Source: Fatāwā ʿUlamāʾ al-Ḥadīth
Are angels created from light or not?
Yes, angels are a creation of light. This reality is established by a clear hadith in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim.
Narrated by ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«خُلِقَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ نُورٍ، وَخُلِقَ الْجَانُّ مِنْ مَارِجٍ مِنْ نَارٍ، وَخُلِقَ آدَمُ مِمَّا وُصِفَ لَكُمْ»
“The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from a smokeless flame of fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you (i.e., from clay).”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim — Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ, Kitāb Aḥwāl al-Qiyāmah wa Badʾ al-Khalq, ḥadīth no. 5701)
Conclusion:
According to authentic hadith, angels are indeed a creation of light, the jinn from fire, and mankind from clay. This is part of the unseen knowledge (ʿilm al-ghayb) clarified to us by the Prophet ﷺ.
◈ Question:
Are angels created from light or not?
◈ Answer:
Yes, angels are a creation of light. This reality is established by a clear hadith in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim.
❀ The Hadith Evidence
Narrated by ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«خُلِقَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ نُورٍ، وَخُلِقَ الْجَانُّ مِنْ مَارِجٍ مِنْ نَارٍ، وَخُلِقَ آدَمُ مِمَّا وُصِفَ لَكُمْ»
“The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from a smokeless flame of fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you (i.e., from clay).”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim — Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ, Kitāb Aḥwāl al-Qiyāmah wa Badʾ al-Khalq, ḥadīth no. 5701)
Conclusion:According to authentic hadith, angels are indeed a creation of light, the jinn from fire, and mankind from clay. This is part of the unseen knowledge (ʿilm al-ghayb) clarified to us by the Prophet ﷺ.
