The Angels in Sūrat al-Malāʾika: Exegeses of Q. 35:1.

The opening aya of Q. 35 ( Sūrat al-Malāʾika or Sūrat al-Fāṭir) is one of only a few which describe the relationships between God, humans and angels: it attests to the creative power of God and describes the angels as winged messengers, the only aya in which angels are portrayed in this way. However, two of the most important words in this aya are often passed over without comment or consideration by modern translators and commentators alike: malak ( malāʾika) and fāṭir, which are usually given the translations ‘angel’ or ‘messenger’ and ‘Creator’ respectively. The precise meanings of malak and fāṭir are not the only difficulties in this aya that appear to have posed problems. The three distributive adjectives found in the aya ( mathnā, thulāth and rubāʿ) tend in modern translations to be given interpretations not found in the classical exegeses of the aya. This article will discuss the implications of the various different interpretations of these five terms, and explore whether they are best translated following the modern translators or the classical exegetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]