Tafsir of Al-Haqqah 69:17

"And the angels" — meaning the genus commonly known as angels; it is broader than [merely] the angels according to al-Zamakhshari and a group [of scholars], and al-Jawhari has also mentioned this. Abu Hayyan said: "Al-Malak" (the angel/king) is a generic noun intended to mean the angels, and it does not appear to be broader than the angels. The verification of this station, beyond which there is nothing more to be added, is found in the Sharh al-Talkhis by the second Allamah and his glosses; so refer to it if you desire.

"At its edges" — meaning its sides. It is the plural of raja', shortened. It is among those containing a waw, which is why it appeared in the dual form. The poet said: (As if I had not seen a bound captive before me / Nor a man to whom the two edges [of the valley] cast him).

The pronoun refers to the sky, and by its sides are meant its extremities that have not split. Ibn al-Mundhir recorded from Ibn Jubayr and al-Dahhak that they both said: "And the angels are at its edges," meaning: upon what has not split of it. Perhaps this is a resort to the extremities by them due to what entered them of the perception of the greatness of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, or a gathering there for the descent. Ibn al-Mundhir and 'Abd ibn Humayd recorded from al-Rabi' ibn Anas that he said: "And the angels are at its edges," meaning: the angels are on its side, looking at the side of the earth and the terror that has come upon them. The first [interpretation] is more apparent. Perhaps this splitting is after the death of the angels at the first blast of the Trumpet, and their resurrection, for they are resurrected before the people, as the reports suggest. It is also permissible that this is after the second blast of the Trumpet while the people are at the gathering place (Mahshar). In some narrations, there is that which indicates the splitting of every sky on that day and the descent of its angels, and the day is vast, as we have indicated.

The Imam said: It is possible that they stand at the edges for a moment and then die, and it is possible that those intended are those whom Allah, the Exalted, excepted in His saying: "...except whom Allah wills." By both views, that which is said is resolved—that the angels die at the first blast (as per His saying: "...and those who are in the heavens and those who are on the earth will swoon"), so how can it be said that they stand at the edges of the heaven? In Anwar al-Tanzil, it states: "Perhaps His saying, 'And the heaven will split...,' is a representation of the ruin of the world by the ruin of buildings, and the drawing of its inhabitants to its extremities. Even if it is [taken] according to its apparent meaning, then perhaps the death of the angels is an effect of that." I do not agree with the possibility of it being a representation (tamthil).

In al-Bahr, it is narrated from Ibn Jubayr and al-Dahhak that the pronoun "its edges" refers to the earth, and that after mentioning it, they said they descend upon it to guard its edges, as it is narrated that Allah, the Exalted, commands the angels of the lowest heaven, and they stand in a row on the edges of the earth, then the angels of the second [heaven], and they align around them, and so on for the angels of every heaven; whenever any of the jinn or mankind attempts to escape, he finds the earth surrounded. Perhaps what we have conveyed from them is worthier of reliance.

"And the Throne of your Lord will be carried above them" — meaning above the angels who are at the edges, indicated by "the angels." It is also said: above all the worlds. And it is said: the pronoun refers to the carrying angels, meaning: "And the Throne of your Lord will be carried above their backs or their heads."

"On that day, eight" — although the referent is delayed in wording, it is advanced in rank and utility. "Above them" indicates that it is not being carried by their hands, like something suspended, for example. This is supported—and the consideration of the backs is supported—by what al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah recorded from al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib in a hadith: "...and above that are eight aw'al (ibexes/mountain goats), between their hooves and their haunches is the distance between one sky and another; then above their backs is the Throne, and between its base and its top is like what is between one sky and another."

The intended meaning by aw'al—and therein are angels in the form of aw'al—as Ibn al-Athir and others have said, is the plural of wa'l (masculine), meaning the mountain goat. It is inferred from this that the intent is eight individuals. The reports indicating this are many, yet they contain contradictions, as some indicate that some of them are in the form of a human, some in the form of a lion, some in the form of a bull, and some in the form of an eagle; and others indicate that each of them has four faces: the face of a bull, the face of an eagle, the face of a lion, and the face of a human. And therein [it is stated] that each of them has four wings: two wings over his face for fear that he might look at the Throne and swoon, and two wings with which he flies.

Abu Hayyan did not affirm the correctness of any of that, saying: "They mentioned for the attributes of these eight [beings] contradictory shapes, so we have struck them from our pages." 'Abd ibn Humayd recorded from Ibn Zayd from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he said: "It is carried today by four, and on the Day of Resurrection by eight." Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from him that he did not name anyone from the carriers of the Throne except Israfil, peace be upon him, and he said: "Mikail, peace be upon him, is not among the carriers of the Throne." Based on this, whoever claims that they, Jibril, and 'Azra'il, peace be upon them, are among the number of its carriers is required to prove that with a reliable report.

From Shahr ibn Hawshab: "Four of them say: 'Glory be to You, O Allah, and with Your praise; Yours is the praise for Your pardon after Your power.' And four say: 'Glory be to You, O Allah, and with Your praise; Yours is the praise for Your forbearance after Your knowledge.'" In a report from Wahb ibn Munabbih: "They have no speech except their saying: 'Sanctify Allah, the Mighty, whose greatness has filled the heavens.'" Most reports on this subject are not to be relied upon.

'Abd ibn Humayd recorded from al-Dahhak that he said: "It is said: eight rows, the number of which no one knows except Allah, the Almighty and Majestic." Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, and Ibn Abi Hatim recorded this statement from routes via Ibn Abbas. al-Hasan said: "Allah, the Exalted, knows best whether they are eight classes or eight individuals." You know that the apparent meaning, supported by some corrected reports, is that they are eight individuals. However it may be, the apparent [meaning] is that there is a carrying [taking place] in reality, and to this Muhyi al-Din—may his secret be sanctified—went. He said: "Allah, the Exalted, has angels who carry the Throne—which is the couch—on their shoulders; they are four today, and tomorrow they will be eight for the sake of carrying it to the land of the Gathering." He—may his secret be sanctified—has in the thirteenth chapter of his Futuhat extensive speech on the carriers of the Throne, especially based on his interpretation of [the word] Malak; so let he whose mind's chair is wide enough to understand his speech refer to it.

It is permitted that this is a representation of His greatness, the Exalted, by what is witnessed of the states of monarchs on the day they go out to the people for general judgment. Thus, the meaning is His self-disclosure, the Exalted, with the attribute of greatness.