Did you know that angels didn’t talk only to Messengers? Angels came, bringing messages from God to other people, too. Here are 3 stories for new Muslims about special women who met angels.
Sarah, Wife of Abraham
Being the wife of a Messenger, you’d think meeting angels would happen every day. God brought three to Sarah’s doorstep, with a very special message.
Two Lone Believers
Sarah and Abraham were the only believers in God on the face of the earth.
Imagine. Nobody worships God except your husband, and you.
She went on travels with her husband around Arabia. Sarah helped Abraham spread the message of Islam. She met all kinds of people, but she never guessed she’d meet angels.
Three Great Guests
After many years of preaching and travelling, Abraham and Sarah got old. Sarah had given up on having children, at her age. So it was just the two of them, living together, travelling, and teaching about God.
One day Sarah was in her home with her husband, when Abraham rushed in and said they had guests. Abraham and Sarah prepared a roasted calf with all the trimmings. They served it to the three men.
The guests didn’t touch it.
This was a problem.
Abraham asked them why they weren’t eating. It made him worried, and scared.
Sarah said to him, “What great guests. We are serving them our very best food, and they’re not even going to eat it.”
Then, the men told them, “Angels don’t eat food.”
Right away, Abraham and Sarah relaxed. Until the angels told them the next thing.
One Amazing Message
The angels told them that they would be having a baby! Not only that, but he would be a Messenger like his father. His name would be Isaac.
Sarah slapped herself in the face out of shock. She argued that she was a very old woman now. And her husband was older than her!
They told her God does what He likes. Sarah was so happy to finally be a mother. Later, she gave birth and raised Isaac, the Messenger of God.
Mary, daughter of Imran
God chose Mary out of all the women of the world. He sent her an angel, but the angel scared her. She protected herself by telling an angel to fear God!
Blessed Childhood
Her mother made a prayer to God for her before Mary was born. She promised God that Mary would serve the temple, and when she was little, that’s where she went.
Mary’s uncle Messenger Zakariya looked after her. He visited her and always found ripe, out-of-season fruits to eat. She explained to him that it was all from God.
She spent a lot of her time in prayer, in a private place just for her. She really loved to remember God, and did not like anything to disturb her, especially strange men.
Unwelcome Visitor
So when a young, handsome man showed up, she was scared. She asked God to protect her from him. She told him, ‘Fear God!’
He revealed that he was an angel from God. He told her she would be pregnant soon with a baby named Jesus. She would be the mother of the next Messenger of God.
He blew into her sleeve the soul of Jesus, and Mary became pregnant. She raised him, and became the most respected mother of all time.
Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid
We’ve read about two mothers of Messengers who met angels. While Khadeejah didn’t actually meet an angel, she did get a very special message from him, from God.
A Peaceful Marriage
Lady Khadeejah was married to Messenger Muhammad for 20 years.
She still did her best to look after her household and her children. They raised their four daughters with mercy, kindness and wisdom.
A Frequent Flier
She was preparing a plate of food for her husband, Messenger Muhammad one day when a very special visitor came to her house.
The Angel Gabriel visited the Messenger in her home. But he came with a special message for Khadeejah.
A Precious Greeting
The Archangel Gabriel conveyed a greeting to Khadeejah, from God!
The angel told Muhammad:
“O Messenger of God, this is Khadeejah coming to you with a dish of meat soup, some food, and some drink. When she reaches you, then greet her with peace on behalf of her Lord and myself, and give her good news of a palace in Paradise made of reeds, where there will be no noise or tiredness.”
Other ladies were given just one message, but Khadeejah got two:
- God greeted her with Peace
- She was guaranteed to go to Paradise
God sent angels to these three great women of Islam. When we reflect on their lives, we can see why. May God have mercy on them.