In life we not only achieve our successes through our efforts alone. Sometimes we achieve beyond what our capabilities and resources would suggest we can achieve. This is because there are multiple other factors which contribute to our success. Among these is that we make Dua and ask Allah Ta’ala to help us achieve our goals. “Dua is the essence of worship.” (Tirmidhi) When we make Dua we show that our only hope is Allah Ta’ala alone. Ibn al Arabi says that the word used in the Hadith of Tirmidhi is Mukh or marrow. “Marrow is a source of strength for the limbs. In a like manner, Dua is the core of worship, giving strength to the acts of worship. It is the soul of worship.” Our daily Duas for ourselves are critically important.
Then we earn other people’s Duas by doing acts of kindness to them. “Perhaps you are asleep while the doors of Heaven are knocking with tens of Duas made for you by a person you helped, or a sad person you cheered up, or a distressed person you brought relief to. Therefore never underestimate the value of any good that you do.” (Ibn Qayyim)
We also look for the Duas of the pious in the hope that their Dua is more likely to be answered. We look for those we think to be greatest in terms of their acts of worship and the fewest in sin. Now imagine being presented with an opportunity of getting the Duas of those whose worship is uninterrupted and who have no sins to their credit? Badr al Deen ibn Jamaa’a said, “People compete for the Duas of the pious or those they assume to be pious. What then of the Dua of the Angels?” Ibn Battal affirms, “It is well known that the Dua of the Angels if answered.”
Angels are created from light. To get an understanding of how many Angels there are, 70,000 of them come to the Baitul Mamoor, the Kabah in the Heavens, daily to worship and leave never to return. The Hadith of Tirmidhi tells us that the sky creaks due to the huge numbers of Angels engaged in Sajdah (prostration) in it. Angels never tire in carrying out the worship of Allah Ta’ala, “And those (Angels) nearest to Him (Allah Ta’ala) are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they tire.” (Noble Quran 21:19)
The Angels are our companions: we all have two who record our deeds. We also have Angels assigned to protect us, “For everyone (from among you) there are Angels replacing one another, in front of him and behind him, who guard him under the command of Allah.” (Noble Quran 13:11) The less sins we commit the further the devil goes away from us and the closer our guardian Angels come.
Ibn Qayyim rahimahullah describes this guardian Angel as, “A person’s companion, who brings him most benefit from among creation, the one who is sincerest to him and the one in whose closeness lies his happiness. There is nothing which brings a person greater benefit than the company of his Angel who is his guardian when he is awake and asleep, in this life, at the time of death and in the grave. He is a source of comfort in his loneliness, his companion in isolation, and the one who shares his secrets.” This Angel defends him and encourages him towards doing good. “Satan has influence with the son of Adam and the angel has influence. As for the influence of Satan, he promises evil and denies the truth. As for the influence of the angel, he promises goodness and affirms the truth.” (Tirmidhi)
When a person becomes good and his soul resembles the Angels in its character and actions, then for such a person, “The Angel becomes his guardian, guides him and advises him, and teaches him. He keeps him firm and prompts him to say the correct things. He seeks forgiveness for him when he sins, reminds him when he forgets, consoles him when he is sad, puts tranquillity in his heart when he feels scared, and wakes him up for Salaah if he is sleeping. He warns him against being attached to the world and encourages him to seek rewards from Allah Ta’ala.” The Angel becomes his neighbour and special guest.
To get the company of the Angels we need to understand what they love and what draws them closer. Angels love the pious because the love to be surrounded by the words of Allah Ta’ala and His Zikr. They look for gatherings of Zikr and sit in them. They travel the earth conveying our Salaams to the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. On a Friday, they stand at the doors of the Masjids to record the names of those who come the earliest for Juma. The Masjids have pillars: those who are attached to the Masjid. In turn these regular Musallis have special companions from among the Angels. Like how we look for the Masjid regulars when they are missing for a Salaah, these Angels also ask about them, visit them if they are sick and help them if they are in need. To become close to these Angels we need to become attached to the Noble Quran and the Masjid. “The one who is proficient with the Quran will be with the noble and righteous scribes (the Angels).” When we recite the Noble Quran, the Angels draw close to hear the words. If we recite Ayatul Kursi before sleeping, an Angel stands guard to protect us. (Bukhari)
One of the functions of the Angels is to make Dua for the believers. This is in general but there are specific actions that inspire Angels to make Dua for us specifically. In this age of modernity and science we tend not to give importance to those things our senses don’t perceive. One such example is the voices of the Angels yet unknown to us their voices can cause a positive shift in our lives, transitioning us from sin to worship, from darkness to light.
The Angels are on standby, waiting. We need to set them to work! Do actions that cultivate the company of the Angels. They will be with us in this life and the Hereafter, comforting us, “Surely, those who have declared: ‘Our Lord is Allah’, then remained steadfast, on them the Angels will descend, saying, ‘Do not fear, and do not grieve; and be happy with the good news of the Paradise that you had been promised. We have been your friends in the worldly life, and (will remain as such) in the Hereafter.’” (Noble Quran 41:30-1)
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