The Twenty-ninth Word

First aim

Confirming the existence of angels is a pillar of belief. This First Aim contains four fundamentals:

FIRST FUNDAMENTAL: The perfection of existence is through life. In fact, life is the real basis and light of existence. Consciousness, in turn, is the light of life. Life constitutes the foundation of everything and appropriates everything for each living thing. Only through life can a living creature claim that everything belongs to it, that the world is its home and the universe its property conferred by the Owner. Just as light causes (concrete) things to be seen and, according to one theory, is the real cause of color, so too, life unveils creation. Life causes qualities and natures to be manifested and realized. It makes the particular universal and the universal concentrated in a particular.

Life also causes existence to attain all its perfections; it causes countless things to come together to achieve unity and thereby the rank of having a soul. Furthermore, life is the manifestation of unity in the levels of multiplicity; it reflects the essential oneness of existence in plurality. See how lonely even a mountain-sized object is without life. Its interactions are restricted to its location, and all that exists in the universe means nothing to it, for it is unconscious of other existents. But as such a minute living being as a honey bee can have close interactions with the universe, particularly with plants and flowers, it can say: “The earth is my garden; my marketplace where I do business.” Through the “instinctive” senses of impetus or motivation and enthusiasm in addition to the well-known outer and inner senses that living beings have, a bee has close relations, interaction and familiarity with most species.

If life’s effect upon this small creature is so great, how much greater will it be upon humanity, as it expands into our consciousness, reason, and intellect! Through reason and consciousness, which is the light of life, we travel through the higher worlds of corporeal and spiritual existence as easily as passing from one room to another. Just as conscious and living beings may visit those worlds in spirit, those worlds come as guests to our mirror-like spirit by being reflected there. Life is a clear evidence of God’s Unity, the greatest source of His bounty, a most subtle manifestation of His Compassion, and a most hidden and delicate embroidery of His Art. Life is so mysterious and subtle that even the life of plants (the simplest level of life) and the awakening of the life-force in seeds (the beginning of its life) are still not understood fully. Although it is something common to us, it has remained a mystery since the time of Adam, for no person has ever grasped its nature.

In its outer (material) and inner (immaterial) aspects, life is pure. Divine Power creates life without the participation of causes, while It uses “natural” causes as a veil before the creation of everything else so that those unable to discern Divine wisdom and essential beauty in things and events may attribute to them certain base qualities that they cannot reconcile with the dignity of Divine Power.

In short, without life, any existent thing cannot be regarded as existent or as substantially different from non-existence. Life is the spirit’s light, and consciousness is life’s light. Since life and consciousness are so important, and a perfect harmony prevails over all creation and the universe displays a firm cohesion, and since our small rotating planet is full of countless living and intelligent beings, those heavenly castles and lofty constellations must surely have conscious living inhabitants unique to themselves. Just as fish live in water, those spirit beings may exist in the sun’s heat. Fire does not consume light; rather, fire makes light brighter. Seeing that the Eternal Power creates countless living beings from inert, solid substances and transforms the densest matter into subtle living compounds by life, thus radiating the light of life everywhere in great abundance and furnishing most things with the light of consciousness, the All-Powerful, All-Wise One would certainly not make such subtle forms of matter as light and ether, which are close to and fitting for the spirit, without life and consciousness. He creates countless animate and conscious beings from light and darkness, ether and air, and even from meanings (conceived) and words (uttered). As He creates numerous animal species, He also creates different spirit creatures from subtle forms of matter. Some of these are angels, various spirit beings, and jinn. Consider the following parable if you are not convinced.

An uncivilized nomad and a civilized person went to a magnificent city like Istanbul. In a remote corner of that well-ordered, splendid city, they saw an old building containing a factory full of miserable workers. The local people around it lived on either vegetables or fish. While watching them, they had, in the distance, a vision of lofty, adorned castles and palaces, among which were huge workshops and broad squares. They could see no inhabitants in that area, for they either had defective sight or the inhabitants were hiding. As there was also no comparison between the two living conditions, the uncivilized person concluded that no one lived there. The other man said:

You can see that this poor, dilapidated factory is inhabited by workers—somebody very powerful and wise is employing and then replacing them with new ones. Also, there is no empty space around the factory, for every spot is being used. How could those adorned, lofty palaces and castles be unoccupied? They must be inhabited by beings who have different conditions of life. You can’t see them because of the distance or your defective sight or because they are hiding. Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

The earth, although much smaller than other heavenly bodies, is so densely inhabited by living creatures that even its grossest and most rotten parts are full of living things, such as micro-organisms. This shows that those infinite firmaments, with their numerous stars and constellations, are inhabited by conscious, living beings created from fire, light, air, ether, electricity, voices, scents, words, and other subtle forms of matter. The Qur’an or the Shari‘a calls such beings angels, jinn, and spirit entities. They have their own kinds or species, just like earthly creatures. For example, the angel in charge of a raindrop is certainly different from the angel in charge of the sun.

In conclusion, and as may be established empirically, matter is not essential. Therefore existence is not subject to or dependent on it. Rather, matter subsists by means of a meaning, and that meaning is life, is spirit. As may be established through observation, existence does not serve matter and thus everything does not have to be ascribed to it. Rather, matter exists so that it may serve and perfect a reality: life. Spirit is the foundation of life.

As matter does not rule existence, perfections do not have to be sought from it. Rather, it is dominated, subject to the decree of a fundamental, and fashioned according to that decree’s dictates. That fundamental is life, spirit, consciousness. Matter is not the unchanged essence of existence and the source of perfections; rather, it is a form and outer covering subject to disintegration. A micro-organism has acute senses: It hears its mate’s voice and sees its food. This shows that as matter becomes more refined, life’s effects become more manifest and the spirit’s light grows brighter. It is as though the more closely matter resembles the realm of spirit and consciousness, the more ethereal it becomes. This causes life’s light to be manifested more brightly.

Given this, how could the inner world of existence not be occupied with conscious living beings while the reflections of life and consciousness continue to be manifested upon the veil of matter? Besides, is it possible that the countless manifestations and reflections of meaning, spirit, life, and consciousness in the corporeal world could be ascribed solely to matter and its motion? On the contrary, they indicate that the corporeal world is only a lace veil over the World of the Spirit and the inner worlds.

SECOND FUNDAMENTAL: Most philosophers and religious scholars agree that angels and spirit beings exist, although there have been differences in naming them. Among philosophers, the Peripatetics (Mash shaiyyun), who were inclined to explain existence in materialistic terms, had to admit the existence of angels on the ground that each species has a spiritual, incorporeal essence. The Illuminists (Ishraqiyyun) did not deny the existence of angels, but wrongly called them the “Ten Intellects” and “Masters of Species.” Followers of Divine religions, guided by Divine Revelation, believed that an angel is in charge of each kind of existence. They named them according to that kind of existence: the Angel of the Mountains, the Angel of the Seas, the Angel of Rain, and so on. Even naturalists and materialists, who restrict themselves to what they see, admit the meaning of angels by calling them (incorrectly) “pervasive forces.”

If you do not admit the existence of such beings, on what proof do you base your denial? Can these vast spaces and beautiful firmaments be devoid of inhabitants while, as explained in the First Fundamental, life unveils the reality of creation and is its result and essence, and the earth is animated by numerous living beings? How can so-called natural laws have any influence upon creation? Being no more than nominal and imaginary principles, they cannot be the origin, nor even the cause, of any kind of existence, nature, identity and external reality if there are no angels to represent, manifest, and administer them. Since life is an external observed reality, such nominal principles as natural laws cannot be the origin of this reality.

Scientists, philosophers and religious scholars agree that creation is not limited to this visible world. Although this world is material and thus unsuitable for being a home for spirit beings, it has been decorated by countless living creatures. Therefore, there must be many degrees of existence over which this material world is but a lace curtain. Furthermore, as the sea houses fish, the unseen world of the spirit houses spirit beings. In short, all arguments presented so far and all others that can be deduced from the universe’s operation indicate the existence of angels.

The Qur’an explains the meaning of angelic existence so reasonably that anyone can understand it: The human community is responsible for carrying out Divine Commandments issuing from the Divine Attribute of Speech, whereas angels are a huge community whose “working” stratum carry out Divine laws of nature issuing from the Attribute of Will. They are God’s honored servants who have subtle, luminous bodies, are divided into classes, and do whatever He tells them to do. They obey the commandments issuing from the Eternal Will and the Creative Power, Which rules the universe. Each heavenly body is a place of worship for them.

THIRD FUNDAMENTAL: The existence of angels and other spirit beings can be established by proving the existence of one angel, and denying (or accepting) the existence of one amounts to denying (or accepting) the species. From the beginning of time, all people of religion have believed in their existence. There is a consensus that some people have seen, conversed with, and related news from angels. If angels did not exist, if one had not been seen, if the existence of one or more had not been established through observation, how could such a general belief continue? If this belief were not based on strong evidence, how could it come down to us despite changing ideas and beliefs and the passage of time? Besides, might not such a religious belief and a consensus of religious scholars be based on an experienced reality originating in countless signs and experiences? So, we can conclude that belief in angels and other spirit beings is based on the experiences that Prophets and godly people have had with them, and that these accounts were narrated by reliable sources.

How can you doubt their existence after it has been reported by all Prophets and saints, who are like suns, moons, and stars in our social life? Such people are specialists in this matter, and obviously two specialists in a matter are preferable to thousands of non-specialists. It also is an established principle that once a matter is confirmed by two persons, its denial by thousands carries no weight. Moreover, how can you doubt the Qur’an, shining like the sun in the realm of truths, and the testimony and experiences of Prophet Muhammad, the sun of Prophethood?

Although establishing the existence of one individual proves the existence of the species of spirit beings, the best, as well as the most rational and acceptable way of establishing their existence, is expounded by the Shari‘a, described by the Qur’an, and witnessed by the one who performed the Ascension, upon him be peace and blessings.

FOURTH FUNDAMENTAL: When we carefully examine creation, we discern that like particulars, each universal thing has a collective identity and performs a unique, universal function. For example, a flower displays a superlative design and symmetry and recites the Creator’s Names in the tongue of its being. Likewise, the earth performs a universal duty of glorification as though it were a flower. A fruit and a tree glorify God within an order and regularity, although the latter does so on a larger scale through the “words” of its leaves, blossoms, and fruits. Similarly, the vast “ocean” of heavens praises and glorifies the All-Majestic Maker through its suns, moons, and stars, all of which are like its words. In short, each of the inert and outwardly inanimate and unconscious material bodies performs a vital function in praising and glorifying God. Angels represent such bodies in the World of the Inner Dimensions of Things and express praise and glorification on their behalf. In turn, these bodies are the angels’ representatives, dwellings, and mosques in the material world.

As explained in the Fourth Branch of the 24th Word, angels and spirit beings constitute the first class of the laborers that the All-Majestic Maker of this palace of creation employs. Among others, inanimate things and the vegetable creation are quite important servants who work without wages; animals serve unconsciously in return for their food and pleasures; and humanity, taking a share in everything for themselves, supervises the other servants (on the earth) and works consciously according to the Majestic Creator’s purposes in return for wages: a reward here and in the Hereafter.

As the foremost category of servants, angels resemble humanity because they know and conform to the Creator’s purposes. But they differ from us, because they work solely for God’s good pleasure and ask only for the spiritual pleasure and happiness of nearness to their Creator. Their worship varies according to their nature and function as representatives of most species. Their services and praises differ in the different departments of Divine Lordship, as do the duties performed by a government’s departments. For example, Archangel Michael superintends the growth of corn and provision upon the earth by God’s permission and Power. If one may say so, he is the head of all farmer-like angels. Another great angel leads the “incorporeal shepherds” of all animals, by the All-Majestic Originator’s permission, Command, and Power.

Since an angel represents each kind of creature and presents its service and worship to the Divine Court, the Prophet’s descriptions of them are entirely reasonable and credible: “There are angels with forty thousand heads, each with forty thousand mouths, and forty thousand praises sung by forty thousand tongues in each mouth.” This Prophetic Tradition means that angels serve universal purposes and that some creatures worship God with forty thousand heads in forty thousand ways. For example, the firmament praises the Majestic Creator through its suns and stars, while the earth worships with countless heads, each with countless mouths, and each mouth containing countless tongues. Thus this Tradition is said to refer to the angel representing the earth in the World of the Inner Dimensions of Things.

Once I saw a medium-sized almond tree with forty branches (the equivalent of forty heads), each of which had forty twigs (the equivalent of forty tongues). Each twig had forty blossoms, each of which had forty differently colored stamens. These “forty”s are each a manifestation of a Divine Name. Is it possible that the All-Wise One of Grace, the All-Majestic Maker of that almond tree, Who charged it with so many duties, would not appoint a specific angel to know it, introduce it to the universe, and present it to the Divine Court?

The above explanations seek to encourage the heart to believe, the intellect to accept, and the carnal soul to admit the truth. If you have acquired some understanding and wish to encounter angels more closely, purify yourself of doubt and enter the garden of the Qur’an—its gates are open. You can see angels in the Paradise of Qur’an, and its verses are like an observatory from which you can look at them:

By the companies (of angels) sent one after another, and then moving fast and forcefully like tempests; and by those enfolding the Scrolls of Revelation, and serving (for right and wrong) to be separated, and so bringing down the Revelation, so that some may have the means to ask for forgiveness and that some may be warned. (77:1–6)

By those who immediately fly out and plunge (with God’s command); by those who move gently and eagerly; by those who swiftly float and so hasten along as if in a race, and thus fulfilling the commands. (79:1–5)

... in (the Night of Power) angels and the Spirit descend, by the leave of their Lord, with His decrees for every affair. (97:4)

... a Fire whose fuel is human beings and stones, and over which are angels stern and strict, who disobey not God in what He commands them and do what they are commanded. (66:6)

All-Glorified is He. Nay, but they are honored servants: they speak only what He has spoken to them, and they act by His command. (21:26–27)

If you desire to meet jinn, enter into the Qur’anic chapter that discusses them (72) and listen to what they are saying:

“We have heard a Qur’an wonderful, guiding to rectitude. We believe in it and we will not associate with our Lord anyone.” (72:1–2)

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi