Can the Jinn and Angels Become Messengers?
Brief description of the dubiety
Some verses of the Quran such as Surah al-Anbiya, verse 7; Surah al-Nahl, verse 43; Surah Yusuf, verse 109; Surah Ibrahim, verse 11; Surah al-Taghabun, verse 6; Surah Fatir, verse 1; Surah al-Hajj, verse 75; Surah al-Shura, verse 51; Surah Hud, verse 69; Surah Yunus, verse 21; and Surah al-Anaam, verses 61 and 130 - speak about the different Messengers of Allah and their nature. The content of these verses is different from one another, in that some of them consider the Messengers to be humans, however in some of them the Messengers are considered to be from the species of angels or jinn, and therefore there appears to be a contradiction between these verses.
Detailed description of the dubiety
Contradictory Verses
Verses where the Messengers are considered to be only humans
In verse 7 of Surah al-Anbiya and verse 43 of Surah al-Nahl it says: “We did not send [any Apostles] before you except as men to whom We revealed - ask the People of the Reminder if you do not know.”
This verse explicitly considers the Messengers to be human beings only. Another similar verse is 109 of Surah Yusuf: “We did not send [any Apostles] before you except as men to whom We revealed from among the people of the towns. Have they not traveled over the land so that they may observe how the fate of those who were before them was? And the abode of the hereafter is surely better for those who are God conscious. Do you not apply reason?”
Verses where the Messengers are considered to be angels
In verse 1 of Surah Fatir it says: “All praise belongs to Allah, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Maker of the angels [His] messengers - possessing wings, two, three or four [of them]. He adds to the creation whatever He wishes. Indeed Allah has power over all things.”
This verse deems the Messengers as angels, and verse 75 of Surah al-Hajj says something similar: “Allah chooses Messengers from angels and from mankind. Indeed Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.”
In verse 51 of Surah al-Shura it says: “It is not [possible] for any human that Allah should speak to him except through revelation or from behind a curtain, or send a messenger who reveals by His permission whatever He wishes. Indeed He is All-Exalted, All-Wise.”
In verse 69 of Surah Hud it says: “Certainly Our messengers (angels) came to Ibrahim with the good news, and said, ‘Peace!’ ‘Peace!’ He replied. Presently he brought [for them] a roasted calf.”
In verse 21 of Surah Yunus it says: “When We let people taste [Our] mercy after a distress that had befallen them, behold, they schemed against Our signs! Say, ‘Allah is more swift at devising.’ Indeed Our messengers write down what you scheme.”
Finally, in verse 61 of Surah al-Anaam it says: “He is the All-Dominant over His servants, and He sends guards to [protect] you. When death approaches anyone of you, Our messengers take him away and they do not neglect [their duty].”
Verses where the Messengers are considered to be jinn
In verse 130 of Surah al-Anaam it says: “‘O company of jinn and humans! Did there not come to you Apostles from yourselves, recounting to you My signs and warning you about the encounter of this Day?’ They will say, ‘We testify against ourselves.’ The life of this world had deceived them, and they will testify against themselves that they had been faithless.”
From this last verse, it is understood that humans had Messengers from their own species, while jinn had Messengers from their own species as well.
Summary
One set of verses consider Messengers to be from the species of humans only, or in other words, all Messengers were human beings. On the contrary, there are many verses which imply that Messengers were from the species of angels and jinn as well. These verses are not reconcilable and seem to be contradicting one another.
A summarized response
The word messenger linguistically means ‘someone who has been sent forth and has many instances and can be of any species.’ Even though in technical terms the word messenger is used for human messengers, in the Quran, the word at times is used in its linguistic meaning and sometimes it is being used in its technical meaning. Verses in which angels or jinn are mentioned as messengers are cases where the word is being used in its linguistic meaning, and not in its technical meaning.
A detailed response
1. Difference between linguistic and technical meaning
In order to explain the answer, it is first necessary as an introduction to discuss the meaning of a linguistic and technical meaning. A linguistic meaning is that which the linguistics and grammarians agree upon and they record them in dictionaries. However, a technical meaning is one where scholars of a given science take a word and use it for a very specific meaning which may differ from its linguistic meaning.
As an example, the Arabic word fa’il linguistically means a “doer,” whereas when the word is used in Arabic grammar it refers to a noun that has a verb before it and it is attributed to this noun. [1]
2. Linguistic and technical meaning of messenger
Linguistically, a messenger is someone who has a message. [2] Likewise, someone who is responsible for delivering a message is also called a messenger. [3] Therefore, the linguistic meaning of messenger implies that it can be from the species of humans, angels, jinn or any other creation. Their message can also be on behalf of Allah or anyone else.
However, technically speaking the word messenger is a human being who Allah has chosen for delivering His message. [3] An evidence for this claim is verse 50 of Surah Yusuf where the word messenger is used for someone who was sent by the king of Egypt to Prophet Yusuf. Even though this individual was a human being, but he was not a Messenger of Allah. The verse is as follows: “The king said, ‘Bring him to me!’ When the messenger came to him, he said, ‘Go back to your master, and ask him about the affair of women who cut their hands. My Lord is indeed well aware of their stratagems.'”
In this verse, a person carrying a message on behalf of the king of Egypt for Prophet Yusuf was referred to as a messenger. Therefore, one must ascertain through contextual evidence whether the word messenger is being used in its linguistic meaning or in its technical meaning.
Messenger used in its linguistic meaning for angels in the verses of the Quran
In all of the verses where angels have been referenced as angels, the word is used in the linguistic meaning of messenger – someone who has been given the responsibility to deliver a message. Angels are messengers of Allah for various different duties. For this verse reason, they have been referred to as messengers.
As it was mentioned, everything responsible for delivering a message is linguistically called a messenger, however technically in is used only for that Messenger who has been given the responsibility to deliver a divine message for the guidance of mankind. In the verses of the Quran, nowhere has this technical meaning of messenger been used for angels. For example, in verse 51 of Surah al-Shura, angels have been referred to as messengers, but their responsibility is described as something other than the description of Prophets. The responsibility of the angels in this verse is described as being those who deliver revelation to the Prophets. We quote this verse here as follows: “It is not [possible] for any human that Allah should speak to him except through revelation or from behind a curtain, or send a messenger who reveals by His permission whatever He wishes. Indeed He is All-Exalted, All-Wise.”
In this verse, angels have been described as messengers, but their responsibility is not the same as that of the Prophets of Allah. Hence, the term messenger is being used for angels in its linguistic meaning - someone delivering a message.
In other verses, namely verse 61 of Surah al-Anaam, verse 21 of Surah Yunus, and verse 69 of Surah Hud, the responsibilities mentioned for the angels is other than the responsibilities that the Prophets of Allah have. Even though in some verses the responsibilities of the angels have not been mentioned, this does not establish the technical meaning of messengers for angels. Nowhere in the Quran have the angels been given the responsibility of Prophethood, and verses where their duties have been mentioned, it is other than the responsibilities of Prophethood. [4]
Insufficiency of verse 130 of Surah al-Anaam to prove the existence of a Prophet from the jinn
In verse 130 of Surah al-Anaam, the word messenger is used in its technical meaning: “‘O company of jinn and humans! Did there not come to you apostles from yourselves?’” Even though the technical meaning of messenger has been used here, however since the audience is a combination of both jinn and humans, the fact that a Prophet happens to be from one of these two groups is enough for its meaning to be correct. Hence, the verse does not imply that each group – the jinn and the human beings - had their own Prophet.
For example, imagine a company where the heads of each department were chosen from the experienced employees of the company. Currently, all of the department heads happen to be men. If the owner of the company addressed the employees as follows, “Ladies and gentlemen, the heads of each department have been chosen from among you,” then the women in the audience would not feel any a contradiction in the owner’s speech and action, because for the words of the owner to be correct it is not necessary for there to be a female and male head for each department. What is relevant is that the heads were chosen from the collective audience being addressed. The beginning of the statement, “ladies and gentlemen” does not signify the necessity that women also have to be chosen as the heads.
Verse 130 of Surah al-Anaam is similar to this nature. The verse can be reconciled with the other verses by suggesting that the Prophets and Messengers in its technical meaning can only be chosen from among the human beings. As such, there will remain no contradiction between these verses. [5]