Quranic Foundations And Structure Of Muslim Society
Chapter 3.
DUTIES TO THE ANGELS
ENDS
(a) Objective:
Maintenance of the attitude of respect and love for purity of will and holiness wherever found in God’s creatures.
(b) Subjective:
Constant consciousness of the fact that the world is a moral order, the Angels being the functionaries of God’s moral scheme.
(1) NATURE AND FUNCTIONS OF THE ANGELS:
The Angels, according to the Holy Qur’an, are neither impersonal forces in the sense of physical science, nor gods or demi-gods or sons or daughters of God, as some of the old mythologies conceived them to be. They are celestial beings endowed with personality having been created by God to act as His functionaries in the universe.
The establishment of relation with the spiritual world, which is a vital condition of the spiritual development of a human being, is not conceivable without faith in the existence of the Angels (—which, therefore, forms one of the cardinal articles of Islamic Belief—) and without a proper attitude towards them.
The Angels are sinless beings—incapable of committing any sin—and as such possessors of purity, because their function is only to behave as God’s absolutely obedient servants:
“… and the Angels; they are not arrogant (before their Lord). (Rather,) they fear their Lord, High above them, and they do whatever they are commanded.” (16:49-50).
They are honored servants of God:
“They (i.e., the Angels) are (but) servants raised to honor. They precede Him not in word, and they act (in all things) by His command.” (21:26-27).
Besides their numerous functions mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, they, out of love for the Believers, ask for God’s blessings on them:
“He it is Who sends blessings on you, as do His Angels, that He may bring you out from the depths of Darkness into Light: and He is Full of Mercy for the Believers.” (33: 43).
Also, they pray to God for forgiveness for all beings on the earth:
“… and the Angels celebrate the praises of their Lord, and ask forgiveness for those on the earth.” (42:5).
(2) DUTIES
Thus, because they are honored beings, they deserve respect; and because they are noble and pure, they deserve love. They deserve love and respect specially from the Believers, whom they love and for whom their solicitude is great.
to be continued . . . . .
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