Angels in Islam (26) their greeting word

The Angels’ greeting word on meeting is persistently one word; it is “Salam”.

Salam means Peace

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The Angels’ greeting words on meeting are not:

• How do you do
• Good morning
• Good afternoon
• Good evening
• Good day
• Pleased to meet you
• Hello
• Hi, or
• How are you

The Angels’ greeting words on meeting is persistently one word; it is “Salam”.

Salam, in Arabic, means Peace

Al-Salam that means “the Peace” is one of Allah’s names.

 

Salam was the Angels’ greeting words on meeting with the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham); the story of this meeting is mentioned three times in the Noble Quran in the verses 15:51-52, 11:69 and 51:25

The Angels’ greeting words on meeting with the good faithful believers at the moment of their death:

To those whom the angels cause to die when they are good, pure of any unbelief and pure from associating any partners with Allah, the Angels say: Peace be unto you! This is the greeting!

Then, the Angels will continue saying: Enter Paradise because of your faith and what you have done in your worldly life. (The verse 16:32)

The Angels’ greeting words on meeting with the good faithful believers at the gate of Paradise in the Afterlife:

And those who feared their Lord, those who keep their duty to their Lord and those who obey their Lord, they will be driven, gently, to Paradise in troops, until, when they reach it, and its gates are opened and its keepers (the Angels therein) will say to them, ‘Peace be to you! This is the greeting!

Then, the Angels will continue saying:

You are good! You succeeded and are saved. So enter it to abide therein with the decree that you are to abide in it forever, never to die or and never to leave it (the verse 39:73).

The manner of their being driven as well as the opening of the gates before their arrival is a way of honoring them; the driving of the disbelievers to the Hell, however, and the opening of the gates only upon their arrival so that all of its heat is retained for them, is a means of humiliating them.

 

Nevertheless, Salam, the Angels’ greeting word is only for the believers.

For the unbelievers there are the words of blaming, accusing and smiting their faces.

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The Angels’ greeting words on meeting with the Prophet Ibrahim

15:51-52 (PICKTHAL translation)

And tell them of Abraham’s guests, (how) when they came in unto him, and said: peace. He said: lo! We are afraid of you.

11:69 (PICKTHAL translation)

PICKTHAL:

And our messengers came unto Abraham with good news. They said: peace! He answered: peace! And delayed not to bring a roasted calf.

51:25 (QARIB translation)

Have you heard the story of Abraham’s honored guests? They entered to him and said: ‘peace. ‘And he replied: ‘peace, you are people unknown to me.’

 

The Angels’ greeting words on meeting with the good faithful believers at the moment of their death:

16:32 (SHAKIR translation)

Those whom the angels cause to die in a good state, saying: peace be on you: enter the garden for what you did

 

The Angels’ greeting words on meeting with the good faithful believers at the gate of Paradise in the Afterlife:

39:73 (YUSUFALI translation)

And those who feared their Lord will be led to the garden in crowds: until behold, they arrive there; its gates will be opened; and its keepers will say: “peace be upon you! We’ll have ye done! Enter ye here, to dwell therein.”

Angels in Islam (8) why Abraham was scared of the Angels?

The Angels are created from light.

Does the light eat? 

Does the light drink?

In the previous article, we have seen that both the Bible and the Quran describe the interesting story of Abraham and his Guests, the Angels,.

The Bible says that Abraham offered the Angels food and they ate (Genesis 18:7-8)

In addition, Psalm 78:25 mentions the Angels’ food (See the appendix).

 

Abraham and his Guests, the Angels in the Quran

The verses 51:24-28 describe what happened between Abraham and the Angels

The meaning of verses in short:

“Then Abraham turned quickly to his household, brought out a calf, and placed it before them; but they did not eat. He said, ‘Will you not eat?’ And he was scared of them.

The Angels said: ‘Fear not,’ and they gave him glad tidings of a son (Isaac) endowed with knowledge.”
In addition, the verse 11:70 says:
“But when Abraham saw their hands went not towards the food, he felt some mistrust of them, and conceived a fear of them. They said: ‘Fear not: we have been sent against the people of Lot.’

Why Abraham was scared of the Angels?

Traditionally, Hospitality was the custom of the ancient noble people.

The host has to offer the best food for his guests/

Abraham was the top of noble and generous people.

The guest(s) must eat the food presented to them

But what if the guest(s) did not eat the food?

According to the custom of the ancient people, the guest(s) does not eat the food of the host if he going to hurt his host e.g. if he wants to kill him.

When Abraham saw three men at his door, he thought that they were men not Angels and he ran to his household to present them the best of food. And when they did not eat, he thought they wanted to hurt him and his family that is why he was scared of them.

If Abraham knew from the beginning that they were Angels, he would not offered then any food because he knows very well that the Angels do not eat!

 

The verses 51:24-28 in four different translations

QARIB:

24) Have you heard the story of Abraham’s honored guests?

25) They entered to him and said: ‘peace. ‘And he replied: ‘peace, you are people unknown to me. ‘

26) So he turned to his household and brought a fattened calf.

27) He set it before them, saying: ‘will you not eat? ‘

28) Then he conceived a fear about them, and they said: ‘have no fear’, and gave him the glad tidings that he was to have a knowledgeable son.

 

SHAKIR:

24) Has there come to you information about the honored guests of Ibrahim?

25) When they entered upon him, they said: peace. Peace, said he, a strange people

26) Then he turned aside to his family secretly and brought a fat (roasted) calf,

27) So he brought it near them. He said: what! Will you not eat?

28) So he conceived in his mind a fear on account of them. They said: fear not. And they gave him the good news of a boy possessing knowledge

 

PICKTHAL:

24) Hath the story of Abraham’s honoured guests reached thee (o Muhammad)?

25) When they came in unto him and said: peace! He answered, peace! (And thought): folk unknown (to me).

26) Then he went apart unto his housefolk so that they brought a fatted calf;

27) And he set it before them, saying: will ye not eat?

28) Then he conceived a fear of them. They said: fear not! And gave him tidings of (the birth of) a wise son.

 

YUSUFALI:

24) Has the story reached thee, of the honoured guests of Abraham?

25) Behold, they entered his presence, and said: “peace!” he said, “peace!” (and thought, “These seem) unusual people.”

26) Then he turned quickly to his household, brought out a fatted calf,

27) And placed it before them.. He said, “Will ye not eat?”

28) (When they did not eat), he conceived a fear of them. They said, “Fear not,” and they gave him glad tidings of a son endowed with knowledge.

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Appendix:

Psalm 78:25

21st Century King James Version: Man ate angels’ food

Complete Jewish Bible: mortals ate the bread of angels;

Amplified Bible: Everyone ate the bread of the mighty [man ate angels’ food]

Angels in Islam (7) they do not eat or drink

The Angels are created from light.

Does the light eat?  

Does the light drink?

Remarkably, both the Bible and the Quran describe the interesting story of Abraham and his Guests.

 

Who were Abraham guests?

In the Bible. Abraham guests were Jehovah, the Lord God and two accompanying Angels (Genesis 18: 1-2 and 7-8)

In the Quran: Abraham guests were Angels (Chapter 51:24-28)

 

What has Abraham offered them as food?

In the Bible: Abraham offered them butter and milk and the calf which he had dressed,

In the Quran: Abraham offered them roasted calf

 

Did Abraham guests eat?

In the Bible: Yes, they ate.

In the Quran: No, they did not eat; that is why Abraham was very scared of them! Why? See the next article

It should be emphasized that, according to the Quran and Islamic teaching, anyone who believes that the Almighty Creator and/or the Angels eat or drink is considered as unbeliever and he will dwell in the Eternal Hell in the Afterlife.

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The Bible: Jehovah, the Lord God and his Angels EAT

Genesis 18: 1-2 and 7-8

21st Century King James Version

1And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.

² And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood by him. And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground

⁷ And Abraham ran unto the herd and fetched a calf, tender and good, and gave it unto a young man, and he hastened to dress it.

⁸ And he took butter and milk and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

 

American Standard Version

1 And Jehovah appeared unto him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

² and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,

⁷ And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hasted to dress it.

⁸ And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.