Angels

Angel Gabriel brought Allah’s words to the Prophet Muhammad and therefore we call Gabriel the Messenger Angel. There are many other angels and we can read about them in the Quran.

Each of us has two angels who accompany him. These angels take note of everything we do. They write down our good deeds and our bad deeds. We call these angels the Writing Angels. There are other angels, too. For example, there is an angel who helps people when they die. This angel brings death, so we call him the Angel of Death.

We cannot see the angels because they are made of things which our eyes cannot see. But all the same, we know that they are there, because Allah has told us so. Sometimes, we can even feel the presence of these angels.

Angels are created by Allah, just as man and everything else has been created by Him. Angels obey Allah and are His servants. They perform many tasks and keep the world in being by obeying Allah’s commands.

We know that when the sun rises and sets, when the clouds move in the sky, when the raindrops fall, when the plants grow and many other things happen in nature, it is Allah Who has crated them and Allah Who sustains them. Nothing can happen without Allah’s will. In the same way, Allah created the angels who obey Him. They carry out His will, and take great care that everything goes according to Allah’s will. They are the obedient servants of Allah.

Allah wanted man to obey Him, to pray to Him and to do good. He wanted man to know about Allah. That is why the Angel Gabriel was sent by Allah. The Angel Gabriel told Muhammad what Allah wanted man to do. This was Gabriel’s task. Through the Angel Gabriel, Allah had spoken to many prophets before Muhammad, so that man would remember and not forget what Allah wants him to do. We can read about this in the Quran. Here there are the stories of Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa (Alaih Salwat Ajmaeen) and many other prophets. All of them have said to man:

IN ALLAH ALONE YOU SHOULD BELIEVE

ALLAH ALONE YOU SHOULD WORSHIP

ONLY GOOD DEEDS YOU SHOULD DO

Prophet Adam
(Alaih Assalaam)

Adam (Alaih Assalaam) was the first man created by Allah. He was created to live on earth. However, Iblis did not like this. Although Iblis was made of fire, he lived with the angels. He thought he was better than Adam, so he became Adam’s enemy and decided to make Adam (Alaih Assalaam) disobey Allah.

Adam (Alaih Assalaam) and his wife used to live in paradise, where they were put by Allah. Paradise was the most beautiful place you can imagine. It was neither hot nor cold. Adam (Alaih Assalaam) and his wife were never hungry or thirsty. This was another thing which Iblis did not like. So Iblis came to Adam (Alaih Assalaam) and his wife and told them to eat from a certain tree. Now, Adam (Alaih Assalaam) and his wife knew very well that Allah had told them they must not even go near that tree. So they did not listen to Iblis, but Iblis kept on and on at them. He tempted them by saying that they could live for ever if they ate from that tree and would become like angels.

At last, worn down by the nagging of Iblis, Adam (Alaih Assalaam) and his wife gave in. They came to believe what Iblis was telling them, and they ate from the tree, against Allah’s command. But they soon came to regret very much their disobedience and their weakness in listening to Iblis. Adam and his wife were very sad and asked Allah for His forgiveness. Allah forgave them, for He is very forgiving. Allah then told Adam and his wife that they must now go down to earth and live there for some time. But He promised that they would be allowed to return to paradise as long as they and their children were obedient to Him in future.

Allah also told Adam (Alaih Assalaam) that he would be Allah’s first prophet. Many prophets would be sent to mankind, and if man listens to the prophets’ words, he will come into paradise when he dies. But if he does not listen, then he will go to hell and remain there with the evil Iblis.

So, Adam (Alaih Assalaam) and his wife cam down to earth. On earth, they raised their children, and their children in their turn raised their children. In this way succeeding generations of mankind lived on earth and Allah sent His prophets to all of them. These prophets said: Worship only Allah. Allah has created you. Allah has made for you the plants and the animals so that you can eat them. Be grateful to Allah and always do good.

This is what Adam (Alaih Assalaam), the first prophet of Allah, told his children. After him there came many other prophets, and Muhammad is the last of the prophets.

AL-IKHLAS

Bismi-llahi-r-rahmani-r-rahim

Qul huwa llahu ahad

Allahu samad

Lam yalid wa lam yulad wa lam yaku-lahu

Kufuwan ahad

 

AL-IKHAS

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Mercy-giving.

Say: He is Allah, the One

Allah, on whom all ever depend

He does not beget nor was he begotten

And none is like Him.