*Belief in the Angels

* Every Muslim must believe in angels. We know from the Quran (that
which means): "…Whoever disbelieves in Allaah, His angels, His books,
His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone far astray."
[Quran: 4:136] In the Hadeeth (narrative) of the angel Jibreel when he
came to the Prophet and asked him aboutIslaam, Eemaan (belief), and
Ihsaan (sincere and true faith in Allaah), the Messenger of Allaah
said about Eemaan: "Eeman isto believe in Allaah, His angels, His
books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in the Divine
decree, [both] the good and the bad thereof." [Muslim]
The angels have been present throughout all the stages of our
creation, performing some duty. When we were in our mothers' wombs, an
angel was there, breathing a soul into us. They arethere everyday
reporting to Allaah our deeds. They are there every second recording
what we whisper and speak. When the time of our death comes, they are
ready to take our souls. Whenthe Day of Judgement commences, an angel
will blow the Horn that will mark the commencement of the Day of
Judgement.
Allaah has created the angels from light. The Prophet said: "The
angels were created from Noor (light), the jinn were created from fire
and man was created from what has been described to you."
Angels are honourable slaves of Allaah; they obey Him and execute His
commands. Allaah describes them with what means: "They do not disobey
Allaah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded."
[Quran: 66:6]
Allaah created them to worship Him, and only Allaah knows how many
they number. Among them are:
Jibreel, who is charged with delivering Divine revelations to the
Prophets and Messengers of Allaah, may Allaah exalt their mention.
Meekaa'eel, who is charged with the delivering of the rain and
subsistence (provision, etc.).
The angel of death, who is charged with extracting human souls,
The bearers of the Throne of Allaah.
The guards of Paradise and Hell.
Besides these, there are angels who guard humans, others who record
people's deeds and utterances and still others who are charged with
various other duties and tasks.
They do not eat or drink; they arecharacterised by neither femininenor
masculine attributes, and they never tire. Some spend their entire
existence in Rukoo' (bowing) and others in Sujood (prostration). When
Judgement will be called, they will raise theirheads and say: 'Glory
be to You, our Lord! We did not worship Youin a way befitting Your
Majesty.' They are a creation of Allaah, a creation that took place
before the creation of our father Aadam .
The Messenger of Allaah told us about their characteristics andduties.
Amongst these characteristics are the following:
Firstly: They are huge in size. The Prophet said: "I saw Jibreel in
the fashion that he was originallycreated in. He had six-hundred (600)
wings, with each wing filling the (entire) horizon (i.e., the east to
the west – as far as the eye can see)." This event was mentioned in
the Quran where Allaah says what means: "And he [i.e., Muhammad ] has
alreadyseen him [i.e., Jibreel] in the clear horizon [to the east]."
[Quran: 81-23]
Secondly: They have the ability to change their shape, as we know in
the story of Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, and in this Hadeeth
of Jibreel when all the Companions saw him wearing an intensely white
garment and having intensely black hair.
Thirdly: They live in the heavens, from there they descend to carry
out their appointed duties. Allaahthe Exalted says what means: "The
heavens almost break up from above [by the Grandeur of Allaah above
them], and the angels exalt [Allaah] with praise of their Lord…"
[Quran: 42:5]

--
- - ▓███▓ Translator:->
http://translate.google.com.my/m?sl=auto&tl=ta&hl=en ▓███▓ - -

The Angels and human beings - II

The emissaries of Allaah to His Messengers and Prophets:
Allaah has told us that Jibreel (Gabriel) is the only one who carries
out this mission through the verse (which means): "Say [O Muhammad]:
'Whatever is an enemy to Jibreel (Gabriel)-it is [none but] he who has
brought it[i.e. the Quran] down upon your heart, by permission of
Allaah, confirming that which was before it and as guidance and good
tidings for the believers.'" [Quran 2:97]
Revelation may be brought by angels other than Jibreel, but
thishappens rarely – as stated in the narration that was narrated by
Ibn `Abbaas who said: "Whilst Jibreel was sitting with the Prophet he
heard a creaking sound above him, and he raised his head. He said:
'This is a door in the heaven which has been opened today, and it has
never been opened before today, and an angel has come down through it.
This is an angel who has come down to theearth, and he never came down
before today. He [that angel] gavethe greeting of Salaam and said:
'Rejoice, for you have been granted two lights which have not been
given to any Prophet before you: the Opening (chapter)of the Book
(chapter Al-Faatihah) and the closing verses of chapter Al-Baqarah.
You will not read even one letter of them but you will be granted
reward."' [Muslim]
According to Huthayfah the Messenger of Allaah said: "An angel came to
me and greeted me with salaam – he came down from the heavens and he
had never come down before – and he gave me the glad tidings that
Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn would be the leaders of the youth of Paradise,
and that Faatimah would be the leader of the women of Paradise."" [Ibn
`Asaakir]
Not everyone to whom an angel comes is a Messenger or a Prophet:
Not everyone to whom an angel comes can be counted as a Messenger or a
Prophet; this is anillusion. Allaah sent Jibreel to Maryam (Mary), as
He sent him to the mother of Ismaa`eel (Ishmael) when she ran out of
food and drink. (And it is known that neither of them wereProphets).
The companions saw Jibreel in the form of a Bedouin. And Allaah sent
an angel to that man who visited a brother of his for the sake of
Allaah, to tell him that Allaah loved him because he loved his
brother... This happened a lot, and the reason was to make a point.
How did the revelation come to the Messenger ?
Al-Haarith Ibn Hishaam asked the Messenger : "O Messengerof Allaah,
how does the revelation come to you?"
The Messenger said: "Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a
bell, and that is the hardest for me. Then it departs from me, and I
understand what has been said. Sometimes the angel comes to me in the
form of a man who speaks to me, and I understand what he says."
[Al-Bukhaari]
Jibreel used to come to the Messenger in his angelic form. This was
difficult for the Messenger . At other times Jibreel would change from
his angelic form and take on human form, and this was easier for the
Messenger .
The Messenger saw Jibreel twice in the form in which Allaah created him:
Three years after the beginning of the Prophetic Mission:
The Messenger of Allaah said: "Whilst I was walking, I heard a voice
from the heavens. I raised my head and saw the angel who had come to
me in (the cave of) Hiraa', sitting on a throne between the heavens
and the earth. I was scared of him, and I went back (home) and said
(to his wife), `Cover me!'" [Al-Bukhaari]
When he was taken up into the heavens (the Ascension)
This occasion was mentioned in chapter An-Najm, where Allaah Says
(what means): "(The Quran was) Taught to him (i.e. Muhammad) by one
intense in strength [i.e. Jibreel] — One of soundness. And he rose to
[his] true form. While he was in the higher [part of the] horizon.
Thenhe approached and descended. And was at a distance of two bow
lengths or nearer. And he revealed to His Servant what he revealed
[i.e. conveyed]. The heart did not lie [about] what it saw. So will
you dispute with him overwhat he saw? And he certainly saw him in
another descent. At the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary — Near it is
the Garden of Refuge [i.e. Paradise] — When there covered the Lote
Tree that which covered [it]. The sight [of the Prophet] did not
swerve, nor did it transgress [its limit]." [Quran 53:5-17]
The mission of Jibreel:
The mission of Jibreel is not restricted only to conveying the
Revelation from Almighty Allaah. He used to come to the Prophet every
year in Ramadaan, on every night of that month, to teach him the
Quran. According to Ibn `Abbaas : "The Messenger of Allaah was the
most generous of people, and he was at his most in generosity during
Ramadaan, when he used to meet Jibreel, and he used to meet him every
night during Ramadaan, to study the Quran with him. The Messenger of
Allaah was more generous in doing good than the strong windwhen it
blows." [Al-Bukhaari]
His leading the Messenger in prayer:
Jibreel led the Messenger Muhammad in prayer, so that he could learn
the prayer as Allaah wanted it to be performed. According to Ibn
Mas'ood the Messenger said: "Jibreel came down and led me in prayer,
so I prayed with him, then I prayed with him, thenI prayed with him,
then I prayed with him, then I prayed with him" — and he counted them
off on his fingers five times." [Al-Bukhaari]
The Messenger said: "Jibreel led me in prayer at the Ka'bah twice. He
led me in praying Thuhr(noon prayer) when the sun had passed its
zenith by the length of a sandal-thong, and he led me in praying Asr
(afternoon prayer) when the shadow of every object was the same length
as the object itself. He led me — prayingMaghrib (sunsert prayer)— at
the time when the fasting person breaks his fast. He led me in praying
'Ishaa' (night prayer) when the twilight had ended. And he led me in
praying Fajr (dawn prayer) at the time when food and drink become
Haraam (forbidden) for the one who is fasting.
On the following day, he led me in praying Thuhr when the shadow of an
object was the same length as the object itself. He led me in praying
'Asr when the shadow of an object was twice as long as the object
itself. He led me in praying Maghrib at the time when the fasting
personbreaks his fast. He led me in praying 'Ishaa' when a third of
the night had passed. And he led me in praying Fajr when there was a
fair amount of light. Then he turned to me and said: `O Muhammad,
these are the times (observed by) the Prophets before you, and the
time (for each prayer) is anywhere between these two times (mentioned
in each case). "' [Abu Daawood]

--
- - ▓███▓ Translator:->
http://translate.google.com.my/m?sl=auto&tl=ta&hl=en ▓███▓ - -

The Angels and human beings - I

1 – The angels and Aadam
When Allaah, the Most Exalted, wanted to create Aadam He informed His
angels of that. They asked Him the reason behind that, because they
knew that the sons of Aadam would cause corruption and shed blood, and
they would disobey Allaah and disbelieve in Him. He told them that
there were reasons for the creation of Aadam which they did not know.
Allaah Says in the Quran (what means): "And [mention, O Muhammad],
when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the earth
a successive authority." They said, "Will You place upon it one who
causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your
praise and sanctify You?" He [Allaah] said, "Indeed, I know that which
you do not know." [Quran 2:30]
Their prostration to Aadam when he was created:
Allaah commanded His angels to prostrate to Aadam when Hehad completed
his creation and breathed His soul into him, Saying (what means): "[So
mention] when your Lord said to the angels: "Indeed, I am going to
create a human being from clay. So when I have proportioned him and
breathed into him of My [created] soul, then fall down to him in
prostration ." [Quran 38:71-72]
They responded to the command,except for Satan, as in the verse (which
means): "So the angels prostrated — all of them entirely.Except Satan;
he was arrogant and became among the disbelievers." [Quran 38:73-74]
How the angels taught Aadam :
It is narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah said:
"Allaah created Aadam in his image (i.e. without progressing through
the stages of a normal human, starting froma sperm until the
completion of his human formation), and he (Aadam) was sixty cubits
tall. When He had created him, He said, `Go and greet them – a
group of angels who were sitting– and listen to how they respond,for
that will be your greeting andthe greeting of your descendents.' So he
said, 'As-Salaamu `Alaykum,' and they said, 'As-Salaamu `Alayka wa
rahmat-Allaahi. So they added thewords wa rahmat-Allaah."
[Al-Bukhaari]
The angels washed Aadam when he died:
When Aadam died, his children did not know what they should do with
his body, so the angels taught them. Ubayy Ibn Ka'b narrated that the
Prophet said: "When Aadam, died, the angels washed his body with water
an odd number of times, then they buried him in a grave with a niche
(land), and said: This is the way of the sons of Aadam." [Al-Haakim
and At-Tabaraani]
It is narrated in an authentic narration that the angels
washedHanthalah Ibn Abu `Aamir who was martyred in the battle of Uhud.
The Messenger said to his companions after Hanthalah was killed: "The
angels are washing your companion" – meaning Hanthalah. The companions
asked his wife, and she said that he had gone out when he heard the
call to Jihaad, and he was in astate of ritual impurity following
marital relations. The Messenger of Allaah said, "That is why the
angels washed his body." [Al-Haakim and Al-Bayhaqi]
2 – The angels and the sons of Aadam :
The connection between the angels and the descendents of Aadam is very
strong. They are there when a person is created, they guard him/her
afterhe/she emerges into this world. They bring the revelation from
Allaah and they watch over people's actions and behaviour. They bring
a person's soul forth from his body when his appointed time (of death)
comes.
Their role in the creation of man:
Abu Tharr said: "I heard the Messenger of Allaah say: `When forty-two
nights are passed, Allaah sends an angel to the nutfah (embryo) and he
gives it shape, forming its hearing and sight, its skin, flesh and
bones. Then he says: `O Lord, male or female?' Then your Lord decrees
whatever He wills and the angel writes it down.'" [Muslim]
It is narrated that Ibn Mas'ood said: "The Messenger of Allaah who is
the most truthful one, told us: "Each one ofyou comes together in
mother's womb for forty days, then becomes an 'Aalaqah (clot) for a
similar period of time. Then he becomes a Mudhghah (chewed lump of
flesh) for a similar lengthof time. Then Allaah sends an angel to him,
who is commandedwith four things. It is said to him:Write down his
deeds, his provision, and whether he is doomed (destined for Hell) or
blessed (destined for Paradise). Then the soul is breathed into him.'"
[Al-Bukhaari]
The Prophet also said: "Allaah has appointed an angel over the womb,
and he (the angel) says, 'OLord, a Nutfah (embryo from the mixed
discharge of male and female); O Lord, an 'Alaqah (clot); O Lord, a
Mudhghah (chewed lump of flesh).' And when Allaah wants to decree his
creation, he says: `O Lord, male or female? Doomed or blessed? What is
his provision? What is his lifespan?' All of that is written when he
is in his mother's womb." [Al-Bukhaari]
The angels guard the sons of Aadam :
Almighty Allaah Says (what means): "It is the same [to Him] concerning
you whether one conceals [his] speech or one publicizes it and whether
one is hidden by night or conspicuous [among others] by day. For him
[i.e. each one] are successive [angels] before and behind him who
protect him by the decree ofAllaah. Indeed, Allaah will not change the
condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And
when Allaah intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it. And
there is not for them besides Him any patron." [Quran 13:10-11]
Ibn `Abbaas has explained that what is meant by"successive angels" is
the angels whom Allaah appoints to guard aperson from before and from
behind. Then when the decree of Allaah comes, which Allaah wills
should befall him, they withdraw from him.
Mujaahid said: "There is no person who does not have an angel
appointed to protect him when he is asleep and when he isawake, from
the jinn, other men and savage beasts. None of these come to him, but
the angel tells it, `Keep away!' except for that which Allaah has
given permission to befall him."
A man said to 'Ali Ibn Abu Taalib : "A group from (the tribe of)
Muraad want to kill you." He (`Ali) said: "With every man there are
angels guarding him from whatever has not been decreed for him. When
the decree comes, they move away from him and letit reach him. Your,
fixed lifespan (decreed by Allaah) is a protection for you."
[Al-Bidaayah Wan-Nihaayah]
These guardians are sent by Allaah to protect His slaves until the
decreed time of death comes to them.

--
- - ▓███▓ Translator:->
http://translate.google.com.my/m?sl=auto&tl=ta&hl=en ▓███▓ - -

Social Problems - His wife torments his daughter from another wife, and he has a son from her, and he is confused as to how he should deal with her.

I got married two years after my divorce, and I told my second wife
thatI had a daughter, and I hoped that she would seek reward with
Allaah by raising her, but I was shocked to find that she treats my
daughter badly, and she torments her. On one occasion shemade her fall
to the ground, and she injured her face -- she was two years old --
and she always threatens her because the girl cannot control herself
when sheneeds the bathroom. As a result of that, it generated hatred
and resentment towards her in my heart, and I have divorced her twice.
I have a son from her whois 1½ years old. I can no longer put up with
her bad treatment of my daughter, especially since I am far away
frommy family, and my mother is elderly and does not have the strength
to raise my daughter. Her mother left her with me when she was three
months old. Today I came home and she said to me: I burnt your
daughter's leg and stomach with a spoon that I heated on the fire, so
that she will learn to go to the bathroom by herself andnot -- excuse
me -- relieve herself in other rooms. I am fed up and all of my life
is worry and fear for my daughter, who is now 4½ years old. I can no
longer trust this woman,but I'm thinking of this poor child (my son).
Please tell me what the Islamic teachings are and advise me, may
Allaah bless you. I have suffered, and am mentally and physically ill
as a result of this.
Praise be to Allaah.
It seems that the series of sufferings that you are facing with this
woman will continue, and the list of her bad deeds will grow longer.
Her bad treatment of your little girl will never know any limit; if
your daughter was an animal it would not be permissible for her to
dowhat she has done to her.
We are certain that if your son from her were to suffer as your
daughter is suffering because of not being able to go to the bathroom
by himself, you would not see him being treated as badly asshe is
treating your daughter. This -- unfortunately -- happensa lot with the
wives of fathers, and many, both male and female, suffer from this.
What we advise you to do is:
You must deal with the matter seriously and quickly, try to instil a
sense of love, mercy and compassion in her heart,in the hope that she
will stop what she is doing. Ifyou succeed in doing that, then you
will have achieved what you wantand she will still be your wife.
If you do not succeed, then you have no choice but divorce. We do not
advise you to be hardhearted and harsh, because that will only make
her more cruel towards your daughter, and she will find more ways to
harm her, whilstconcealing the evidence of her misdeeds. Hence ifshe
does not respond to you and change her behaviour, and mend her ways in
response to kindness and persuasion, there is no solution that will
put an end to your suffering except divorce, sooner rather than later.
You are aware of your daughter's suffering, and you hear her cries,
and you see the injury toher face and the burns on her leg and
stomach, yet despite that you're still confused because you have a son
from her.So how would it be if there were more children then?! But we
will not hide anything from you, and we will tell you frankly that
witha woman such as this, whom you have divorced twice yet it has not
stopped her wrongdoing and aggression, there is no hope for much good
in her, and it cannot be expected that she will bekind to your
daughter, because mercy cannot be instilled by means of threats or
warnings in the heart of one whom Allaah has deprived of it.
If you think of divorcing her for a third time, or she sees signs of
that in you, do not leave your daughter with her, rather leave her
with one of your relatives or with trustworthy women among your
neighbours or friends, because she might try to take revenge on her
because of your divorcing her. We do notknow how you are going to deal
with the matter, because women vary, hence we are afraid that she may
do something to your daughter. With such women there is no regret in
separating from them.
We ask Allaah to relieve your distress and worry, and to reward you
for your calamity, and replace it with good from Him.
And Allaah knows best.

--
- - ▓███▓ Translator:->
http://translate.google.com.my/m?sl=auto&tl=ta&hl=en ▓███▓ - -