Belief in the Angels: Their Nature, Roles, and Names

Belief in the angels (mala'ikah) is the second pillar of Iman. The Quran states: "The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All of them believe in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers" (Quran 2:285). Angels are created from light, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from a smokeless flame of fire, and Adam was created from what has been described to you" (Sahih Muslim). They are sinless, obedient to Allah in all that He commands, and carry out specific duties in the cosmos.

The Major Angels

Jibril (Gabriel) is the greatest of the angels, entrusted with delivering revelation to the prophets. He brought the Quran to Muhammad (peace be upon him) and appeared to him in his angelic form on two occasions, with six hundred wings filling the horizon (Sahih al-Bukhari). Mikail (Michael) is responsible for rain, vegetation, and provisions. Israfil is tasked with blowing the Trumpet (al-Sur) on the Day of Judgment, signaling the death of all creation and then the resurrection. The Angel of Death (Malak al-Mawt) takes souls at the appointed time: "Say, the angel of death who has been entrusted with you will take you" (Quran 32:11). Munkar and Nakir question the dead in their graves. Malik is the guardian of Hellfire, and Ridwan is the guardian of Paradise.

Angels Assigned to Humans

Every human being has angels assigned to them for specific functions. The Quran mentions: "For each one are successive angels before and behind him who protect him by the decree of Allah" (Quran 13:11). Two recording angels (Kiraman Katibin, the Noble Scribes) sit on each person's right and left, recording their good and bad deeds respectively: "When the two receivers receive, seated on the right and on the left, he does not utter any word except that with him is an observer prepared to record" (Quran 50:17-18). The angel on the right records good deeds immediately, while the angel on the left waits before recording bad deeds, giving the person time to repent.

The Nature of Angels

Angels do not eat, drink, sleep, or have gender. They can take human form by Allah's permission, as Jibril appeared to Maryam as a well-formed man (Quran 19:17) and to the Prophet in the form of a man with intensely black hair and white clothing (Sahih Muslim). They are immensely powerful: a single angel destroyed the cities of the people of Lut by lifting the land and inverting it. Despite their power, they are humble, continuously glorifying Allah: "They exalt Him night and day and do not slacken" (Quran 21:20). Denying the existence of angels or any of their established attributes constitutes disbelief in one of the six pillars of Iman.