Commenting on the capacity of the angels

Commenting on the capacity of the angels, Imam `Al¢ (a.s) says:

الثَّابِتَةُ فِي الأرَضِينَ السُّفْلَى أقْدَامُهُمْ، وَالْمَارِقَةُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ الْعُلْيَا أعْنَاقُهُمْ.

Among them are those also whose steps are fixed on earth but their necks are protruding into the skies.[1]

That is to say the angels are abstract truth hence they encompass the cosmos and have the universe under their cover. Based on narrations, the same abstract truth has manifested itself in the heart of the Holy Prophet and his Ahl al-Bayt. Since the Holy Qur’¡n dawned on the heart of the Holy Prophet, nothing emanates from him and his Ahl al-Bayt but the truth, for man cannot have two hearts with one containing the truth and the other containing falsehood. Therefore, Ahl al-Bayt are nothing but the truth; they say nothing but the truth and do nothing but the truth. They are mercy for the world nations and all people enjoy their truth whether they want or not.

Since perfect men have reached Umm al-Kit¡b (Mother of the Book), it has become tangible for them:

In a book that is protected; none shall touch it save the purified ones. (56:78-79)

They are beyond nature and time, they put their steps on the past and future, that is to say, they have the time under their feet. For this reason, they are aware of the past and the future. They see the past as it happened and the future as it will happen. Do we not read in the Holy Qur’¡n that Allah showed to His Messenger during the Night Ascension the future of the universe until the Judgment Day and its aftermath:

Then he drew near; then he bowed, so he was the measure of two bows or closer still. And He revealed to His servant what He revealed. The heart was not untrue in (making him see) what he saw. What! Do you then dispute with him as to what he saw? And certainly he saw Him in another descent, At the farthest lute-tree: Near which is the garden, the place to be resorted to. (53:8-15)

During the Night Ascension, Allah revealed to the Holy Prophet the essence of the Judgment Day in the form of heaven and hell. So, the Holy Prophet not has only an understanding of the past and future but also sees them all. Since Allah’s Messenger with all his spirituality is manifest in Ahl al-Bayt, they too are aware of the past and the future.

Beyond doubt, the prayer of those who have such capacity and devotion cannot be compared with anyone else in a way that one second of their prayer is better than the prayer of men and jinn together. In this relation, the Holy Prophet says:

لَضَرْبَةُ عَلِيٍّ يَوْمَ الْخَنْدَقِ أفْضَلُ مِنْ عِبَادَةِ الثَّقَلَيْنِ.

One blow of `Al¢’s sword in the Battle of the Ditch is better than the prayer of men and jinn.[2]