Series THE WORLD OF THE NOBLE ANGELS: TRANSLATOR’S FOREWORD #1

                                                         

Welcome in a series THE WORLD OF THE NOBLE ANGELS And our subject first in this series is

TRANSLATOR’S FOREWORD

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Belief in the Unseen (A1-Ghavb,) is one of the basic tenets of Islam, and forms an important part of Islamic teachings. One of the unseen worlds of which islam tells us is the world of the angels, who are described in great detail in the Qur’an and Sunnah and who are involved with man throughout his life. From the moment an individual is conceived in his mother’s womb, until his death and beyond, angels play a role in human life. Angels accompany the human being, protecting him and keeping a record of all his deeds. Angels bring forth the soul of the deceased person/s and they bring comfort or inflict torment in the grave. An angel will sound the Trumpet on the Last Day, and angels will be present on the Day of Judgement until they accompany people to their ultimate destination in Paradise or Hell. Almost all human cultures, ancient and modem, have some kind of belief about angels. The pre-Islamic Arabs believed them to be daughters of the Almighty. Some philosophers thought that angels were the stars in the sky. In modem times there has been a resurgence of interest in angels, and they feature prominently in movies and other forms of popular western culture. Stories featuring angels circulate on the internet and various kinds of gifts, bearing supposed images of angels, gift shops in the west. But these myths have no role to play in the belief of the Muslim. Our beliefs are based on the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah, which tell us all we need to know about the reality of the unseen, including the world of the angels. Belief in the angels brings comfort to man’s soul; this belief makes man feel that he is important in the sight of Allah, and that he matters a lot to Him; this belief also encourages a person to strive in the path of goodness. Hence it is of the utmost importance for the Muslim to understand what Islam says about the angels, and what the implications of this knowledge are for his daily life. In this book, Dr. ‘Umar al-Ashqar draws on the sources of Islam to give us a comprehensive picture of who the angels are, their origins, their role in the universe and their interaction with mankind in this world and the next. May Allah reward the author for his presentation of the Islamic belief in the angels. May He guide us on the Straight Path which leads to Paradise, and may He grant us admittance to that eternal abode where the angels will welcome the believers with greetings of salaarn. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions, and grant them peace. Nasiruddin al-Khattab Translator’s Note: All translations of the meaning of the Qur’anic quotations have been taken from “Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur’an” by Dr. Muhammad Mul)sin Khan and Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din alHilali, unless otherwise stated.  Finally, ask Allah pardon and forgiveness and emancipation from the fire