Al-Malaa’ikah (Angels)

What do you believe about angels regarding their function, appearance, form and powers?
Praise be to Allaah.
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 (mu'min). These pillars are belief in: Allaah,His angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and that predestination, both good and bad, comes from Allaah.
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 Qur'aan and via His Prophet Muhammad (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him). There follows a number ofproven reports concerningthe angels, which hopefully will make you realize the greatness of the Creator and the greatness of this religion which has told us so muchabout them:
Of what are they created?
They are created from light, as 'Aa'ishah reported: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessingsof Allaah 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.'" (Reported by Muslim, no. 2996).
When were they created?
We have no knowledge ofprecisely when they were created, because there is no text to tell us this. But they were created before mankind for certain, because the Qur'aan says (interpretation of the meaning): "Behold, your Lord said to the angels: 'I will create a vicegerent onearth.' . . ." [al-Baqarah 2:30] The fact that Allah told them of His intention to create man indicates that they already existed.
Their great size
Allaah says concerning theangels of Hell:
"O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whosefuel 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." [al-Tahreem 66:6]
The greatest of all the angels is Jibreel (Gabriel), upon whom be peace, who was described in the following report:
"From 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood, who said: the Messenger of Allah (Peace& Blessings of Allaah 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-Bidaayah 1/47 that its isnaad is jayyid.
The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said, describing Jibreel:
"I saw Jibreel descending from heaven, and his great size filled the space between heaven and earth." (Reported by Muslim, no. 177).
Among the greatest angels are those who carry the Throne (of Allaah), who were described in the followingreport:
"From Jaabir ibn 'Abdullaah from the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him), who said: 'I have been given permission to speak about one of the angels ofAllaah who carry the Throne. The distance between his ear-lobes and his shoulders is equivalent to a seven-hundred-year journey.'" (Sunan Abee Daawood, Kitaab al-Sunnah, Baab fi'l-Jahamiyyah).
They have wings
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Praise be to Allaah, 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: forAllah has power over all things." [Faatir 35:1]
Their beauty
Allaah 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." [al-Najm 53:5-6]
Ibn 'Abbaas said: "'Dhoo Mirrah means that he has a beautiful appearance." Qutaadah 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 thewomen said about Yoosuf:
". . . When they [the women] saw him, they did extol him and (in theiramazement) cut their hands: they said: 'Allah preserve us! no mortal is this! This is none other than a noble angel!'" [Yoosuf 12:31]
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'aadh ibn Rifaa'ah al-Zuraaqi from his father,who had been one of the people present at Badr. Hesaid: "Jibreel came to the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah 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: