Is there evidence that Mika'il (peace be upon him) is in charge of rain and vegetation?
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The questioner : May Allah preserve you, O Shaykh. We have read that Mika'il (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is in charge of rain and vegetation. We ask you to explain this statement, because it cannot be that his work is to restrain the clouds or the like by word or command, for that is specific to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He)?
The Shaykh : Yes, this is what is widespread among the scholars: that Mika'il is in charge of rain and vegetation. There is no impediment to his being in charge of rain and vegetation by the command of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), such that rain and vegetation are made subservient to him and made easy for him by the command of Allah. Have you not seen that Allah the Exalted made the winds subservient to Sulayman (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)?
Even though the One who makes the winds subservient and commands them and forbids them in the original sense is Allah (Mighty and Majestic), it is permissible for Allah the Exalted to entrust one of the matters of His creation to one of the created beings, and that is not strange. The taking of souls is entrusted to an angel, who takes the souls of the children of Adam and others.
And the origin of giving life and causing death belongs to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), but Allah the Exalted may entrust one of His creation with something of His affairs (Exalted and Majestic is He), and this one acts by the command of Allah. And when Allah the Exalted wills something, He says to it: "Be," and it is, even in inanimate objects; Allah the Exalted commands them to do something and they do it:[Fussilat 41:11-12] the verse.
The questioner : Is there evidence that Mika'il (peace be upon him) is in charge of rain and vegetation?
The Shaykh : This is the well-known view among the people of knowledge. They said that Mika'il is in charge of rain and vegetation, that Israfil is in charge of blowing the Trumpet, and that Jibril is in charge of revelation, which he brings down from Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to the messengers. And it was said that these three are the ones with whom the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would begin the night prayer by affirming the lordship of Allah the Exalted over them, saying::
They said that they only began with these three because each one is in charge of what contains life. Jibril is in charge of what contains the life of the hearts, which is revelation. Israfil is in charge of what contains the life of the bodies, the final life, which is blowing the Trumpet. And Mika'il is in charge of what contains the life of the earth, which is rain and vegetation.
And this does not mean that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is incapable. If Allah (Mighty and Majestic) willed, He would say: "Be," and it would be, in every thing. But this is to manifest wisdom and to manifest the power of His dominion, and that He (Exalted and Majestic is He) has hosts that no one knows except He (Mighty and Majestic), and He teaches us of them whatever He wills.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is what is widespread among the scholars: that Mika'il is in charge of rain and vegetation. There is no impediment to his being in charge of rain and vegetation by the command of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), such that rain and vegetation are made subservient to him and made easy for him by the command of Allah. Have you not seen that Allah the Exalted made the winds subservient to Sulayman (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)?
Even though the One who makes the winds subservient and commands them and forbids them in the original sense is Allah (Mighty and Majestic), it is permissible for Allah the Exalted to entrust one of the matters of His creation to one of the created beings, and that is not strange. The taking of souls is entrusted to an angel, who takes the souls of the children of Adam and others.
And the origin of giving life and causing death belongs to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), but Allah the Exalted may entrust one of His creation with something of His affairs (Exalted and Majestic is He), and this one acts by the command of Allah. And when Allah the Exalted wills something, He says to it: "Be," and it is, even in inanimate objects; Allah the Exalted commands them to do something and they do it:
(11) Then He directed Himself to the heaven while it was smoke and said to it and to the earth, "Come [into being], willingly or by compulsion." They said, "We have come willingly." (12) And He completed them as seven heavens within two days
ثمّ استوى إلى السّماء وهي دخان فقال لها وللأرض ائتيا طوعًا أو كرهًا قالتا أتينا طائعين فقضاهنّ سبع سماوات في يومينThe questioner : Is there evidence that Mika'il (peace be upon him) is in charge of rain and vegetation?
The Shaykh : This is the well-known view among the people of knowledge. They said that Mika'il is in charge of rain and vegetation, that Israfil is in charge of blowing the Trumpet, and that Jibril is in charge of revelation, which he brings down from Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to the messengers. And it was said that these three are the ones with whom the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would begin the night prayer by affirming the lordship of Allah the Exalted over them, saying:
O Allah, Lord of Jibril, Mika'il, and Israfil, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, You judge between Your servants in that over which they differ. Guide me to the truth in that over which they differ by Your permission. Indeed, You guide whom You will to a straight path
اللهمّ ربّ جبرائيل وميكائيل وإسرافيل فاطر السّماوات والأرض عالم الغيب والشّهادة أنت تحكم بين عبادك فيما كانوا فيه يختلفون اهدني لم اختلف فيه من الحقّ بإذنك إنّك تهدي من تشاء إلى صراط مستقيمThey said that they only began with these three because each one is in charge of what contains life. Jibril is in charge of what contains the life of the hearts, which is revelation. Israfil is in charge of what contains the life of the bodies, the final life, which is blowing the Trumpet. And Mika'il is in charge of what contains the life of the earth, which is rain and vegetation.
And this does not mean that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is incapable. If Allah (Mighty and Majestic) willed, He would say: "Be," and it would be, in every thing. But this is to manifest wisdom and to manifest the power of His dominion, and that He (Exalted and Majestic is He) has hosts that no one knows except He (Mighty and Majestic), and He teaches us of them whatever He wills.