In utter contrast to what is claimed by AlJahmiyyah and the Mu`tazilah (a deviant Islamic sect claiming that those who commit major sins are in a state between belief and disbelief) and the like who maintain that Allah is everywhere (exalted be He far above any such thing). Allah (may He be Praised and Exalted) is above His creatures and is seated on His Throne as He stated. His Knowledge encompasses everywhere and He is not mixed with His Creation (may He be Praised and Exalted). Thus, AhlulSunnah walJama`ah believe that Iman in Allah entails believing in all what Allah and His Messenger informed us about Him with regard to His Names and Attributes. This forms an essential pillar of their `Aqidah (creed), and accordingly, they believe in Allah as their Lord and the only One Who deserves to be worshipped and that He is perfect in Essence, Names, Attributes, and Actions. For them, He is the Creator, the Sustainer, the Giver, AlKhafid (the Abaser), Al Rafi` (the Exalter) and other Attributes of Perfection. Allah is the only One worthy of worship and He is All Knowing, the Supreme Creator, and is the One that sustains His Servants for He is Omnipotent.
All such Attributes are not similar to those of His Creatures, rather they are unique to Him in a manner that suits His Sublimity as our attributes befit us. Allah's Attributes are everlasting and perfect whereas the servant's are imperfect and vanishing. All this is related to believing in Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) and believing in in the Angels generally and in detail. Specifically speaking, angels are of two types; the first is known to us because they were mentioned in the Qur'an and accordingly we are obliged to believe in them and their names, such as Jibril (Gabriel), Mikha'il (Michael) and Israfeel (Seraph) and the angel of death. The second type are angels that we must believe in although Allah did not mention them or their names, for Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) states:
but honoured slaves. They speak not until He has spoken, and they act on His Command.
These angels are groups of which some are assigned to record our deeds, others travel throughout the earth attending circles of Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah), others take turns among us by day and by night, and some hold the Throne etc. It is reported in the Sahih (authentic) Hadith:
Everyday, seventy thousand angels visit Al Bayt AlMa`mur (the house over the heavens parallel to Ka`bah), and never come again.
This indicates their great numbers and that only Allah Knows how many they are. Hence, we must believe in them generally and specifically as honored servants, not humans or Jinn, but as creatures created from light as narrated in the Sahih Hadith:
Angels were created from light, jinns were created from a smokeless flame of fire, and Adam was created from that which you have been told (i.e. sounding clay like the clay of pottery).
Related by Muslim in his Sahih on the authority of `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) from the Prophet (peace be upon him). They were formed as Allah willed. Furthermore, they have their own deeds and Attributes which befit them; some of which are known through reports in the Sunnah, such as the appearance of Jibril in different forms or in the form with which Allah created him having six hundred wings, and at other times in the form of an unknown person who came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) to inquire about matters of Islam and Iman, etc.
To explain further, they are formed according to Allah's Will and their appearance is only known to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) although they are known to have wings as mentioned by Allah in His noble Book in Surah Fatir and other matters which Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) told about in the Qur'an and Sunnah. Thus, we should completely believe in them as far as their mentioned names and attributes are concerned, and generally accept that they are unknown to us, as are their affairs and attributes.
The same goes to believing in all the Books sent down by Allah, as the believer generally believes in all Allah's books and that they are Books which Allah revealed upon His messengers and prophets we do not know about but we generally believe in them and that what was revealed in such Books refers only to Allah (may He be Praised and Exalted). However, some of these Books were made known to us such as AlTawrah (Torah), Injil (Gospel), Zabur (Book revealed to Prophet Dawud [David]) as well as scriptures of Ibrahim (Abraham) and Musa (Moses) and the Glorious Book, the Qur'an. We should believe in all these Books which were mentioned to us, and with regard to those, which were not mentioned to us, we have to believe that Allah sent them down to His messengers and prophets which He only knows unless there is evidence or a text from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that provides clarification of such books.
We must believe generally in the Messengers of Allah that were sent to people to call them to Allah and on particular those mentioned in the Qur'an. He (Exalted be He) states:
And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allâh (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Tâghût (all false deities i.e. do not worship Tâghût besides Allâh)."
And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴـﻪ ﻭﺳـﻠﻢ) but We revealed to him (saying): Lâ ilâha illa Ana [none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allâh)], so worship Me (Alone and none else)."
Allah (Exalted be He) has sent the messengers as bearers of glad tidings and warners, but knowing exactly the number of such messengers and their names is a matter only known to Allah. Yet, it is authentically reported in the Hadith of Abu Dharr, which has some evidence from the Hadith of Abu Umamah and others that indicate the number of the messengers is more than three hundred and ten but the Isnad of such Hadiths is open for questions.
As for the prophets, it was reported in some narrations that their number amounts to one hundred and twenty four thousand messengers. In another narration: one hundred and twenty thousand but some of the Isnads of such narrations are not authenticated. To distill, the specific number of prophets and messengers is only known to Allah (Exalted be He) alone (may He be Praised and Exalted). Therefore, we have to generally believe that there are messengers and prophets whom Allah sent to make the truth known and guide people