How are angels chosen?

Angels are not picked from many candidates the way people are. God creates each angel to fit exactly the task for which it is meant. They are chosen for the work they were created to do.

When we humans choose something, we go by what we need. When we are thirsty, we reach for something to drink. When we are hungry, we pick something to eat. With angels it is the other way round. They are created for a particular need and therefore fit their task exactly.

The Holy Qur’an teaches that angels direct the laws of the universe. Every law of nature is divided into many areas, and each area is entrusted to particular angels. They make sure that everything stays in order and that the laws do not clash with one another.

A comparison helps. In a machine built by people, every part has to stay within its own area. If it strays into another part's domain, accidents happen. A modern camera contains a great deal of technology and care. Small built-in controls take care of everything that happens inside it. Yet behind it stands the human mind that placed this system of order there. It does not arise by itself.

The universe is unimaginably vast and is held together by countless laws and sub-laws that are precisely aligned with one another. That cannot simply happen on its own. This is why angels are not dead laws. They are living beings, with wisdom, acting on God's command.

One could call them specialists. For each law and its working, God creates an angel suited exactly to it. That is how angels are chosen. They are chosen to do the work for which they were created.