These are some groups of angels who have stood in rows in...

These are some groups of angels who have stood in rows in the world of existence and are ready for performing the command of Allah. They are some groups of Divine angels who restrain men from sins, and nullify the temptations of Satans in their hearts. Or they are arranged for the cloud in sky to take them to different sides and make them ready to water the dry lands.

And, finally, there are some groups of angels who, at the time of revelation of the verses of the heavenly Books, recite them to the Divine prophets. It is noteworthy that the Qur’anic term /saffat/ is the plural form of /saffah/ which in term has a plural sense, and it refers to a group who have ranged themselves in rank. Therefore, the term /saffat/ indicates some numerous rows. The Qur’anic term /zajirat/ is derived from /zajr/ in the sense of driving away something with sound and shout.

Then it has been used in a vaster scope of meaning which envelops any repel and prohibition. Therefore, the term /zajirat/ means some groups who act in prohibition, repelling, and driving others away. The Arabic term /taliyat/ is derived from /talawat/, the plural form of /tali/, and means some groups who take action on reciting something.

And, regarding to the vastness of the concepts of these words, it is not surprising that commentators have mentioned different interpretations for them that, in the meantime, they do not contrast each other, and all of them may be found in the concept of these verses.

For example, the purpose of ‘Saffat’ is all the rows of the angels who are ready to perform the Divine commands in the world of creation, and also the angels who are ordered to bring the revelation down to Divine prophets in the atmosphere of religion; and also the rows of strivers and strugglers in the path of Allah, or the rows of keepers of prayer and worshippers.

Although the frame of references show that the purpose of it is mostly the angels, this meaning has been referred to in some Islamic narrations.[^1] Also, it does not matter that the Arabic term /zajirat/ refers to both the angels who drive away the Satanic temptations from the men’s hearts, and the men who perform the duty of forbidding from doing evils. And the term /taliyat/ points to all Divine angels and groups of the believers who constantly recite the Divine verses and the name of Allah.