Question(21):

What are the Pillars of Eemaan?

Answer:

Eemaan is to believe in Allaah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, The Last Day, and Al-Qadar, its good and its evil. We already have discussed the matter of belief in Allaah. As to the issue of belief in the Angels, we say that they are creatures from the world of al-Ghayeb whom Allaah, The Most Mighty and Most Majestic, Created from light and made them submissive to His Command:

The angels are of various kinds with respect to their deeds, tasks, and levels. Jibreel, ‘alayyhis-Salaam, is entrusted with al-Wahy (Revelation); he brings down the Revelation from Allaah upon His Messengers, as He, The Most High, said:

And He, The Most High, Said:

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم saw him (Jibreel) twice in the actual shape that he had been created upon. Once he saw him in his genuine figure having six hundred wings covering the whole horizon. ³⁸

Meekaa’eel, one of the great angels, whom Allaah, The Most
Mighty and Most Majestic, has entrusted with the duty of looking after rainfall and the growth of plants by rainfall.

Israafeel is also one of the great angels whom Allaah, The Most Mighty and Most Majestic, has entrusted with blowing the Horn (as-Soor). He is also one of the great angels who bear the magnificient‘Arsh (Throne). The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) used to mention the names of these three angels upon the beginning
(after takbeer) of the night prayer (Salaatul-layel), saying:

The reason for mentioning these three angels is because each one of them is entrusted with that which comprises life; and the Resurrection from death is considered life. So, as far as we know, those three are the best of the angels. Among them is the angel of death (Malakul-Mawwt) whose duty is to take the souls of the living (at the point of death). Amongst them also are two angels who are entrusted with recording the deeds of each person—one on his right and one on his left. There are angels who are in charge of attending the circles of knowledge.⁴⁰ Whoever needs more details about this subject let him review the works of the scholars.

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³⁸ See Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, vol. 4, nos. 455, 457.
³⁹ Reported by Muslim in his Saheeh, vol.1, no.1694.
⁴⁰ Other angels include:
(i) Those entrusted with the embryos in the womb,
(ii) Maalik, who is entrusted to guard the Hellfire,
(iii) Those whose duty is to question the deceased when he is
placed in the grave asking him who is his Rabb, his Deen, and
his Prophet,
(iv) Those who take stand at every gate of the mosque to write the
names of the people chronologically,
(v) Those welcoming the believers when they enter al-Jannah.

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