1a]
[Jibreel] said: 'So it is with the angels who were present at Badr.'" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 3992).
They do not eat or drink
This is indicated by the conversation between Ibraaheem, the "friend" ofAllaah and the angels who visited him. Allaah says (interpretation of themeaning):
"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."
[al-Dhaariyaat 51:26-28]
Elsewhere, Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"But when he [Ibraaheem] saw their hands went not towards the (meal), he felt some mistrust of them, and conceived a fear of the. They said: 'Fear not: we have been sent against the people of Lut.'" [Hud 11:70]
They do not get bored or tired of remembering andworshipping Allah
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"They celebrate His praises night and day, nordo they ever slacken." [al-Anbiyaa' 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)." [Fussilat 41:38]
Their number
The angels are many, and their number is known only to Allah. The Prophet(Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said, described the Much-Frequented House (al-Bayt al-Ma'moor) in the seventh heaven:
"Then I was taken up to the Much-Frequented House: every day seventy thousand angels visit it and leave, never returningto it again, another [group] coming after them." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath, no. 3207).
'Abdullaah said: "The Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah 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." (Reported by Muslim, no. 2842).
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 Qur'aan and Sunnah texts,as a part of general belief in the angels. Among the names of angels that are known to us are:
(1) Jibreel (Gabriel) and (2)Mikaa'eel (Michael)
"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 Mikaa'eel - Lo! Allah is an enemy to those who reject Faith." [al-Baqarah 2:97-98]
(3) Israafeel
From Abu Salamah ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan ibn 'Awf,who said: "I asked 'Aa'ishah the Mother of the Believers about what the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) used to start his prayer with when he got up to pray at night (qiyaam 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, Mikaa'eel and Israafeel, Creator of heaven and earth, Knowerof the unseen and the seen, You are the Judge ofthe matters in which Yourslaves differ; guide me with regard to disputed matters of Truth by Your permission, for You guide whomever You will to theStraight Path.'" (Reported by Muslim, no. 270).
(4) Malik
He is the Keeper of Hell, asAllah says (interpretation of the meaning): "They [the people in Hell] will cry: 'O Malik! Would that your Lord put an end to us!'. . ." [al-Zukhruf 43:77]
(5) Munkar and (6) Nakeer
From Abu Hurayrah, who said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings ofAllaah 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 thisman?' and he says what he used to say: 'He is the
next 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 usedto say this.' Then his gravewill 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 raiseshim up. If (the deceased) was a hypocrite, he says, 'Iheard 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 becrushed until his ribs are interlocked, and he will remain like that until Allah raises him up.'" (reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 1071. Abu 'Isa said: It is a ghareeb hasan hadeeth. It is judged
hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami',no. 724).
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