Series THE WORLD OF THE NOBLE ANGELS: TRANSLATOR’S FOREWORD #2

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

AUTHOR’S FOREWORD

Praise be to Allah. We praise Him and seek His help, forgiveness and guidance. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own selves and from our evil actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can lead astray, and whomsoever He leads astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god except Allah alone, with no associate or partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. Belief in the angels is one of the basic principles of ‘aqeedah, and faith is not complete without this belief. The angels form one of the worlds of the Unseen, belief in which is commanded by Allah, Who praises those who believe in what Allah and His Messenger() have told us about them. The texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah speak in detail about all aspects of this subject. Whoever studies these texts will come to have a clear belief in the angels and realize that this is not an obscure topic. This will deepen and strengthen his faith, for detailed knowledge is stronger and firmer than general knowledge. The only reason why the texts go into such detail on this topic is that the human mind on its own is not able to learn about the angels. Human senses are unable to see the angels or hear their conversations, but this inability is no doubt in man’s best interests, for if man could hear and see everything that is going on around him, he would not be able to survive. It is sufficient for us to imagine how hard it would be for a man if he could detect all the sounds that are picked up by a radio set; the result would surely make him lose his mind. No one should assume that studying this principle is a kind of superfluous knowledge. The facts stated in the texts which speak of this topic have a great effect in counteracting the myths and false beliefs that exist in people’s minds concerning this matter. Since ancient times there has been a widespread belief that the angels are divine or that they are the daughters of Allah, and some philosophers think that the angels are the stars which we see in space. The facts which are stated in the texts implant in our hearts the firm belief in the One God Who is in control of all of creation, Who has appointed His troops of angels to take care of the various affairs of this universe. The relationship of the angels with us, their role in our formation and their watching over us, speaks to man of his importance and valuable status, and it refutes the idea that human beings are insignificant and worthless. Thus man can fully appreciate his own value and strive hard to play the great role which he is required to fulfil. If we were to count the positive effects which stem from man’s belief in the angels, and to study the texts which speak of them, the introduction would turn into a lenghty article. So I will leave the reader to look at those texts which, when studied in depth, will supply him with these inspiring effects. We ask Allah to benefit people through this book, and to make it sincerely for His sake, for He is the best of helpers and supporters. ‘Umar Sulaymaan al-Ash qar   Finally, ask Allah pardon and forgiveness and emancipation from the fire