Angels and Our Connection with the Divine (Ahadith 2852 – 2860)

Bismillah.

Narrations about angels continue..

Angel of the Mountains

Volume 4, Book 54, Number 454 :
Narrated by ‘Aisha (radiallaahu `anhaa)
That she asked the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam), ‘Have you encountered a day harder than the day of the battle) of Uhud?” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) replied, “Your tribes have troubled me a lot, and the worse trouble was the trouble on the day of ‘Aqaba when I presented myself to Ibn ‘Abd-Yaalil bin ‘Abd-Kulal and he did not respond to my demand. So I departed, overwhelmed with excessive sorrow, and proceeded on, and could not relax till I found myself at Qarnath-Tha`alib where I lifted my head towards the sky to see a cloud shading me unexpectedly. I looked up and saw Gabriel in it. He called me saying, ‘Allah has heard your people’s saying to you, and what they have replied back to you, Allah has sent the Angel of the Mountains to you so that you may order him to do whatever you wish to these people.’ The Angel of the Mountains called and greeted me, and then said, “O Muhammad! Order what you wish. If you like, I will let Al-Akhshabain (i.e. two mountains) fall on them.” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “No but I hope that Allah will let them beget children who will worship Allah Alone, and will worship none besides Him.”

This incident is that of Taif, as we all know. Despite the brutal treatment, the Prophet (sallalaahu `alayhi wasallam) made dua for them and did not seek revenge. I wonder what I would have done in his place. Forgiveness a this level is easier said than done!

This is present-day Taif valley. There probably would have been no traces of life here had the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) made the dua against them.

Gabriel’s (Jibreel) Wings

Volume 4, Book 54, Number 455 :
Narrated by Abu Ishaq-Ash-Shaibani
I asked Zir bin Hubaish regarding the Statement of Allah: “And was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or (even) nearer; so did (Allah) convey the Inspiration to His slave (Gabriel) [and then he (Gabriel) conveyed (that to Muhammad)]”. (53.9-10) On that, Zir said, “Ibn Mas’ud (radiallaahu `anhu) informed us that the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) had seen Gabriel having 600 wings.”

Volume 4, Book 54, Number 456 :
Narrated by Abdullah (radiallaahu `anhu)
Regarding the Verse: “Indeed he (Muhammad) did see. Of the Signs of his Lord, The Greatest!” (53.18) That the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) had seen a green carpet* spread all over the horizon of the sky.

*possibly the color of Jibreel’s wings.

Volume 4, Book 54, Number 457 :
Narrated by Aisha (radiallaahu `anhaa)
Whoever claimed that (the Prophet) Muhammad (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) saw his Lord, is committing a great fault, for he only saw Gabriel in his genuine shape in which he was created covering the whole horizon.

Volume 4, Book 54, Number 458 :
Narrated by Masruq
I asked Aisha  (radiallaahu `anhaa), “What about His Statement:– “Then he (Gabriel) approached And came closer, And was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or (even) nearer?”” (53.8-9) She replied, “It was Gabriel who used to come to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) in the figure of a man, but on that occasion, he came in his actual and real figure and (he was so huge) that he covered the whole horizon.”

Michael (Mikaeel)

Volume 4, Book 54, Number 459 :
Narrated by Samura (radiallaahu `anhu)
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Last night I saw (in a dream) two men coming to me. One of them said, “The person who kindles the fire is Malik, the gate-keeper of the (Hell) Fire, and I am Gabriel, and this is Michael.”

Angel Michael, as we all know, is responsible for rain. He has helpers, who do what he tells them, by the command of his Lord; they direct the winds and clouds, as Allah wills. He also accompanied Gabriel on his visits to the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) sometimes. And once the Prophet asked Gabriel why Michael never smiled, to which Gabriel replied that since he’s seen the creation of hell-fire, he stopped smiling. Hell-fire has such an effect on someone who’s not even capable of disobeying Allah, and by extension has zero chance of entering hell-fire; yet it does not affect us in the same manner. We laugh more than we weep. Why?

Curse of the Angels

Volume 4, Book 54, Number 460 :
Narrated by Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu)
Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “If a husband calls his wife to his bed (i.e. to have sexual relation) and she refuses and causes him to sleep in anger, the angels will curse her till morning.”

There are some exceptions to this rule. A woman may refuse if she’s fasting (obligatory fasts only), if she’s menstruating, or going through nifaas (postpartum period), or if he’s trying anal sex, or if she’s sick and can’t handle it. That’s it!

Read more on this issue here.

The Early Days of Revelation

Volume 4, Book 54, Number 461 :
Narrated by Jabir bin ‘Abdullah (radiallaahu `anhu)
That he heard the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) saying, “The Divine Inspiration was delayed for a short period but suddenly, as I was walking. I heard a voice in the sky, and when I looked up towards the sky, to my surprise, I saw the angel who had come to me in the Hira Cave, and he was sitting on a chair in between the sky and the earth. I was so frightened by him that I fell on the ground and came to my family and said (to them), ‘Cover me! (with a blanket), cover me!’ Then Allah sent the Revelation: “O, You wrapped up (In a blanket)! (Arise and warn! And your Lord magnify. And keep pure your garments, and desert the idols.” (74.1-5)

Here the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) is reminiscing the old days when revelation had just started coming to him. His first few experiences with Jibreel (`alayhissalaam) left him overwhelmed and frightened. But slowly and gradually, he was eased into the process. Revelation was never easy on him but he enjoyed it a lot because it was his special connection with the Divine. For us, it’s prayer. Five opportunities in a day to connect with Allah and nourish our soul. How much do we enjoy this process, despite the fact that it’s not always easy on us?