They are honourable and obedient to Allah


Almighty Allah has described the angels as being honourable and obedient in the verse (which means):


"[The Quran being Carried] by the hands of messengers (angels) noble and dutiful." [Quran 80:15-16] Meaning, the Quran is in the hands of scribes, i.e., the angels, because they are the emissaries of Allah to His Messengers and Prophets, may Allah exalt their mention.


Allah has described these angels as being "honourable and obedient", i.e., He has created them honourable, good and noble. Their actions are obedient, pure and perfect. Hence the one who learns the Quran by heart should be one whose actions and words are proper and correct.


The Messenger of Allah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said:


"The one who reads the Quran and recites it perfectly will be with the honourable scribes (angels) and the one who reads the Quran and tries his best, and it is hard for him, will have his reward doubled." [Al-Bukhari]


They are modest


Among the attributes of the angels mentioned by the Messenger  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) is their modesty. `Aa'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said that the Messenger of Allah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) was lying down in his house with his thigh or his shin uncovered. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, asked for permission to come in, and he let him in and spoke with him whilst he was in that state. Then 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, asked for permission to come in, and he let him in and spoke with him whilst he was in that state. Then `Uthmaan, may Allah be pleased with him,  asked for permission to come in, and the Messenger  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) sat up and rearranged his garment, then he let him come in and spoke with him. When he left, `Aa'ishah said: "Abu Bakr came in, and you did not stir or pay too much attention. Then 'Umar came in, and you did not stir or pay too much attention. Then `Uthmaan came in, and you sat up and fixed your garment." He said, "How could I not feel shy of a man of whom the angels feel shy?" [Muslim]


The phrase "you did not stir" means you did not welcome him warmly.


Khadeejah may Allah be pleased with her said to the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ): "… O cousin, can you inform me the next time your companion (i.e. Jibreel) comes to you?" He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said: "Indeed". She may Allah be pleased with her said: "Tell me if he comes." Later, when the Prophet, Sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam was with her once, Jibreel came to him  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ). Seeing him, the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said to Khadeejah may Allah be pleased with her: "O Khadeejah, here comes Jibreel." She may Allah be pleased with her said: "Do you see him now?" He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) answered in the affirmative. She may Allah be pleased with her said: "Come and sit on my right side." The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) came and sat on her right side. Then she, may Allah be pleased with her said: "Do you see him now?" the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said: "Yes". Then she, may Allah be pleased with her, asked the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) to sit in her lap. When he  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) did, she, may Allah be pleased with her, asked him: "Do you still see him?" He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) again said: "Yes." Then she, may Allah be pleased with her, uncovered her head while the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) was still sitting in her lap and said: "Do you still see him?" He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said: "No" She, may Allah be pleased with her, said: "He is not a devil; he is nothing but an angel …" [Al-Bayhaqi]


That fact that Jibreel disappeared when Khadeejah, may Allah be pleased with her, uncovered her head shows that angels are modest and bashful.


They are able to take on different forms


Almighty Allah has given the angels the ability to take on forms different from their own. Allah sent Jibreel (the angel Gabriel) to Maryam (Mary) in human form, as stated in the verse (which means):


"And mention, [O Muhammad], in the Book [the story of] Maryam (Mary), when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the east. And she took, in seclusion from them, a screen. Then We sent to her Our Angel [i.e. Jibreel], and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man. She said, “Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, [so leave me], if you should be fearing of Allah.” He said, “I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you [news of] a pure boy [i.e. Son].'" [Quran 19:16-19]


The angels came to Ibraaheem (Abraham), may Allah exalt his mention, in human form, and he did not know that they were angels until they told him who they really were, as stated in the verses (which mean):


"And certainly did Our messengers [i.e. angels] come to Ibraaheem (Abraham) with good tidings; they said, “Peace.” He said, “Peace,” and did not delay in bringing [them] a roasted calf. But when he saw their hands not reaching for it, he distrusted them and felt from them apprehension. They said, “Fear not. We have been sent to the people of Lot.” [Quran 11:70]


The angels came to the Prophet Lot, may Allah exalt his mention, in the form of young men with handsome faces and he was grieved on account of them and feared that they may be harmed by his people, for they were an evil people who committed evil actions, and they used to commit sodomy. Almighty Allah Says (what means):


"And when Our messengers, [the angels], came to Lot, he was anguished for them and felt for them great discomfort and said, “This is a trying day.'" [Quran 11:77]


Ibn Katheer  may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him said: "The angels appeared to him (Prophet Lot) in the form of handsome young men as a test and a trial, so that proof might be established against the people of Loot, and Allah might seize them with a mighty punishment." [Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah, 1/43]


Jibreel used to come to the Messenger  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) in different forms. Sometimes he came in the form of Duhyah Ibn Khaleefah Al-Kalbi, may Allah be pleased with him, (a companion who was of handsome appearance), and sometimes in the form of a Bedouin.


Many of the Prophet's companions, may Allah be pleased with them, saw him when he came in that form.


Every Muslim must believe in angels. We know from the Quran that Allah Says (what means): {…Whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone far astray.} [Quran: 4:136] In the Hadeeth (sayings of Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention )) of the angel Jibreel  may  Allah  exalt  his  mention when he  may  Allah  exalt  his  mention came to the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) and asked him  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) about Islam, Eeman (belief), and Ihsan (sincere and true faith in Allah), the Messenger of Allah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said about Eeman: “Eeman is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in the Divine decree, [both] the good and the bad thereof.” [Muslim]


The angels have been present throughout all the stages of our creation, performing some duty. When we were in our mothers' wombs, an angel was there, breathing a soul into us. They are always there to reporting about our deeds to Allah. Each and every second they are recording what we whisper and speak. When the time of our death comes, they are ready to take our souls. When the Day of Judgement commences, an angel will blow the Horn that will mark the commencement of the Day of Judgement.


Allah has created the angels from light. The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said: “The angels were created from Noor (light), the jinn were created from fire and man was created from what has been described to you.”


Angels are honourable slaves of Allah; they obey Him and execute His commands. Allah describes about them in the Quran (what means): {They do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.} [Quran: 66:6]


Allah created them to worship Him, and only Allah Knows about their numbers and there life. Some of the important angels among them and their duties are here:


• Jibreel  may  Allah  exalt  his  mention who is charged with delivering Divine revelations to the Prophets and Messengers of Allah  may  Allah  exalt  his  mention.


• Meeka'eel  may  Allah  exalt  his  mention who is charged with the delivering of the rain and subsistence (provision, etc.).


• The angel of death, who is charged with extracting human souls,


• The bearers of the Throne of Allah.


• The guards of Paradise and Hell.


Besides these, there are angels who guard humans, others who record people's deeds and utterances and still others who are charged with various other duties and tasks.


They do not eat or drink; they are characterised by neither feminine nor masculine attributes, and they never tire. Some spend their entire existence in Rukoo’ (bowing) and others in Sujood (prostration). When Judgement will be called, they will raise their heads and say: 'Glory be to You, our Lord! We did not worship You in a way befitting Your Majesty.' They are a creation of Allah, a creation that took place before the creation of our father Adam  may  Allah  exalt  his  mention.


The Messenger of Allah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) told us about their characteristics and duties. Amongst these characteristics are the following:


Firstly: They are huge in size. The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said: “I saw Jibreel in the fashion that he was originally created in. He had six-hundred (600) wings, with each wing filling the (entire) horizon (i.e., the east to the west – as far as the eye can see).” This event was mentioned in the Quran where Allah Says what means: {And he [i.e., Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention )] has already seen him [i.e., Jibreel] in the clear horizon [to the east].} [Quran: 81-23]


Secondly: They have the ability to change their shape, as we know in the story of Maryam, may Allah exalt her mention, and in this Hadeeth of Jibreel  may  Allah  exalt  his  mention when all the Companions  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  them saw him wearing an intensely white garment and having intensely black hair.


Thirdly: They live in the heavens, from there they descend to carry out their appointed duties. Allah the Exalted Says what means: {The heavens almost break up from above [by the Grandeur of Allah above them], and the angels exalt [Allah] with praise of their Lord…} [Quran: 42:5]