the form in which Allah created him: he had six hundred wings and, because of his immense size, filled the entire horizon (1)—peace be upon him.
His words, ﴾held in honor by the Lord of the Throne﴿, mean: held in honor by the Owner of the Throne, who is Allah—Glorious and Exalted is He. The Throne is above all things, and above the Throne is the Lord of the worlds—Glorious and Exalted is He. Allah Most High says:
﴾Exalted in rank, Owner of the Throne, He sends the Spirit by His command to whomever He wills of His servants.﴿ [Ghāfir: 15]
Thus, the Owner of the Throne is Allah. His words, ﴾held in honor﴿, mean that he possesses a distinguished rank: Gabriel holds a rank of honor and distinction with Allah. For this reason, Allah singled him out to bear the greatest blessing He bestowed upon His servants, namely revelation.
If we consider blessings, we find that they fall into two categories. The first consists of blessings shared by animals and human beings: bodily pleasures such as food, drink, mating, and shelter. Human beings and animals share these blessings. A human being enjoys what he eats, what he drinks, his sexual relations, and his dwelling, and animals do likewise.
The second consists of blessings exclusive to human beings: the divinely revealed laws that Allah sent down to the messengers so that the lives of creation might be set aright. Indeed, the kind of upright life that brings happiness in this world and the Hereafter cannot exist without divinely revealed laws:
﴾Whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer, We shall surely grant them a good life, and We shall surely reward them according to the best of what they used to do.﴿ [Al-Nahl: 97]
Thus, it is the believer who performs righteous deeds who enjoys a good life in this world and an abundant reward in the Hereafter.
By Allah, if you were to examine kings and their children, ministers and their children, princes and their children, and the wealthy and their children, and then compare them with those who believe and perform righteous deeds, you would find the latter enjoying a more pleasant life, greater peace of mind, and a more expansive heart. That is because Allah—Glorious and Exalted is He—in whose hand are the keys of the heavens and the earth, has guaranteed it. He says:
﴾Whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer, We shall surely grant them a good life.﴿
Thus you find the believer who performs righteous deeds