The short answer
Barzakh means a barrier. It is the life of the grave, between death and the Day of Resurrection: "and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected" (23:100). In the grave, two angels question each person about their Lord, their religion and their prophet, and the grave becomes a place of comfort or of punishment until the Hour. Above us are seven heavens, which the Prophet ﷺ passed through on the Miraj, meeting a prophet in each. Angels are created from light, never disobey Allah, and each has a role.
Barzakh and the grave
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَ أَحَدَهُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ٱرْجِعُونِ ﴿٩٩﴾ لَعَلِّىٓ أَعْمَلُ صَٰلِحًۭا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ ۚ كَلَّآ ۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَآئِلُهَا ۖ وَمِن وَرَآئِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ ﴿١٠٠﴾
Hattaaa izaa jaaa'a ahada humul mawtu qaala Rabbir ji'oon La'alleee a'malu saalihan feemaa taraktu kallaa; innahaa kalimatun huwa qaaa'iluhaa wa minw waraaa'him barzakhun ilaa Yawmi yub'asoon
(99) [For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back (100) That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind." No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.
Quran 23:99-100 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Al-Muminun
The questioning
The Prophet ﷺ said that when a person is placed in the grave and his companions turn away, so that he even hears their footsteps, two angels come to him, sit him up and ask: "What did you used to say about this man, Muhammad?" The believer says: "I testify that he is the servant of Allah and His Messenger".1 In the hadith of al-Bara ibn Azib, the questions are: Who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is your prophet?2 The two angels are named Munkar and Nakir in a hadith of Jami at-Tirmidhi.3 "Allah keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word, in worldly life and in the Hereafter" (14:27).
Comfort or punishment
Each person is shown his final seat, in Paradise or in the Fire, morning and evening, and is told: "This is your seat until Allah raises you on the Day of Resurrection".4 The Prophet ﷺ taught us to seek refuge from the punishment of the grave in every prayer.5 Martyrs are "alive with their Lord, receiving provision" (3:169).
What still reaches the dead
"When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity, knowledge that benefits, or a righteous child who prays for him".6 Visiting graves is sunnah for its reminder of the Hereafter, with the dua for the deceased.
After barzakh: the stages of the Last Day
- The trumpet. "And the Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will fall dead except whom Allah wills. Then it will be blown again, and at once they will be standing, looking on" (39:68).
- The resurrection and the gathering. People are raised and gathered on one plain. The sun is brought close, and people stand in sweat according to their deeds.7
- The intercession. People go to Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa and Isa, and finally to Muhammad ﷺ, who prostrates and is allowed to intercede for the judgement to begin.8
- The books of deeds. Given in the right hand or the left (69:19-25).
- The scales. "And We place the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be treated unjustly at all" (21:47).
- The Hawd. The Prophet's pool, from which the believers drink.9
- The Sirat. A bridge set over Hell that every person crosses, at a speed matching their deeds.10
- The final home. Jannah or Jahannam.
The seven heavens
ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَٰوَٰتٍۢ طِبَاقًۭا ۖ مَّا تَرَىٰ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ مِن تَفَٰوُتٍۢ ۖ فَٱرْجِعِ ٱلْبَصَرَ هَلْ تَرَىٰ مِن فُطُورٍۢ ﴿٣﴾
Allazee khalaqa sab'a samaawaatin tibaaqam maa taraa fee khalqir rahmaani min tafaawutin farji'il basara hal taraa min futoor
[And] who created seven heavens in layers. You do not see in the creation of the Most Merciful any inconsistency. So return [your] vision [to the sky]; do you see any breaks?
Quran 67:3 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Al-Mulk
The Quran mentions seven heavens in many places (2:29, 23:17, 41:12, 65:12, 71:15). The nearest heaven is adorned with lamps, the stars (67:5, 41:12). Their nature belongs to the unseen. Some writers match them to layers of the atmosphere or to galaxies, but these are personal interpretations, not what the Quran or Sunnah state.
The seven heavens on the Miraj
On the Night Journey, Jibril took the Prophet ﷺ up through the heavens. At each one the gate was opened, and he met a prophet:11
| Heaven | Prophet met there |
|---|---|
| First heaven | Adam |
| Second heaven | Isa and Yahya |
| Third heaven | Yusuf |
| Fourth heaven | Idris |
| Fifth heaven | Harun |
| Sixth heaven | Musa |
| Seventh heaven | Ibrahim, leaning against al-Bayt al-Mamur |
Above the seventh heaven he was shown al-Bayt al-Mamur, which seventy thousand angels enter every day and never return to, and Sidrat al-Muntaha, the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary (53:14-16).11 There the five daily prayers were made obligatory. Above the heavens are the Kursi, which "extends over the heavens and the earth" (2:255), and the Throne. A hadith giving the distance between the heavens as five hundred years is in Sunan Abi Dawud and Jami at-Tirmidhi with a weak chain.
Angels in Islam
Belief in the angels is one of the six articles of faith. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from smokeless fire, and Adam was created from what has been described to you".12 "They do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded" (66:6), and "they exalt Him night and day and do not slacken" (21:20). Their number is known only to Allah.
The angels named in the Quran and hadith, and their roles
| Angel | Role | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Jibril (Gabriel) | Brings revelation to the prophets. Called "the Trustworthy Spirit" (26:193) and "the Pure Spirit" (16:102). The Prophet ﷺ saw him in his true form with six hundred wings. | Quran 2:97-98; Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, from Ibn Masud |
| Mikail (Michael) | Named in the Quran with Jibril. Scholars say he is entrusted with rain and provision; this role comes from reports, not a sahih hadith. | Quran 2:98 |
| Israfil | Named by the Prophet ﷺ in his opening dua of the night prayer. Scholars say he is the angel who will blow the trumpet (39:68); reports naming him with the trumpet are discussed by hadith scholars. | Sahih Muslim 770 |
| The angel of death | Takes the souls at death: "The angel of death will take you who has been entrusted with you" (32:11). The name Azrael (Izrail) is not in the Quran or a sahih hadith. | Quran 32:11; 6:61 |
| Munkar and Nakir | The two angels who question the dead in the grave. | Jami at-Tirmidhi 1071, graded hasan |
| Kiraman Katibin | The noble recorders who write every deed, one on the right and one on the left. 50:18 describes an observer, prepared (raqib, atid); scholars differ on whether these are names. | Quran 82:10-12; 50:17-18 |
| The guardians (al-muaqqibat) | Angels in succession before and behind each person, protecting by Allah's command (13:11). Angels of the night and day meet at Fajr and Asr. | Quran 13:11; Sahih al-Bukhari 555; Sahih Muslim 632 |
| Malik | The keeper of Hell, addressed by its people in 43:77. Nineteen angels are over it (74:30). | Quran 43:77; 74:30 |
| Ridwan | Commonly named as the keeper of Paradise. The name comes from later reports, not the Quran or a sahih hadith; the Quran speaks of the keepers of Paradise greeting its people (39:73). | Quran 39:73 |
| The bearers of the Throne | They glorify their Lord and ask forgiveness for the believers (40:7). On the Day of Judgement eight will bear it (69:17). | Quran 40:7; 69:17 |
| The angel of the mountains | Came to the Prophet ﷺ after Taif and offered to crush its people between two mountains. He refused, hoping their descendants would worship Allah. | Sahih al-Bukhari 3231; Sahih Muslim 1795 |
| The angel of the womb | Sent to the unborn child to write its provision, lifespan, deeds and whether it will be wretched or happy. | Sahih al-Bukhari 3208; Sahih Muslim 2643 |
| Harut and Marut | Two angels sent at Babylon as a test, who warned people before teaching them (2:102). Stories about their sin with a woman named Zuhrah are Isra'iliyyat and were rejected by careful scholars. | Quran 2:102 |
Is Iblis an angel?
No. "And [mention] when We said to the angels, 'Prostrate to Adam,' and they prostrated, except for Iblees. He was of the jinn and departed from the command of his Lord" (18:50). He was among the angels when the command came, but he was created from fire (7:12), and angels cannot disobey.
Questions
What is barzakh in Islam?
The barrier between death and the Day of Resurrection (23:100), the life of the grave in which each soul waits, in comfort or in punishment.
What happens in the grave in Islam?
Two angels sit the dead person up and ask about his Lord, his religion and his prophet. He is then shown his seat in Paradise or the Fire, morning and evening, until the Hour (Bukhari 1374, 1379).
What are the names of the angels in Islam?
Jibril and Mikail are named in the Quran (2:98), and Malik (43:77). Israfil is named in Sahih Muslim (770), and Munkar and Nakir in Jami at-Tirmidhi (1071). The angel of death, the recorders and the guardians are described by their roles.
Is Azrael mentioned in the Quran?
No. The Quran calls him the angel of death (32:11). The name Azrael or Izrail comes from later reports, not the Quran or a sahih hadith.
What is in the seventh heaven?
On the Miraj the Prophet ﷺ met Ibrahim there, leaning against al-Bayt al-Mamur, which seventy thousand angels visit every day (Bukhari 3207, Muslim 162).
Is shaytan an angel?
No. Iblis "was of the jinn" (18:50) and was created from fire (7:12). Angels are created from light and never disobey Allah.
Sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1374, from Anas ibn Malik.
- Sunan Abi Dawud 4753, from al-Bara ibn Azib, graded sahih.
- Jami at-Tirmidhi 1071, from Abu Hurayrah, graded hasan.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1379; Sahih Muslim 2866.
- Sahih Muslim 588.
- Sahih Muslim 1631.
- Sahih Muslim 2864, from al-Miqdad.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4712; Sahih Muslim 194.
- Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, from Anas and others.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 806; Sahih Muslim 182.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 3207; Sahih Muslim 162.
- Sahih Muslim 2996, from Aishah.
- Angels table: the sources are given in each row.
- Quran translation: Sahih International.
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.