DUTIES OF THE ANGELS

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*DUTIES OF THE ANGELS*

The Angels have duties. Each of them has a duty that he is entrusted with, and he does not delay in carrying it out. Rather, he executes it acting on Allāh's (ﷻ) order and he does not disobey Him.

Among their duties are:

1. *Those who take charge of the Hellfire.* 

They are known as the guardians of Hell, meaning, those entrusted with the Hellfire and with tormenting its inhabitants.

Allāh (ﷻ) says:

*يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ ٱللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ*

_O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allaah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded._

*(At-Tahrim 66:6)*

2. *Among them are Angels entrusted with carrying the throne of Allāh (ﷻ).*

Allāh (ﷻ) says:

*ٱلَّذِينَ يَحْمِلُونَ ٱلْعَرْشَ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُۥ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ رَّحْمَةً وَعِلْمًا فَٱغْفِرْ لِلَّذِينَ تَابُوا۟ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْجَحِيمِ*

_Those [angels] who carry the Throne and those around it exalt [Allaah] with praise of their Lord and believe in Him and ask forgiveness for those who have believed, [saying], "Our Lord, You have encompassed all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who have repented and followed Your way and protect them from the punishment of Hellfire._

*(Ghafir 40:7)*

3. *Among them are those Angels entrusted with revelation.*

Allāh (ﷻ) says:

*يُنَزِّلُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ بِٱلرُّوحِ مِنْ أَمْرِهِۦ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦٓ أَنْ أَنذِرُوٓا۟ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱتَّقُونِ*

_He sends down the angels, with the inspiration [i.e., revelation] of His command, upon whom He wills of His servants, [telling them], "Warn that there is no deity except Me; so fear Me."_

*(An-Nahl 16:2)*

4. *The Angels in charge of the fetuses in the mother's womb.*

This has been reported in the Hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ūd (رضي الله عنه), in which he said: _*The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) narrated to us - and he is the truthful one who is believed - saying: "Verily the creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother's womb for forty days in the form of a seed, then he is a clot of blood for a like period, then a morsel of flesh for a like period. Then the Angel is sent to him and commanded with four matters - to write down his means of livelihood, his life span, his actions, and whether he will be happy or unhappy ".*_

(Bukhari 3208)

5. *The Angel in charge of taking souls at their prescribed time.*

Allāh (ﷻ) says:

*قُلْ يَتَوَفَّىٰكُم مَّلَكُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ٱلَّذِى وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ*

_Say, "The angel of death who has been entrusted with you will take you. Then to your Lord you will be returned."_

*(As-Sajdah 32:11)*