MUSJIDUL HAQ

Download PDF: The World of Angels

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates that once an Ansaari companion said to him that one night a few blessed companions were sitting with the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – when suddenly they say a falling star and its light spread across the skies. The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – asked the blessed companions, “During the days of ignorance, what did you say when you saw these falling stars (or these stars which broke up).”

 

The blessed companions replied, “Allah Almighty and His Prophet Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – know better. However, we used to say that perchance a great man has been born tonight (or sometimes), a bad man has died tonight, (in other words, they used to attribute this incident with some significant event).”

 

The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – then declared, “The stars do not break due to someone’s death not with someone’s birth. In reality, when Allah Almighty Whose One Divine Attribute is Barakah orders a certain Command, the Angels who carry the Divine Arsh (begin to recite Subanallah).

“When they hear this, the Angels in the heavens who are close to these Angels also begin to read this Tasbeeh. In this manner it continues from one heaven to the next. This continues until it reaches the Angels on the earth. Thereafter, the Angels who are close to the Angels that carry the Divine Arsh inquire from these Angels about the Divine Command of Allah Almighty. The Angels then reveal what Allah Almighty has commanded. In this manner, the next group of Angels inquire and so on until it reaches the Angels on the earth. This message is then captured by the Jinnaat or they begin to listen to these words which they are always on the lookout for. When they hear these words, they fly away from that place and mention these words to their friends, the fortune tellers.

 

“These stars are thrown at the Jinnaat (therefore, these stars do not indicate the death or birth of anyone). Therefore, if these fortune tellers reveal the exact message which was conveyed (to them by the Jinnaat) then it is considered correct, however (these people do not do this) but rather they mix lies in these words and make one thing into many things.” (Sahih Muslim, Tirmidhi).

 

The meeting of the Angels.

 

We will narrates a few incidents in this regard.

 

1. Hadrat Sayyiduna Hanzalah – may Allah be pleased with him – who was also one of the people who used to record the Qur’an mentions that once he met Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – on the road. When the eminent companion asked him how he was, he replied that he had become a Munafiq. He explained that the reason he had become a Munafiq is because when he was in front of the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – and was informed about Hell and Paradise, it was like they were in front of him. The moment he went home and became busy with his wife, children and work, he completely forgot about these things. Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – also mentioned the same thing about himself.

 

Both of them then approached the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – and mentioned their problem. When the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – heard their comments, he declared, “I swear by that Divine Being in Whose Power is my life, if you continue to be in the same state (as when you are with me) and continue to remember Allah Almighty, then the Angels will shake your hands while you are in bed and while you are walking.”

 

The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – also mentioned that there was a time for everything. He mentioned this three times. In other words, there was a time for Dhikr, there was a time for people to interact with their family and friends and there was a time for people to be involved in their daily chores. (Sahih Muslim)

 

2. Hadrat Sayyiduna Jabir – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates that the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him –has stated that, “Whoever has fear that he will not awake in the last part of the night, he should complete his Witr in the first part of the night (after the ‘Isha Salaah). As for him who has certainty that he will awake in the last part of the night. He should read his Witr in the last part of the night because Salaah in the last part of the night is when the Angels appear.” (Sahih Muslim)

 

3. Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates that the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – has stated that, “When the day of Jumu’ah arrives, the Angels stand at the door of the Masjid and record the names of those who appear in sequence. When the Imam appears, they close the book and begin to listen to the Khutbah. (Sahih Bukhari)

 

4. Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Zarr – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates that the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – has stated that, “I am able to see that which you cannot see and I am able to listen to that which you are unable to listen to. The heavens also creak and why should it not creak because there is not even a small space of four finger widths on which an Angel is not placing its forehead in Sajdah. I swear by Allah that if you knew what I knew, you would laugh less and weep more. You would not even enjoy the company of your wives in bed and you would retire to the wilds calling on Allah Almighty for help. (Abu Zarr mentions), I wish that I was a mere tree which people would cut (and throw away).” (Sunan ibn Majah)

 

The Du’a of the angels for those who read Salaah.

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates that the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – has stated that, “Salaah with congregation and Salaah in a bazaar (or recited alone) carries twenty five times more excellence. The reason is that when a person makes proper Wudu and walks towards the Masjid with the intention of performing his Salaah, every step he takes towards the Masjid, his status and rank is elevated and one sin of his pardoned. When he reaches the Masjid and remains there until the Salaah, he receives the reward of Salaah and as long as he remains at the place where is about to perform his Salaah the Angels continue to make Du’a for him in the following words, ‘O Allah! Please pardon him. O Allah, please have Mercy on him’ this continues until he does not lose his Wudu.” (Sahih Bukhari)

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Rifaa’e bin Raaf’e Zarqi – may Allah be pleased with him – mentions, “Once, we were performing Salaah behind the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – and when he raised his blessed head from Ruku, he mentioned the words, ‘Same’ullaahu Liman Hameedahu.’ A person from the congregation then mentioned, ‘Rabbana Wa Lakal Hamdu Hamdan Katheeran Tayyiban Mubaarakan Fi Hi.’ When the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – completed his Salaah, he asked who this person was who had recited these words. A certain person admitted that it was him. The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him –then declared, “I had noticed more than thirty Angels descending and each one of them was trying to be faster than the other to record these words.” (Sahih Bukhari)

 

The Angels and the gathering of Dhikr.

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates that the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – has stated that, “There are certain Angels who search for those who make the Dhikr of Allah Almighty and when they find these gatherings of Dhikr, they also call the other Angels who are near them by saying that they should come here because their objective has been found. (In other words, the people who are making the Dhikr of Allah have been found).”

 

These Angels then cover these people with their wings from the heavens until the earth.

 

When the Dhikr is complete, these angels return to Allah. When they arrive in the Divine Court of Allah, He inquiries from them (even though He is Aware of everything), ‘What was my creation doing?’ The Angels reply, ‘(O Allah), they were reciting Your Tasbeeh, Takbeer, Hamd and Praise.’

 

Allah Almighty then asks the Angels, ‘(O Angels) Have they seen Me?’ The Angels reply that no, they have not seen Allah Almighty. Allah Almighty then asks, ‘If they had seen Me, what would be there state?’

 

The Angels reply, ‘If they had seen You, then they would increase in Your Hamd, Tasbeeh and Taqdees.’

 

The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – then mentions that Allah Almighty will then ask, ‘O Angels! What were they seeking from Me?’ The Angels will reply that they were seeking Jannah. Allah Almighty will ask, ‘Have they seen Jannah which they seek?’

The Angels will reply that they have not seen Jannah. Allah Almighty will then ask that if they had seen Jannah, what will be their state. The Angels will reply, ‘If they had seen Jannah, they would certainly wish for it even more.’

 

Allah Almighty will then ask the Angels, ‘What did they ask protection from?’ The Angels will reply that they had asked protection from the Fire of Hell. Allah Almighty will then ask whether they had seen the Fire of Hell. The Angels will reply that indeed, they had not seen the Fire of Hell.

 

Allah Almighty will then ask that if they had seen the Fire of Hell, then what. The Angels will reply that if they had seen the Fire of Hell, they would protect themselves from it and certainly have great fear for it.

 

Allah Almighty will declare, ‘(O Angels), I am making you witnesses that I have indeed pardoned these people.’ The Angels will then say that there was one person among them who was not from them who were making the Dhikr but had come for some necessary work.

 

Allah Almighty will declare, “They are such people that even their companions are not excluded.” (Sahih Bukhari)

 

Taubah in the Divine Court.

 

It is mentioned that once Sayyidah Ayesha – may Allah be pleased with him – purchased a pillow on which there was a picture. When the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – saw this, he stood at the doorway and did not enter the room. She mentions that when she saw the anger on his face, she declared, “O Prophet of Allah! I seek pardon in the Court of Allah and His Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. What wrong have I done?” The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him –then asked about the pillow. She replied that she had purchased it for him to rest on. The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – then declared, “On the Day of Judgement, the people who had made this picture will punished and it will be told to them that the picture which they had made, they should make it come alive (and because they will not be able to do this, they will be severely punished).” He also declared, “In that house in which there is a picture, the Angels do not go to that house.” (Sahih Bukhari)