The Quran is the Book of God. The Quran tells man those things which pertain to his eternal life. Among those things is that God has kept innumerable angels in this world. Angels are managing human life and are helping him. Every moment activities are going on. Winds are blowing, fruits blossoming on trees, crops rising up from the soil, and so on. These numerous activities are being managed by angles. From the galaxy to the planet earth, from mountains to the oceans, there are various kind of activities happening, all of which are being managed by angels. 

Angels are all the time helping man. A verse from the Quran reads: “Each person will arrive attended by an [angel] to drive him on and another to bear witness.” (50:21) That is, every person on the Day of Judgement will be with two angels: one who is a witness (shahid) and the other is a driver (saiq). According to the Quran, after death one’s life doesn’t come to an end. Another world will be awaiting us and man will be brought before God.

The commentaries on the Quran are not clear on what this verse means. But, if we think by taking into consideration other verses of the Quran, the meaning becomes clear. The same chapter, that is, Chapter Qaf, the Quran says that every person is constantly accompanied by two angels, who record every word that comes out from his mouth. The Quran says: “And the two recording angels are recording, sitting on the right and the left.” (50:17). These two angels are the same as mentioned in the above verse. So, these two angels have two different roles. One role is mentioned in one verse (50:17) and the other role has been mentioned in the other verse (50:21). The first role of theirs is to record every word of ours. The second role of theirs is that they will become saiq and shahid on the Day of Judgment. Shahid means that in the Hereafter they will stand as witness for what they have recorded about man in this world. God’s decision in the world Hereafter will be based on the witness of these angels.

But, what is the meaning of saiq? Saiq means driver. That is, every person is travelling on a vehicle, a vehicle of history. All of us are travelling in history, from the past to the present and from the present to the future. So, every one of us is travelling in history. These angels serve as the support of that vehicle. They are the drivers of our vehicle of history. They are not only drivers, they are a support and help for us.

In this world, we don’t possess any power. Even the person sitting on the political seat or possessing wealth is helpless. Then who compensates for this helplessness of ours? It is these angels, who are the drivers of our life. This is not enough. Throughout our lives, they lead us to the right direction. We are living in this world in a jungle of thought. To know the truth, differentiate between right and wrong, etc. are among the several questions that beset a human being. No one knows the answers to these questions. The angels mentioned in the above verse are meant to keep directing us, they are the guarantee of our travelling on the right path.

But, this is a very intricate matter. Every man is free. He wants to do what he desires to do. So, to make a free person travel the right path is a very difficult task. If man supports the angels and accepts their guidance, only then can their guidance be of any help. God has given a saiq to every person. But, this help of the angels will be of use only if you curtail your freedom and accept their guidance. You should surrender yourself to angels, so that they keep guiding you and take you to the right path. But, if you don’t listen to or heed their advice, they will never create any compulsion for you. This is the matter.

God has given us a known model of how the angel guides us thorugh life. The model is in the life of Prophet Abraham. He was born in Iraq, where he did dawah. Then he was asked to leave Iraq to go to another place to fulfil a duty. So, an angel started out with him from Iraq. Many towns and dwellings would go by in the way, and Abraham would ask the angel whether he had been commanded by God to stay in one of those dwellings. Each time the angel would say to Abraham that he was not asked to settle in any of these. Then, they finally reached a desert in Mecca. There the angel asked him to settle his children.

In a similar manner, we have an angel with us. The only difference is that with Abraham he was present in the visible form, while with us he is present in an invisible form. We are born into this world, we take education and thus begin our journey of life. Throughout this journey, the angel is present with us in the invisible form. Whenever we face a setback, it is actually an intervention of the angel. The angel intervenes and tells us as he told Abraham that what we were wanting is not meant for us. What we had wanted on that particular path was not meant for us, that is why we failed. Then, he brings us back to the right path.

This is very important. In my life I tried again and again to do something, such as building a beautiful house, trying to do business or get a job, and so on. When I recall my past life, I recognize twenty-five such incidents where I wanted something to happen, but it didn’t happen. At those moments, I became very sad. But, later I realized that those things were in fact not meant for me, they were not the right target for me, that is why they didn’t happen at all.

For example, in the British period when I saw that those people who study in colleges and universities are able to lead a prosperous life, I too tried to get admission into certain colleges. But I couldn’t gain admission at all. Now I realize that not getting admission was a big blessing for me. Those who did BA or MA went into the job market and became earning animals. They lived like that and died in that way. Had I adopted this way, I too would have become like them and wouldn’t have been able to become a man of mission. Similarly, I tried to run businesses several times. But they failed completely. Today I think that I wouldn’t have been able to stand up with this mission had I engaged myself in business.

When I failed so many times, I developed inquisitiveness and questioned the purpose of life. I became a truth seeker. Had I got a good house or good job, I would have never become a seeker after truth. My inabilities and failures made me a seeker of truth. This was the intervention of angel in my life. The angel didn’t want me to fit myself into the life of a businessman or a mere working professional, rather he wanted me to become a seeker of higher realities. So, the angel brought me again and again to the path of truth. Then I studied the truth, and I discovered the truth. Today I can say that truth is my discovery, I haven’t received it through inheritance or education at a madrasa. This happened only because my angel or my saiq didn’t let me deviate in material matters.

An incident from my life is symbolic of my whole life. There was a school in Azamgarh, which was called the Mission School. While walking on the road once I saw that there was a queue on the campus area of the school. I also got into the line. When I reached the window, the person sitting on the other side asked for my identity card. But I didn’t have it. He was giving out sweets to people and since I didn’t have the identity card, he refused to give it to me. In this manner, I stood at many windows: window of job, window of business, window of education and college, and so on. But, I was asked to go away from each of these windows. To the extent that I reached a point where I asked God: “Lord, I am truly in need of whatever blessing You may send down for me.” (28:24) I used to ask God when He will come and till when I should wait for him. That is, I used to ask God when I will discover the truth. I then discovered the truth in 1948. Then the mission began and took various turns until I reached Nizamuddin where I have established a centre as part of my mission.

The role of saiq is very important in this matter. The angel guides every person and doesn’t let him deviate from the right track. But only if you accept the guidance of the angel will he come to help. If you show arrogance it will not be able to help you. During the sad phases of my life, I never lost my positivity. I used to think again after every failure.  

When I was thinking on this subject, I realized that Muslims today are negative everywhere. They should realize that wherever they failed, it was an intervention from the angel. For example, in 1857 Muslim scholars revolted against the British. The British then crushed them and several were executed. The Muslim consequently became extremely bitter and negative for the British. But this was the point to think that the target that the Muslims had set for themselves was wrong. The British were actually madu, and the Muslims were supposed to do dawah with them. But no one discovered this guidance of the angel. Even today they are negative for the British. They are negative because they didn’t hear the voice of the angels. The angel was asking them to do dawah and not become negative for the British. So Muslims’ failure was due to angel’s intervention. He wanted to put the Muslims on the path of dawah and not on the path of rivalry with the British.

Even in Egypt today there is a lot of fighting going on. The Muslim Brotherhood wanted to establish their rule there. But throughout the sixty years of their efforts, they have only experienced failure. The Muslim Brotherhood wants political power, but instead it goes into the hands of people like General Naguib, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Hosni Mubarak, and now General Sisi. This has made the Brotherhood very negative, they think that General Sisi is a Jew! This is the extent of their embitterment. Egypt is a very historical place and a famous tourist spot. The angels are giving the Egyptians the lesson to abandon fighting and confrontation, and to come to the path of dawah, to spread the truth to those who are coming to their country. So, Indian ulema became negative and so did the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. In my life, whenever I failed, I never became negative. I used to rethink and pray.

These Muslims should think whether not their failure is due to angel’s intervention. They set certain targets for themselves but didn’t succeed. They went to the extent of doing 9/11. However, there was total failure. This is because angel has intervened and wants them to correct their target.

This is the message of the above verse of the Quran. But, this message is always in the silent language, it doesn’t come on loudspeakers. Our ulema are incompetent to hear the voice of angels. The above verse tells us that God has been very merciful to us. He has made several arrangements for our guidance: He gave us reason, sent prophets, and has also kept a saiq with every human being. This saiq prevents us from being deviated. In the matter of both the individual and the nation, the angel tries to put us on the right track. However, to accept the voice of the angel, we have to ourselves make the choice. Because, we are free to refuse the advice of the angel. The angel only prevents our target from being fulfilled, however, to understand that this is an intervention from the angel and that we should rethink our plan, is our own decision. The choice of taking up the right choice is ours. The angel will not forcefully put us on the right path. Our saiq will only prevent us from getting deviated, however, to tread the right path will be solely upon us. Muslims today are unaware of the saiq that is trying to guide them. Today Muslims are very negative, they have even taken up suicide bombing. This is the last extent of frustration. They should have understood the intervention from the angel and rethought out their targets. The political target, violence, confrontation, demonstrations and protests, and so on, were all wrong targets. Thus, the angel prevented them from being realized. The duty of the angel is to stop you from getting derailed. But, to make the right choice is your own responsibility. The right path was the path of dawah. God’s message which has come to you should be spread to all mankind. If Muslims do not do this, they will remain unsuccessful up to the Day of Judgement. They will never succeed through their politics, violence, demonstrations, etc. They will never be able to achieve anything through these ways, as the angel will keep stopping them from getting anything with regard to these things.

Questions and Answers

Q1. The believer gets Paradise for being on the straight path, but what will he get, in terms of success, in this world?

A1. He will get what the prophets and the Companions received. That is, you will get according to your need. If you want enjoyment in both places, that will not be possible at all. According to a Hadith: “Whoever loves this world hurts his Hereafter, and whoever loves Hereafter hurts his present word, so prefer that which is everlasting over that which is transient.” (Ahmad). Thus, in this world you have to be content with simple living. Otherwise, God will abandon you. Falah or success doesn’t mean material enhancement. This is not the Quranic concept of falah. According to the Quran, it means you should accept simple life in this world and spent rest of your energy on dawah. There is no other option in this regard.

Q2. What is importance of sakinah for worldly success?

A2. Falah of this world is Muslims’ own invention. In this world you have to be content on less, on simple life. Otherwise, you will not be able to do dawah. You will then only live and work for your family. To earn and spend on your family is worse than those things which are unlawful. A verse in the Quran says: “They ask you what they should spend [in God's cause]. Say, 'Whatever is surplus to your needs.'” (2:219). That is, spend from your earning for your basic necessities and spend all rest in the path of God.

Q3. Other Muslim organizations haven’t achieved their target of gaining political power

A3. Other people will be judged from their target and we will be judged by our target. Their target is to make the government which has not formed to date. Our target is to reform ourselves and to spread the message to all others. We have fulfilled our target, while others have not been able to do so. Therefore, we are not unsuccessful as far as our target is concerned, while others are unsuccessful because their target has not been realized to date despite the killing of several people.

Q4. If being a muttaqi is the prerequisite for guidance from the Quran, will an atheist receive guidance from the Quran?

A4. Here, mutaqqi means sincerity. If you do not possess this you will not be able to receive guidance from the Quran. Muttaqi means being sincere, accepting rational arguments and earnestly seeking answers to his existential questions. Such a person will surely get guidance from the Quran.

Q5. What is the parameter for judging whether a religion is right?

A5. The parameter is the Quran and Hadith. When you study these deeply, you develop the ability to distinguish between right and wrong.

Q6. Is there any worldly success destined for man, or is success only for Hereafter?

A6. Worldly success doesn’t mean having a lot of money or great houses. Such people live in tension. So, worldly success is to have contentment. Those who have more money have a very miserable life. Thus, the criterion for worldly success is not wealth, but contentment and acceptance of what God has given one. Abundance is not the criterion for success. Wealthy people generally live in frustration. Recently there was news that a multimillionaire in America committed suicide from his sixteenth storey apartment. This is because these people do not have peace. The yardstick of worldly success is not money, but contentment and peace of mind. This is possible for those who accept simple living. 

Q7. How can a fresh beginning be made amidst corruption, evils and stresses? Should it be political or spiritual?

A7. This target is incorrect. An ideal society has neither been achieved nor will it be. What you call corruption or evil are actually challenges. If these challenges are not there, the world will not see any development.

Q8. How to hear the voice of angel before experiencing failure?