Section Al-Furqan – Part 14

We are continuing with our study of Section Al-Furqan from the Qur’an. The last verse we investigated mentioned those who think that they are not going to give an account to God say that ‘why were angels not sent down to us, or why do we not see our Lord?” The verse does not reply with a demonstration but says that “they have certainly become too proud of themselves and excessively insolent.” We discussed the implications of their insincere excuses in order not to submit to God.

We will continue with the next verse:

يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ لَا بُشْرَىٰ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ لِّلْمُجْرِمِينَ وَيَقُولُونَ حِجْرًۭا مَّحْجُورًۭا

25:22 But on the Day they will see the angels, there will be no good news for the criminals (those who denied God,) the angels will cry, “Keep away! Away from us!”

This verse mentions to the deniers not to worry as they will be seeing the angels at Resurrection. The usage of the word “لِّلْمُجْرِمِينَ” signifies that a big crime is committed against the angels and God. The angels will cry that they don’t want to see them. The verse uses “حِجْرًۭا مَّحْجُورًۭا” which stresses the meaning where the angels don’t want to get close to the deniers and never want to see them. In the previous verse, deniers were sarcastically asking for the angels to come down and point out the prophet. In this verse, it is presented that in the next creation everything will be declared openly in front of everyone’s consciousness and understanding. 

In this world is it possible to see angels? It is possible to see them, but the angels do not have a physical existence. It is not that angels are invisible; our capacity allows us only as far as our physical eyes can see. However, with the usage of intellect, questioning creation, reasoning, using the heart and feelings, angels are possible to be perceived. Those who do not wonder how things are happening in this world, do not use their intellect to reason want to see the angels with their physical eyes.

For example, when I read a book, can I see the information and knowledge in the book? No, I do not see them physically but by reading and engaging with the book whereby using human qualities, intellect, feelings will get the meaning of the book. My eyes are created in such a way where I cannot see non-physical beings. However, it doesn’t mean that I would not be able to acknowledge the existence of non-physical beings. I can use my human qualities to understand their existence, however the deniers do not use their intellect and qualities as their intention is not to understand them. 

If I tell someone to read a particular book where they will find a lot of beneficial information for them. Would this be acceptable: “Where is the information, I don’t see it there physically but only see paper and ink”? That is how God is inviting me to look at the universe to see its angelic side beyond the paper, ink and material side of the universe. Those who question the angels, where are they? They want to see them with their physical eyes. However, we cannot see the qualities reflected, the meaning in the universe, with physical eyes and we are not expected to. Only our senses, consciousness, feelings can see the qualities in creation. We can see a man, but we cannot physically see his kindness or intelligence. Our feelings, consciousness and intellect see the kindness in their being, in the way that he behaves. 

God doesn’t say that you cannot see the angels. However, the intention of the deniers is not to study the book of creation. When I look at the book or universe, I will find a lot of information or qualities manifested in it. Those qualities are the angelic side of the book of the universe.

The verse mentions that when the day of Resurrection comes, all the reality of existence will be presented to human beings. They will recognize the angels in the next creation because the human spirit with all its qualities will be able to function automatically. In this world, we must use our free will to choose to see the angelic side of the universe or not. In the Hereafter, there will be no option to exercise free will to deny reality as everything will be clearly presented to me.  The verse states that when the deniers are presented with reality and the angels appear to them, they will say to them that you denied our existence, insulted us in the world, so now go away and keep away from us.

This is the beautiful reality the verse is reminding us of now that we must use our human qualities to understand the angelic side of creation. We may have discussed the angelic side of the universe before, but we must be reminded often of this reality to be mindful with whatever we are doing in our lives, any interaction with creation, to take notice of the angelic side of creation. Not just look at things from their material side but the meaning in their existence. Regardless of believing in angels or not, everyone in their practical lives interacts with beauty, design, art, durability, perfection, usefulness, which are all qualities manifested in everything they want to have and pay for those qualities. They do not say they are just natural, they happened to be by themselves. When it comes to seeing these kinds of qualities manifested in created beings demonstrating the qualities of their Creator, some people claim that they are just natural, happen to be by themselves, they mean nothing. Thus they deny the angelic side of the creation and claim that there are no angels just because we do not see them with our physical eyes.

What does “seeing the angels” by the deniers mean in this verse? One can see the angels by using their human qualities, not physically. The deniers live by only seeing the material side of things. Although the angels are here in this world, those who deny the angelic side of creation represented by angels, see only matter, transient changing matter. The angels are not going to treat them in this world. Angels would not present them with the good news about their Absolute Creator, His mercy, His blessings in these transient beings which are His gifts. Can I imagine getting a gift from my Creator? If I close the door by not using my qualities to recognize angels in this world, I will not be treated by them right now. Angels are presenting the good news of eternal happiness, that I have an Absolute Creator treating me with His mercy and I close that door and deprive myself of all those infinite number of gifts from my Creator. By denying, they only see the material aspect of the universe and don’t enjoy the news of the angels in this world. The angels practically tell them to keep away from them because they close their eyes and doors to them. For example, if someone takes a book and doesn’t want to read it, denies the existence of the information in it. What happens is that as if the knowledge and information in the book tells this person to keep away from me because you are not benefiting from me. If I deny my Creator in this world, I deny myself from the benefit, beauty from belief in God where I belong to an Absolute Owner who provides me with everything. In the Hereafter, that will be the case as well where God will treat them as they treated God’s signs in this creation.

Once again, the deniers of the angelic side of the universe will not see angels in this world but they will see them in the Hereafter. Angels will not be happy with them because they were insulted in this world and they will tell  the deniers to keep away from us. The deniers will be left with only meaningless, mass of matter as they believed in this world the creation was meaningless, they will get no satisfaction from them at all. All their needs will not be met as they called everything meaningless. In their eyes like a useless stone which does not give them any benefit. This is beautifully described in the Qur’an and the deniers are warned with this description not to treat the perfect creation like a meaningless, purposeless piece of mass:

…فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱلنَّارَ ٱلَّتِى وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْحِجَارَةُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ

“… then beware of the Fire prepared for the disbelievers, whose fuel is men and stones.” (Qur’an, 2: 24)

In a narration, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) describes this scenario in a figurative way that conveys the following message: “In the Hereafter, we won’t be able to use our human qualities to deny reality. Those in Hell will have no right to choose good,  they will be able to choose only what does not give them any satisfaction. The believers will have the free will to choose only the good that God will give them.  However, if they have not lived according to their belief in this world, they will give an account for it, but they will be able to ask God to forgive them because of their belief.” By reading some narrations, it may sound like the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would be interceding on behalf of his followers, asking God to forgive his people but, it is only those who believed in the prophet (pbuh) and lived according to that belief. This belief accompanies them in the Hereafter and starts to function. We welcome the message of the prophets but may fail to practice in our lives. The prophet’s (pbuh) intercession in the Hereafter is possible only through my benefitting from his teachings and belief in God, His message and His messengers. The benefit that I receive from the prophetic message must be practiced as much as I can and by confirming it will be the means for me to receive intercession in the Hereafter: “Please God, forgive me, I know this is the truth and I failed to practice it.” This attitude of acknowledgment of my reality would save me if I acknowledged my failure and presented it to God in this world and be sincere about it and then try not to fail in practicing it next time. 

There are many verses in the Qur’an where in Paradise we will choose the best things according to the capacity of our belief and practice in this world. In the Hereafter, we will not be able to choose the wrong to deny the truth, but the next creation will be just the manifestation of the truth. Everyone will see the angels there but those who denied and insulted them will not benefit from them. The Qur’an describes the deniers as criminals for committing crime against the reality of God and His angels. In this world, we can see angels through exercising our human qualities.

Why will the angels say “Keep away from us” in the hereafter?

Can believers see the angels in this world? If we could see the angels in this world, what difference would it make? When we use our human qualities, we can live with the angels in this world. We won’t see them physically but with our human qualities, see the meaningful side of creation. Even the deniers experience the qualities of beings such as beauty, deliciousness, likeness, but when it comes to belief in God and things related to God, they deny it. Although everyone’s life is full of experiencing the qualities that we openly express ourselves with. The deniers already accepted with their intention to deny this reality so they cannot see and understand that angels are with them. They only benefit from them for their worldly life. They see things as beautiful, the angelic side is seen by them, but beauty doesn’t exist physically. We understand that beauty exists, and we communicate with that beauty through our human qualities. The disbelievers don’t utilize this angelic aspect to their human qualities to understand the reality of existence. When it comes to understanding the reality of existence, they deny “Ghaib”, Absoluteness of the Creator but in their worldly life, they practice their human qualities.

What difference would it make if I saw the angels physically in this world? Even if I don’t see the angels in physical form but through my human qualities, what difference would it make for me if they appear physically in front of me? For example, a book has information in it, and I have a tool through which I can physically see the information. I can also use my human qualities to see that information, though not physically but through intellect and feelings. Is there any difference between the two for me to conclude about the existence of information and benefiting from it?

It should not make any difference to me. When I look at the universe and see the qualities manifested in it, I would benefit from the news that the angelic side of the universe is bringing to me. I can read and benefit from this news by using my human qualities. Even if this message of the angelic side of the universe appears to me physically, it would not make any difference. That is why as far as my benefiting from the news, it would not make any difference. 

If we recall in the previous verse, the deniers were sarcastically asking, “why do the angels not come down physically in front of their eyes”. God in a way replies that “it would not make any difference to you even if the angels appeared physically because your intention is not to understand the message of the angelic side.”  The denier’s intention is not to receive the message, so they don’t have to submit to it. They will be treated in the Hereafter with the punishment of Hell, and they would not be able to say: “It was ‘ghaib’, not appearing physically so we didn’t know.” The qualities in the universe exist and they tell me that they cannot come into existence by themselves. They say that their Creator is the Creator of the whole universe. By not physically seeing those qualities is not the excuse to deny God and His angels. Whoever wants to read the book of the universe, the qualities in its existence are capable of reading them. The qualities are so obvious that there is no reason for them not to see that beings are openly declaring the qualities of their Source of Existence.