Continuation of the explanation of the words of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "… and His angels …"
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The Shaykh : Jibril was seen by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the form in which Allah created him in two places: on earth and in the sky. On earth, it was in the cave of Hira near Makkah, and in the sky, it was at the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary. [An-Najm 53:13-14] Do you know how he saw him? He saw him with six hundred wings, filling the horizon, filling the entire horizon. He had six hundred wings, and no one knows their extent except Allah (Mighty and Majestic). But when something is high and fills the horizon, it means it is very vast. This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw in his true form twice. Sometimes he comes in the form of a human, as in the hadith we are discussing now. He came in the form of a man with very black hair and very white clothes, with no sign of travel on him, and the Companions did not recognize him. He came in the form of a human being. Allah is capable of all things. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) granted them the ability to take the form of humans, either by their own choice or by the will of Allah, commanding them to be in this form. Allah knows best. This is the state of the angels (peace be upon them), and the details of what has been reported about them are mentioned in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). But it is upon us to believe in these angels and that they are strong and mighty. Allah the Exalted said to them in the Battle of Badr: [Al-Anfal 8:12] So they fought alongside the Companions at Badr, so that the disbeliever would see someone fall, struck by the sword on the head, and not know who killed him. The ones who killed them were the angels, because Allah said to them: [Al-Anfal 8:12-13] So it is upon us to believe in them. Whoever we know by name, we believe in him by name; otherwise, we believe in them in general.
And to believe in what has come from them regarding acts of worship and deeds, in accordance with what has come in the Book and the Sunnah. Belief in them is one of the six pillars of faith. Whoever denies them, or lies about them, or says that they do not exist, or says that they are powers of good and the Shayatins are powers of evil, has committed disbelief that takes him out of the religion. This is because he is denying Allah and His Messenger, and the consensus of the Muslims. And success is from Allah.
And upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with goodness until the Day of Judgment. As for what follows:
We have previously discussed what Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has made easy for us regarding the angels in whom belief is obligatory. Indeed, belief in them is one of the six pillars of faith. Some people have gone astray to the extreme of denial, where they denied the existence of angels, may Allah protect us from that. They said that angels are merely powers of good, and that there is no such thing as the world of angels. If these people say this as a figurative interpretation, then it is obligatory for us to clarify to them that this interpretation is false, rather it is a distortion. If they say it without intending a figurative interpretation, then they are disbelievers, because they are denying what has come in the Book and the Sunnah, and upon which the Ummah has reached consensus regarding the existence of angels. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is capable of creating a complete world that humans do not perceive through their ordinary senses.
Here are the jinn, existing without any doubt in their existence, and yet our apparent senses do not perceive them as they perceive apparent things. And Allah (the Exalted) has matters in His creation. We have previously mentioned what has been made easy regarding the deeds and functions of the angels, and that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has assigned to each of them a task suitable for them, according to what the wisdom of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) requires.
(13) And he certainly saw him in another descent (14) At the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary -
ولقد رآه نزلة أخرى عند سدرة المنتهىI am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip."
أني معكم فثبتوا الذين آمنوا سألقي في قلوب الذين كفروا الرعب فاضربوا فوق الأعناق واضربوا منهم كل بنانso strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip." (13) That is because they opposed Allah and His Messenger. And whoever opposes Allah and His Messenger - indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.
فاضربوا فوق الأعناق واضربوا منهم كل بنان ذلك بأنهم شاقوا الله ورسوله ومن يشاقق الله ورسوله فإن الله شديد العقابAnd to believe in what has come from them regarding acts of worship and deeds, in accordance with what has come in the Book and the Sunnah. Belief in them is one of the six pillars of faith. Whoever denies them, or lies about them, or says that they do not exist, or says that they are powers of good and the Shayatins are powers of evil, has committed disbelief that takes him out of the religion. This is because he is denying Allah and His Messenger, and the consensus of the Muslims. And success is from Allah.
And upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with goodness until the Day of Judgment. As for what follows:
We have previously discussed what Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has made easy for us regarding the angels in whom belief is obligatory. Indeed, belief in them is one of the six pillars of faith. Some people have gone astray to the extreme of denial, where they denied the existence of angels, may Allah protect us from that. They said that angels are merely powers of good, and that there is no such thing as the world of angels. If these people say this as a figurative interpretation, then it is obligatory for us to clarify to them that this interpretation is false, rather it is a distortion. If they say it without intending a figurative interpretation, then they are disbelievers, because they are denying what has come in the Book and the Sunnah, and upon which the Ummah has reached consensus regarding the existence of angels. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is capable of creating a complete world that humans do not perceive through their ordinary senses.
Here are the jinn, existing without any doubt in their existence, and yet our apparent senses do not perceive them as they perceive apparent things. And Allah (the Exalted) has matters in His creation. We have previously mentioned what has been made easy regarding the deeds and functions of the angels, and that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has assigned to each of them a task suitable for them, according to what the wisdom of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) requires.