What kind of beings are angels? and Why cannot we see angels?

• What kind of beings are angels?

Angels are spiritual beings that Allah created out of light and that we cannot see with our eyes.

Angels were created only to do good deeds and to worship Allah. They have no ability to commit evil because Allah did not give them feelings like lust and wrath that lead to evil.

Angels do not eat, drink, sleep, marry or reproduce like us. Gender is not in question for them. They exist everywhere, in the sky, on the earth, etc; they can cover long distances in a very short time and they can appear in any shape or form they like. Allah gave them that power. 

Angels are occupied with worshipping, mentioning the name of Allah, glorifying and praising him day and night. (al-Anbiya, 21/19-20) They are like their food. They never rebel or disobey their orders in the slightest degree. They are sinless and obedient. (an-Nahl 16/50; al-Anbiya 21/26-28; at-Tahrim 66/6)

• Why cannot we see angels?

Since angels are spiritual beings created out of light they can never be seen by humans in their original form and real appearance. Our eyes were not created with the ability to perceive angels. However, prophets could see angels in their real appearance because Allah gave them the ability to see angels. 

That we cannot see angels in their real form and that we cannot perceive them with 5 senses do not mean that they do not exist. There are many things that our sense organs cannot perceive in the material world. Our ears cannot hear the sounds that are too low or too high. If we could see the light waves that are determined by special devices and especially the x rays and ultraviolet rays, we would know the world in a very different form than we do. How can we deny the existence of numerous events in the endless realms that God Almighty created though we cannot perceive the reality of the things that we see in our own realm?

Thus, that we cannot see something with our eyes cannot be proof for the non-existence of something. There are so many things that cannot be seen by our eyes that we accept their existence with our mind, science, experience and experiment. Angels are among the things that we accept their existence though we cannot see them with our eyes.