Is what is stated in a fatwa true, that the two angels who accompany a person and record his deeds are, in reality, the right and left hemispheres of the brain?

In the creed of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah (Sunni Muslims), it is believed that there are noble angels, the Kiram Katibin (Noble Scribes), tasked with recording the deeds of servants. Evidence for this is found in the Quran, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Ummah.

It is stated in al-Aqeedah al-Tahawiyyah: “And we believe in the Noble Scribes, for Allah has appointed them as guardians over us.” Ibn Hazm pointed out that angels write our deeds, citing verses such as: “And indeed, [appointed] over you are guardians, noble in [their] writing,” and “He utters no word except that with him is an observer, ready [to record],” emphasizing that there is no disagreement among Muslims on this matter.

Authentic and sound hadiths have confirmed the existence of the Kiram Katibin and that they record the actions of servants. These include hadiths in the Sahihayn (Bukhari and Muslim) and the Musnad, which mention the scribing angels and the guardian angels.

What the questioner mentioned about the right and left brain hemispheres replacing angels is a false statement and contrary to the consensus of the exegetes. Moreover, the claim that the hadiths mentioned in this regard are weak is false, because they have reached the level of mass transmission in meaning (tawatur ma'nawi), and their authenticity is definitively proven by the texts of the Quran.

As for the argument that the hadiths contradict the linguistic meaning of the Almighty's saying "qa'id" (seated observer) by claiming that angels depart from the servant during defecation and janabah (state of ritual impurity requiring ghusl), this is a misunderstanding. The hadiths that mention angels departing in these situations are weak and not authentic. Even if they were authentic, they would mean a slight distancing, not a complete departure.

And “Raqib 'Atid” (observing, ready) is a description of the two angels, not their scientific names, and there is no problem in this as long as the existence of two angels who count and record the deeds of servants has been established.