Do angels exist?
Aqeedah 401: Assignment Question: Modern theories reject the concept of angels as fairy tales. Refute this theory utilizing both revelation and logic.
Some of us won’t believe in a thing unseen unless its supported by science. Many tend to believe
that if we cannot see it, if we cannot touch it, it simply does not exist. Which is not true. When it comes to Islam, seeking knowledge is a must, as it will strengthen ones faith as it only confirm what Qur’an teaches. Knowledge is meant to lead up to the conclusion; there is no deity worthy to be worshipped except Allah. There are somethings we will never fully understand, and we leave that to Allah, putting our trust in him as he is the All-knowing. When a Muslim is ordered to believe in something, he believes. We are also commanded to seek knowledge as blind faith can only lead you far, and being ignorant can make one target for shaytan as he can sow seeds of doubt in the mind regarding faith.
Due to advancement in medicine, a lot the concept mentioned in Qur’an are now being appreciated. There was once a time when people thought it was because of the woman that a man didn’t get the sons he wanted. Later on, they discovered that it was his seed that would determine the sex of the child. Up until science proved otherwise, they’d blame the woman for not conceiving.
There was a time when people didn’t believe in auras. Ancient cultures of the East believed in a dynamic, pulsating field of energy that envelops a person called the arua. In early pictures it was drawn out as a multi-coloured light around the physical self, kind of like a halo. But due to some new research by Dr. Valerie V. Hunt and some pioneering experts, the truths of these auras can be verified. Using technology from the Nasa space programme, they’ve determined that there are two electrical systems in the body that have been found around every person. The alternating electrical current is the first one that is found in the nervous system and brain which regulates the muscles, physical sensations and hormones. The second one is a electromagnetic force that radiate off our atoms that can help us have energy exchanges with people we meet and our environment. ‘Ancient healers say that this arua hold information about a person, mental, physical and spiritual health. Modern science can now back this up saying this vibrating energy field banded in layers around the physical body is similar to the magnetic tap on a tape recorder which stores coded information about our past, present, and future health and that maintaining an open and smooth channel of energy through our chakras, by freeing ourselves of the mental or emotional traumas that can cause blockages, we can pre-empt the onset of physical dis-ease’ In other word, if you can sense a vibe from someone, it’s real. You may not see it or touch it but at intuitive level its there and it’s now being backed with scientific evidence.
There is a world beyond what we can see, many worlds in fact. We have the microscopic world, the atomic realm, when it comes to waves, we have light waves, radio waves, microwaves, ultraviolet rays, X rays, gamma rays etc. Some harmful and some not. These other worlds unseen to the naked eye have only been discovered due to the height of science in its advancements. Are we now going to say that other beings, like angels cannot exist because we cannot see them?
As Muslims, we believe in what was revealed to us. They are made up of light, and are spiritual beings acting in accordance to the will of Allah. They don’t sleep or eat, but spend their entire existence exclusively in the worship of Allah, each having their own duty. Some are there to protect, some are there to inflict punishment, some manage the affairs of the sky, some are there to record and witness. Some can take the form of men to fulfil certain tasks.
There are many incident in the Seerah that highlight their participation in human affairs. One time Rasulallah (s) was with the companions and a man approached that none of the companions recognized. He didn’t have any signs of travel on him, yet no one knew him. He had very black hair and exceedingly white clothes. Asking the Prophet questions about the religion, but with each question, affirming the response. The companions were shocked to see a questioner engage in this way. After the man left, the Prophet said, ‘O Umar, do you know who that questioner was?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion."
During the Battle of Badr, Allah strengthened the believers with angels. ‘I will help you with a thousand angels in succession, one following behind the other.’ The believers were roughly a little over a 300 fighters in comparison to the pagan army that was one thousand. Considering that it was Ramadan, fighting was quite challenging not to mention fighting an army that was much better equipped with cavalry and arms and 3 times their size initially! Rasulallah (s) was inspired with the revelation, ‘Their (the pagan) multitude will be put to flight, and they will show their backs. Then Rasulallah (s) threw dust in the direction of the pagans. After throwing a violent sandstorm blew into the faces of the enemy, confusion overtaking them, which with they fled. "It was not you (Muhammad) but God who threw dust at them. He did this as a favorable test for the believers. God is All-hearing and All-knowing.’ All a very strange incident considering the earth was muddy and slippery from the rain the prior night. Where did the sandstorm come from except from Allah to support the believers?
Before the fighting began, Rasulallah (S) said to Abu Bakr, ‘I can see the Angel Gabriel on his mare in the thick of a sand storm.’ Those who were busy fighting did not hear Rasulallah mentioning this. However, there were reports after the battle of ‘unknown horsemen whose horses hoofs did not touch the ground.’ Although the angels were not seen by all, their presence was recognized. Ibn `Abbas said: While on that day a Muslim was chasing a disbeliever who was going ahead of him, he heard over him the swishing of the whip and the voice of the rider saying: Go ahead, Haizum! He glanced at the polytheist who had (now) fallen down on his back. When he looked at him (carefully he found that) there was a scar on his nose and his face was torn as if it had been lashed with a whip, and had turned green with its poison. An Ansari came Rasulallah (ﷺ) and related this (event) to him. He said: You have told the truth. This was the help from the third heaven.’
Not only did the Muslim report the presence of the angels, those who did not believe as well. Abu Sufyan who was not a Muslim at the time attributed the Muslims victory to the help of the angels. When Abu Rafi, a destitute muslim, heard this talk, joined in, happy with excitement with the victory and the help of the angels. Upon hearing that, Abu lahab one of the fiercest opponents to Islam, became angry and began to beat the boy. One can ask, how can an army of 300 barely equipped soldiers defeat an army of 1000 if not by Divine intercession?
Angels exist. In a world unknown to us. And yet, so do other anomalies that we have yet to come to know of. Will we reject the belief in the unseen because our eyes, the same eyes that cannot even look up at the sun without nearly going blind, cannot grasp? If we are finding it difficult to grasp the full beauty of things in the visible world, how can we possibly think we can see the things in the unseen. Most of what we cannot grasp is left to faith, in the truth of the message of our beloved Prophet, may the peace and blessing be upon him.
References:
- Simpson, Liz. The Book of Chakra Healing. New York: Sterling. 1998, 2013. Print.
- ‘Does the male or female parent determine sex baby.’ https://www.babycenter.com © BabyCenter, L.L.C. 1997-2018
- Qur’an (8:9)
- Qur’an (54:45)
- Sahih Muslim
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