Angels in Islam (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))

The Nature of Angels

Angels within Islam

• Angels are messengers from God who help humans to know what God wants them to do

• The Qur’an tells us that humans are made from clay; jinn are made from smokeless fire; angels are made of elements of light

• Angels are said to have wings and can move at the speed of light

• They can appear in human form, but are different to humans

  • They have no gender and are part of the unseen world

• Angels have no free will and are sinless, never making any mistakes in their work and always obeying the will of Allah

• What they do we cannot see and they always complete what Allah asks

• The belief in angels is accepted by all Muslims

• It forms one of the Six Articles of Faith in the Sunni tradition

• They are discussed more than a hundred times in the Qur’an, with some mentioned by name

The Purpose of Angels

• The primary purpose of Angels is worshipping, glorifying and obeying Allah

  • The Qur’an talks about how ‘they glorify him (Allah) tirelessly night and day’ (Qur’an 21: 20)

• Angels watch over humans, bringing peace to believers and instilling fear in unbelievers

• They record every thought and actions to report on Judgement Day

• On Judgement Day, one angel will blow the horn at Allah’s command to signify the end of the world

• There is the Angel of Death (Izra’il) who takes the soul at death

• There are angels who question each soul, either punishing or soothing it as it waits for Judgement Day

• Angels greet those who enter paradise, two stand at each gate to wish peace upon those entering

• In hell there are angels who throw people into the pits of hell and do not let people escape

• Having angels recording their deeds can influence the way a Muslim acts

• Angels can cause natural disasters when Allah commands them to

• They also act as communicators between Allah and humans, with each angel having a specific role designed to help creation run smoothly

  • Roles include: maintaining the order of the planet by overseeing the seasons/rain/provisions; looking after paradise; overseeing hell and the torment of the wicked; recording the actions of humans

• They also constantly visit and watch over humans and the Qur’an makes it clear that if a person is an enemy of the angels, then Allah is also their enemy

• Muslims believe that Guardian Angels protect people from danger and evil

  • The thought of having a Guardian Angel can be comforting for Muslims during difficult times

Jibril & Mika'il

The Roles of Individual Angels within Islam

• Some angels are mentioned by name within the Qur’an because they have specific roles and therefore a particular purpose for Muslims

  • Izra’il is the Angel of Death

  • Israfil is the Angel present on day of resurrection

  • Munkar and Nakir are Angels responsible of questioning the soul of a person who has died

  • Raqib and Atid, known as the Kiraman Katibin (honourable scribes) are angels who record the deeds of a Muslim

• Two of the most significant Angels for Muslims are Jibril and Mika’il

Roles of angels in Islam

Angel Jibril

• Jibril (also known as Gabriel) is the angel most familiar to Christians and Jews as well as Muslims

• Jibril is the most famous angel, and in Islam, the most important

• ‘Jibril’ is said to mean ‘God is my strength’

• Jibril is also known as the ‘spirit of holiness’ as he always brings good news

• He is an Archangel who is a trusted messenger of God

• Jibril was the angel who relayed the Qur’an to Muhammad from Allah

  • Muslims believe that Jibril first appeared to Muhammad when the prophet was a child

  • In one story, Jibril, together with Mika’il, came to Muhammad during the night and purified his heart so that later in life Muhammad would be able to receive God’s revelation

  • When Muhammad was 40 years old, Jibril returned to him in a blaze of light when he was meditating at Mount Hira. Jibril told Muhammad what God wanted him to do and inspired him with the revelations of the Qur’an

  • God continued to guide Muhammad throughout his entire life, often communicating through Jibril

• Jibril spoke with many prophets who received revelations from Allah

• He is mentioned five times in the Qur’an but also in the Hadith

  • He helped Ibrahim when he was thrown into the fire

  • He opened up the Zamzam well so that Hajar could give her dying son water

  • When Yusef (Joseph) was thrown into a well by his brothers, Jibril caught him and was his protector

  • He told Zakariyya (Zechariah) about a son he was to have in his old age, Yahya (John)

  • He told Maryam she would have a son, Isa (Jesus)

  • He spoke to Muhammad in Cave Hira, where he dictated the Qur’an directly from Allah, and taught him the Sunnah and the Five Pillars, teaching him that faith means believing in Allah, angels, books and messengers

Angel Mika’il

• Mika’il is another high-ranking archangel who is also known to Christians and Jews

• Muslims believe that Mika’il is an angel of mercy. He asks Allah to forgive people’s sins

• Most of what is known about Mika’il is from the Islamic tradition rather than the Qur’an

• He was one of the first to bow to Adam and he was put in charge of the plants and rain

  • God has also given Mika’il responsibility for sending rain, thunder and lightning to earth

• Muslims believe that Jibril and Mika’il have brought nourishment to human beings

  • Jibril brought the spiritual nourishment of God’s words in the Qur’an and Mika’il brings nourishment for the earth and human life through the rain

• Muslims believe that Mika’il had to prepare Muhammad by providing water that Jibril used to purify him

• Muslims believe that God has assigned Mika’il to reward righteous people for the good they do during their lives on earth

• Some Islamic traditions say that Mika’il lives in heaven, has wings of dark green colour and hairs of saffron

  • Each hair has a million faces and mouths that can communicate in all languages, all asking for Allah’s mercy for humankind

• He is mentioned as helping Muhammad at the Battle of Badr, which was fought for Makkah

• On Judgement Day both Jibril and Mika’il will help with the weighing of a person’s actions