Allah said next,
[لَهُ مُعَقِّبَـتٌ
مِّن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ]
(For him (each person), there are angels in succession, before and behind
him. They guard him by the command of Allah.) Allah states that there are angels
who take turns guarding each servant, some by night and some by day. These
angels protect each person from harm and accidents. There are also angels who
take turns recording the good and evil deeds, some angels do this by day and
some by night. There are two angels, one to the right and one to the left of
each person, recording the deeds. The angel to the right records the good deeds,
while the angel to the left records the evil deeds. There are also two angels
that guard and protect each person, one from the back and one from in front.
Therefore, there are four angels that surround each person by day and they are
replaced by four others at night, two scribes and two guards. An authentic
Hadith states,
«يَتَعَاقَبُونَ
فِيكُمْ مَلَائِكَةٌ بِاللَّيْلِ وَمَلَائِكَةٌ بالنَّهَارِ، وَيَجْتَمِعُونَ فِي
صَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ وَصَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ، فَيَصْعَدُ إِلَيْهِ الَّذِينَ بَاتُوا
فِيكُمْ فَيَسْأَلُهُمْ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ: كَيْفَ تَرَكْتُمْ عِبَادِي؟
فَيَقُولُونَ: أَتَيْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ، وَتَرَكْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ
يُصَلُّون»
(Angels take turns around you, some at night and some by day, and all of them
assemble together at the time of the Fajr and `Asr prayers. Then those who have
stayed with you throughout the night, ascend to Allah Who asks them, and He
knows the answer better than they about you, "How have you left My servants''
They reply, "As we have found them praying, we have left them praying.'') Imam
Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«مَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ
أَحَدٍ إِلَّا وَقَدْ وُكِّلَ بِهِ قَرِينُهُ مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَقَرِينُهُ مِنَ
الْمَلَائِكَة»
(Verily, every one among you has his companion from the Jinn and his
companion from the angels.'') They said, "And you too, O Allah's Messenger'' He
said,
«وَإِيَّايَ،
وَلَكِنَّ اللهَ أَعَانَنِي عَلَيْهِ، فَلَا يَأْمُرُنِي إِلَّا بِخَيْر»
(And I too, except that Allah has helped me against him, so he only orders me
to do good.) Muslim collected this Hadith. Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that Ibrahim
said, "Allah revealed to a Prophet from among the Children of Israel, `Say to
your nation: every people of a village or a house who used to obey Allah but
changed their behavior to disobeying Him, then He will take away from them what
they like and exchange it for what they dislike.'' Ibrahim next said that this
statement has proof in Allah's Book,
[إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ
يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ]
(Verily, Allah will not change the (good) condition of a people as long as
they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves.)
[هُوَ الَّذِى
يُرِيكُمُ الْبَرْقَ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَيُنْشِىءُ السَّحَابَ الثِّقَالَ -
وَيُسَبِّحُ الرَّعْدُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَالْمَلْـئِكَةُ مِنْ خِيفَتِهِ وَيُرْسِلُ
الصَّوَعِقَ فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَن يَشَآءُ وَهُمْ يُجَـدِلُونَ فِى اللَّهِ وَهُوَ
شَدِيدُ الْمِحَالِ ]
(12. It is He Who shows you the lightning, as a fear and as a hope. And it is
He Who brings up the clouds, heavy (with water).) (13. And Ar-Ra'd (thunder)
glorifies and praises Him, and so do the angels because of His awe. He sends the
thunderbolts, and therewith He strikes whom He wills, yet they (disbelievers)
dispute about Allah. And He is Mighty in strength and Severe in punishment.)