BELIEF IN ANGELS

BELIEF IN ANGELS True Fulfilment Belief in Malaika or the angels is a fundamental article of faith in Islam. A Muslim should believe in the existence of angels, although they may be unseen to us in this world. O F the many beings created by God, the angels are of special importance. They have been invested by God with the supernatural power to keep order in the functioning of the universe. They do not, however, deviate in the slightest from the path of God, for all their actions are in complete obedience to His will. This is because they have not been invested with free will by God Almighty. Diverse and numerous events are taking place at every moment in the universe, for instance, the movement of the stars, the shining of the sun and moon, the falling of the rain, the alternation of the seasons, and many more. All of these, and many other continually recurring events are attended to by the angels. Working in the universe as extremely faithful and obedient servants of God, they ensure the continued existence of the human and animal species on earth. As well as running the world’s systems, these angels, a numerous band, take charge of all matters in Heaven and Hell. The role of the angels can be understood by the example of a large factory. In any such factory, there are many big and complex machines, which produce the goods for which the factory has been established. But these machines do not run on their own. To facilitate their smooth running, many human hands are required. Therefore, in every factory there are always a number of people whose duty it is to attend constantly to their proper and efficient functioning. Similarly, countless angels are appointed to ensure the proper functioning of the great factory of the universe. The difference between the two factories is simply that in the material one, the human hands are visible, while in the metaphorical one—the great mechanism of the universe—the angels remain invisible. Angels are continuously present on earth, particularly at prayer times. Man may not be able to see the angels, but the angels can certainly see man and are in constant touch with human beings.