Sūrat al-Malāʾikah (Fāṭir)

Classification: Meccan. It consists of forty-five verses and was revealed after al-Furqān.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

{Praise be to Allah, Originator of the heavens and the earth, [who] makes the angels messengers having wings—two, three, and four. He increases in creation what He wills. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.}

• "Originator" (Fāṭir): The Creator who brought them into existence without a prior model.
• "Messengers" (Rusulan): Those who convey His commands to His prophets and carry out His decrees in His creation.
• "Having wings" (Ūlī ajniḥah): Possessing wings with which they fly to execute His commands.
• "Two, three, and four": Some have two, some have three, and some have four. The mention of these specific numbers does not preclude the existence of more, as indicated by the subsequent phrase:
• "He increases in creation what He wills": He adds to the number of wings beyond four for whomsoever He wills among them, as reported in the ḥadīth regarding the Prophet (ﷺ) seeing Gabriel with six hundred wings.
• "Indeed, Allah is over all things competent": He is capable of creating whatever He wills, whether it be wings or anything else, and nothing is difficult for Him.

It is recited: Alladhi fatara al-samawati wa-l-ard wa-ja'ala al-mala'ikata. It is also recited: Ja'il al-mala'ikati (in the nominative case, as a form of praise).

The meaning is: Angels were created with their wings in sets of two, meaning each of them has two wings; and created with their wings in sets of three; and created with their wings in sets of four.

If you ask: "The analogy of even-numbered wings is that there should be half on each side, so what is the form of three?" I say: Perhaps the third is in the middle of the back, between the two wings, to strengthen them. Or perhaps it is for something other than flight. It has been mentioned in some books that a class of angels has six wings: two with which they wrap their bodies, two with which they fly in the affairs of Allah, and two lowered over their faces out of modesty before Allah.

It is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that he saw Gabriel (peace be upon him) on the night of the Ascension, and he had six hundred wings.

It is also narrated that he asked Gabriel (peace be upon him) to show himself in his true form. He said: "You will not be able to bear it." He said: "I would love for you to do so." So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) went out on a moonlit night, and Gabriel came to him in his true form. The Prophet (peace be upon him) fainted, then recovered while Gabriel (peace be upon him) was supporting him, one of his hands on his chest and the other between his shoulder blades. He said: "Glory be to Allah! I did not think any of the creation was like this." Gabriel said: "How would it be if you saw Israfil? He has twelve wings: one of them is in the East, and one in the West, and the Throne is upon his shoulders. He shrinks at times due to the greatness of Allah until he becomes like a was', which is a small bird."

It is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) regarding the Almighty's saying: {He increases in creation what He wills}: "It is a beautiful face, a beautiful voice, and beautiful hair." It is also said: "Good fortune." Qatada said: "Beauty in the eyes."

The verse is absolute and encompasses every increase in creation: height, balanced features, perfection of limbs, strength in grip, soundness of mind, excellence of opinion, boldness of heart, generosity of soul, eloquence of tongue, skill in speech, and good deliberation in managing affairs; and similar things that description cannot encompass.