Bismillahi rahmani raheem, assalamu alaikum.
When we think about Angels most of us think they are all the same, it makes no difference which Angels you talk to and which you ask for help.
But that couldn’t be further from reality, different Angels are responsible for different things in life and if you can’t see them how do you know which ones to address. Would you ask a mechanic for help with your plumbing, the matter has to be looked at like this because the Angels responsible for earth and life are not the same as the Angels responsible for punishment and Jahanam.
The Angels responsible for life on earth their primary role is continuity of that life, so they find the best solutions that will help life move on after experiencing disaster. But Angels are not just responsible for the good on earth and Allah’s servants, they are responsible for everything including the evil creatures and their acts, so their role is to also help them continue in life after their evil until Allah sends down a direct command saying otherwise.
The work of the Angels is like a physics reaction, or a chemistry equation, all the parts that go into it are balanced out then the result is derived and allowed to exist. Say an evil person attacks you with sihr, one group of Angels has to facilitate his evil in the universe, make his intention a reality then allow it to hit you like a physics reaction from which the results are known.
You on the other hand, another group of Angels with you will measure your resistance to His evil from the baraka present with you, created by your practices in religion and life, then decide what of that evil will affect you and how, notwithstanding anything Allah says to them to change.
This is why in the Quran we found it was the Mala’ika (and Jinn) who originally knew and taught man about sihr, the occult, because it is nothing more than a way to manipulate the sub atomic forces in the universe, like a physics or chemistry reaction.
“And they followed [instead] what the devils had recited during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut. But the two angels do not teach anyone unless they say, “We are a trial, so do not disbelieve [by practicing magic].” And [yet] they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife. But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah. And the people learn what harms them and does not benefit them. But the Children of Israel certainly knew that whoever purchased the magic would not have in the Hereafter any share. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew.” (2:102)
When you’re facing the worst fitnah and have been facing it for some time, the best way to avoid this continuity of evil, the balance in the equation, is to ask for the Mala’ika of Jahanam to judge the matter over the Mala’ika of earth. The Mala’ika of earth will look at and exhaust all your avenues of redress because that is their job, but the Malaika of Jahanam will look at the matter from its finality, what the evil person will finally get when they get a hold of him and act from that perspective.
That knowledge is with them already, while the knowledge of how life will persist from moment to moment is with the Angels of earth.
So when you have been suffering something for some time and have already asked the Malai’ka around you to intercede, say Ya Mala’ikat Jahanam, instead.
This should be understood like the story of Musa (saws) with Pharaoh, who was already evil and had committed genocide on the Jews killing all their male children, but still Allah sent Him Musa (as) to try and help Him. Allah wanted to test every avenue for him to turn back before handing Him over to the Mala’ika of Jahanam, who are swift in punishment, so you should only ask these Angels as a last resort otherwise they may say to you the Mala’ika of earth still have right of way with this evil. In reality you are acting weak and not allowing Allah time to bring out what is in the heart of these people, their ultimate fate, because not all are destined to hell.
Abi Abdurrahman Abdullah bin Mas’ud, May Allah is pleased with him, said: Allah’s Apostle, the true and truly inspired said, “(The matter of the Creation of) a human being is put together in the womb of the mother in forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel who breathes the soul into him, and is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down his deeds, his livelihood, his death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched (in life). So, by Allah the One, a man amongst you may do good deeds till there is only a cubit between him and Paradise and then what has been written for him decides his behavior and he starts doing (evil) deeds characteristic of the people of the Fire (until he enters it). And similarly, a man amongst you may do (evil) deeds till there is only a cubit between him and the Fire, and then what has been written for him decides his behavior, and he starts doing deeds characteristic of the people of Paradise (until he enters it).” (Bukhari)
The deeds of people are their outward actions, why they do them is because of what is in their hearts, so a person may do good deeds all his life but it is to show off, so before death because Allah rejected his work Allah will bring out what is in his heart. Likewise an evil person may do evil out of necessity, oppression, misfortune, need so he keeps a small hope in his heart all his life until Allah brings that out in him because nothing else in life gave it a chance so He will.
Don’t waste the opportunities Allah gives you, they are these chances He is placing in front of you that will show what is in your heart and your fate.
Sayyid Rami Al Rifai.