Angel Designations
- philhoraia
- Jun 20, 2024
- 7 min read
In quran we are told of angels. We're also told of beings that are supposed to be angels.
S 13:11 He has mu’aqqibat in front of him and behind him who guard him from Allah’s command. Allah does not change what is with a people until they change what is with themselves. And when Allah has wanted evil with a people there is no cause for it and they have no governor instead of him.
The Jalalayn:
For him for man are attendants angels who follow him to his front and to his rear guarding him through God’s command that is by His command from the danger of the jinn and others. Indeed God does not alter the state of a people — He does not deprive them of His grace — unless they have altered the state of their souls from their comely nature through an act of disobedience. And if God wills misfortune chastisement for a people there is none that can repel it either from among the attendant angels or others; and they for whom God wills misfortune have no protector min wālin min is extra to avert it from them apart from Him that is other than God.
The Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs:
(For him are angels ranged before him) He has angels who succeed one another: the angels of the night succeed the angels of the day and vice versa (and behind him who guard him by Allah's command) and who drive him to the things destined. (Lo! Allah changeth not the condition of a folk) the blessing and safety of a people (until they (first) change that which is in their hearts) by failing to give thanks; (and if Allah willeth misfortune) a chastisement or destruction (for a folk there is none that can repel it) there is none that can repel Allah's decree concerning them, (nor have they) for those whom Allah wants to destroy (a defender) who can save them from Allah's chastisement; it is also said that this means: none can give them a refuge to which they can escape (beside Him) beside Allah. altafsir.com
Ibn Kathir:
لَهُ مُعَقِّبَـتٌ مِّن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ
(For him (each person), there are angels in succession, before and behind him. They guard him by the command of Allah.) Allah states that there are angels who take turns guarding each servant, some by night and some by day. These angels protect each person from harm and accidents. There are also angels who take turns recording the good and evil deeds, some angels do this by day and some by night. There are two angels, one to the right and one to the left of each person, recording the deeds. The angel to the right records the good deeds, while the angel to the left records the evil deeds. There are also two angels that guard and protect each person, one from the back and one from in front. Therefore, there are four angels that surround each person by day and they are replaced by four others at night, two scribes and two guards. An authentic Hadith states,
«يَتَعَاقَبُونَ فِيكُمْ مَلَائِكَةٌ بِاللَّيْلِ وَمَلَائِكَةٌ بالنَّهَارِ، وَيَجْتَمِعُونَ فِي صَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ وَصَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ، فَيَصْعَدُ إِلَيْهِ الَّذِينَ بَاتُوا فِيكُمْ فَيَسْأَلُهُمْ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ: كَيْفَ تَرَكْتُمْ عِبَادِي؟ فَيَقُولُونَ: أَتَيْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ، وَتَرَكْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ يُصَلُّون»
(Angels take turns around you, some at night and some by day, and all of them assemble together at the time of the Fajr and `Asr prayers. Then those who have stayed with you throughout the night, ascend to Allah Who asks them, and He knows the answer better than they about you, "How have you left My servants'' They reply, "As we have found them praying, we have left them praying.'') quranx.com
S 77:1 By Al-Mursalat as a custom,
S 77:3 By The Spreaders-Out as a spreading,
The Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs says:
(By those which cause earth's vegetation to revive) and He swore by the rain, i.e. He swore by the clouds from which comes the rain; it is also said: this refers to the angels who spread the Scripture; Altafsir.com -تفسير ايآت القرآن الكريم (73-0-3-77)
S 77:4 And The Separators as a separation,
Again from the Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs:
(By those who winnow with a winnowing) and He swore by the angels who differentiate between the Truth and falsehood; it is also said that this refers to the verses of the Qur'an which distinguishes the Truth from falsehood, the lawful from the unlawful; and it is also said that these three refer to the angels,
S 77:5 And Al-Mulqiyat of a dhikr
From an article:
I swear by the emissary winds, sent one after another (for men's benefit), By the raging hurricanes, Which scatter clouds to their destined places, Then separate them one from another, Then I swear by the angels who bring down the revelation (fal-mulqiyati), To clear or to warn. Most surely what you are threatened with must come to pass. So when the stars are made to lose their light, And when the heaven is rent asunder, And when the mountains are carried away as dust, And when the apostles are gathered at their appointed time. To what day is the doom fixed? To the day of decision. And what will make you comprehend what the day of decision is? Woe on that day to the rejecters. Did We not destroy the former generations? Then did We follow them up with later ones. Even thus shall We deal with the guilty. Woe on that day to the rejecters. S. 77:1-19 Shakir
Since the context of the surah speaks of the day of decision, e.g. the day in which Allah will judge everyone for what they have believed and earned, this led certain Muslim commentators and translators such as Shakir to assume that verse 5 must be referring to the angels who brought down revelations such as the Quran for the purpose of warning mankind about this dreadful day. Note, for instance, the following translations and commentaries:
And by the angels that bring the revelations to the Messengers, Hilali-Khan
by the casters of the remembrance, that is, [by] ANGELS that descend with the revelation upon the prophets and messengers, casting the revelation onto the [various] communities [of mankind], (Tafsir al-Jalalayn; bold and capital emphasis ours)
(By those who bring down the Reminder) and He swore by THOSE who bring down THE REVELATIONS, (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs; bold and capital emphasis ours)
(By the Mursalat `Urfa.) "The angels.” From Masruq, Abu Ad-Duha, Mujahid in one narrations from him, As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, statements similar to this have been reported. It has been reported from Abu Salih that he said, "These are the Messengers.” In another narration from him (Abu Salih) he said that it means the angels. Abu Salih has also said the meaning of Al-`Asifat, An-Nashirat, Al-Fariqat and Al-Mulqiyat, that they all refer to the angels. Ath-Thawri narrated from Salamah bin Kuhayl, who reported from Muslim Al-Batin, who reported from Abu Al-`Ubaydayn that he asked Ibn Mas`ud about the meaning of Al-Mursalat `Urfa, and he (Ibn Mas`ud) said, "The wind.” He said the same about Al-`Asifat `Asfa and An-Nashirat Nashra, that they all refer to the wind. Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah all said the same. Ibn Jarir confidently affirmed that Al-`Asifat `Asfa means the wind just as Ibn Mas`ud and those who followed him said. However, he (Ibn Jarir) did not affirm whether An-Nashirat Nashra are the angels or the wind as has preceded. It has been reported from Abu Salih that An-Nashirat Nashra is the rain…
(The Fariqat that separate, the Mulqiyat that remind, excusing or warning.) meaning, the angels. This was said by Ibn Mas`ud, Ibn `Abbas, Masruq, Mujahid, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, As-Suddi and Ath-Thawri. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE OF OPINION HERE, because THEY (THE ANGELS) are the ones who descend with Allah's command to the Messengers, separating between the truth and falsehood, guidance and misguidance, and the lawful and the forbidden. THEY bring the revelation to the Messengers, which contains exemption or absolvement for the creatures and a warning for them of Allah's torment if they oppose His command… (Tafsir Ibn Kathir; bold and capital emphasis ours)
“Yet other scholars say that they refer to Allah's Prophets and Messengers. Ibn Jarir Tabari says that, in this matter, it is safer to observe silence. He says that both possibilities exist, but he prefers not to side with any particular interpretation. There is no doubt about the fact that some of the attributes are more appropriately applicable to the angels of Allah, and cannot fit the winds without unusual stretch of imagination, and others are more appropriately applicable to winds, and cannot apply to angels without a fanciful stretch of imagination. Therefore, Ibn Kathir's approach seems to be the best. He says that in the first three verses of this Surah, Allah swears oaths by various types of winds. In verses [4] and [5], Allah swears oaths BY THE ANGELS.
“If verses [4] and [5] are applied to the winds, THEN THE IMAGINATION WILL HAVE TO BE STRETCHED FAR TO INTERPRET THEM… The word fariqat is the attribute of the angels 'who differentiate (between right and wrong) distinctly by bringing down the Divine revelation'. The phrase fal-mulqiyat dhikran also refers to the 'angels'. The word dhikr 'Reminder' refers to the Qur'an or revelation in general. The verse signifies 'I swear by angels who [by bringing down revelation] separate between truth and falsehood, right and wrong, [and lawful and the forbidden]'. Likewise, I swear by angels who bring down revelation OR QUR’AN TO THE HOLY PROPHET. This interpretation IS PLAIN AND SIMPLE, AND DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY UNDUE STRETCH OF IMAGINATION… (to provide excuses [for the believers] or (to giving warnings to disbelievers… 77:6) This phrase is complement to verse [5]… then bring down the advice. [77:5] The 'advice refers to the 'revelation' that came down upon the Prophets. Verse 6 says that it serves two purposes. In the case of the people of truth and believers, it persuades them to seek excuse from Allah for their shortcomings, and pray for forgiveness; and in the case of the people of falsehood and disbelievers, it contains a warning for them of Allah's torment, if they oppose His command. (Mufti Muhammad Shafi Usmani Rahimahullah, Maariful Qur’an, Volume 8, pp. 675-676:; bold and capital emphasis ours) Is Gabriel really the Holy Spirit?
We are supposed to understand that the angels are not female, but the names in the surah are feminine.
There is also Malik, the angel over hell. The word is certainly derived from the word ملاك malak 'angel', but in its quranic misspelling, giving the word 'king'.
S 43:77 And they called: Malik, let your lord kill us. He said: You are staying.
Then there's Jibril, supposedly the angel Gabriel. The spelling's a little off.
And there's Mikal, supposedly the angel Michael. The spelling's a little off here too.
S 2:98 He who was an enemy to Lah and his angels and his messengers and Jibril and Mikal, Allah is an enemy to the kafirun.
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