Dad, What Exactly Are the Angels?

There exists around us a world that our eyes cannot see.

A world that Allah has nonetheless made known to us.

In this world are extraordinary creatures.

The angels.

But… what exactly are the angels?

The angels are creatures that Allah created.

We cannot see them. But we know they exist, because Allah has told us about them in the Quran, and the Prophet ﷺ taught us many things about them.

And believing in the angels is very important.

It is part of the six pillars of faith.

But then…

What do they look like?

What are they made of?

And what do they do?

The Prophet ﷺ taught us that the angels were created from light.

Human beings, on the other hand, were created from clay.

And the jinn were created from fire.

So these are three different creations.

Humans.

Jinn.

And angels.

But the angels also have a very important characteristic.

They do not disobey the orders that Allah gives them, and they do what He commands them.

They worship Allah and glorify Him.

And Allah has given them wings.

The Quran teaches us that some angels have two, three, or four wings, and that Allah adds to His creation whatever He wills.

But there is a very special angel, whose true form the Prophet ﷺ saw.

That angel is Jibril عليه السلام.

And do you know how many wings the Prophet ﷺ saw on him?

Six hundred wings.

But Jibril عليه السلام did not always appear to the Prophet ﷺ in his true form.

Allah also allowed him to take the form of a man.

One day, a man came to the Prophet ﷺ while his Companions were with him.

His clothes were extremely white, and his hair extremely black.

He sat down in front of the Prophet ﷺ and began to ask him questions.

He asked him what Islam was.

Then, what faith was.

Then, what ihsan, excellence in worship, was.

The Companions listened.

Then that man left.

And do you know who it was?

The Prophet ﷺ then explained to them…

It was Jibril عليه السلام.

He had come to teach them their religion.

The angels are extremely numerous.

So numerous that we are unable to count them.

During his ascension through the heavens, the Prophet ﷺ saw a place called **البيت المعمور
(al-Bayt al-Ma'mur)**.