Supplications of Angels for believers

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ خَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّينَ وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ الأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ.

All Praise is due to Allah, we praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Allah, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad, peace and blessings on him, is His servant, and His messenger.

Dear Brothers and Sisters …                                     السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

يَا أَيُّهَا الّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ –

O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam. 

Allah Almighty created the angels from light for His obedience. Among them are those who pray and those who glorify Him. Allah Almighty said:

وَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَلَا يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ * يُسَبِّحُونَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لَا يَفْتُرُونَ-

Al-Anbya (21) 19-20: (19) And those near Him [i.e., the angels] are not prevented by arrogance from His worship, nor do they tire. (20) They exalt [Him] night and day [and] do not slacken.

He designated some of Angels for tasks related to the children of Adam. Among them are the honourable scribes recording deeds. There are those who seek out the gatherings of remembrance of Allah.  And there are those who stand at the doors of the masjids on Fridays, recording the attendees in their order of arrival.

The Angels, peace be upon them, are constantly obedient to Allah Almighty, spared from error and disobedience. Allah Almighty said:

لَا يَعْصُونَ اللهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ-التَّحريم 6

Tahrim (66) 6: They do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded. 

Since angels, peace be upon them, are obedient to Allah Almighty, they love humans who are obedient to Allah Almighty, honour them, supplicate for them, and give them glad tidings upon their passing with what Allah Almighty has prepared for them. Allah Almighty said:

An-Nahl  (16) 32: The ones whom the angels take in death, [being] good and pure; [the angels] will say, “Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise for what you used to do.”

The Angels will receive them on the Day of Resurrection at the gates of Paradise, welcoming them and congratulating them on their places in Paradise. Allah Almighty said:

وَسِيقَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ إِلَى الجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءُوهَا وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ طِبْتُمْ فَادْخُلُوهَا خَالِدِينَ-

Az-Zumar (39) 73: But those who feared their Lord will be driven to Paradise in groups until, when they reach it while its gates have been opened and its keepers say, “Peace be upon you; you have become pure; so enter it to abide eternally therein,” [they will enter].

And in other verses:

وَالمَلَائِكَةُ يَدْخُلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ بَابٍ * سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ-

Ar-Ra’d (13) 23-24: (23) And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [saying], (24) “Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home.”

This is only due to the Angels’ love for them. The driver for that love is Iman (faith) and obedience of Allah Almighty, which brought together the angels and the righteous among humans.

Indeed, the angels, peace be upon them, were honoured by Allah Almighty in this world with the highest of stations, entrusted with the noblest of tasks. It is enough an honour for them to be close to Allah Almighty in the highest kingdom.

What a privilege it is for the believers, and what a status they have before Allah Almighty when He, the Exalted, appoints His closest angels to supplicate and seek forgiveness for them, and even supplicate for their parents, spouses, and offspring to join them. How magnificent is Iman (faith) that granted them this lofty status. Allah Almighty said: 

Ghaffir (40) 7-9: (7) Those [angels] who carry the Throne and those around it exalt [Allāh] with praise of their Lord and believe in Him and ask forgiveness for those who have believed, [saying], “Our Lord, You have encompassed all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who have repented and followed Your way and protect them from the punishment of Hellfire.  

(8) Our Lord, and admit them to gardens of perpetual residence which You have promised them and whoever was righteous among their forefathers, their spouses and their offspring. Indeed, it is You who is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

(9) And protect them from the evil consequences [of their deeds]. And he whom You protect from evil consequences that Day – You will have given him mercy. And that is the great attainment.”

Reflect upon this great supplication by those who carry the Throne and those around it for the believers and what it encompasses of profound meanings. They, peace be upon them, ask Allah Almighty for forgiveness for the believers, protection from Hell, safeguarding them from its causes such as committing sins. And they ask Allah Almighty for Paradise for the believers and for the righteous among their parents, spouses, and offspring.

These noble angels, who seek forgiveness for the believers, are not just any angels, but rather they are the bearers of the Throne and those around it, the closest of angels to Allah Almighty. They have no sins at all. And their seeking forgiveness for the believers and their supplications for them are in the unseen. And the believers would not know about that if Allah Almighty had not informed them. How fortunate are the believers when the bearers of the throne supplicate and ask for forgiveness for them!!

The bond that connects the bearers of the Throne and those around it with the children of Adam on Earth to the point that they invoked this great supplication for them, is the bond of Iman (faith) in Allah Exalted. Allah Almighty described the angels as believers:

وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ

Ghafir (40) 7: And believe in Him

Allah Almighty described the Angels as having Iman (faith) and Allah Almighty said about the angels asking forgiveness for the children of Adam:

وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا

Ghafir (40) 7: And seek forgiveness for those who believe.

And in another verse, Allah Almighty informed us of the angels’ supplication for forgiveness for His believing servants:

Ash-Shura (42) 5: The heavens almost break from above them, and the angels exalt Allah with praise of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those on earth. Unquestionably, it is Allah who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Scholars have mentioned that part of the wisdom of the angels, peace be upon them, asking forgiveness often for the believers is their awareness of the shortcomings and breaches that occur in the believers’ acts of worship along with what they commit of sins.

Since supplicating for the believers and seeking forgiveness for them is one of the characteristics and habits of the angels, peace be upon them, they say “Amen” to the supplication that a believer makes for his brother in his absence. Abu Al-Darda’, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:

من دَعَا لِأَخِيهِ بِظَهْرِ الْغَيْبِ قال الْمَلَكُ الْمُوَكَّلُ بِهِ آمِينَ وَلَكَ بِمِثْلٍ

Whoever supplicates for his brother in his absence, the angel assigned to him says, ‘Amen, and for you the same.’ [Muslim 2732b].

Given this is the case the angels, peace be upon them, loving the believers, having allegiance to them, being close and concerned for them to the extent that they supplicate for them; it is fitting for believers to emulate them by showing mutual love and concern for each other, and supplicate for one another.

Allah Almighty says:

إِنَّمَا المُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ-الحجرات 10

Al-Hujurat (49)10: The believers are but brothers.

So, O believers, be to your brothers as the close angels are to you, in love, allegiance, counsel, concern and supplications.

Oh Muslims: Indeed, the close angels, peace be upon them, seek forgiveness for all believers and supplicate for them. There are righteous deeds that draw the supplications of the angels for the believers. The Prophet ﷺ guided his community to those righteous deeds so that they may hasten to them and receive the supplications of the angels.

Among these righteous deeds is staying in the place of prayer before and after the prayer. Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

The Angels invoke blessings upon one of you as long as he stays in his place of prayer, as long as he does not break his wudu’. They say: ‘O Allah, forgive him, O Allah, have mercy on him’. [Bukhari 445 and Muslim 649h].

It has been narrated in several hadiths that Allah and His angels invoke blessings upon those who complete the rows of prayer, those in the first row, those who eat Suhoor for fasting. And whoever visits a sick person in the morning, seventy thousand angels invoke blessings upon them until the evening. And whoever visits in the evening, seventy thousand angels invoke blessings upon them until morning.

Whoever sleeps in a state of purity, an angel is assigned to seek forgiveness for them all night. As Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

Purify these bodies and Allah will purify you. For there is no servant who sleeps in purity except that an angel stays with him. Every time he turns over at night, the angel says: ‘O Allah, forgive Your servant, for he went to bed in a state of purity’.  [Al-Tabarani 12/446].

One of the reasons for inviting the mercy of the angels, peace be upon them, is for a Muslim to have mercy upon others.  And the angels’ mercy upon someone is a reason for them seeking forgiveness and supplicating for them. As stated in the hadith:

ارْحَمْ من في الأَرْضِ يَرْحَمْكَ من في السَّمَاءِ

Show mercy to those on earth, and the One in heaven will show mercy to you. [Abu Dawood 4941, Grade: Hasan].

O Allah, we seek refuge in You from a heart that does not humble itself, from a supplication that is not heard from a soul that is not satisfied, and from knowledge that does not benefit. Indeed, Allah is All Hearing, Answering.

I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon our Prophet as your Lord commanded: