(al-rūḥ) by His command on whom He pleases of His servants” (16:2). And again: “Exalter of degrees, Lord of the Throne; He makes the spirit (al-rūḥ) to light by His command on whom He pleases of His servants” (40:15). These are general statements; and in the case of Mary who was undoubtedly not a prophet, the angels are also spoken of as bearing Divine messages: “And when the angels said, O Mary, surely Allāh has chosen thee and purified thee” (3:42); and again: “When the angels said, O Mary, surely Allāh gives thee good news with a word from Him of one whose name is the Messiah” (3:45). And so in the case of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist: “The angels called to him as he stood praying in the sanctuary: Allāh gives thee good news of John” (3:39). And the believers generally are thus spoken of: “As for those who say, our Lord is Allāh, then continue in the right way, the angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not, nor be grieved, and receive good news of the Garden which you were promised” (41:30).
The second function of the angels, as revealed in the Holy Qur’ān, is to strengthen the righteous servants of God, prophets as well as others, and to give them comfort in trials and affliction. Jesus Christ is specially mentioned in this connection because of the serious allegations of the Jews against him. Thrice8 it is stated in the Holy Qur’ān that Jesus Christ was strengthened with the Holy Spirit which, as shown earlier, is another name of Gabriel, according to the Holy Qur’ān.9 And the believers generally are said to be strengthened with the Spirit: “These are they into whose hearts He has impressed faith, and strengthened them with a Spirit from Him” (58:22), where instead of the Rūḥ al-Qudus we have Rūḥ-in min-hu (Spirit from Him), the meaning being the same. In one ḥadīth, the Holy Prophet is reported as asking Ḥassān, the poet, to defend him against the abuse of the unbelievers and adding: “O Allāh! Strengthen him with the Holy Spirit” (Bu.8:68). Elsewhere the words are: “And Gabriel is with thee” (Bu. 59:6). And again we find in the Holy Qur’ān that the angels are spoken of as friends (awliyā) or guardians of the faithful in this life and in the Hereafter (41:31). It was in this sense, i.e., to strengthen the
9 See 16:102 and 2:97.