Drawing Nearer to the Angels

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Translation of the Text

Title: The Seventh Wisdom of Ablution (Wudhu) is Proximity to the Angels

Text:
“Due to purity, a person attains proximity and connection with the Angels. Consequently, he becomes worthy of being granted the honour of an audience in the Court of Allah, the Exalted, because through purity, a person becomes distant from the devils.”

(Al-Masaalihul ‘Aqliyyah)

A Detailed Explanation: The Culmination of the Spiritual Journey

In presenting this wisdom, Hakeemul-Ummat, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Rahmatullahi alayh), reaches a pivotal point in his exposition. The first six wisdoms primarily concerned the training and purification of the human self (Nafs, heart, intellect). This seventh wisdom points to the result and fruit of that journey—attaining spiritual proximity to the celestial beings, the Angels (Malaa’ikah).

1. The Foundational Principle: The Attraction of Light and the Repulsion of Darkness

This wisdom is based on a spiritual law derived from the Qur’aanic verse: “Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth…” (Surah An-Nur, 24:35). Everything operates on the principle of light (Noor) or darkness (Zulmat).

• Angels are created from Light. Their very nature is purity, obedience, remembrance of Allah (Thikr), and carrying out divine commands.
• Devils (Shayateen) are created from Fire. Their nature is impurity, disobedience, causing forgetfulness (Ghaflat), and inciting base desires.

A fundamental spiritual axiom states: “Like is attracted to like.” Light is drawn to light, and darkness is drawn to darkness. They cannot coexist in the same space.

2. Wudhu: A Transformation from the State of Darkness to Light

When a person is in a state of impurity (minor or major) due to neglect, sin, or physical causes:

• They are, in a spiritual sense, enveloped in a “cloud of darkness” — the darkness of negligence, forgetfulness, and susceptibility to base impulses.
• This state attracts the attention and influence of the devils, who find a compatible environment.
• The Angels, beings of pure light, distance themselves from this spiritual darkness, just as light retreats from a spreading stain.

Wudhu acts as the transformative agent. By obeying Allah’s command and washing the limbs with the conscious intention of seeking purity:

• You are not just cleaning skin; you are actively dissipating that spiritual darkness.
• The water, blessed by the divine injunction, becomes a means to extinguish the “fire” of devilish whispers and negligence.
• Your inner state shifts. The light of obedience, awareness, and the remembrance invoked during Wudhu begins to radiate from you.

3. The Consequence: The Angels Draw Near

Once the darkness is dispelled and your spiritual “frequency” is tuned to light and purity, the natural law takes effect:

• “Due to purity, a person attains proximity and connection with the Angels.”
• The Angels, who were distant, now feel an attraction. They descend upon and surround the person in a state of purity. Rasulullah ﷺ said: “Angels do not enter a house in which there is an image (of a living being) or a dog.” (Bukhari & Muslim). This Hadith indicates that Angels avoid impure environments. Conversely, they are drawn to environments and individuals of purity.
• This connection is not abstract. It means you begin to receive their support: they make du’a for you, they surround you with peace (Sakinah), and they become your companions in worship.

4. The Ultimate Honour: An Audience in the Divine Court

This leads to the ultimate objective: “he becomes worthy of being granted the honour of an audience in the Court of Allah.”

• Your Salaah is not just a series of motions. When you stand in prayer after a mindful Wudhu, you are standing in a state of angelic companionship.
• Your prayer is now offered from a precinct of light, surrounded by Angels who are also in a state of worship and submission.
• In this sanctified state—free from the stains that cause separation and surrounded by the purest of creation—you are truly prepared for the ultimate intimacy: standing before Allah, the King of Kings, in a state of true audience (Sharf-e-Baaryabi). This is the essence of Khushu’ (devotional awe).

5. The Protective Mechanism: Distance from Devils

The wisdom concludes with the logical counterpart: “because through purity, a person becomes distant from the devils.”

• This is both a cause and an effect. You perform Wudhu to repel devilish influence, and the resulting state of angelic proximity further fortifies you against it.
• The devils flee from the light of purity and the remembrance of Allah, just as they are commanded to flee when the Athaan is called.

Practical Takeaway for the Believer

For the one who performs Wudhu, let this understanding sink in: With every Wudhu, you are choosing your companions.

Are you choosing the company of darkness, negligence, and the whispering devils? Or are you choosing the company of light, remembrance, and the Noble Angels who will accompany you to the audience of your Lord?

Make your Wudhu with this intention: “O Allah, with this purity, I seek proximity to Your Angels and distance from Your enemies. Make me worthy, through this, to stand in Your noble court.”

This transforms Wudhu from a routine act into a conscious step towards joining the congregation of the pure—a congregation that includes the Angels and, by Allah’s grace, earns the honour of the Divine Audience.

May Allah Ta’ala include us among those with whom the Angels are pleased and whom He admits to His Noble Presence. Ameen.

(Khairun Nisa)