Dear Hadi,
A friend and I were talking about angels and wondering whether they pray to Allah.
Any thoughts?
Dear Asking About Angels,
Of course, this matter is in the realm of the Unseen (the “Ghayb”), and so our best answer is that we do not know.
However, based on Quranic evidence, we believe that the angels do pray to Allah SWT in terms of glorification (tasbeeh), as well as praying to Him to grant forgiveness and mercy to the believers.
These points can be seen in several verses, and we will quote a few by way of illustration.
First, in Surat al-Baqara (Quran 2:30), when Allah SWT informs the angles that He will create human beings and install them as vicegerents upon the earth, they reply, and the conversation goes as follows:
“AND LO! Thy Sustainer said unto the angels: 'Behold, I am about to establish upon earth one who shall inherit it.' They said: 'Wilt Thou place on it such as will spread corruption thereon and shed blood -whereas it is we who extol Thy limitless glory, and praise Thee, and hallow Thy name?' [God] answered: 'Verily, I know that which you do not know.' ”
In this verse, the angels state that they extol God’s limitless glory and praise Him.
We take this as their form of prayer.
In surat Ghafir (Quran 40:7), we see the angels glorifying God and praying to Him for forgiveness for the believers:
“Those angels who carry the Throne and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord, have faith in Him, and seek forgiveness for the believers, praying: “Our Lord! You encompass everything in Your mercy and knowledge. So forgive those who repent and follow Your Way, and protect them from the torment of the Hellfire.”
As a final illustration, we go to the end of surat al-Zummar, Quran 39:75:
“You will see the angels hovering around the Throne of His majesty, glorifying their Lord with praise. It will be judged between them equitably, and it will be said, ‘All praise be to God, Lord of the worlds.’”
This last verse even raises the possibility that judgment will be passed on the angels, as it is passed on creatures that exercise their free will (like humans and jinn).
In peace.