The Angels – JSS2 Islamic Studies Lesson Note (First Term)

What are angels?

Angels are noble creatures made by Allah from light, who obey Him fully and cannot sin.

• Made of light: Allah created angels from light, while humans were created from clay.
• Invisible: human eyes cannot see them.
• Obedient: they always obey Allah and never disobey Him.
• Sinless: they cannot do bad things.
• Hardworking: they carry out Allah’s commands exactly and never get tired.

Behavioural objectives

1. State what angels are and list their qualities.
2. Name the four most famous angels and say what each one does.
3. Describe the main work of angels.
4. Name the recording, guardian and travel angels and say what each does.
5. Explain how Muslims should think about angels.

Why must Muslims believe in angels?

Belief in angels is one of the six articles of faith (Iman) in Islam.

1. Belief in Allah.
2. Belief in the angels.
3. Belief in the holy books.
4. Belief in the prophets.
5. Belief in the Last Day.
6. Belief in destiny (Qadr), that good and bad happen by Allah’s knowledge and will.

What are the important things about angels?

Angels were created by Allah

• Created before humans: Allah made angels before He made Prophet Adam.
• No wish to disobey: they always do what Allah tells them, unlike humans who can choose right or wrong.
• Constant worship: they praise and worship Allah all the time.

Angels cannot be seen

• Unseen world: angels belong to a world humans cannot see.
• Different from humans: they do not have bodies like ours.
• Change of form: they can appear in another form if Allah allows. Jibreel sometimes came to the Prophet as a man.

Who are the four most famous angels?

The four most famous angels are Jibreel, Mikail, Israfil and Izrail.

1. Who is Jibreel (Gabriel)?

Jibreel is the angel who brings Allah’s messages to the prophets.

• Revelation: he brought the Quran to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
• Helper: he helps prophets and good people.
• Strength: he is very strong and powerful.
• Rank: he is one of the highest angels.

2. Who is Mikail (Michael)?

Mikail is the angel in charge of rain and plants.

• Rain: he carries out Allah’s orders about rainfall.
• Food: rain helps crops grow, so people and animals get food and water.
• Provision: he helps living things receive what they need by Allah’s command.

3. Who is Israfil?

Israfil is the angel who will blow the trumpet on the Day of Judgement.

• Announcement: his blowing announces the end of the world.
• Resurrection: a second blowing will raise all people to be judged.
• Waiting: he stays ready to obey Allah’s order.

4. Who is Izrail (the Angel of Death)?

Izrail is the angel who takes a person’s soul when their time to die comes.

• Command: he acts only by Allah’s order and never before the appointed time.
• Fairness: he treats every person by Allah’s command.
• No cause for fear: he does Allah’s work, so Muslims should prepare by doing good.

What are the other angels Muslims should know?

Muslims also believe in other angels named in the Quran and Hadith.

• Munkar and Nakir: they question a person in the grave.
• Malik: he is the keeper of Hellfire.
• Ridwan: he is the keeper of Paradise.

What do angels do?

Angels worship Allah, protect and record the deeds of humans, and carry out special tasks.

Worship Allah

• Praise: they glorify Allah night and day.
• No tiredness: they never get tired of worship.
• Remembrance: they always remember Allah.

Protect humans

• Guarding: they guard people by Allah’s permission.
• Recording: they write down good and bad deeds.
• Support: they help good people.

Carry out special jobs

• Rain: they bring rain by Allah’s command.
• Growth: they take part in how plants grow.
• Natural things: they carry out Allah’s orders about the earth.
• Exact obedience: they follow Allah’s instructions exactly.

What are the different types of angels?

This note groups angels by their work as recording, guardian and travel angels.

Recording angels

• Task: they write down everything a person says and does.
• Good deeds: one records the good deeds.
• Bad deeds: one records the bad deeds.
• Day of Judgement: the record of each person will be shown on that day.
• Other name: they are called Kiraman Katibin (noble recorders).

Guardian angels

• Task: they watch over and protect people.
• Danger: they guard people from harm by Allah’s permission.
• Limit: they act only by Allah’s will.

Travel angels

• Task: they move about the world carrying out Allah’s orders.
• Messages: they carry messages from Allah.
• Reports: they observe and report as Allah commands.

How should Muslims think about angels?

1. Respect them: they are noble and honoured creatures.
2. Know they work for Allah: they do nothing by themselves.
3. Do not worship them: worship belongs to Allah alone.
4. Remember they are creatures: they are powerful but still Allah’s servants.
5. Be thankful to Allah: thank Him for the help He sends through angels.

What lessons do we learn from angels?

• Obedience: angels always obey Allah, so we should obey Him too.
• Hard work: they work without tiring, so we should not be lazy.
• Purity: they cannot sin, so we should try to avoid wrong deeds.
• Watchfulness: our deeds are recorded, so we should do good in public and in private.
• Allah’s power: angels remind us of Allah’s greatness.

What makes angels special?

• No sleep or rest: they are always working.
• Always good: they never do wrong.
• Love for Allah: they always worship Him.
• Exact obedience: they follow every instruction.

Evaluation

1. What are angels made of?
2. Name the four most famous angels.
3. Which angel brought the Quran to Prophet Muhammad?
4. Which angel will blow the trumpet on the Day of Judgement?
5. Give two things Muslims should remember when they think about angels.

Assignment

Choose one angel or type of angel from this note. Write its name and two sentences on its work. Then write one sentence to explain why Muslims must not worship angels.