Thread by @aaolomi

Belief in angels is one of the 6 articles of faith for Muslims. However, angels in Islam are markedly different from angels in Christianity as they don’t have a specific hierarchy like angelic choirs, but there is some order among them.

A quick thread on angels on Islam:

There is Jibra’il, (Gabriel) the angel of truth, who is God’s messenger bringing revelation to prophets. He is said to have a dozen wings that cover the horizon. When Muhammad first saw him, he reputedly was shook to his core. He also led the angels in war at the Battle of Badr.

Mika’il (Michael) is the angel of mercy who provides sustenance for life. He rewards the righteous and is a spirit of justice.

Azrail is the angel of death. Said to appear horrifying to the unjust & comforting to the righteous, he sits under a great tree w/ the names of all on the leaves, waiting for them to drop, signaling the reaping of a soul.

He's assisted by angels who take souls gently & by force

Israfil is the angel of the Day of Judgement. He stands awaiting word from his Lord with his trumpet poised on his lips to herald the end of days. He reputedly has four wings.

He will blow twice, once to end the world and then again to resurrect the living.

These are viewed as chief among all the angels, or the equivalent of archangels, but there are still others who maintain celestial order and function.

There is Malik, the guardian of Hell to whom the infernal denizens look up and plead for mercy. They call out his name for centuries on end. Every once in a while, he gazes down and responds: “No.”

He is assisted by the Zabaniyya, the angels of punishment.

All the angels smiled upon meeting Muhammad, except Malik who never smiles.

His counterpart is Ridwan, the angel who guards and maintains the gardens of paradise. Muhammad is reputed to have met him on his mystical night journey through the heavens.

Muhammad also met Habib, an angel of ice and fire who counsels and prayers for humanity.

There is the dreaded pair, Munkar and Nakir the caretakers of the grave. They await all who die as the first to interrogate the soul over its deeds in life.

Raad, is the angel of thunder who watches over and maintains clouds and storms and lightning.

It was reputed that the coming of storms would make Muhammad deeply anxious and the weather would be reflected on his face.

Then there is the controversial Harut and Marut, two angels who were given free-will like mankind and who erred.

They came to earth and taught the ancient Babylonians magic and knowledge of the stars.

The Qu’ran refers to rank upon rank of angels, many whose sole purpose is worship. There is the Hamalat al Arsh who carry the Throne of God and those who encircle it in prayer.

There are those who watch and record the deeds of humanity known as Kiraman Katiban

In Islamic cosmology, angels fill the whole of creation, carrying out the orders of God.

There are those that flock to where the faithful gather to pray alongside them. Then this is the Muqqabit who guard all so as to not die before the appointed time, and many many more

The Qur’an only mentions a few angels. Instead they are known by function. They are reputedly born of pure light, serve God without question, praise him ceaselessly, have no free will, and carry out specific tasks.

Most names come from the accompanying body of prophetic sayings, folklore, later theology, and mystical interpretations

There is some theologians who questioned whether angels outrank mankind in the cosmic hierarchy, but the Qur'an relates that God commanded all angels to prostrate to mankind (2:34). Angels do not disobey so they do not "fall"

In Islam it is a djinn, Iblis who disobeys.