Belief in Angels and Divine Books

Faith in Islam rests on more than belief in God alone; it also includes the means through which God has chosen to guide humanity. This course explores two essential articles of that faith: belief in the angels and belief in the divine books. Drawing directly on the Qur’ān and the insights of Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, it first examines who the angels are, why the Qur’ān calls them “messengers,” and the many responsibilities entrusted to them, from delivering revelation to the prophets and recording human deeds to claiming souls and attending God’s throne in the Hereafter. It also addresses the misconceptions people have held about angels and shows how the Qur’ān establishes them as the only reliable link between this world and the unseen. The course then turns to the divine scriptures God revealed to guide mankind and settle their differences, giving special attention to the four most prominent: the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel, and the Qur’ān. Learners will study the history, content, and present state of each, and come to understand why the Qur’ān holds a unique position as the muhaymin, the guardian and final standard by which all religious matters are judged, preserved by God in its original form, language, and arrangement to this day. By the end of the course, students will see how belief in angels and in divine books together form the foundation for understanding prophethood and revelation in Islam.