Title:
Are Angels Protectors?
Article:
In one of his brief
writings, Mr. Jochen 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