Al-Irshad ila Sahih al-Itiqad - Salih Al-Fawzan - (170)

Al-Irshad ila Sahih al-ItiqadSalih Al-Fawzan

happy.”

Among them are angels entrusted with seizing souls; Allah the Exalted says, “When death comes to any of you, Our messengers take him, and they do not neglect their duty.” ⦗1⦘ And He says, “Say: The Angel of Death who has been put in charge of you will take you, then to your Lord you will be returned.” ⦗2⦘ The Angel of Death has assistants from among the angels; they extract the servant’s soul from his body until it reaches the throat, whereupon the Angel of Death receives it.

The point is that Allah has deputed, over both the higher and lower worlds, angels who administer their affairs by His permission, command, and will—glorified and exalted is He. He says, “They do not precede Him in speech, and they act only by His command.” ⦗3⦘ And He says, “They never disobey Allah in what He commands them; they do whatever they are ordered.” ⦗4⦘

For this reason He—magnified be He—sometimes attributes the managing of affairs to the angels, since they are the ones who carry it out, as in His saying, “By those who arrange every matter,” ⦗5⦘ and at other times He attributes that management to Himself, as in His saying, “He directs the affair.” ⦗6⦘

Thus the angels are Allah’s envoys in His creation and His command. The very word malak (angel) implies messenger, for it is derived from alūka, meaning “message.” Allah the Exalted says, “He made the angels messengers, possessing wings two, three, and four,” ⦗7⦘ and He says, “By those sent forth in succession,” ⦗8⦘ showing that they are Allah’s messengers in carrying out His cosmic command by which He governs the heavens and the earth.

They are also His messengers in administering His religious command that He sends down to the human messengers. Allah says, “He sends down the angels with the Spirit, by His command, upon whomsoever of His servants He wills: Warn that there is no god but I, so be mindful of Me.” ⦗9⦘ And He says, “Allah chooses messengers from the angels and from among mankind.” ⦗10⦘

1 Surah al-Anam, verse 61. 2 Surah al-Sajdah, verse 11. 3 Surah al-Anbiya, verse 27. 4 Surah al-Tahrim, verse 6. 5 Surah al-Dhariyat, verse 5. 6 Surah al-Sajdah, verse 5. 7 Surah Fatir, verse 1. 8 Surah al-Mursalat, verse 1. 9 Surah al-Nahl, verse 2. 10 Surah al-Hajj, verse 75.

سعيد". ومنهم ملائكة موكلون بقبض الأرواح؛ قال تعالى: ﴿حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَهُمْ لا يُفَرِّطُونَ﴾ ١، وقال تعالى: ﴿قُلْ يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ﴾ ٢؛ فملك الموت له أعوان من الملائكة يستخرجون روح العبد من جسمه حتى تبلغ الحلقوم؛ فيتناولها ملك الموت. والمقصود: أن الله وكل بالعالم العلوي والسفلي ملائكة تدبر شؤونهما بإذنه وأمره ومشيئته - سبحانه تعالى؛ كما قال تعالى: ﴿لا يَسْبِقُونَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ وَهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِ يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ ٣، وقوله: ﴿لا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ﴾ ٤. فلهذا يضيف - سبحانه - التدبير إلى الملائكة تارة لكونهم المباشرين له؛ كقوله تعالى: ﴿فَالْمُدَبِّرَاتِ أَمْراً﴾ ٥،ويضيف التدبير إليه تارة؛ كقوله: ﴿يُدَبِّرُ الأمْرَ﴾ ٦. فالملائكة رسل الله في خلقه وأمره. واسم المَلَك يتضمن أنه رسول؛ لأنه من الألوكة؛ بمعنى الرسالة، وقال تعالى: ﴿جَاعِلِ الْمَلائِكَةِ رُسُلاً أُولِي أَجْنِحَةٍ مَثْنَى وَثُلاثَ وَرُبَاعَ﴾ ٧، وقال تعالى: ﴿وَالْمُرْسَلاتِ عُرْفاً﴾ ٨؛ فهم رسل الله في تنفيذ أمره الكوني الذي يدبر به السماوات والأرض. وهم رسله في تدبير أمره الديني الذي تنزل به على الرسل من البشر؛ قال تعالى: ﴿يُنَزِّلُ الْمَلائِكَةَ بِالرُّوحِ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ أَنْ أَنْذِرُوا أَنَّهُ لا إِلَهَ إِلاّ أَنَا فَاتَّقُونِ﴾ ٩، وقال تعالى: ﴿اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلائِكَةِ رُسُلاً وَمِنَ النَّاس﴾ ١٠.

١ سورة الأنعام، الآية ٦١. ٢ سورة السجدة، الآية ١١. ٣ سورة الأنبياء، الآية ٢٧. ٤ سورة التحريم، الآية ٦. ٥ سورة الذاريات، الآية ٥. ٦ سورة السجدة، الآية ٥. ٧ سورة فاطر، الآية ١. ٨ سورة المرسلات، الآية ١. ٩ سورة النحل، الآية ٢. ١٠ سورة الحج، الآية ٧٥.