An Exploration into the Infallibility of Angels with a Qur'anic Approach

Document Type : The scientific research paper

Authors

1 Professor, Department of Theology and Islamic Teachings, Qom University, Qom, Iran.

2 PhD candidate of Qur’an and Hadith Sciences, Qom University. Qom, Iran,

Abstract

The Holy Qur'an has ignited the torch of enlightenment in beliefs and raised the flag of the struggle against superstition, by which the true truth is known and the narrations can be evaluated. Among the realities of the universe are the angels whose infallibility are disputed; Some believe in the infallibility of the angels, while some do not. Each group brings its reasons for its special idea. This article aims to investigate the infallibility of angels based on the library method and by referring to the basic religious sources, i.e. the Qur’an, interpretive and narrative collections. So, it introduces a theory based on the Holy Qur’an. As a result, findings show that the three-fold reasons, not only lack strength and dynamism, they also support the infallibility of the angels in some cases. In other cases, the narrations about Hārūt and Mārūt are attributed to Ka'b al-Ahbār in the form of marfū' and date back to the Israelite. In terms of content, since they do not compatible to the Qur’an and there is no reason for their being a symbolism, they oppose the clear text of the Qur’an concerning the infallibility of the angels; for some verses affirm the appearance of the angels and some affirm their infallibility.

Highlights

 

CONCLUSION

From all that has been said, it can be concluded that citing the three reasons mentioned for the lack infallibility of the angels, in addition to being weak, in some reasons they can also be considered as confirming the infallibility of the angels; because:

First: In the story of the creation of man, which was narrated by all the angels, their words were not objections, but a question about the wisdom and expediency of selecting a caliph on earth and observing the requirements of human nature, and this question was asked by the command of God to find answer: I know something you don’t know.

Second: The angels' fear of committing sin indicates their high knowledge toward God Almighty, the voluntariness of their infallibility, and the value of their action, not their lack of innocence.

Third: The narrations of Hārūṫ and Mārūṫ, in addition to being weak and marfūʿ in terms of authenticity, and their roots go back to Ibn 'Umar from the Ka'b al-Aḥbār and go back to the Israelites, because they do not conform to the verse of the Qur'an and there is no strong reason for its symbolism, they cannot be symbolic and are rejected and unacceptable due to the existence of numerous textual flaws, the most important of which is the opposition to the explicit text of the Qur'an in the infallibility of the angels.

Also, by examining the verses cited for the infallibility of the angels, it becomes clear that these eight verses can be divided into three groups:

A) A group of verses in the infallibility of some angels [Al-Anbiyāʼ: 19; At-Taḥrīm: 6].

B) Another group appears in the infallibility of all the angels [Al-Ṣāffāt: 164-166; Maryam: 64; Al-Baqarah: 98].

C) Three of the verses mentioned above are the text in the infallibility of the angels [Al-Baqarah: 285; Al-Anbiyāʼ: 26-27; An-Naḥl: 16-17].

The conclusion is that the Holy Qur'an specifies the infallibility of all the angels and any narration that indicates the lack of infallibility of the angels must be interpreted if the sanad is solid, and if it is not interpretable, because of the opposition to the explicit text of the Qur'an, the ruling is fabricated and forged. And this ruling is based on the numerous narrations narrated from the Infallibles (AS) that have introduced the Holy Qur'an as the criterion for recognizing the correct and incorrect narrations.

Keywords

Article Title [Persian]

کنکاشی در عصمت فرشتگان با رویکرد قرآنی

Authors [Persian]

  • سید رضا مودب 1
  • محسن دلیر 2
1 استاد الهیات و مطالعات اسلامی، دانشگاه قم، ایران.
2 دکتری علوم قرآن و حدیث، دانشگاه قم، ایران.
Abstract [Persian]

قرآن کریم مشعل روشن­گری در عقاید و باورها را افروخته و پرچم مبارزه با خرافات را برافراشته که در پرتو نور آن حقیقت شناخته می­ شود و روایات قابل ارزیانی می ­شوند. از جمله حقایق جهان هستی، فرشتگان هستند که درباره عصمت ایشان اختلاف پدید آمده است و گروهی به عصمت فرشتگان و گروهی نیز به عدم عصمت ایشان باور پیدا کرده و هر یک برای باور خویش دلایلی آورده ­اند. در این مقاله تلاش شده با روش کتابخانه ­ای و مراجعه به منابع اساسی دینی، یعنی قرآن، تفسیر و جوامع روایی، عصمت فرشتگان مورد بررسی قرار گیرد و نظریه متناسب با قرآن کریم معرفی شود و نتیجه این شده که دلایل سه­ گانه ذکر شده برای عدم عصمت فرشتگان علاوه بر ضعف سندی و دلالی، در برخی موارد مؤید عصمت فرشتگان نیز هستند و روایات هاروت و ماروت مرفوع و موقوف به کعب­الاحبار هستند و به اسرائیلیات بازمی­ گردند و از نظر محتوایی نیز علاوه بر اینکه با آیه قرآن قابلیت انطباق ندارند و دلیل محکمی بر سمبلیک بودن آنها وجود ندارد با نص صریح قرآن در عصمت فرشتگان مخالفت دارند؛ زیرا گروهی از آیات ظهور و گروهی بر عصمت همه فرشتگان تصریح دارند.

Keywords [Persian]

  • عصمت
  • فرشتگان
  • هاروت و ماروت
  • قرآن کریم
  • احادیث

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Quran and Religious Enlightenment
Volume 1, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
October 2021
Pages 93-112

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History

  • Receive Date: 21 March 2020
  • Revise Date: 15 April 2020
  • Accept Date: 27 May 2020

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