A History of the Hajj

 

Hajj literally means ‘to set out for a place’.  Islamicly, however, it refers to the annual pilgrimage that Muslims make to Makkah with the intention of performing certain religious rites in accordance with the method prescribed by the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.

Hajj and its rites were first ordained by God in the time of the Prophet Abraham and he was the one who was entrusted by God to build the Kaaba - the House of God - along with his son Ishmael at Makkah.  God described the Kaaba and its building as follows:

“And remember when We showed Abraham the site of the [Sacred] House [saying]: Associate not anything [in worship with Me and purify My House for those who circumambulate it [i.e. perform Tawaaf] and those who stand up for prayer and those who bow down and make prostration [in prayer etc.].”  (Quran 22:26)

After building the Kaaba, Abraham would come to Makkah to perform Hajj every year, and after his death, this practice was continued by his son.  However, gradually with the passage of time, both the form and the goal of the Hajj rites were changed.  As idolatry spread throughout Arabia, the Kaaba lost its purity and idols were placed inside it.  Its walls became covered with poems and paintings, including one of Jesus and his mother Maryand.  Eventually over 360 idols came to be placed around the Kaaba.

During the Hajj period itself, the atmosphere around the sacred precincts of the Kaaba was like a circus.  Men and women would go round the Kaaba naked, arguing that they should present themselves before God in the same condition they were born.  Their prayer became devoid of all sincere remembrance of God and was instead reduced to a series of hand clapping, whistling and the blowing of horns.  Even the Hajj call was distorted by them with the following additions: “No one is Your partner except one who is permitted by you.  You are his Master and the Master of what he possesses.”

Sacrifices were also made in the name of God.  However, the blood of the sacrificed animals was poured onto the walls of the Kaaba and the flesh was hung from pillars around the Kaaba, in the belief that God demanded the flesh and blood of these animals.

Singing, drinking, adultery and other acts of immorality was rife amongst the pilgrims and the poetry competitions, which were held, were a major part of the whole Hajj event.  In these competitions, poets would praise the bravery and splendor of their own tribesmen and tell exaggerated tales of the cowardice and miserliness of other tribes.  Competitions in generosity were also staged where the chief of each tribe would set up huge cauldrons and feed the pilgrims, only so that they could become well-known for their extreme generosity.

Thus the people had totally abandoned the teachings of their forefather and leader Abraham.  The House that he had made pure for the worship of God alone, had been totally desecrated by the pagans and the rites which he had established were completely distorted by them.  This sad state of affairs continued for nearly two and a half thousand years.  But then after this long period, the time came for the supplication of Abraham to be answered:

“Our Lord!  Send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall recite unto them your verses and instruct them in the book and the Wisdom and sanctify them.  Verily you are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.” (Quran 2:129)

Sure enough, a man by the name of Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullaah was born in the very city that Abraham had made this supplication centuries earlier.  For twenty-three years, the Prophet Muhammad spread the message of monotheism - the same message that Abraham and all the other Prophets came with - and established the law of God upon the land.  He expended every effort into making the word of God supreme and his victory over falsehood culminated in the smashing of the idols inside the Kaaba which once again became the universal centre for the worshippers of the one True God.

Not only did the Prophet rid the Kaaba of all its impurities, but he also reinstated all the rites of Hajj which were established by God’s Permission, in the time of Abraham.  Specific injunctions in the Quran were revealed in order to eliminate all the false rites which had become rampant in the pre-Islamic period.  All indecent and shameful acts were strictly banned in God’s statement:

“There is to be no lewdness nor wrangles during Hajj.” (Quran 2:197)

Competitions among poets in the exaltations of their forefathers and their tribesmen’s’ achievements were all stopped.  Instead, God told them:

“And when you have completed your rites [of Hajj] then remember God as you remember your forefathers; nay with a more vigorous remembrance.” (Quran 2:200)

Competitions in generosity were also prohibited.  Of course, the feeding of the poor pilgrims was still encouraged as this was done in the time of Abraham, but God commanded that the slaughtering of the animals which was done for this purpose should be done seeking the pleasure of God rather than fame and the praise of the people.  He said:

“So mention the name of God over these animals when they are drawn up in lines.  Then, when they are drawn on their sides [after the slaughter], eat thereof and feed the beggar who does not ask, and the beggar who asks.” (Quran 22:36)

As for the deplorable practice of spattering blood of the sacrificed animals on the walls of the Kaaba and hanging their flesh on altars, then God clearly informed them that:

“It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches God, but it is Taqwaa (piety) from you that reaches Him.” (Quran 22:37)

The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, also put a stop to the practice of circling the Kaaba in a state of nudity and the argument that the pagans put forward to justify this ritual was sharply rebutted in God’s question:

“Say: Who has forbidden the adornment [i.e. clothes] given by God which He has produced for His Slaves?” (Quran 7:32)

Another custom which was prohibited through the Quran was that of setting off for Hajj without taking any provisions for the journey.  In the pre-Islamic period, some people who claimed righteousness, having total dependency on God, would travel to perform Hajj begging food the whole journey.  They considered this form of behavior a sign of piety and an indication of how much faith they had in God.  However God told mankind that to have sufficient provisions for the journey was one of the preconditions for making Hajj.  He said:

“And take a provision [with you] for the journey, but the best provision is piety.” (Quran 2:197)

In this way, all the pre-Islamic practices, which were based in ignorance, were abolished and Hajj was once more made a model of piety, fear of God, purity, simplicity and austerity.  Now, when the pilgrims reached the Kaaba, they no longer found the carnivals and the frolic and frivolity that had once occupied the minds of the pilgrims there before.  Now, there was the remembrance of God at every step and every action and every sacrifice was devoted to Him alone.  It was this kind of Hajj that was worthy of the reward of paradise, as the Prophet said:

“The reward for an accepted Hajj is nothing less than paradise.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

- islamreligion.com

What are Hadith?

 

Islam has two primary sources.  First is the Quran which is the direct word of God inspired to the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him. The second source is the Prophet’s teachings.  These teachings include his words, actions, and things he approved of.  The Prophet’s teachings are called Sunnah.  The Sunnah is found in texts called hadith.  Hadith are statements of the Prophet which were narrated by his Companions and subsequently narrated to the next generation until these sayings were compiled in hadith collections.

The Prophet Muhammad was sent as the final messenger to mankind.  With his death, the message of Islam was completed.  The preservation of scripture is not limited to the text of the Quran, but its meaning as well.  If the Prophet’s explanation is needed in order to understand the Quran, then it is necessary that his sayings be preserved as well, not only the words of the Quran.

Imagine for instance trying to discover the manner of prayer based only on the command to "establish prayer" with few references to bowing and prostration.  The number of prayers, times per day, and what to recite would remain unknown.  Therefore, the Sunnah is part of the Quran’s preservation.

Importance of Hadith

All Muslims, be they Sunni or Shia, agree that hadith are essential to understanding Islam.  They provide a context to the verses in the Quran.  The Quran is a rather concise book and therefore contains many general statements.  For instance, the Quran commands Muslims to pray, but it does not provide the details of how one is to perform prayer.

The Quran also commands Muslims to perform pilgrimage and give charity, but it does not provide the details.  These details are found in the hadith where Prophet Muhammad explained the details and mechanics of prayer as well as other aspects of Islam.  There are dozens of verses in the Quran that command Muslims to follow the Prophet.  Without knowing his teachings, one cannot possibly fulfill this command.

Collection of Hadith

The Companions of Prophet Muhammad memorized his statements and actions.  In addition to memorization, many Companions wrote these hadith down in their personal collections.  These hadith were passed down to the students of the Companions and subsequently down to their students.  Several Muslim scholars collected these hadith into compilations which have become widespread and are the main sources of hadith until today.

Hadith are a Primary Source of Islamic Teachings

The verses concerning the authority of the Prophet’s teachings are abundant; for brevity we will only list four:

"And whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it, and from whatever he forbids you, abstain from it." (Quran 59:7)

"Say: If you love God then follow me and God will love you and forgive your sins." (Quran 3:31)

"Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed God." (Quran 4:80)

"O you who believe, obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.  If you differ in anything, then refer it to God and His Messenger if you believe in God and the Last Day; that is better and the best interpretation." (Quran 4:59)

The Quran establishes that Prophet Muhammad must be referred to when disputations occur.  This is an example of how the Prophet is a legislator and does not speak out of whim.  The Quran cannot command Muslims to follow the Prophet without making a means for them to know and follow him.  If his teachings are not preserved, then the Quran would be commanding Muslims to follow something that does not exist.  From this we understand that part of the preservation of the Quran is the preservation of the Sunnah itself.

Authentication of Hadith

In order to ensure that hadith were authentic and not fabricated, scholars developed a unique and critical method.  This consisted of two components, first scholars scrutinized the people who were narrating the hadith.  They ensured that everyone in the chain of transmission met each other and was free from any disqualifying characteristics.  These disqualifying characteristics include lying, indulging in major sins, or having a known or obvious motive to fabricate a hadith.

The second criteria they used was to measure and grade the memory of the narrators.  This was done empirically by comparing the narrations of different students to see who might have made a mistake.  For instance, a Companion of the Prophet might have narrated ten sayings of the Prophet to 15 students.  Hadith scholars would then individually ask these students to recite the hadith to them.  If of those 15 students 13 students say that the hadith says XYZ and 2 say it says ZYX then it is likely they made a mistake.  They would then note that this narrator has a poor memory and their narrations are to be rejected or accepted with caution.  Hadith would then be classified as authentic, acceptable, weak, or fabricated.  For more details on this process check out this article.

Examples of Prophet’s Statements Found in Hadith

"Those people who show no mercy will receive no mercy from God."[1]

"Not one of you can (truly) believe if you do not want for your (believing) brother what you want for yourself."[2]

"Do not have ill-will towards one another, do not be envious of one another, do not turn your back on one another; O, servants of God, be brothers (and sisters).  It is not permissible for a Muslim to remain angry with their brother [in religion] for more than three days."[3]

"When a human being dies all their actions and blessings come to an end, except for these three things: continuous charity, the knowledge from which they have benefited others, and a blessed child who prays for them."[4]

"If someone conceals the mistake of another servant, on the Day of Judgement God will cover their mistake."[5]

Conclusion

The statements of Prophet Muhammad are the second source of Islamic knowledge and law.  These statements help understand the Quran and explain its application.  Scholars developed a science which they used to determine the level of each hadith’s authenticity.  Hadith serve as a source of guidance for Muslims in their daily lives.  They use hadith to learn more about the Prophet and try to emulate his actions and character.

- islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]Saheeh Muslim

[2]Saheeh Al-Bukhari

[3]Saheeh Al-Bukhari

[4]Saheeh Muslim

[5]Saheeh Muslim

The Quran on Seas and Rivers

 

Modern Science has discovered that in the places where two different seas meet, there is a barrier between them.  This barrier divides the two seas so that each sea has its own temperature, salinity, and density.[1]  For example, Mediterranean sea water is warm, saline, and less dense, compared to Atlantic ocean water.  When Mediterranean sea water enters the Atlantic over the Gibraltar sill, it moves several hundred kilometers into the Atlantic at a depth of about 1000 meters with its own warm, saline, and less dense characteristics.  The Mediterranean water stabilizes at this depth[2] (see figure 1).

Figure 1: The Mediterranean sea water as it enters the Atlantic over the Gibraltar sill with its own warm, saline, and less dense characteristics, because of the barrier that distinguishes between them.  Temperatures are in degrees Celsius (C°). (Marine Geology, Kuenen, p. 43, with a slight enhancement.)

Although there are large waves, strong currents, and tides in these seas, they do not mix or transgress this barrier.

The Holy Quran mentioned that there is a barrier between two seas that meet and that they do not transgress.  God has said:

“He has set free the two seas meeting together.  There is a barrier between them.  They do not transgress.” (Quran 55:19-20)

But when the Quran speaks about the divider between fresh and salt water, it mentions the existence of “a forbidding partition” with the barrier.  God has said in the Quran:

“He is the one who has set free the two kinds of water, one sweet and palatable, and the other salty and bitter.  And He has made between them a barrier and a forbidding partition.” (Quran 25:53)

One may ask, why did the Quran mention the partition when speaking about the divider between fresh and salt water, but did not mention it when speaking about the divider between the two seas?

Modern science has discovered that in estuaries, where fresh (sweet) and salt water meet, the situation is somewhat different from what is found in places where two seas meet.  It has been discovered that what distinguishes fresh water from salt water in estuaries is a “pycnocline zone with a marked density discontinuity separating the two layers.”[3]  This partition (zone of separation) has a different salinity from the fresh water and from the salt water[4] (see figure 2).

Figure 2: Longitudinal section showing salinity (parts per thousand ‰) in an estuary.  We can see here the partition (zone of separation) between the fresh and the salt water. (Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, p. 301, with a slight enhancement.)

This information has been discovered only recently, using advanced equipment to measure temperature, salinity, density, oxygen dissolubility, etc.  The human eye cannot see the difference between the two seas that meet, rather the two seas appear to us as one homogeneous sea.  Likewise, the human eye cannot see the division of water in estuaries into the three kinds: fresh water, salt water, and the partition (zone of separation).

-islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]Principles of Oceanography, Davis, pp. 92-93.

[2]Principles of Oceanography, Davis, p. 93.

[3]Oceanography, Gross, p. 242.  Also see Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, pp. 300-301.

[4]Oceanography, Gross, p. 244, and Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, pp. 300-301.

Designed to Discover

 

"But then with me the horrid doubt always arises whether the convictions of man's mind, which has been developed from the mind of the lower animals, are of any value or at all trustworthy.  Would anyone trust in the convictions of a monkey's mind, if there are any convictions in such a mind?"[1]

This is an excerpt from a letter written in 1881 by Charles Darwin.  What troubled him was the notion of trusting the human mind; if we evolved from lower life forms; if we can be reduced down to random, non-rational physical processes, how can our minds be rational?

Indeed, questions such as, "Can we trust our minds?", "Can we reason to the truth?", and, "Why and how have we acquired the ability to understand the universe?" have captured the minds of great thinkers throughout the ages.  Our minds are truly fascinating; we have mental faculties which outshine all other creatures, and we seem to have cognitive abilities which surpass the requirements of natural selection.

Natural selection is not concerned with truth value but rather survival value.  Both true, as well as false beliefs, can adequately result in survival.  Take this as an analogy: John and Mark are asked to run across a busy highway blindfolded.  John’s cognitive faculties are functioning perfectly; when he is asked to do this, he reasons to the conclusion that this would be extremely dangerous and declines the offer.  On the other hand, Mark’s cognitive faculties are impaired, which result in him believing that there is no traffic.  At the same time, he holds the belief that someone has just glued his feet to the ground, which results in him not running across the road.  This simple example illustrates that survival is not contingent on truth.

It isn't only our minds which are amazing, we also live in a rational universe.

Again, if everything was simply a by-product of non-rational, blind, random physical processes, how have we ended up with a rationally ineligible universe? A universe governed by distinctive laws and one which is mathematically coherent.  Many have been mesmerized by the rational nature and order of the universe; this is captured in the statement of Einstein, when he said, "What is inconceivable about the universe is that it is at all conceivable."[2]  We live in an ordered rational universe! Order does not come from disorder; we wouldn't expect scrabble pieces thrown into the air at random to land spelling a concise sentence.  Rationality does not come from non-rationality; believing such a thing would be absurd.  It would be the equivalent of claiming that something could arise from nothing.

As a race, humans have progressed in leaps and bounds in the sciences, yet the two fundamental requirements to do science—a rational mind and a rational universe—have gone unaccounted for.  Having one without the other would render science non-existent.  Both need to work uniquely together in a complementary way to make science possible.  An analogy which comes to mind is of a lock and a key: the rational mind being the key which has the potential to unlock the rational universe.

Here arises another problem for atheism: how is it that we have a mind which can comprehend the order and rationality of the universe? Keys do not just fit locks by chance, they are designed to fit.  This makes sense of God’s existence.  If rationality cannot come from non-rationality, and since we cannot trust our minds if they are just a result of blind, non-rational forces, then what best explains the fact that we do trust our minds and that rationality can only come from rationality? An All-Knowing and All-Wise being (God) that created the universe with the ability for sentient beings to have rational faculties is the best explanation for this.

In the Quran, seldom does God engage humanity in attempting to prove His existence.  Instead, He takes us from His existence, which is self-evidently true, to His worship.  One way God does this is by directing us towards His creation; encouraging us to look into creation wherein lie His signs.  It is through pondering and reflecting over these signs that we can appreciate His majesty and creative power, which naturally leads us to knowing and affirming that He deserves to be worshipped.

God says in the Quran, "Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding."(Quran 3:190) We can draw a beautiful conclusion from this: God gave us a rational mind and a rational universe so we can reflect over this creation and through this, fulfil our purpose which is to worship God: the One who made us and gave us everything.  Indeed, the One who made everything and gave us everything deserves to be worshipped.

- islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]Darwin, C.  R.  to Graham, William.  3 July 1881.

[2]Santillana, Giorgio de and Hertha von Dechend.  Hamlet's Mill: an Essay on Myth and the Frame of Time.  Boston: Godine,

The Purpose of Life : The False Gods of Modernity

 

Who Needs Worship?

God is in no need of our worship, it is mankind that needs to worship God.  If no-one were to worship God, it would not take away from His glory in any way, and if all of mankind were to worship Him, it would not add to His glory.  It is we, who are in need of God:

"I need no provision from them, neither do I need that they should feed Me for, surely, God Himself is the Provider of all sustenance, the Possessor of mighty power." (Quran 51:57-58)

"…But God is Rich, and it is you that are poor..." (Quran 47:38)

How to Worship God: And Why.

God is worshipped by obeying the laws He revealed through the prophets.  For example, in the Bible, Prophet Jesus made obedience to the divine laws the key to paradise:

"If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." (Matthew 19:17). 

Also Prophet Jesus is reported in the Bible to have insisted on strict obedience to the commandments, saying:

"Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:19)

Why do human beings need to worship God by obeying the divinely revealed laws?  The answer is simple.  Obedience to divine law brings peace to this life and salvation in the next.

Divine laws provide human beings a clear code to guide every sphere of human life and interaction.  Since the Creator alone knows best what is best for His creation, His laws protect the human soul, body, and society from harm.  In order for human beings to fulfill their purpose of creation, they must worship God by obeying His commandments.

The False Gods of Modernity

God is Who gives meaning and orientation to life.  On the other hand, modern life lacks a single center, a single orientation, a single goal, a single purpose.  It has no common principle or guideline.

Since Islam considers a god to be an entity that is served out of love, deep respect, and anticipation of reward, one can say that the modern world serves many gods.  The gods of modernity give meaning and context to the life of modern man.

We live in a house of language, and our words and expressions are the windows through which we look out at the world.  Evolution, nationalism, feminism, socialism, Marxism, and, depending on how they are employed, democracy, freedom, and equality can be listed among the indefinable ideologies of modern times.  "Plastic words," to borrow the words of Uwe Poerksen, a German linguist, have been used to usurp God’s power and authority to shape and define the goal of society, or even of humanity itself.  These words have connotations with a ‘feel good’ aura.  Indefinable words become a limitless ideal.  By making the ideal limitless, unlimited needs are awakened, and once these needs are awakened, they appear to be ‘self-evident.’

As it is easy to fall into the habit of worshipping false gods, people then have no protection against the multiplicity of gods that modern ways of thinking demand that they serve.  The "plastic words" give great power to those ‘prophets’ who speak on their behalf, because they speak in the name of ‘self-evident’ truths, so other people keep silent.  We must follow their authority; the axiomatic pundits who lay down the Law for our health, welfare, well-being, and education. 

The window of modernity through which we perceive reality today is marked by cracks, smudges, blind spots, and filters.  It covers the reality.  And the reality is that people have no real need except toward God.  But nowadays, these empty ‘idols’ have become the objects of people’s devotion and worship, as the Quran states:

"Have you not seen the one who takes his desires as his god?..."(Quran 45:23)

Each of these "plastic words" makes other words appear primitive and out-of-date.  ‘Believers’ in idols of modernity are proud of worshipping these gods; friends and colleagues consider them enlightened for doing so.  Those who still insist on holding onto the "old" God can cover up the embarrassment of doing so by worshipping the new ‘modern’ gods along with Him.  Obviously, many people who claim to worship the "old-fashioned" God will twist His teachings in this event, so that He also seems to be telling us to serve these "plastic words."

The worship of false gods entails the corruption not only of individuals and society, but also of the natural world.  When people refuse to serve and worship God as He has asked them to serve Him, they cannot fulfill the functions for which He has created them.  The result is that our world becomes ever more chaotic, just as the Quran tells us:

"Corruption has appeared in the land and the sea because of what the hands of people have earned." (Quran 30:41)

Islam’s answer to the meaning and purpose of life fulfills the fundamental human need: a return to God.  However, everyone is going back to God willy-nilly, so the question is not merely going back, but how one goes back.  Will it be in shameful agonizing chains awaiting punishment, or joyful and grateful humility for that which God has promised?  If you await the latter, then through the Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, God guides people back to Him in a manner that will ensure their eternal happiness. - islamreligion.com

Belief in Angels

 

Reality of Angels

In common folklore, angels are thought of as good forces of nature, hologram images, or illusions.  Western iconography sometimes depicts angels as fat cherubic babies or handsome young men or women with a halo surrounding their head.  In Islamic doctrine, they are real created beings who will eventually suffer death, but are generally hidden from our senses.

They are not divine or semi-divine, and they are not God’s associates running different districts of the universe.  Also, they are not objects to be worshipped or prayed to, as they do not deliver our prayers to God.  They all submit to God and carry out His commands.

In the Islamic worldview, there are no fallen angels: they are not divided into ‘good’ and ‘evil’ angels.  Human beings do not become angels after death.  Satan is not a fallen angel, but is one of the jinn, a creation of God parallel to human beings and angels.

Angels were created from light before human beings were created, and thus their graphic or symbolic representation in Islamic art is rare.  Nevertheless, they are generally beautiful beings with wings as described in Muslim scripture.

Angels form different cosmic hierarchies and orders in the sense that they are of different size, status, and merit.

The greatest of them is Gabriel.  The Prophet of Islam actually saw him in his original form.  Also, the attendants of God’s Throne are among the greatest angels.  They love the believers and beseech God to forgive them their sins.  They carry the Throne of God, about whom the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said:

"I have been given permission to speak about one of the angels of God who carry the Throne.  The distance between his ear-lobes and his shoulders is equivalent to a seven-hundred-year journey." (Abu Daud)

They do not eat or drink.  The angels do not get bored or tired of worshipping God:

"They celebrate His praises night and day, nor do they ever slacken." (Quran 21:20)

The Number of Angels

How many angels there are? Only God knows.  The Much-Frequented House is a sacred heavenly sanctuary above the Kaaba, the black cube in the city of Mecca.  Every day seventy thousand angels visit it and leave, never returning to it again, followed by another group.[1]

The Names of Angels

Muslims believe in specific angels mentioned in the Islamic sources like Jibreel (Gabriel), Mika'eel (Michael), Israfeel, Malik - the guard over Hell, and others.  Of these, only Gabriel and Michael are mentioned in the Bible.

Angelic Abilities

The angels possess great powers given to them by God.  They can take on different forms.  The Muslim scripture describes how at the moment of Jesus’ conception, God sent Gabriel to Mary in the form of a man:

"…Then We sent to her Our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects." (Quran 19:17)

Angels also visited Abraham in human form.  Similarly, angels came to Lot to deliver him from danger in the form of handsome, young men.  Gabriel used to visit Prophet Muhammad in different forms.  Sometimes, he would appear in the form of one of his handsome disciples, and sometimes in the form of a desert Bedouin.

Angels have the ability to take human forms in some circumstances involving common people.

Gabriel is God’s heavenly messenger to mankind.  He would convey the revelation from God to His human messengers.  God says:

"Say: whoever is an enemy to Gabriel - for he brings down the (revelation) to your heart by God’s will..." (Quran 2:97)

Tasks of the Angels

Some angels are put in charge of executing God’s law in the physical world.  Michael is responsible for rain, directing it wherever God wishes.  He has helpers who assist him by the command of his Lord; they direct the winds and clouds, as God wills.  Another is responsible for blowing the Horn, which will be blown by Israafeel at the onset of the Day of Judgment.  Others are responsible for taking souls out of the bodies at the time of death: the Angel of Death and his assistants.  God says:

"Say: the Angel of Death, put in charge of you, will (duly) take your souls, then shall you be brought back to your Lord." (Quran 32:11)

Then there are guardian angels responsible for protecting the believer throughout his life, at home or traveling, asleep or awake.

Others are responsible for recording the deeds of man, good and bad.  These are known as the "honorable scribes."

Two angels, Munkar and Nakeer, are responsible for testing people in the grave.

Among them are keepers of Paradise and the nineteen ‘guards’ of Hell whose leader is named ‘Malik.’

There are also angels responsible for breathing the soul into the fetus and writing down its provisions, life-span, actions, and whether it will be wretched or happy.

Some angels are roamers, traveling around the world in search of gatherings where God is remembered.  There are also angels constituting God’s heavenly army, standing in rows, they never get tired or sit down, and others who bow or prostrate, and never raise their heads, always worshipping God.

As we learn from above, the angels are a grandiose creation of God, varying in numbers, roles, and abilities. God is in no need of these creatures, but having knowledge and belief in them adds to the awe that one feels towards God, in that He is able to create as He wishes, for indeed the magnificence of His creation is a proof of the magnificence of the Creator.        

- islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]Saheeh Al-Bukhari.

Piety and Wickedness

 

“O Mankind!  Partake of what is lawful and good on earth, and follow not Satan’s footsteps: for, verily, he is your open foe and bids you only to do evil, to commit deeds of immorality, and to attribute unto God what you do not know.” (Quran 2:168-169)

God addresses all of humanity, the faithful and the faithless, to think about something we take for granted: food.  God produces everything on earth: seeds, fruits, vegetables, and meats for human consumption, but forbids us relatively few things that are unwholesome.  Some of the foods God has forbidden are the meat of dead animals, blood, and pork.  Every food is lawful in God’s law except what He has forbidden, that has been stolen, or taken by breaking God’s law.  The best foods for us are organic, natural, and wholesome – foods produced by God, but when people start altering the food chain, they produce new, unknown diseases like the mad cow disease.  We need to be grateful for what God provides us.

This verse also indicates that eating enough to live is a duty imposed on human beings by God.  Going to extremes in starving oneself to look beautiful, for example, is not permitted.

God also commands humanity not to follow the footsteps of Satan, meaning what Satan commands.  First, Satan is real.  Second, Islam tells us everything important for us to know about Satan, including how to protect ourselves.  What does Satan command?  Disbelief, rejecting faith in God, oppression, injustice, sins, and eating what God has forbidden.  God reminds us that Satan is an enemy, so human beings should be on guard against him.  God, in His mercy, did not stop at warning us from following Satan’s footsteps, but also warned against what Satan commands:

(a)   Satan commands evil.  Evil includes all types of sins.

(b)  Satan commands adultery, fornication, drinking alcohol, getting drunk, and killing.

(c)   The greatest command of Satan is to make us say of God what we don’t know.  Satan’s greatest way of misguiding people is to say God has a son, an equal, to liken God to an old man sitting in heaven, to think God will punish everyone or forgive everyone without any knowledge from God Himself, or to say God permits or forbids something without any basis in knowledge from what God has revealed.  As for God, He commands justice and forbids immorality and wrongdoing.  Everyone should assess what they believe in order to ensure what they are following is God's guidance rather than the promptings of Satan.- islamreligion.com