All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
Allah Almighty does not need the angels in order to know human deeds. He knows what is secret and what is public, as well as what souls whisper within themselves. Rather, He appointed the angels to record the deeds of His servants for great wisdoms, including demonstrating the perfection of His justice and the precision of His reckoning, establishing witnesses and proof against His servants on the Day of Resurrection, and demonstrating the perfection of His governance and His care for His creation.
Allah Almighty says:
“Indeed, We created man, and We know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than his jugular vein. When the two receivers receive, seated on the right and on the left. He does not utter any word except that with him is an observer ready to record.”
[Qaf: 16–18]
These verses themselves combine two matters:
This demonstrates that there is no contradiction between Allah’s knowledge and the angels’ recording, and that the recording does not occur because any human deed is hidden from Allah.
“Raqib” and “Atid” are descriptions associated with the angels appointed to record human deeds.
Raqib means one who watches and observes, while Atid means one who is present and ready.
It does not necessarily mean that “Raqib” is the name of one angel and “Atid” the name of the other. Rather, these descriptions apply to the angels entrusted with recording deeds.
Among the wisdoms apparent in this is the perfection of Allah’s justice and the establishment of proof against His servants.
Allah knows everything each person has done. Nevertheless, He has caused those deeds to be recorded, appointed witnesses over them, and will give each person his record on the Day of Resurrection.
Thus, the reckoning will not merely consist of informing the servant of what Allah knows about him; rather, he will find his deeds enumerated and written before him.
This is part of the perfection of justice and the establishment of proof.
The noble recording angels will bear witness to human deeds.
It is mentioned in a hadith that on the Day of Resurrection, a servant will say that he accepts no witness against himself except himself. He will then be told:
“Today, you are sufficient as a witness against yourself, and the noble recording angels are sufficient as witnesses.”
Then his mouth will be sealed, and his limbs will speak about what he used to do.
[Reported by Muslim]
Thus, the presence of the noble recording angels is part of establishing testimony and proof against the servant.
Allah has not made testimony concerning human deeds occur through only one means. Rather, there will be multiple forms of testimony on the Day of Resurrection.
Allah says:
“On the Day when their tongues, their hands, and their feet will testify against them concerning what they used to do.”
[An-Nur: 24]
And He says:
“Until, when they reach it, their hearing, their sight, and their skins will testify against them concerning what they used to do.”
[Fussilat: 20]
Allah knows the entire truth, but He establishes evidence and witnesses so that no one will have any argument or opportunity for denial.
No.
The multiplicity of witnesses is not due to any doubt concerning the testimony of the angels. Rather, it is part of the perfect manifestation of justice and the establishment of proof.
The record of deeds bears witness, the angels bear witness, and a person’s own limbs testify to what he did.
In this way, what the servant has sent forth becomes manifest to him in a manner that leaves him unable to deny it.
Believing that deeds are recorded has a practical effect on the Muslim.
When a person keeps in mind that his words and deeds are counted and recorded, this encourages him to watch himself, guard his tongue, stay away from sin, and increase in righteous deeds.
Allah therefore says:
“Indeed, over you are guardians, noble recorders, who know whatever you do.”
[Al-Infitar: 10–12]
Belief in the recording angels is therefore not merely information about the unseen; it trains a person to develop a sense of responsibility and awareness that his actions are being recorded.
There is nothing wrong with asking this question for the purpose of learning and understanding the wisdom behind it.
However, imagining that there is a contradiction between Allah’s knowledge and the existence of the angels is incorrect. Allah did not appoint them so that they could inform Him of something He did not know. Exalted is Allah above such a notion.
Rather, He is the One who created them and commanded them to record, while already possessing complete prior knowledge of everything, for wisdoms related to justice, testimony, reckoning, and the precise order of creation.
The existence of the guardian angels and the noble recording angels does not mean that Allah needs them in order to know human deeds. Allah knows what is secret and what is even more hidden, and He knows what souls whisper within themselves.
Rather, He commanded the angels to record the deeds of His servants to demonstrate the perfection of His justice, establish proof and testimony against them, and enumerate their deeds in the records that they will encounter on the Day of Resurrection.
Belief in these angels also reminds a person that his actions and words are preserved and accounted for, increasing his awareness of Allah and his eagerness to obey Him.
And Allah knows best.