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Bibical texts
Book of Revelation |
Kiraman Katibin (Arabic: كراماً كاتبين), or "honourable recorders", are two angels, believed by many Muslims, who record a person's good and bad deeds. These angels sit on a person's right and left shoulders respectively. Whether one is sent to the Jannah (heaven) or the Jahannam (hell) is not, however, dependent on whether one's good deeds outweigh one's bad deeds; it is ultimately up to Allah's mercy upon a believer. The Holy Quran refers to them in two places, in 50:16-18 and by name as 'Noble Recorders' in 82:10-12.[1]
The only job of the Kiraman Katibin is to write down and record every action, thought, or feeling a person has each day. One angel figuratively sits on the right shoulder and records all good deeds, while another sits on the left shoulder and records all bad deeds.
The Book in which the angels are writing is the cumulative record of a given person's deeds. After that person's death, it is said that on the Day of Judgement each person will be confronted with this record, and the two angels will be present to tell God of what the person did.
Muhammad once said, "The (scribe) on the left hand raises his pen (i.e., delays writing) for six hours (this may refer to six hours of 60 minutes as measured by astronomers, or it may refer to short periods of time during the day or night, according to Lisan al-'Arab) before he records the sinful deed of a Muslim. If [the Muslim] regrets it and seeks God's forgiveness, the deed is not recorded, otherwise it is recorded as one deed." A further respite is granted after the deed has been recorded; up until the moment before death approaches, one is able to repent and ask for forgiveness.
Muhammad also stated: "After the death of the Muslim, they soar to the heaven and seek permission to live there, but Almighty God turns down their request saying, 'My Heavens are full of Angels who are constantly engaged in Glorifying Me'. Then they will Reply, 'Your creation has filled the earth, constantly glorifying You.' Thereafter, Almighty God will command them to stand at the graveside of the Muslims and the servants of Almighty God to recite "Glory be to God" and prayers, and the reward of which is then bestowed upon the deceased person".
These Angels must not be confused with the concept of guardian angels, called in Islam mu'aqqibat, and which are referred to in surah Ra'd, verse 10-11. According to many Muslims, each human has two guardian angels, in front and behind him, while the deed recorders are located right and left.
A well-known hadeeth explains that muslims who have memorized the Holy Quran and who do their best to implement it in their daily life will be ressurected with the Noble Angels "Kiraman Katibeen" the Day of Judgement, not with humans, and they will be allowed to interceed for forgiveness for a certain number of people among their relatives.