Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Burhan,

Thank you for your answer to my question about Angels’ jobs; however, It raises more questions:

There are no more Wahi (revelations) for last 1423 years: What Gabriel is doing since then? No Job?

Yajuz, Majuz, and Israfil have only one time job at the time of Qayamat: Are they already created? If so, what are they doing now?

Naqir and Munqir come and question in our graves: What happens to persons who get instantly evaporated by bombs, leaving no traces?

So many people die and get buried at the same instant, viz. mass graves: How the Naqir-Munqir pair can question to all at one time?

Ridwan is the keeper of Jannat: Is he created before qayamat?

What I mean is that in our questions and answers about angels, a lot of human imagination is involved.

Wassalam

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Duties of angels

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1: There are no more Wahi (revelations) for last 1423 years: What Gabriel is doing since then? No Job?

Hadrat Jibrael (a.s.) is the Arch-Angel and one of the closest Angels to Allah Subhanah. Bringing the Revelations (Wahi) of Allah Subhanah to the appointed Messengers of Allah, is only one of the duties of Hadrat Jibrael (a.s.); but he (a.s.) may perform any number of duties entrusted to Him by the All-Powerful Lord of the Worlds. It is inconceivable to even imagine that in the Sublime Kingdom of the Lord, any of Allah’s Angels would be ‘jobless’!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 97 Surah Al-Qadr verses 1-5:

1 We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power:

2 And what will explain to thee what the Night of Power is?

3 The Night of Power is better than a thousand Months.

4 Therein come down the angels and the Spirit (Hadrat Jibrael a.s.) by Allah's permission on every errand:

5 Peace!... This until the rise of Morn!

Q-2: Yajuz, Majuz, and Israfil have only one time job at the time of Qayamat: Are they already created? If so, what are they doing now?

Yajuj and Majuj are tribes of human beings which are living their lives on the earth as determined by Allah Subhanah. Indeed Hadrat Israfeel (a.s.) is entrusted by Allah Subhanah to blow the trumpet signaling the Day of Judgment! And there is absolutely no doubt in light of the Quran and Sunnah, that the tribes of Yajuj and Majuj and the Angel Hadrat Israfeel (a.s.) are already created!

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5731 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "Allah created Israfil who has been keeping his feet in line from the day he was created, and not raising his glance. Between him and the Lord Who is Blessed and Exalted, there are seventy lights, not one of which he could approach without being burned."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 409 Narrated by AbuSa'id al-Khudri

The Prophet (saws) said: “How can I feel happy when the Angel Israfil (the angel appointed to blow the Trumpet on the Day of Judgment) has put his lips to the Trumpet, waiting to hear the order to blow the trumpet?” This very much distressed his companions, so he told them to seek comfort through reciting "Sufficient for us is Allah, and an excellent Guardian is He".

If a simple king or emperor in the world can afford to have a trusted soldier stand devotedly by his side to do his bidding; would it be difficult to imagine the duty entrusted by the Sovereign Lord of the Worlds to an Angel of the stature of Hadrat Israfeel (a.s.)? Since the moment Allah Subhanah created Hadrat Israfeel (a.s.), he is holding the trumpet which will be blown by him at the command of His Lord! He has taken his breath in, his mouth is on the trumpet, and his sight is attentively and absolutely fixed on the Magnificent Throne of Allah Subhanah … waiting for that one Command of the All-Mighty Lord, which will signal the end of the world!!

One just needs to comprehend the Supreme Majesty, Magnificence, Splendor and Dignity of the Kingdom of The Incomparable Lord of the Worlds, to realize the honor of the one duty trusted upon His slave Hadrat Israfeel (a.s.); only then would one understand the awe and fear of Hadrat Israfeel (a.s.), and his awaiting for billions of years in one position for that One Sublime Order of the All-Mighty, All Powerful Lord of the Worlds!!!

Q-3: Naqir and Munqir come and question in our graves: What happens to persons who get instantly evaporated by bombs, leaving no traces?

Our limitations in our knowledge means that we try to evaluate the life and happenings of the ‘unseen’, using our limited knowledge and experience in the material world! Even if one is completely annihilated and made to evaporate by the use of the most devastating bombs of the material world; it is extremely easy for Allah Subhanah to collect the remains of such a person in less than a split-second!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 75 Surah Qiyaamah verses 3-4:

3 Does man think that We cannot assemble his bones (after his death)?

4 Nay! We are able to put together in perfect order (even) the very tips of his fingers!

Q-4: So many people die and get buried at the same instant, viz. mass graves: How the Naqir-Munqir pair can question to all at one time?

Again, due to our limitations in our knowledge and experience, we assume things in the world of the ‘unseen’ to happen at the same pace and manner as in the life of this world! Just as Allah Subhanah listens to the supplications of billions of people at the same time, it is well within His Absolute Power to facilitate and command Naqeer and Munkir to question all the dead at the same instant, even if billions of people died at one moment!!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 74: No just estimate have they made of Allah: for Allah is He Who is Strong, and able to carry out His Will.

Q-5: Ridwan is the keeper of Jannat: Is he created before qayamat?

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 42 Surah Shura verse 49: To Allah belongs the Dominion of the Heavens and the Earth. He creates whatever He wills (and plans).

Q-6: What I mean is that in our questions and answers about angels, a lot of human imagination is involved.

Regarding the creation, duties, and the exact nature of the Angels or any other objects of the ‘unseen’, it would be absolutely wrong to base our assumptions through the use of our limited and restricted imaginations! For everything regarding the knowledge of the ‘unseen’ we must obey and believe what is said and declared by Allah and His Messenger (saws), and no one else!

Angels are the beings of the ‘unseen’, and as such whatever knowledge we have is from the Declarations of Allah and His Messenger (saws) Alone! Our duty as believers, if we sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day, is to “hear and obey” any Declaration made by Allah and His Messenger (saws); and not base our knowledge on our limited and imperfect imaginations, according to our own whims and fancies! Knowledge based on human imaginations in preference to the Guidance and Teachings of Allah and His Messenger (saws) would indeed be manifest misguidance.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan