Belief In Allah’s Angels

Compiled by: Ali Hussain Dhuniya

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Previous article-three(3) link: https://sunnisalafi.com/muhammad-is-the-meesanger-of-allah

Belief in the Angels

The angels are part of the unseen world. They are created by Allah ﷻ from light and are devoted solely to His worship. They have no divine attributes that make them gods or lords. Instead, Allah has honored them with constant obedience and the ability to carry out His commands:

“And those who are near Him (the angels) are not too proud to worship Him, nor are they weary (of His worship). They glorify His praises night and day, and they never slacken.” [Al-Anbiyāʾ 21:19-20]

Their numbers are beyond human comprehension—only Allah knows their exact count. Anas ibn Mālik (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) narrated that during the Prophet’s ﷺ Night Journey, Al-Bayt al-Maʿmūr (the heavenly House of Worship) was shown to him. Seventy thousand angels enter it daily to pray, and once they leave, they never return again—showing their immense number (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim).

The Three Aspects of Belief in Angels

1. Belief in their existence – affirming all angels, known and unknown, such as Jibrīl, Mīkāʾīl, and others.
   
2. Belief in their attributes – Jibrīl, for example, was seen by the Prophet ﷺ in his original form with six hundred wings spanning the horizon. Angels may also take human forms, as when Jibrīl appeared to Maryam (ʿalayhā as-salām) and to the Prophet ﷺ in the famous ḥadīth of Jibrīl (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim).
   
3. Belief in their tasks – They constantly glorify Allah, but some have specific roles:
   

• Jibrīl: entrusted with revelation.
  
• Mīkāʾīl: controls rain and vegetation.
  
• Isrāfīl: will blow the Trumpet at the end of time.
  
• Malak al-Mawt: takes souls at death.
  
• Angels guard Hell, protect fetuses, record deeds, and question the dead in their graves.
  

Benefits of Believing in Angels

• Increases awareness of Allah’s greatness and power.
  
• Strengthens gratitude, since angels are appointed to protect humans and record deeds.
  
• Inspires love for the angels, as they are true worshippers of Allah.
  

Refuting Misconceptions

Some deviant groups claim angels are not real beings but merely symbolic “forces of good.” This belief contradicts the Qur’an, Sunnah, and consensus of the Muslim Ummah. Allah clearly states:

“All praise is due to Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, Who made the angels messengers with wings, two, three, or four.” [Fāṭir 35:1]
“If you could but see when the angels take away the souls of those who disbelieve…” [Al-Anfāl 8:50]

The Prophet ﷺ also said:

• “When Allah loves a servant, He calls Jibrīl and says: ‘Allah loves so-and-so, so love him.’ Then Jibrīl loves him and announces to the inhabitants of heaven, who then also love him.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
  
• “On Fridays, angels stand at the doors of the masjid recording those who enter in order, until the imam sits, then they close their books and join the reminder.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
  

These evidences affirm that angels are real, physical beings—not imaginary or symbolic. The entire Muslim Ummah agrees upon this belief.

Rephrased:

📖 Source: Explaining the Fundamentals of Faith by Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn – [AbdurRahman.org] link: https://abdurrahman.org/2014/01/27/fundamentalsoffaith/#4

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📌 The Hadith of Jibrīl

Narrated by ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu):

One day, while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, there appeared before us a man with very white clothes and very black hair. No signs of travel were seen on him, and none of us knew him. He sat down next to the Prophet ﷺ, rested his knees against his, and placed his hands on his thighs. He said:

“O Muhammad, tell me about Islām.”
 The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Islām is to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish the prayer, to pay the zakāh, to fast in Ramaḍān, and to perform pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so.”

He said: “You have spoken the truth.”

He said: “Now tell me about Īmān.”
 The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in divine decree, both the good of it and the bad of it.”

He said: “You have spoken the truth.”

Then he said: “Tell me about Iḥsān.”
 He ﷺ said: “It is to worship Allah as though you see Him, and if you do not see Him, indeed He sees you.”

He asked about the Hour (Day of Judgment)… (the narration continues).

Then the Prophet ﷺ said: “That was Jibrīl. He came to teach you your religion.”

📖 Reference:

• Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (Hadith no. 8 in Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn, also in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1/36)
  
• Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Book of Īmān, Hadith no. 50)
  

✅ From this Hadith:

• Five Pillars of Islām: Shahādah, Ṣalāh, Zakāh, Ṣawm, Ḥajj.
  
• Six Pillars of Īmān: Belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and Qadr (destiny).
  

👉 So, belief in the angels is explicitly part of the six pillars of Īmān.

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How to Believe in the Six Pillars of Īmān (Aqīdah)

Ustadh Shamshi At 10:18 in one of his live lessons at Masjid Darusuunah (DusDawah), explained an important point: Yes, we believe in the six pillars of Īmān (Aqīdah), but how do we truly believe in them? Is our belief according to the Sufiyah, Rāfidah, Khawārij, Qādariyah, Ash‘ariyah, Mu‘tazilah, Jahmiyyah, Ikhwani, or according to the Salaf-us-Sāliḥ?

The answer is clear: believing in the six pillars of Īmān is simple and complete when it is done correctly according to the Salaf. It is not just an abstract idea. True belief involves three components:

1. Belief in the Heart (Conviction)
    You must believe sincerely in your heart in the six pillars: belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree (good and bad). This is internal conviction, and it must match exactly what Allah and His Messenger ﷺ described.
   
   Supporting Hadith:
   
   
    The Messenger ﷺ said: “Iman (faith) is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree, both good and bad.”
    (Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith, Hadith 8)
   
   
2. Profession on the Tongue (Declaration)
    Belief must be spoken clearly on the tongue. This includes the Shahādah: “Lā ilāha illā Allāh, Muhammadur Rasūlullāh”. Your words should reflect your heart’s conviction. Simply speaking without believing is hypocrisy, while believing without declaring is incomplete.
   
   Supporting Hadith:
   
   
    The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever testifies that there is no-one worthy of worship in truth but Allah and that I am His Messenger will enter Paradise.”
    (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 25)
   
   
3. Action of the Limbs (Practical Life)
    Belief must be demonstrated through actions. This means following the commands of Allah, the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, performing prayers, avoiding sin, and living your life according to faith. Iman is not complete unless it is visible in your deeds.
   
   Supporting Hadith:
   
   
    The Messenger ﷺ said: “Faith has over seventy branches; the best of them is saying ‘Lā ilāha illā Allāh’ and the least is removing something harmful from the road.”
    (Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 35)
   
   

The First Pillar: Belief in Allah

The first pillar in both Islam and Īmān is belief in Allah. Belief in Allah means knowing Allah as He and His Messenger ﷺ described Him: His names, attributes, and actions. This is the foundation of all faith, worship, and righteous action.

Supporting Qur’an:

• “Say: He is Allah, [who is] One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born. Nor is there to Him any equivalent.” (Surah Al-Ikhlas 112:1-4)
  

Side Note: Terminology

Iman, Aqīdah, Tawheed, and Shahādah (Kalima) are all the same essential concept expressed differently. Just like saying “Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world” or “Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world,” the meaning is the same. All these terms point to the same reality of belief in Allah and His guidance.

Aqidah and Iman are the same thing, as Allamah Shaykh Aman al-Jami said and Shaykh Fawzan said, Aqidah, Iman, Tawheed, Shahada(kalimah) are the same things, even though words differ.

Conclusion

Belief in the six pillars of Īmān is complete when all three are present:

1. Heart: True conviction.
   
2. Tongue: Verbal testimony.
   
3. Limbs: Practical implementation.
   

Living your life with these three ensures your Iman is authentic, correct, and in line with the Salaf-us-Sāliḥ, free from innovation or misguidance.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/live/DxAngesTqgc?si=4oa7Ri3emlgTSX5O -timing 10:18 (how do you believe in the six pillars of Islam).