Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
The texts indicate that angels accompany a person at different stages of his life. Some are appointed over him while he is in his mother’s womb, some angels protect him by Allah’s command, and others record his good and bad deeds. Some scholars have mentioned that a person has four angels with him at one time: two who record his deeds and two who protect him, while the angels of the night and the angels of the day succeed one another.
It is authentically established that Allah appoints an angel over the fetus while it is in its mother’s womb.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Allah has appointed an angel over the womb, and he says: ‘O Lord, a drop of fluid? O Lord, a clinging clot? O Lord, a lump of flesh?’ Then when Allah wills to complete its creation, he says: ‘O Lord, is it male or female? Is it wretched or blessed? What will its provision be? What will its lifespan be?’ Then that is written while it is in its mother’s womb.”
Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Allah تعالى says:
﴿For him are successive angels before him and behind him, who protect him by the command of Allah.﴾
[Ar-Ra‘d: 11]
A number of the early scholars interpreted these successive angels as angels whom Allah has appointed to protect a person from dangers that have not been decreed to befall him.
When the decree of Allah that must occur arrives, these angels do not prevent it, because they only protect him by Allah’s command and decree.
Allah تعالى also says:
﴿And He is the Supreme over His servants, and He sends guardians over you until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take his soul, and they do not neglect their duty.﴾
[Al-An‘am: 61]
Among the angels are those whom Allah has appointed to record a person’s deeds.
Allah تعالى says:
﴿And indeed, there are over you guardians, noble scribes, who know what you do.﴾
[Al-Infitar: 10–12]
And He سبحانه وتعالى says:
﴿When the two receivers receive, seated on the right and on the left; he does not utter a word except that with him is an observer ready to record it.﴾
[Qaf: 17–18]
The scholars have mentioned that the angel on the right records good deeds, while the angel on the left records bad deeds.
Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned that angels succeed one another in attending a person by night and by day, and that he has:
Two angels who record his deeds.
Two angels who protect him by Allah’s command, one in front of him and the other behind him.
Then the angels of the night and the angels of the day succeed one another.
According to this interpretation, a person has four angels with him at one time, and then this group is replaced when night and day alternate.
This does not mean that the total number of angels who interact with a person throughout his entire life is limited to four. There are other angels whose duties are connected to different circumstances and stages.
Among the angels are those appointed over a person while he is in his mother’s womb, those who protect him by Allah’s command, and those who record his deeds. Some scholars have mentioned that he has four angels with him at one time: two for protection and two for recording his deeds, while the angels of the night and the angels of the day succeed one another.
The basic principle regarding matters of the unseen is that we affirm what has been established in the Qur’an and Sunnah and do not go beyond that into details for which there is no evidence.
And Allah knows best.