DID ANGELS PHYSICALLY FIGHT WITH MUSLIMS AGAINST THE KUFAR (INFIDELS)?
Sheikh “Muhammad Abduh”(1849-1905) the Head of Islamic verdict in Egypt & most Islamic countries in his time wrote on this matter saying
- Quran has mentioned that Allah sent his angels to the muslims during their war at the time of Prophet (saws) as shown in below verses
8;9 إِذْ تَسْتَغِيثُونَ رَبَّكُمْ فَاسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ أَنِّي مُمِدُّكُم بِأَلْفٍ مِّنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُرْدِفِينَ
translation “Remember] when you asked help of your Lord, and He answered you, “Indeed, I will reinforce you with a thousand from the angels, following one another.”—–
8;12 إِذْ يُوحِي رَبُّكَ إِلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ أَنِّي مَعَكُمْ فَثَبِّتُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ۚ سَأُلْقِي فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الرُّعْبَ
translation “[Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, “I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved,’——–
3;126 بَلَىٰ ۚ إِن تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا وَيَأْتُوكُم مِّن فَوْرِهِمْ هَـٰذَا يُمْدِدْكُمْ رَبُّكُم بِخَمْسَةِ آلَافٍ مِّنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُسَوِّمِينَ ﴿١٢٥﴾ وَمَا جَعَلَهُ اللَّـهُ إِلَّا بُشْرَىٰ لَكُمْ وَلِتَطْمَئِنَّ قُلُوبُكُم بِهِ
translation “Yes, if you remain patient and conscious of Allah and the enemy come upon you [attacking] in rage, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand assigned angels And Allah made it not except as [a sign of] good tidings for you and to reassure your hearts thereby ”—-
2. The Sheikh says that there has been a disagreement on interpreting whether the angels physically fought or not ; some say that they physically fought , others says that their mission was to encourage the muslims & strengthen their hearts as stated in the verse . Those who are inclined to the second opinion say that just one angel is sufficient to destroy the whole earth as what Jibreel has done to the people of Lut , so there is no need for thousands of angels . Moreover the killers of the believers & disbelievers where known in each war , i.e. it was known which muslim killed which disbeliever & the opposite, thus, if the angels physically fought , then either they were in a visible form or invisible form . If they were in an invisible form , then there should have been flying heads by swords without anyone carrying it & if they were in a visible form, then they would have been described & nothing of this was narrated to have happened in the battle field, which probably means that the angels were more of moral support as emphasized in the verse 3;123 saying that Allah made it only a sign of good tidings & to reassure the hearts of believers