Short answer: angels (malāʾikah, singular malak) are beings Allah created from light (Sahih Muslim 2996). They worship Him without tiring, never disobey Him, and carry out His commands. Believing in them is one of the six articles of faith. The angels named in the Quran and sound hadith include Jibril (revelation), Mikail (rain and provision), Israfil, Malik (keeper of Hell), Harut and Marut, and Munkar and Nakir (the questioning in the grave). The angel of death is named in the Quran only by his role; the name Azrael is not in the Quran or sahih hadith.
Belief in angels is part of faith
ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍۢ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ ۚ وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ ﴿٢٨٥﴾
Aamanar-Rasoolu bimaaa unzila ilaihi mir-Rabbihee walmu'minoon; kullun aamana billaahi wa Malaaa'ikathihee wa Kutubhihee wa Rusulih laa nufarriqu baina ahadim-mir-Rusulihee wa qaaloo sami'naa wa ata'naa ghufraanaka Rabbanaa wa ilaikal-maseer
The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination."
Quran 2:285 · Sahih International · Read Surah Al-Baqarah
In the hadith of Jibril, the Prophet ﷺ defined faith (iman) as believing "in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers and the Last Day, and in the decree, its good and its bad" (Sahih Muslim 8). Denying the existence of angels is denying a part of faith. See all six on our articles of faith page.
What angels are
"The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from smokeless fire, and Adam was created from what has been described to you."
Sahih Muslim 2996, from Aishah
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ فَاطِرِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ جَاعِلِ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ رُسُلًا أُو۟لِىٓ أَجْنِحَةٍۢ مَّثْنَىٰ وَثُلَٰثَ وَرُبَٰعَ ۚ يَزِيدُ فِى ٱلْخَلْقِ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ ﴿١﴾
Alhamdu lillaahi faatiris samaawaati wal ardi jaa'ilil malaaa'ikati rusulan uleee ajnihatim masnaa wa sulaasa wa rubaa'; yazeedu fil khalqi maa yashaaa'; innal laaha 'alaa kulli shai'in Qadeer
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, [who] made the angels messengers having wings, two or three or four. He increases in creation what He wills. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.
Quran 35:1 · Sahih International · Read Surah Fatir
- They always obey. "They do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded" (66:6). Unlike humans and jinn, they are not tested with free choice to sin.
- They never tire of worship. "They exalt [Him] night and day [and] do not slacken" (21:20).
- Wings and size. They have wings, two, three or four, and more (35:1). The Prophet ﷺ saw Jibril in his true form with six hundred wings (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, from Ibn Masud).
- They are neither male nor female. The Quran rebukes those who called the angels Allah's daughters (43:19, 37:150).
- They can take human form by Allah's permission. Jibril came to Maryam as a well-formed man (19:17), and often came to the Prophet ﷺ in the form of the Companion Dihyah al-Kalbi.
- Their number is known only to Allah. Every day seventy thousand angels enter al-Bayt al-Ma'mur in the seventh heaven and never return to it (Sahih al-Bukhari 3207; Sahih Muslim 162).
- They do not eat or drink. When Ibrahim served his guests a roasted calf, their hands did not reach for it (11:69-70).
The angels named in the Quran and Sunnah
| Angel | Role | Source | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jibril (Gabriel) | Brings revelation to the prophets; called the Holy Spirit (al-Ruh al-Qudus) and the trustworthy Spirit | Quran 2:97-98, 26:193, 81:19-21 | The greatest of the angels |
| Mikail (Michael) | Charged with rain and plants, and so with provision | Quran 2:98 | His role is from reports of Ibn Abbas and others in the tafsir |
| Israfil | Named in the Prophet's ﷺ night prayer dua with Jibril and Mikail | Sahih Muslim 770 | Most scholars hold he blows the Horn (39:68); the reports naming him for it are weaker than the Muslim hadith |
| The angel of death (Malak al-Mawt) | Takes the souls at death, with helpers | Quran 32:11; 6:61 | The name Azrael (Izra'il) is not in the Quran or sahih hadith; it comes from later reports |
| Malik | Keeper of Hell | Quran 43:77 | |
| Harut and Marut | Two angels sent at Babylon as a test, teaching magic while warning against it | Quran 2:102 | Stories that they sinned with a woman are from Israelite reports, rejected by many scholars |
| Munkar and Nakir | Question each person in the grave | Jami at-Tirmidhi 1071, graded hasan | See barzakh |
| Raqib and Atid | The two recorders, on the right and the left | Quran 50:17-18 | Scholars differ whether these are names or descriptions (watcher, ready) |
| Ridwan | Keeper of Paradise | Later reports | The Quran speaks of the keepers of Paradise (39:73) without a name; the name is not in sahih hadith |
What the angels do
- Carry revelation. "He sends down the angels, with the inspiration of His command, upon whom He wills of His servants" (16:2).
- Record every deed. "Indeed, [appointed] over you are keepers, noble and recording; they know whatever you do" (82:10-12).
- Guard people. "For each one are successive [angels] before and behind him who protect him by the decree of Allah" (13:11).
- Carry the Throne. They carry the Throne and ask forgiveness for the believers (40:7); on the Day of Judgement eight will carry it (69:17).
- Keep Hell. Nineteen are over it (74:30).
- Take souls and question in the grave (32:11; Jami at-Tirmidhi 1071).
- Attend the worship of believers. They seek out gatherings of dhikr and surround them with their wings (Sahih Muslim 2689), stand at the masjid doors on Friday recording those who arrive (Sahih al-Bukhari 929), and say Ameen with the worshippers (Sahih al-Bukhari 780).
- Descend on Laylat al-Qadr. "The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter" (97:4). See Laylatul Qadr.
- Help the believers. Angels were sent at Badr (3:124, 8:9).
The hadith of Jibril
This is one of the most important hadith in Islam, and Imam al-Nawawi placed it second in his Forty Hadith. Umar ibn al-Khattab said:
One day, while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, a man appeared with very white clothes and very black hair. No sign of travel was on him, and none of us knew him. He sat with the Prophet ﷺ, knee to knee, and said: "O Muhammad, tell me about Islam." He said: "Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish the prayer, give zakat, fast Ramadan, and make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able." ... "Tell me about iman." He said: "To believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers and the Last Day, and to believe in the decree, its good and its bad." ... "Tell me about ihsan." He said: "To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, He sees you." ... Then the man left, and the Prophet ﷺ said: "That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion."
Sahih Muslim 8, from Umar ibn al-Khattab (shortened). Also in Sahih al-Bukhari 50, from Abu Hurayrah
The hadith shows the angels at work in the most direct way: Jibril came in human form to teach the Companions the three levels of the religion, Islam, iman and ihsan, and the signs of the Hour.
Angels and our homes
- "The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a picture" (Sahih al-Bukhari 3225; Sahih Muslim 2106). Scholars explain this as the angels of mercy, not the recording angels, who never leave a person. Hunting, farm and guard dogs are excepted by other hadith.
- Angels are harmed by what harms people, such as the smell of raw onion and garlic in the masjid (Sahih Muslim 564).
- When a Muslim makes dua for his brother in his absence, an angel says: "Ameen, and for you the same" (Sahih Muslim 2732).
What angels are not
- Not to be prayed to. Angels are servants of Allah. Dua is made to Allah alone, never to an angel.
- Not Allah's daughters, as some Arabs of the time of ignorance claimed (43:19).
- Not fallen. Iblis, who refused to bow to Adam, was not an angel but one of the jinn: "He was of the jinn and departed from the command of his Lord" (18:50).
- Not tied to colours, crystals or numbers. Ideas such as angel colours, angel numbers or praying to an archangel for a wish come from other traditions, not from the Quran or Sunnah.
Questions
What is the name of the angel of death in Islam?
The Quran calls him only Malak al-Mawt, the angel of death (32:11). The name Azrael (Izra'il) is widely used but is not found in the Quran or in sahih hadith, so many scholars advise calling him simply the angel of death.
What are angels made of in Islam?
Light. The Prophet ﷺ said the angels were created from light, the jinn from smokeless fire, and Adam from clay (Sahih Muslim 2996).
How many angels are there in Islam?
Only Allah knows. Seventy thousand enter al-Bayt al-Ma'mur every day and never return (Sahih al-Bukhari 3207), which shows their number is beyond counting.
What is the hadith of Jibril?
The hadith in which Jibril came in human form and asked the Prophet ﷺ about Islam, iman, ihsan and the Hour, in front of the Companions. It is in Sahih Muslim 8 from Umar, and Sahih al-Bukhari 50 from Abu Hurayrah.
Do angels have free will?
Not in the way humans and jinn do. They do not disobey Allah and do what they are commanded (66:6).
Is Iblis an angel?
No. The Quran says Iblis was one of the jinn (18:50). He was among the angels when they were commanded to bow, but he was not one of them.
Sources
- Quran 2:97-98, 2:102, 2:285, 3:124, 6:61, 8:9, 11:69-70, 13:11, 16:2, 18:50, 19:17, 21:20, 26:193, 32:11, 35:1, 37:150, 39:68, 39:73, 40:7, 43:19, 43:77, 50:17-18, 66:6, 69:17, 74:30, 81:19-21, 82:10-12, 97:4. Translation by Sahih International.
- Sahih Muslim 8, 162, 564, 770, 2106, 2689, 2732, 2996. Sahih al-Bukhari 50, 780, 929, 3207, 3225. Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, from Ibn Masud (Jibril's six hundred wings).
- Jami at-Tirmidhi 1071, graded hasan by al-Tirmidhi.
- Al-Suyuti, al-Haba'ik fi Akhbar al-Mala'ik. Al-Nawawi, al-Arba'in, hadith 2. Islamqa.info answer 40671 on the name of the angel of death.
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.