Are Angels Protectors?
A Response to a Criticism on the
Qur'an
In one of his brief writings, Mr. Katz has stated that the Qur'an at one instance
has stated that man has no protector or helper besides Allah, while at another instance it
says that angels are protectors of the faithful, which according to him, is an obvious
contradiction. Mr. Katz, summarizing his point, writes:
“NO protector
besides Allah” [2:107, 29:22]. But in Sura 41:31 the angels themselves say: “We
are your protectors in this life and the Hereafter.” And also in other suras is their
role described as guarding [13:11, 50:17-18] and protecting [82:10].
First of all, it would be a great help
if we would clearly understand the implication of the verses like 2: 107. Al-Baqarah
2: 107 reads as:
“Do you not know
that whatever is in the heavens and the earth is solely Allah's, and besides Allah, you do
not have any protector or helper”.
These verses actually state that no one
else besides God can provide protection to man from evil happenings, whether disease,
disaster or physical harm. These verses, thus, are actually a negation of polytheistic
beliefs, according to which it was held that protection of different deities was required
against the varying kinds of harms. These verses obviously do not negate the fact that if
God wills, He can provide this protection through someone - like, for instance, angels.
Angels, according to the Qur'an, are completely obedient to Allah. They do whatever and
only what they have been commanded to. The Qur'an in Al-Tahreem 66: 6 says:
“They [the
angels] do not disobey Allah in what He commands them and they do whatever they have been
commanded to do.”
Then again in Al-Nahl 16: 50,
the Qur'an says:
“They [the
angels] fear their Lord over them and do what they have been commanded to do”.
Thus, if God was to provide protection
to His obedient servants through His angels, it would be absolutely correct to attribute
this protection either to God or to the angels, as this protection was provided as per the
directives of God..
Thus, in Fussilat 41: 31, when
the angels say that:
“We are your
guardians in this life as well as the hereafter”
it is not contradictory to Al-Baqarah
2: 107, as the protection of the angels is in effect God's Own protection. Angels, in a
way are the agents of God, and we know that it is not incorrect or contradictory to
attrbute the action of an agent to the principal. Examples of such attribution can
also be found in the Bible. For example:
-
Genesis 19: 12 - 13 says:
“The two
men [actually angels] said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here-sons-in-law, sons
or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because
we are going to destroy this place.”
and just a few verses later, the destruction
of Sodom and Gomorrah is quite rightly attributed to God. These verses read as:“By the time Lot reached
Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah-from
the LORD out of the heavens. Thus he
overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities-and
also the vegetation in the land.” (Genesis 19: 23 - 25)
In the same way, Job 12: 23 says:
“He [that is God] makes
nations great, and destroys them”
- In Proverb 26, it clearly says that God Himself
guards and protects the just and the faithful. The verse reads as:
He holds victory in store
for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the
course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. (Proverbs 2: 6 - 8)
While in Psalm 91, it is
mentioned that such guard is provided by God through His angels:
“If you make the Most High
your dwelling- even the LORD, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you, no
disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to
guard you in all your ways” (Psalms 91: 9 - 11)
- The same kind of varying - though not contradictory
- attribution of action can be seen in the following two verses of Matthews:
“Once again, the kingdom of
heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it
was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the
good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the
age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them
into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13: 47
- 50)
and:
“When the Son of Man comes in
his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All
the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from
another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his
right and the goats on his left. (Matthew 25: 31 - 33)
It is quite clear that neither of these verses -
whether of the Bible or of the Qur'an - are contradictory to the other, because of the
simple fact that linguistically, it is not incorrect to attribute the action of an agent
- especially the one performed on behalf of and according to the directions of the
principal - to the principal.
© Copyright July, 1999. All Rights Reserved
with the Author