Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 1 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 432

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

هَذَا الَّذِي رَآهُ النَّبِيُّ عَلَى صُورَتِهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ، أَحْيَانًا يَأْتِيهِ بِصُورَةِ إِنْسَانٍ كَمَا فِي حَدِيثِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ الَّذِي مَعَنَا فِي قِصَّةِ جِبْرِيلَ، فَقَدْ جَاءَهُ بِصُورَةِ رَجُلٍ شَدِيدِ سَوَادِ الشَّعْرِ، شَدِيدِ بَيَاضِ الثِّيَابِ، لَا يُرَى عَلَيْهِ أَثَرُ السَّفَرِ، وَلَا يَعْرِفُهُ الصَّحَابَةُ، وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، قَدْ أَعْطَاهُمُ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى ذَلِكَ أَنْ يَتَصَوَّرُوا بِصُوَرِ الْبَشَرِ، إِمَّا بِاخْتِيَارِهِمْ، وَإِمَّا بِإِرَادَةِ اللَّهِ، اللَّهُ يَأْمُرُهُمْ أَنْ يَكُونُوا عَلَى هَذِهِ الصُّورَةِ، فَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.

This is what the Prophet saw in his true form twice. Sometimes he appears to him as a human, as in the hadith of Umar regarding the story of Gabriel. He came to him as a man with jet-black hair and pristine white clothes, showing no signs of travel, yet unrecognized by the Companions. Allah is capable of all things. He has granted them the ability to take human form, either by their own choice or by His command. Allah knows best.

إِنَّ هَذِهِ حَالُ الْمَلَائِكَةِ -عَلَيْهِمُ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ- وَتَفَاصِيلُ مَا وَرَدَ فِيهِمْ مَذْكُورٌ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَفِي سُنَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، لَكِنْ عَلَيْنَا أَنْ نُؤْمِنَ بِهَؤُلَاءِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَأَنَّهُمْ أَقْوِيَاءُ أَشِدَّاءُ، قَالَ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ فِي غَزْوَةِ بَدْرٍ: (إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ فَثَبِّتُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا سَأُلْقِي فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الرُّعْبَ فَاضْرِبُوا فَوْقَ الْأَعْنَاقِ وَاضْرِبُوا مِنْهُمْ كُلَّ بَنَانٍ) [الْأَنْفَال:١٢]، فَكَانُوا يُقَاتِلُونَ مَعَ الصَّحَابَةِ فِي بَدْرٍ، فَيُرَى الْكَافِرُ يَسْقُطُ مَضْرُوبًا بِالسَّيْفِ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ وَلَا يُدْرَى مَنِ الَّذِي قَتَلَهُ، وَالَّذِي قَتَلَهُ هُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ؛ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَالَ لَهُمْ: (فَاضْرِبُوا فَوْقَ الْأَعْنَاقِ وَاضْرِبُوا مِنْهُمْ كُلَّ بَنَانٍ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ شَاقُّوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ، وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ) [الْأَنْفَال:١٣]، فَعَلَيْنَا أَنْ نُؤْمِنَ بِهِمْ مَنْ عَلِمْنَاهُ بِعَيْنِهِ آمَنَّا بِهِ بِعَيْنِهِ، وَإِلَّا فَبِالْإِجْمَالِ.

Such is the nature of the angels, peace and blessings be upon them. Details regarding them are found in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. We must believe in these angels and acknowledge their immense strength. At the Battle of Badr, Allah told them: 'I 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' [Al-Anfal: 12]. They fought alongside the Companions at Badr. A disbeliever would fall, struck by a sword to the head, with no one knowing who had killed him; it was the angels. Allah had commanded them: 'So strike them upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip. That is because they opposed Allah and His Messenger. And whoever opposes Allah and His Messenger, indeed, Allah is severe in penalty' [Al-Anfal: 13]. We must believe in them; we believe specifically in those we have been told about, and generally in the rest.

وَأَنْ نُؤْمِنَ بِمَا جَاءَ عَنْهُمْ مِنْ عِبَادَاتٍ وَأَعْمَالٍ عَلَى وَفْقِ مَا جَاءَ فِي الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ، وَالْإِيمَانُ بِهِمْ أَحَدُ أَرْكَانِ الْإِيمَانِ السِّتَّةِ، وَمَنْ أَنْكَرَهُمْ، أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِهِمْ، أَوْ قَالَ: إِنَّهُمْ لَا وُجُودَ لَهُمْ، أَوْ قَالَ: إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ قُوَى الْخَيْرِ، وَالشَّيَاطِينُ هُمْ قُوَى الشَّرِّ؛ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ كُفْرًا مُخْرِجًا عَنِ الْمِلَّةِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ مُكَذِّبٌ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى وَرَسُولِهِ وَإِجْمَاعِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ.

We must also believe in the acts of worship and deeds attributed to them in the Book and the Sunnah. Belief in angels is one of the six pillars of faith. Anyone who denies them, rejects their existence, or claims they are merely forces of good while devils are forces of evil, has committed an act of disbelief that removes them from the fold of Islam. Such a person calls Allah, His Messenger, and the consensus of the Muslims liars.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (26 verbs · 56 nouns)

• رَأَى — to see
• أَتَى — to come
• رَضِيَ — to be pleased
• صُورَة — image
• نَبِيّ — prophet
• مَرَّة — time