:77]
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) - (5) MUNKAR AND (6) NAKEER
From Abu
Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "The Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘When the deceased is buried
(or he said: when one of you is buried), there come to him two blue-black
angels, one of whom is called Munkar and the other Nakeer. They ask him, ‘What
did you used to say about this man?’ and he says what he used to say: ‘He is
the slave and Messenger of Allah: I bear witness that there is no god except Allah
and that Muhammad is the slave and Messenger of Allah. They say, ‘We knew
beforehand that you used to say this.’ Then his grave will be widened for him
to a size of seventy cubits by seventy cubits and it will be illuminated for
him. Then they tell him, ‘Sleep.’ He says, ‘Go back to my family and tell
them.’ They tell him, ‘Sleep like a bridegroom whom no-one will wake up except
his most beloved,’ until Allah raises him up. If (the deceased) was a
hypocrite, he says, ‘I heard the people saying something so I said something
similar; I do not know.’ They say: ‘We knew beforehand that you used to say
this.’ The earth will be told to squeeze him, so he will be crushed until his
ribs are interlocked, and he will remain like that until Allah raises him up.’"
[al-Tirmidhi].
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) - (7) HAROOT AND (8) MAROOT
Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
". . . and
such things as came down at Babylon to the angels Haroot and Maroot . . ." [Holy Quran Chapter 2:102]
". . . and
none can know the forces of your Lord, except He. And this is nothing other
than a warning to mankind." [Holy Quran Chapter
74:31]
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) THEIR POWERS
The angels have
great powers given to them by Allah, including the following:
The ability to
take on different forms. Allah has given the angels the ability to take on
forms other than their own. Allah sent Jibreel to Maryam in the form of a man,
as Allah says:
". . .
Then We sent to her Our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all
respects." [Holy Quran Chapter 19:17]
Angels also
came to Ibrahim in human form, and he did not know that they were angels until
they told him so. Similarly, angels came to Lut in the form of young men with
beautiful faces. Jibreel used to come to the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon Him) in different forms: sometimes he would appear in the form of
Dihyah al-Kalbi, a sahaabee (companion) who was very handsome, and sometimes in
the form of a Bedouin. The sahaabah (companions) saw him in his human form, as
is reported from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) in the
two Saheehs Al-Bukhari and Muslim). (‘Umar) said:
"One day
while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him), there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly
white and whose hair was exceedingly black; no signs of travel were to be seen
on him, and none of us knew him. He walked up and sat down by the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Resting his knees against his and placing
his hands on his thighs, he said: ‘O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.’..." [
Muslim].
Many other
ahadeeth (report) refer to the angels taking human forms, such as the hadeeth
(report) about the one who killed a hundred, in which it says ". . . there
came to them an angel in human form . . ." and the hadeeth about the blind
man, the bald man and the leper.
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) THEIR SPEED
The greatest
speed known to man today is the speed of light; the angels are able to travel
much faster than this. Hardly had an enquirer completed a question to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), but Jibreel would bring the
answer from Allah.
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) THEIR DUTIES
Among the
angels is one whose task it was to convey the revelation from Allah to His
Messengers; this is al-Rooh al-Ameen, Jibreel, upon whom be peace. Allah says:
"Say:
whoever is an enemy to Jibreel - for he brings down the (revelation) to your
heart by Allah’s will. . . " [Holy Quran Chapter
2:97]
"Which the
trustworthy spirit has brought down,
Upon your
heart, that you may be (one) of the warners." [Holy Quran Chapter
26:193-194]
Another is
responsible for rain, directing it wherever Allah wishes. This is Mikail, upon
whom be peace. He has helpers, who do what he tells them, by the command of his
Lord; they direct the winds and clouds, as Allah wills.
Another is
responsible for blowing the Trumpet, which will be blown by Israfil at the
onset of the Hour (the Day of Judgement).
Others are
responsible for taking people’s souls: these are the Angel of Death and his
helpers. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): "Say: ‘the Angel of
Death, put in charge of you, will (duly) take your souls, then shall you be
brought back to your Lord.’" [Holy Quran Chapter
32:11] There is no proof in any saheeh hadeeth (authentic report) that
his name is ‘Azrail.
Others are
responsible for protecting the slave throughout his life, when he stays home
and when he travels, when he is asleep and when he is awake. These are the
"angels in succession" concerning whom Allah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"It is the
same (to Him) whether any of you conceals his speech or declares it openly,
whether he be hid by night or goes forth freely by day.
For each
(person), there are angels in succession, before and behind him. They guard him
by the Command of Allah. Verily! Allah will not change the good condition of a
people so long as they do not change their state of goodness themselves (by
committing sin and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allah). But when
Allah wills a people’s punishment, there can be no turning back of it, and they
will find besides Him no protector." [Holy Quran
Chapter 13:10-11]
Others are
responsible for recording the deeds of man, good and bad. These are the
"honourable scribes" (kiraman katibeen) and are referred to in the
ayat/verses (interpretation of the meanings):
". . . and
He sends guardians (angels guarding and writing all of one’s good and bad
deeds) over you . . ." [Holy Quran Chapter 6:61]
"Or do
they think that We hear not their secrets and their private counsel? (Yes, We
do) and Our messengers (appointed angels in charge of mankind) are by them, to
record."
[Holy
Quran Chapter 43:80]
"(Remember!)
that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each human being after he or
she has attained the age of puberty), one sitting on the right and one on the
left (to note his or her actions).
Not a word does
he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)." [Holy Quran Chapter 50:17-18]
"But
verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you,
Kiraman
(honourable) katibeen - writing down (your deeds)." [Holy Quran Chapter 82:10-11]
Others are
responsible for testing people in the grave. These are Munkar and Nakeer. From
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "The Messenger of
Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘When the deceased is
buried (or he said: when one of you is buried), there come to him two
blue-black angels, one of whom is called Munkar and the other Nakeer. They ask
him, ‘What did you used to say about this man?’ . . ." [The hadeeth is
quoted in full above]
Some of them
are the keepers of Paradise. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And those
who kept their duty to their Lord will be led to Paradise in groups, till, when
they reach it, its gates will be opened and its keepers will say: Salamun ‘alaikum
(peace be upon you!). You have done well, so enter here, to abide
therein." [Holy Quran Chapter 39:73]
Some of them
are the keepers of Hell, the "guards of Hell", whose number is
nineteen and whose leader is Malik, upon whom be peace. Allah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"And those
who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups, till, when they reach it, the
gates thereof will be opened. And its keepers will say, ‘Did not the Messengers
come to you from yourselves, - reciting to you the verses of your Lord, and
warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?’ They will say: ‘Yes, but the
word of torment has been justified against the disbelievers!’"
[Holy Quran Chapter 39:71]
"Then, let
him call upon his council (of helpers),
We
will call the guards of Hell (to deal with him)!" [Holy Quran Chapter
97:17-18]
"And what
will make you know exactly what Hell-fire is?
It spares not
(any sinner), nor does it leave (anything unburnt)!
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) - BURNING THE SKINS!
Over it are
nineteen (angels as guardians and keepers of Hell).
And We have set
none but angels as guardians of the Fire, and We have fixed their number only
as a trial for the disbelievers - in order that the People of the Scripture may
arrive at a certainty and the believers may increase in faith . . ." [Holy Quran Chapter 74:27-31]
"And they
will cry: ‘O Malik (Keeper of Hell)! Let your Lord make an end of us.’ He will
say: ‘Verily you shall abide forever.’" [Holy
Quran Chapter 43:77]
One of the
angels is responsible for the sperm in the womb, as is mentioned in the hadeeth
(report) of Ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "The
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), whose
truthfulness is confirmed, said: ‘The way that each of you is created is that
he is gathered in his mother’s womb for forty days as a sperm drop, and then
for a similar length of time as a blood-clot, and then for a similar length of
time as a lump of flesh. Then an angel is sent and he breathes the spirit into
(the foetus), and is charged with four commands: to write down his provision,
his life-span, his actions, and whether he will be wretched or happy. By the
One besides Whom there is no other god, one of you may do the deeds of the
people of Paradise until he is just a cubit away from entering it, then his
fate will overtake him and he will begin to do the deeds of the people of Hell,
so he will enter Hell; and one of you may do the deeds of the people of Hell
until he is just a cubit away from entering it, then his fate will overtake him
and he will begin to do the deeds of the people of Paradise, so he will enter
Paradise." [al-Bukhaari, Muslim].
Some angels
carry the Throne of Allah, as He describes in the Quran (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Those
(angels) who bear the Throne (of Allah) and those around it glorify the praises
of their Lord, and believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who believe
(in the Oneness of Allah) (saying): ‘Our Lord! You comprehend all things in
mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who repent and follow Your way, and save
them from the torment of the blazing Fire!’" [Holy
Quran Chapter 40:7]
Some of the
angels travel throughout the world, seeking out gatherings of dhikr
(remembrance of Allah). Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon Him) said:
‘Allah, be He blessed and exalted, has angels who travel the highways seeking
out the people of dhikr. When they find people remembering Allah, the Mighty
and Majestic, they call out to one another, "Come to what you hunger
for!" and they enfold them with their wings, stretching up to the lowest
heaven. Their Lord asks them, and He knows better than them, "What are My
slaves saying?" They say: "They are glorifying, magnifying, praising
and extolling You." He asks, "Have they seen Me?" They say,
"No, by Allah, they have not seen You." He asks, "And how would
it be if they saw Me?" They say, "They would be even more fervent and
devoted in their praise and worship." He asks, "What are they asking
me for?" They say, "They ask You for Paradise." He asks,
"And have they seen it?" They say, "No, by Allah, O Lord, they
have not seen it." He asks, "And how would it be if they saw it?"
They say: "They would be even more eager for it and they would beseech You
even more earnestly." He asks, "And what do they seek My protection
from?" They say, "From the Fire of Hell." He asks, "Have
they seen it?" They say, "No, by Allah, they have not seen it."
He asks, "And how would it be if they saw it?" They say: "They
would be even more afraid and anxious to escape it." Allah says: "You
are My witnesses that I have forgiven them." One of the angels says:
"So-and-so is not really one of them; he came (to the gathering) for some
other reason." Allah says, "They were all in the gathering, and one
of them will not be excluded (from forgiveness)."" [al-Bukhaari].
Some of them
are responsible for the mountains. ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her)
asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Have you
ever faced any day more difficult than the day of Uhud?" He said: "I
suffered at the hands of your people and the worst that I suffered was what I
suffered at their hands on the day of ‘Aqabah. That was when I went to call Ibn
‘Abd Yalayl ibn ‘Abd al-Kalal to Islam, and he did not respond. I left, feeling
depressed and hardly knowing where I was going. I did not recover until I found
myself in Qarn al-Tha‘alib. I raised my head and saw that I was being shaded by
a cloud. I looked, and saw Jibreel in the cloud. He called me and said: ‘Allah
has heard what your people said and how they responded to you. He has sent the
Angel of the Mountains so that you can tell him to do to them whatever you
want.’ The Angel of the Mountains called me and greeted me, then said: ‘O
Muhammad, tell me what you want me to do. If you want, I can crush them between
two mountains.’" The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said: "All I hope for is that Allah will bring forth from their loins
people who will worship Allah alone and not associate any partner with
Him." [al-Buhaari].
Some of them
visit the Much Frequented House (al-bayt al-m’amoor). In the lengthy hadeeth
describing the Isra and M’iraj (the Night Journey and the Ascent to Heaven),
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"Then I
was taken up to the Much-Frequented House: every day seventy thousand angels
visit it and leave, never returning to it again, another [group] coming after
them."
There are also
angels standing in rows, who never get tired or sit down, and others who bow or
prostrate, and never raise their heads, as was reported by Abu Dharr, may Allah
be pleased with him, who said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘I see what you do not see and hear what
you do not hear. The heaven makes a noise like groaning, and it has the right
to (or it is no surprise), for there is no space in it the width of four
fingers, but there is an angel there, placing his forehead in sujood
(prostration) to Allah. By Allah, if you knew what I know, you would laugh
little and weep much, you would not enjoy your relationships with women and you
would go out in the street praying to Allah.’" [ al-Tirmidhi]
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) - WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
ARSH AND KURSI OF ALLAH?
The Kursiy is
the footstool of the Most Merciful, according to the most correct of the
scholarly opinions on the matter. The ‘Arsh (Throne) is the greatest of all
things that Allaah has created, over which our Lord rose in a manner that
befits His Majesty. It has pillars and is carried by bearers who are angels of
immense size.
The evidence
for the above is given below, along with the comments of some of the scholars.
It was narrated
that Ibn Mas’ood said: Between the first heaven and the one above it is (a
distance of) five hundred years. Between each of the heavens is (a distance of)
five hundred years. Between the seventh heaven and the Kursiy is (a distance
of) five hundred years. Between the Kursiy and the water is (a distance of)
five hundred years, and the Throne is above the water. Allaah is above the
Throne, and nothing whatsoever of your deeds is hidden from Him. (narrated by
Ibn Khuzaymah in al-Tawheed, p. 105; by al-Bayhaqi in al-Asmaa’ wa’l-Sifaat, p.
401). This report was classed as saheeh by Ibn al-Qayyim in Ijtimaa’ al-Juyoosh
al-Islamiyah, p. 100; by al-Dhahabi in al-‘Uluw, p. 64).
Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen said:
This hadeeth
stops at Ibn Mas’ood (it is mawqoof), but this is one of the matters concerning
which there is no room for personal opinion, so it comes under the heading of
marfoo’ [ahaadeeth whose isnaad goes back to the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him)], because Ibn Mas’ood is not known to have taken
anything from the Israa’eeliyyaat [reports derived from Jewish sources].
(al-Qawl al-Mufeed Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, 3/379)
Imaam Muhammad
ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab said, in the list of points noted from this hadeeth:
.....(9) The
great size of the Kursiy in relation to the heavens.
(10) The great
size of the Throne in relation to the Kursiy.
(11) That the
Throne is something other than the Kursiy and the water.
(Sharh Kitaab
al-Tawheed, p. 667, 668).
The Throne of
the Most Merciful is the greatest and most vast thing in His creation.
Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“So Exalted be
Allaah, the True King: Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be
worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne! [Holy
Quran Chapter al-Mu’minoon 23:116]
“and
He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne” [Holy Quran Chapter al-Tawbah 9:129]
“Owner of the
Throne, the Glorious” [Holy Quran Chapter al-Burooj
85:15]
Al-Qurtubi
said:
The Throne is
mentioned on its own because it is the greatest thing that Allaah has created;
everything else is also included in this. (Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 8/302, 303).
Ibn Katheer
said:
“and He is the
Lord of the Mighty Throne” [Holy Quran Chapter
al-Tawbah 9:129 – interpretation of the meaning] means, He is the
Sovereign and Creator of all things, because He is the Lord of the Mighty
Throne which is the roof of creation. All created things, the heavens and the
earth and all that is in them and in between them are beneath the Throne of
Allaah and are subject to His power. His knowledge encompasses all things and
His power controls all things, and He is Watcher over all things. (Tafseer Ibn
Katheer, 2/405)
And he said
(may Allaah have mercy on him):
“Owner of the
Throne” [Holy Quran Chapter al-Burooj 85:15 –
interpretation of the meaning] means, the Master of the Mighty Throne which is
above all created things. “The Glorious” – there are two readings of this word
(al-Majeed). If it is nominative (al-Majeedu) it is an adjective referring to
the Lord, may He be glorified, and if it is genitive (al-Majeedi), it is an
adjective referring to the Throne. Both meanings are correct. (Tafseer Ibn
Katheer, 4/474).
Majeed means
vast and mighty in power.
It was narrated
from Abu Sa’eed that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “The people will fall unconscious on the Day of Resurrection; I will be
the first to regain consciousness, and Moosa will be there, holding on to one
of the pillars of the Throne. I do not know whether he woke up before me or if
he was exempted because he had fallen unconscious at the Mount of Sinai.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3217)
AL-MALAA’IKAH (ANGELS) - THE THRONE HAS BEARERS WHO CARRY
IT.
Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Those (angels)
who bear the Throne (of Allaah) and those around it glorify the praises of
their Lord, and believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who believe (in
the Oneness of Allaah) (saying): ‘Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy
and knowledge, so forgive those who repent and follow Your way, and save them
from the torment of the blazing Fire!’” [Holy Quran Chapter
Ghaafir 40:7]
They are of
immense size:
It was narrated
from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said:
“I have been
granted permission to speak about one of the angels of Allaah, one of the
bearers of the Throne. The space between his earlobes and his shoulders is the
distance of seven hundred years’ travelling.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4727)
Al-Haafiz Ibn
Hajar said concerning this hadeeth: its isnaad meets the conditions of being
saheeh. (Fath al-Baari, 8/665)
The Throne is
above the Kursiy, and is above all of creation. Ibn al-Qayyim said:
If Allaah is
separate from His creation, then either He is encompassing them or He is not.
If He is encompassing them, then He must be above them, because that which
encompasses must necessarily be above that which is encompassed. Hence because
the heavens encompass the earth, they must be above it, and because the Kursiy encompasses
the heavens, it must be above them, and because the Throne encompasses the
Kursiy, it must be above it. Whatever encompasses all of that must necessarily
be above it. This does not imply that there is physical contact with anything
that He encompasses; neither is there any similarity or resemblance between Him
and that which He encompasses. (al-Sawaa’iq al-Mursalah, 4/1308)
The Throne is
neither Sovereignty (al-Mulk) nor the Kursiy
Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz
al-Hanafi said:
What would
those who distort the word of Allaah and say that the Throne is an expression
referring to al-Mulk or sovereignty say about the following aayat? –
“…and eight
angels will, that Day, bear the Throne of your Lord above them” [Holy Quran
Chapter al-Haaqqah 69:17 – interpretation of the meaning]
“…and
His Throne was on the water…” [Holy Quran
Chapter Hood 11:7 – interpretation of the meaning]
Will they say
that eight angels will, that Day, bear the Sovereignty of Allaah, and that His
Sovereignty was on the water? Will Moosa be holding on to one of the pillars of
Allaah’s sovereignty? Can any same person who knows what he is saying utter
such things?
Concerning the
Kursiy, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“His Kursiy
extends over the heavens and the earth” [Holy Quran
Chapter al-Baqarah 2:255]
It was said
that this is the Throne, but the correct view is that it is something else.
This was transmitted from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both)
and others. Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated in Sifat al-‘Arsh, and al-Haakim narrated
in his Mustadrak that [the following report] meets the conditions of the two
Shaykhs [al-Bukhaari and Muslim] although they did not narrate it: (it was
reported from) from Sa’eed ibn Jubayr that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased
with them both) said, concerning the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“His Kursiy
extends over the heavens and the earth” [Holy Quran Chapter al-Baqarah 2:255]:
The Kursiy is
the footstool, and no one can comprehend how vast the Throne is except Allaah.
This was
transmitted as a marfoo’ report (attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him)), but the correct view is that it is mawqoof, stopping
at Ibn ‘Abbaas…
Abu Dharr (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “The Kursiy in relation to the Throne is
like an iron ring thrown out into empty land.”
And, as one of
the Salaf said, before the Throne it is like a step. (Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah,
p. 312, 313).
Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen said:
There are those
who say that the Kursiy is the Throne because of the hadeeth, “Allaah will set
up His Kursiy on the Day of Resurrection.” They think that the Kursiy is the
Throne.
Similarly, some
people claim that the Kursiy is Allaah’s knowledge, and say that the aayah
(interpretation of the meaning)
“His Kursiy
extends over the heavens and the earth” [Holy Quran Chapter al-Baqarah 2:255]
refers to His Knowledge.
The correct
view is that the Kursiy is a footstool, and the Throne is that which the Most
Merciful rose above (istiwaa’). And knowledge is the attribute of the
knowledgeable one by means of which he understands that which he knows.
(al-Qawl al-Mufeed Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, 3/393, 394).
This is a
summary of Islamic teachings concerning the noble angels of Allah. We ask Allah
to make us believe in them and love them. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad
(Sallalahu Alaihi Wa Salaam)?
AND ALLAAH KNOWS BEST.
SOURCES
https://islamqa.info/en/20081, https://islamqa.info/en/114437
https://islamqa.info/en/14035, https://islamqa.info/en/9420
Islam Q&A,
9566
Islam Q&A,
843; Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
Islam Q&A,
9566; Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
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