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Chapter 5
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"Angels" is one of many terms used to refer to Prophets in the Holy Writings.
1)
In the passage below, Abdu'l-Baha explains that "angels" is one of the terms used to refer to Prophets and Messengers:
In relation to God, the term “angels” referreth to the Prophets of God
and His Messengers, even as He hath said in the Qur'án: “Praise be to
God, Fashioner of the heavens and the earth, Who sendeth forth the
angels as His Messengers with two, or three, or four pairs of wings…”
[4] That which the All-Glorious God hath intended by “wings” in this
verse are the modes of revelation and the kinds of proofs wherewith He
hath sent His Messengers. These “wings” He hath made the means by which
men may attain to the Wellspring of divine guidance, and all creation
be led aright to the paradise of love and affection. For this, above
all else, will conduce to the advancement of the world, and serve as
the most potent of wings whereby the pure in heart may soar unto the
Paradise of Oneness and the sacred abode of Divine Unity. Thus hath it
been referred to as “wings” in the Scriptures of God.
I swear by God, O thou who hast set thy face towards Him! Were a man to
incline his inner ear unto but a single verse of his Lord, and discover
the delight of discerning the hidden meanings concealed therein, he
would assuredly rise unto the highest peaks of righteousness, and
ascend from the nether worlds of dust unto the lofty realms of truth.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Vahid Rafati, Badáyi?-i-Ma?ání va Tafsír, pp. 252–255. A provisional translation by Adib Masumian.
Full text available at: https://adibmasumian.com/translations/abdul-baha-commentary-angels-jinn/
2)
In the following passage, Baha'u'llah provides more details on the different types of angels.
And now concerning thy question regarding the verse which the
All-Merciful, exalted be His glory, hath revealed unto Muhammad, the
Apostle of God, in the Qur'an: "He employeth the angels as messengers,
with pairs of wings, two, three and four...": [1] Know thou that among
the angels there have ever been differences in station and degree,
inasmuch as the stations of some excel the others. Some among them are
engaged in the training of the world of humanity, whilst others have
been entrusted with keeping record of the conduct of men, their deeds
and their words. Four angels, who are widely renowned, have been
appointed each to serve a specific task, as all have heard and are
aware.
Consider likewise those angels who abide in one among the realms of the
True One: Some among them are utterly effaced before the effulgences of
their Lord, immensely exalted be His glory. His presence is their
sustenance, and drawing nigh unto Him their every action. Beholding Him
and witnessing His unveiling are their sole occupation and their true
delight. From the beginning that hath no beginning unto the end that
hath no end, they have never diverted their gaze from the one true God.
Another group of angels is
known as the company of the most exalted Beings, and none is aware of
them save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Yet others are known as the Spirit, and the verse "therein descend the
angels and the Spirit" testifieth thereto. [2] Spirit, likewise, is
known to have various degrees. For instance, consider the Holy Spirit
mentioned in the Scriptures, which some have referred to as Gabriel.
Consider likewise the Spirit of Trustworthiness, the Spirit of Faith,
of Certitude, of Command, of Grandeur and of Power, of Beauty, of
Glory, and the like.
As to His saying "He employeth the angels as messengers", the intended
meaning is that angels are intermediaries between God and His chosen Ones.
They convey unto the latter the missives of their Lord through divine
revelation, through inspiration, and through visions, and they instruct
them of that which God hath commanded them. Through the aid of angels
God hath revealed His Cause, rendered it victorious, completed His
creation, and perfected His signs.
And as to His saying "with pairs of wings, two, three and four...", the
meaning, as already mentioned, is that angels occupy diverse stations.
By virtue of the diversity of their station and degree they are the
possessors of numerous wings, through which they ascend and descend.
Some of them have as many wings as there are divine names, even as the
Seal of the Prophets, upon meeting Gabriel on the night of the Mi'raj,
recounted: "His are six hundred wings!". [3]
[1]Qur'an 35:1
[2]Qur'an 97:4
[3]From a Hadith
-- Baha'u'llah, provisional translation from: https://bahai-library.com/pdf/s/sazedj_provisional_translations.pdf
The truth is Mine and certitude is at My side. Leadership is Mine and
the righteous shall follow Me. I am the first to acknowledge faith, the
Cord of God
that shall not be broken, the One who will raise the world to justice
even as it hath been brought low by oppression. I am the companion of
Gabriel and the archangel Michael is beside Me. I am the tree of
guidance, and the essence of righteousness. I shall gather together the
world of creation through the Word of God that gathers together all
things. I give life unto humanity and I am the treasury of all divine
commands. To Me hath been given the Luminous Pen and the Crimson Camel.
-- Imam Ali, Sermon of Glorification. Translation by K. Fananapazir.
Full text available at: https://bahai-library.com/imam-ali_khutbat_iftikhar
3)
In the passage below, Imam Ali,
the first Dependent Prophet of Muhammad, is named a Temple,
and is the first of the angels referred to in Qur'án 2:210: "Will they
wait until Allah comes to them in canopies of clouds, with angels (in
His train)." "angels (in His train)" refers to the Holy Imams, who appeared in succession after Muhammad. "Allah comes to them" is also a reference to the fact that the Holy Imams are Manifestations of God (Dependent Prophets of Muhammad, one of the two classes of Prophets).
Say I swear by God! They to whom you attribute knowledge and have
accepted them as your divines they are in the sight of God the worst of
men nay the quintessence of evil flees from them. Thus has the matter
been inscribed in the scrolls of God's knowledge. We testify that they
have not drunk from the fountains of knowledge and they have not
attained unto a word of Wisdom and have not become aware of the
mysteries of Revelation and have been racing in the land of their
selfish desires. Nothing of rejection and denial against a prophet or a
successor of a prophet has come to pass except after their permission.
Thus has always been their injunction carried out on the Countenances
of holiness.
Say to them: O ignorant ones! Did We not reveal in the past: "A Day
that God shall come in the canopies of clouds."[4] How is it that when
He came down in the clouds of Revelation in the Temple of 'Ali [Imam
Ali], you turned away and rejected Him and waxed haughty and brought
about your own perdition?[5] Was it not also revealed in your Book:
"the Day when Thy Lord comes or certain of the signs of Thy Lord."[6]
And when He did come with evident signs wherefore did ye turn away from
those signs and veiled yourselves with the veils of self?..
[4] Qur'án 2:210.
[5] Qur'án 25:18 and 48:12.
[6] Qur'an 6:158.
-- Baha'u'llah, Surih-i-Sabr (Lawh-i-Ayyúb), Surih of Patience or Tablet of Job - (Trans. K. Fananapazir)
208. O ye who believe! enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and follow not
the footsteps of the Evil One; for he is to you an avowed enemy.
209. If ye backslide after the clear (signs) have come to you, then know that Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.
210. Will they wait until Allah comes to them in canopies of clouds,
with angels (in His train) and the question is (thus) settled? But to
Allah do all questions go back (for decision).
211. Ask the Children of Israel how many Clear (Signs) We have sent
them. But if anyone, after Allah's favor has come to him, substitutes
(something else), Allah is strict in punishment.
212. The life of this world is alluring to those who reject faith, and
they scoff at those who believe. But the righteous will be above them
on the Day of Resurrection; for Allah bestows His abundance without
measures on whom He will.
-- The Qur'an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 2.
4)
In the following passages, Abdu'l-Baha, the Branch, names himself as one of the favoured angels mentioned in the Aqdas/Gleanings.
Should differences arise amongst you over any matter, refer it to God while the Sun [Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet] still
shineth above the horizon of this Heaven and, when it hath set, refer
ye to whatsoever hath been sent down by Him. This, verily, is
sufficient unto the peoples of the world. Say: Let not your hearts be
perturbed, O people, when the glory of My Presence is withdrawn, and
the ocean of My utterance is stilled. In My presence amongst you there
is a wisdom, and in My absence there is yet another, inscrutable to all
but God [pre-existent], the Incomparable, the All-Knowing. Verily, We
behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid whosoever will arise
for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Concourse on high
and a company of Our favoured angels.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 38
The Blessed Beauty, in unmistakable language, hath made this promise in
His Book: 'We behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid
whosoever will arise for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the
Concourse on high and a company of Our favoured angels.'[1]
[1 Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, LXXII ]
God be thanked, that promised aid [Abdu'l-Baha] hath been vouchsafed, as is plain for all to see, and it shineth forth as clear as the sun in the heavens.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 270
O thou fragrant rose blooming in the Garden of Guidance!
Thank thou God for that He hath removed from off thine eye the
covering, made thee to see the signs of the Kingdom of thy Lord, the
Supreme, filled for thee the cup of bounty and gave thee to drink the
pure wine of fidelity which He hath promised to the sincere in the holy
Books and Tablets.
O thou my dear! The cup of knowledge is overflowing; blessed are they
who partake in draughts! The fountain of life is issuing forth; blessed
are they who drink! The doors of the Kingdom are opened; O what good
news to those who advance! The garden of paradise is drawn near; O what
a pleasure to those who enter! The dove
of holiness is cooing; O what a happiness to those who hear! The gates
of Heaven are open; blessed are they who see! The hosts of angels
are standing in battle order; what a joy to those who gain the victory!
The trumpet of life is sounding; how good it is to those who are awake!
As to thee: Realize the bounty of thy Lord as it is, and thank thou thy
Lord and praise Him for that He hath directed thee to the right path.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p. 620
"O people of loyalty, O people of faithfulness, O people who are
awakened by the Breath of God, O people who are inhaling the scent of
life from the Spirit of God! The path hath become smooth, the way
straightened, the carpet of the Kingdom is spread, the Tabernacle hath
been elevated upon the Hill of Might, the powers of heaven have been
shaken, the corners of the earth have quaked, the sun has been
darkened, the moon ceased to give light, the stars have fallen, the
nations of the earth have lamented, and the Son of Man hath come upon
the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and He hath sent His angels with the sound of the great trumpet, and no one knows the meaning of these emblems save the wise and informed.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v1, p. 144
Assist Thou Thy servants, O my Lord, to recognize Thy unity and to declare Thy oneness, that all may gather together around what Thou didst desire in this Day whereon the sun of Thine essence [Baha'u'llah, the Root, like Muhammad] hath shone forth above the horizon of Thy will, and the moon of Thine own being [Abdu'l-Baha, the Branch, like Imam Ali]
hath risen from the Day-Spring of Thy behest. Thou art He, O my Lord,
from Whose knowledge nothing whatsoever escapeth, and Whom no one can
frustrate. Thou doest Thy pleasure, by Thy sovereignty that
overshadoweth the worlds.
-- Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 57
5)
"The angels of God are seen
descending" -- the pre-existent Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah (one of the two classes of Prophets) are
descending from the Mansions of Eternity to earth..
This is the Day whereon the All-Merciful hath come down in the clouds
of knowledge, clothed with manifest sovereignty. He well knoweth the
actions of men. He it is Whose glory none can mistake, could ye but
comprehend it. The heaven of every religion hath been rent, and the
earth of human understanding been cleft asunder, and the angels of God
are seen descending. Say: This is the Day of mutual deceit; whither do
ye flee? The mountains have passed away, and the heavens have been
folded together, and the whole earth is held within His grasp, could ye
but understand it. Who is it that can protect you? None, by Him Who is
the All-Merciful! None, except God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the
Beneficent. Every woman that hath had a burden in her womb hath cast
her burden. We see men drunken in this Day, the Day in which men and
angels have been gathered together.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 45
6)
The passage below is a prophecy on the coming of Muhammad and "his angels" (the Holy Imams, Dependent Prophets of Muhammad, one of the two classes of Prophets), in the Book of Matthew.
24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall
fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and
then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the
Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
-- Bible: Matthew.
These are the melodies, sung by Jesus, Son of Mary, in accents of
majestic power in the Ridván of the Gospel, revealing those signs that
must needs herald the advent of the Manifestation after Him. In the
first Gospel according to Matthew it is recorded: And when they asked
Jesus concerning the signs of His coming, He said unto them:
"Immediately after the oppression of those days shall the sun be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall
fall from heaven, and the powers of the earth shall be shaken: and then
shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all
the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming
in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send
his angels with a great sound of a trumpet."
Rendered into the Persian tongue, the purport of these words is as
follows: When the oppression and afflictions that are to befall mankind
will have come to pass, then shall the sun be withheld from shining, the moon from giving light, the stars of heaven shall fall
upon the earth, and the pillars of the earth shall quake. At that time,
the signs of the Son of man shall appear in heaven, that is, the
promised Beauty and Substance of life shall, when these signs have
appeared, step forth out of the realm of the invisible into the visible
world. And He saith: at that time, all the peoples and kindreds that
dwell on earth shall bewail and lament, and they shall see that divine
Beauty coming from heaven, riding upon the clouds with power, grandeur,
and magnificence, sending His angels with a great sound of a trumpet.
Similarly, in the three other Gospels, according to Luke, Mark, and
John, the same statements are recorded. As We have referred at length
to these in Our Tablets revealed in the Arabic tongue, We have made no
mention of them in these pages, and have confined Ourselves to but one
reference.
Inasmuch as the Christian divines have failed to apprehend the meaning
of these words, and did not recognize their object and purpose, and
have clung to the literal interpretation of the words of Jesus, they
therefore became deprived of the streaming grace of the Muhammadan
Revelation and its showering bounties.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 25-26
7)
The "Son of man coming in the
glory of his Father" is a reference to Baha'u'llah, the Glory of God,
the Independent Prophet in the Day of God. "His angels" are the
Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah.
16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his
angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
16:28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall
not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
-- Bible: Matthew.
8)
In the passage below, "a company
of His angels" are the pre-existent Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah;
the same as a "company of His chosen ones" referred to in Gleanings
CXXIX.
Know ye that the world and its vanities and its embellishments shall
pass away. Nothing will endure except God's Kingdom which pertaineth to
none but Him, the Sovereign Lord of all, the Help in Peril, the
All-Glorious, the Almighty. The days of your life shall roll away, and
all the things with which ye are occupied and of which ye boast
yourselves shall perish, and ye shall, most certainly, be summoned by a
company of His angels to appear at the spot where the limbs of the
entire creation shall be made to tremble, and the flesh of every
oppressor to creep. Ye shall be asked of the things your hands have
wrought in this, your vain life, and shall be repaid for your doings.
This is the day that shall inevitably come upon you, the hour that none
can put back. To this the Tongue of Him that speaketh the truth and is
the Knower of all things hath testified.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 125
In passage below from Gleanings CXXIX:
"concealed within the Holy Veil" -- refers to the realm of pre-existence of the Dependent Prophets, similar to the pre-existence of the Holy Imams.
"a company of His chosen ones" -- the Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Baha'u'llah.
"Warn, then, those that have joined partners with Him" -- warn
those who reject the Dependent Prophet as the Face of God (similar, for
example, to those who rejected Imam Ali as the Face of God in the era
of Muhammad).
"I am come from the Throne of glory" -- reference to her/his station as a Dependent Prophet of Baha'u'llah.
"And bear you an announcement from God" -- the declaration of the Dependent Prophet.
"Weigh it with the just Balance that ye possess, the Balance of the testimony of the Prophets and Messengers of God" -- judge their revelation with same standards you use for Prophets and Messengers of God, as they are.
"And render your works vain, and be numbered with the infidels" -- reference to believers who after serving the faith reject a Dependent Prophet, and thereby render their works vain.
There lay concealed within the Holy Veil, and prepared for the service
of God, a company of His chosen ones who shall be manifested unto men,
who shall aid His Cause, who shall be afraid of no one, though the
entire human race rise up and war against them. These are the ones who,
before the gaze of the dwellers on earth and the denizens of heaven,
shall arise and, shouting aloud, acclaim the name of the Almighty, and
summon the children of men to the path of God, the All-Glorious, the
All-Praised. Walk thou in their way, and let no one dismay thee. Be of
them whom the tumult of the world, however much it may agitate them in
the path of their Creator, can never sadden, whose purpose the blame of
the blamer will never defeat.
Go forth with the Tablet of God and His signs, and rejoin them that
have believed in Me, and announce unto them tidings of Our most holy
Paradise. Warn, then, those that have joined partners with Him. Say: I
am come to you, O people, from the Throne of glory, and bear you an
announcement from God, the Most Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Most
Great. In mine hand I carry the testimony of God, your Lord and the
Lord of your sires of old. Weigh it with the just Balance that ye
possess, the Balance of the testimony of the Prophets and Messengers of
God. If ye find it to be established in truth, if ye believe it to be
of God, beware, then, lest ye cavil at it, and render your works vain,
and be numbered with the infidels. It is indeed the sign of God that
hath been sent down through the power of truth, through which the
validity of His Cause hath been demonstrated unto His creatures, and
the ensigns of purity lifted up betwixt earth and heaven.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, CXXIX, p. 280
9)
In the passage below, Bahá'u'lláh, states that he has believed "in His angels".
Certain ones among you have said: "He it is Who hath laid claim to be
God." By God! This is a gross calumny. I am but a servant of God Who
hath believed in Him and in His signs, and in His Prophets and in His
angels. My tongue, and My heart, and My inner and My outer being
testify that there is no God but Him, that all others have been created
by His behest, and been fashioned through the operation of His Will.
There is none other God but Him, the Creator, the Raiser from the dead,
the Quickener, the Slayer. I am He that telleth abroad the favors with
which God hath, through His bounty, favored Me. If this be My
transgression, then I am truly the first of the transgressors. I and My
kindred are at your mercy. Do ye as ye please, and be not of them that
hesitate, that I might return to God My Lord, and reach the place where
I can no longer behold your faces. This, indeed, is My dearest wish, My
most ardent desire. Of My state God is, verily, sufficiently informed,
observant.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 228
10)
In the passage below, Muhammad, makes reference to belief in "His angels".
4:136 O ye who believe! Believe in God and His Apostle, and the
scripture which He hath sent to His Apostle and the scripture which He
sent to those before (him). Any who denieth God, His angels, His Books,
His Apostles, and the Day of Judgment, hath gone far, far astray.
-- Qur'an: 4 - AN-NISA.
11)
More references about angels:
Erelong shall the faithful behold, in the day of the latter Resurrection, Him Whom God shall make manifest [Baha'u'llah] descending with this city from the heaven of the Unseen, together with a company of His exalted and favoured angels.
Great, therefore, is the blessedness of him that attaineth unto His
presence and beholdeth His countenance. We all, verily, cherish this
hope, and exclaim: "Praise be unto Him, for verily He is the Eternal
Truth, and unto Him do we return!"
-- Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 72
Every one who hath turned aside from Me hath clung to his own idle
words, and therewith voiced his objections to Him Who is the Truth.
Gracious God! Such references as have been made to Divinity and Godhead
by the holy ones and chosen ones of God have been made a cause for
denial and repudiation. The Imám Sádiq hath said: "Servitude is a
substance, the essence of which is Divinity." The Commander of the
Faithful (Imám `Alí) answered an Arab, who had questioned him
concerning the soul, as follows: "The third is the soul which is divine
and celestial. It is a divine energy, a substance, simple, and
self-subsistent." And further he -- peace be upon him--said: "Therefore
it is the Most Sublime Essence of God, the Tree of Blessedness, the
Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, the Garden of Repose." The
Imám Sádiq hath said: "When our Qá'im will arise, the earth will shine
with the light of her Lord." Likewise, a lengthy tradition is
attributed to Ábí-`Abdi'lláh--peace be upon him--in which these sublime
words are found: "Thereupon will He Who is the All-Compelling-- exalted
and glorified be He--descend from the clouds with the angels."
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 111
The earth hath been shaken, and the mountains have passed away, and the angels have appeared, rank on rank, before Us.
Most of the people are bewildered in their drunkenness and wear on
their faces the evidences of anger. Thus have We gathered together the
workers of iniquity. We see them rushing on towards their idol. Say:
None shall be secure this Day from the decree of God. This indeed is a
grievous Day. We point out to them those that led them astray. They see
them, and yet recognize them not. Their eyes are drunken; they are
indeed a blind people. Their proofs are the calumnies they uttered;
condemned are their calumnies by God, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting. The Evil One hath stirred up mischief in their hearts,
and they are afflicted with a torment that none can avert. They hasten
to the wicked, bearing the register of the workers of iniquity. Such
are their doings.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 40
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