Descent of Angels Upon Believers (Part 2)

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

لا اله الا انت سبحانك انى كنت من الظالمين

In my previous explanation of the passage in the holy Quran:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّـهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كُنتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ

Indeed, those who have said, “Our Lord is Allah” and then remained on a right course - the Angels will descend upon them, [saying], “Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised.”

نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَاؤُكُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِي أَنفُسُكُمْ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَدَّعُونَ

We [Angels] are your friends in worldly life and [are so] in the Hereafter. And you will have therein whatever your souls desire, and you will have therein whatever you wish

(Sura 41:30-31)

I cited scholastic authorities who confirmed that this phenomenon is not restricted to occurring at the time of death, contrary to the standard or popular interpretation. As a matter of fact, the passage makes no explicit reference to the specific time when the Angels descend upon those Believers who are steadfast, indicating it is a general phenomenon. The Angels even declare that they are the Awliya, friends or protectors, of those upon whom they descend in the life of this world. That is a strong indication that the phenomenon of this Angelic descent upon Believers is during their worldly life and certainly not restricted to the moment of death, or on the occasion of being resurrected from the grave as some other commentators have opined.

Now the fact that the Angels not only descend upon such Believers with their holy presence but additionally converse with them and relate to them a message from Allah Himself, namely, to ‘have no fear, nor grieve, but receive glad tidings of Paradise’, etc., is a proof for the reality of divine revelation or inspiration continuing despite the cessation of Prophesy in the holy person of the Prophet Muhammad صلوات الله والسلام عليه. Al-Baidawi, in his monumental commentary of the Quran, explained the reality of this speech of the Angels being conveyed to the Believers in the form of the inspiration known as sharh al-sadr or ‘opening of the heart’:

تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلائِكَةُ ‌فيما ‌يعن ‌لهم ‌بما ‌يشرح ‌صدورهم ‌ويدفع ‌عنهم ‌الخوف ‌والحزن، أو عند الموت أو الخروج من القبر

(Tafsir al-Baidawi; v.5, p.71):

Here, al-Baidawi explains that the Angels descend upon the Believers and open their chests [hearts] removing from them fear and grief. He goes on to explain that it may also refer to a phenomenon that occurs at the time of death or resurrection from the graves. This clearly indicates that his first explanation of this phenomenon is something that occurs at a time other than death or resurrection, namely, in the life of this world.

Finally, the Quran itself explains that when Allah communicates with humans through the medium of an Angel, the Angel reveals or inspires that communication to the human:

اَوۡ یُرۡسِلَ رَسُوۡلًا فَیُوۡحِیَ بِاِذۡنِہٖ مَا یَشَآءُ

or by sending a messenger to reveal by His command what He pleases

(Sura 42:51)