What is the wisdom behind the mention of the angels in the Qur'an using the feminine form, such as "The Ranks, Arranged in Ranks"?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.
The questioner : Shaykh, it is often mentioned in the Qur'an that the angels are described using the feminine form, such as.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : The angels are, and it did not say: "And those who stand in rows, standing in rows." What is the wisdom in that?
The Shaykh : Yes, Allah the Exalted said about the angels: And He the Exalted said about them: [As-Saffat 37:165-166] So "those who arrange themselves in ranks" refers to the groups, the groups, meaning the groups that arrange themselves in ranks, because the angels are a great host, and none knows their number except their Creator, Mighty and Majestic. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
And the sky, what is its vastness?[Adh-Dhariyat 51:47] There is no space of four fingers' width in it but there is an angel in it. Who can count them?
Then it is established that the Most Inhabited House in the seventh heaven is circumambulated every day, and seventy thousand angels enter it and do not return to it again until the Day of Resurrection. Who can count this number? Therefore, "those who arrange themselves in ranks" and similar terms that are feminine are used with respect to the groups, not with respect to each individual, with respect to the groups, meaning groups that arrange themselves in ranks, groups that call out, and the like. And for this reason, when "those who stand in rows" (masculine) came, the intended meaning is the group, each group individually. Yes.
Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.
The questioner : Shaykh, it is often mentioned in the Qur'an that the angels are described using the feminine form, such as
and the ones who stand in rows
والصافات صفاThe Shaykh : What?
The questioner : The angels are
and the ones who stand in rows
والصافات صفاThe Shaykh : Yes, Allah the Exalted said about the angels:
And [by] those who arrange themselves in ranks
وَالصَّافَّاتِ صَفّاً(165) And indeed, we are those who line up [for prayer]. (166) And indeed, we are those who exalt Allah."
وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الصَّافُّونَ * وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْمُسَبِّحُونَThe sky groaned, and it has a right to groan. There is no place of four fingers' width but there is an angel in it, standing for Allah, or bowing, or prostrating
أطّت السماء وحق لها أن تَئِط ما من موضع أربع أصابع إلا وفيه ملك قائم لله أو راكع أو ساجدAnd the sky, what is its vastness?
And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander.
وَالسَّمَاءَ بَنَيْنَاهَا بِأَيْدٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَThen it is established that the Most Inhabited House in the seventh heaven is circumambulated every day, and seventy thousand angels enter it and do not return to it again until the Day of Resurrection. Who can count this number? Therefore, "those who arrange themselves in ranks" and similar terms that are feminine are used with respect to the groups, not with respect to each individual, with respect to the groups, meaning groups that arrange themselves in ranks, groups that call out, and the like. And for this reason, when "those who stand in rows" (masculine) came, the intended meaning is the group, each group individually. Yes.