The People of the Sky
- philhoraia
- Oct 2, 2025
- 3 min read
In non-quranic ahadith we come across the expression ahl al-sama', the people of the sky.
Definitions for ahl:
أَهْل • (ʔahl) m or pl (plural أَهْلُونَ (ʔahlūna) or أَهَالٍ (ʔahālin), plural construct state أَهَالِي (ʔahālī))
people, membership (body of members), followership (group of followers) [with genitive ‘of’]
inhabitants quotations ▼
أَهْل الْقَرْيَة ― ʔahl al-qarya ― the inhabitants of the village
أهل ( اسم ) :- أقرِباء
- kin; kinsfolk; kindred; kinsmen; people; household; family
- relations; kith and kin; etc
- contacts between people; relatives
- one's parents or relatives
- one's relations by blood
- one's relatives or family
المختصر
أهل ( اسم ) :- أهالٍ، أهلُون، سُكّان
- residents; natives; nationals; citizens; population; dwellers; habitants; dwellers; inhabitants
All of these definitions are of human beings. None of these definitions is used of animals. In quran we come across ahl al-Kitab, ahl al-Injil, ahl al-qura, ahl al-Madinah, ahl al-bayt, ahl al-Dhikr, etc. We come across ahl al-Jannah; the Jannah is populated by human beings.
Now let's look at the expression itself.
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
"We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), while he was sitting with a group of his Companions, when they saw a glowing shooting star. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'When you saw the likes of this during Jahiliyyah, what would you say about it?' They said: 'We would say that a great man died, or that a great man has been born.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'It is not shot due to the death of anyone, nor his coming into life. Rather when our Lord [Blessed is His Name and Most High] decrees a matter, He is glorified by the bearers of the Throne. Then He is glorified by the inhabitants who are below them, then those below them, until such glorification reaches this Heaven. Then the inhabitants of the sixth Heaven ask the inhabitants of the seventh Heaven: "What did your Lord say?" He said: 'So they inform them; then the inhabitants of each Heaven seek the information, until the news is conveyed to the inhabitants of the Heavens of the earth. The Shayatin try to overhear so they are shot at, so they cast it down to their friends. Whatever they came with is true, as it is, but they distort it and add to it.'"
The hadith speaks of people of the sixth and seventh sky. This is reminiscent of ahadith that speak of prophets in different skies.
If 'the people of the sky' refers to angels, are they restricted to their own skies?
Ibn `Abbas said:
God most high gave Muhammad superiority over the prophets and the inhabitants of heaven. On being asked, "In what respect, Abu 'Abbas[1], has God given him superiority over the inhabitants of heaven?'' he replied that God most high said to the inhabitants of heaven, "If any of them says, `I am a god apart from Him,' We shall recompense that one with jahannam. Thus we recompense the evildoers."[2] And God most high said to Muhammad, "We have certainly given you a clear victory, that God may forgive you your former and latter sins[3]." He was asked the nature of his superiority over the prophets and replied that God most high said, "We have sent no messenger who, did not use the tongue of his people to make matters clear to them; then God leads astray those whom He will...[4]" And God most high said to Muhammad, "We have sent you only to all mankind[5]." Then He sent him to jinn and men. This is the kunya of 'Abdallah b. al-'Abbas. Quran; 21:29 Quran; 48:1 f. Quran; 14:4 Quran; 34:28 (Darimi).
In this one, prophets and the people of the sky are spoken of. If the latter are angels, was the founder of Islam given superiority/favoured or preferred over them? And might an angel call himself a god? If they are angels and if they are all obedient, might one of them call himself a god?
There does appear to be some question over the identity of the people of the sky. But as the word ahl is ordinarily applied to human beings, why might these not be human too?
Further reading:
Comments