Names Of Angels In Islam And Their Duties

In Islam, angels are spiritual beings Allah created from (noor) light. In Arabic, angels are called Malak (singular) or Malaika (plural) and play a significant role in Islam. They constantly worship Allah and obey His commands. Angels have been mentioned in various verses in the Quran, along with their duties. In this blog, we will discuss the names of angels in Islam and their duties.

Belief In Angels In Islam

There are six pillars of belief in Islam. Belief in angels is second among the six pillars of belief in Islam and is obligatory for every Muslim. The Quran describes that the angels are the servants of Allah SWT and carry out his orders in both the unseen and physical worlds.

Angels don’t possess free will or inclination toward food, drinks, or copulation, as they are solely created to worship Allah SWT.

In Islam, there are numerous numbers of angels beyond human comprehension, and only Allah SWT knows their true quantity. They belong to a level of existence above the perceptibility of humans: Alam al-ghayb.

Names And Duties Of Angels In Islam

Jibreel (AS)

Jibreel (AS also known as Gabriel, is one of the four major angels of Islam. He was the angel responsible for bringing (wahi) revelations of Allah SWT to several prophets, including Prophet Muhammad PBUH.

He appears three times in the Quran as His name and in a hadith in which he is called an-namus. Moreover, he is also mentioned in other verses of the Quran as the holy spirit, rasulin karim, and ruh al-amin.

Israfeel (AS)

Israfeel (AS), also recognized as the angel of the soor or Raphael, is the angel who will blow the trumpet on the day of judgment. When Allah SWT gives him the order, he will blow the trumpet, and all the creatures will swoon and die. And then Allah will again order him to blow the trumpet, and all creatures will be resurrected.

When asked what the (soor) trumpet was, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) replied, ‘it is a horn which is blown into.’Israfeel (AS) is also one of the four major angels of Islam.

Mikaeel (AS)

Mikaeel (AS), also called Michael, is said to be the angel in control of environmental affairs. Although the evidence for this is sparse, it is said that he controls the rain, the wind, the seasons, and the supplications made by humans. He is also mentioned once in the Quran, with Jibreel (AS)

The Angel Of Death

The angel of death is also known as Malak ul-Mawt. He is the angel responsible for taking souls at the time of death. In the Quran, Allah SWT says that our souls will be taken by the angel of death, who is responsible for us, and then to our Lord we will all be returned.

The angel of death is also one of the four major angels in Islam.

Kiraman Katibeen

Allah has assigned two angels to every person on this planet. These angels stay with us through everything except when we are in the bathroom or when a person is naked. These angels are called Kiraman Katibeen (honorable recorders or noble scribes) in Arabic. They have the duty of recording a person’s deeds.

The angel on our right side records our good deeds, while the angel on our left records our bad deeds. In a hadith, it is said that these recorded deeds are shown to Allah SWT twice a day, and our Lord forgives each of his servants except those in a dispute with their brothers.

Munkar And Nakir

These angels are responsible for interrogating the deceased in their graves. They will come to the deceased person and ask him three questions.

1. Who is your Lord?
2. What is your religion?
3. Who is this man who was sent among you?

The person who answers these questions correctly will have his grave expanded by seventy by seventy cubits, and a gate from heaven will be opened for him.

In the case of the person who cannot answer these questions, a gate from Hell will open for him, and his grave will be constricted to the extent that his ribs will be squeezed together. He will remain in this state until Allah SWT resurrects him on the Day of Judgment.

The Angels Of Muqarrabun

The angels of Muqarrabun, also known as asIlliyyun and Karubbiyyun, are responsible for glorifying Allah SWT. These angels are close to Allah and have an exalted position before him.

The Angels Of Hamlat al-Arsh

The angels who carry the throne of Allah are known as hamlat ul arsh or bearers of the throne.

In the (tafsir) explanation of a Quranic verse, it is stated that the angels who carry the throne of Allah now are four, and on the Day of Judgment, they will be eight. However, only Allah SWT knows if the numbers four and eight indicate individual angels or rows of angels.

Guardian Angels

For every person, Allah SWT has assigned two guardian angels that protect them from all kinds of harm, except for the divinely decreed (something only known to Allah SWT).

In a Quranic verse, Allah SWT states that those guardian angels are before and behind us, and they protect us on the command of Allah SWT.

Interesting Facts about Angels in Islam

Number Of Angels

As discussed above, the true number of angels is only known to Allah SWT, but they are more than humans can ever comprehend.

In a hadith regarding Al Isra Wal Miraj, or Shab e Miraj, also known as the night journey and the ascension to heaven, the Holy Prophet said he visited the Bait-ul-Mamur and asked Jibreel (AS) about it. Jibreel (AS) said that this is Bait-Ma’mur, where 70,000 angels perform prayers daily, and when they leave, they don’t get a chance to return.

This hadith shows how many angels exist compared to the mortal beings on Earth.

Gender Of Angels

Angels are neither male nor female, but gender is something that does pertain to them because they are spiritual beings. As for being females, there is a Quranic verse in which Allah states that they are not females.

Similarly, there is another Quranic verse in which Allah SWT questions all the people who say angels are female. As for being male, no Islamic scripture states angels are males.

Conclusion

Angels are spiritual beings that obey Allah SWT constantly. They have a significant role in both worlds and our daily lives and hold a central and revered position in Islamic eschatology. Learning about angels and their duties can help strengthen our faith and encourage us to lead a life under Allah SWT’s guidance.