Ok-- images of angels in Islam! I'm going to try to quote tweet and attach images to follow @aaolomi's thread, let's see how it goes! 1/?
@aaolomi So first, Gabriel/Jibra'il: . This image of the angel carrying Muhammad across the open seas comes from a Mi'rajnama, or tale of Muhammad's ascension, and is f.121a of the Bahram Mirza Album (TSK H.2154)
@aaolomi Michael/Mika'il: , shown here with the scales of justice, f. 16a from a 14th c. version of the 'Aja'ib al-makhluqat, or Wonders of Creation (BnF Sup. Per. 332)
@aaolomi Azra'il, Angel of Death: From the same work as we found Michael (BnF Sup. Per. 332), f. 16b shows him with his tree, attending a companion of Solomon
@aaolomi The herald Israfil: , shown in this 16th c. manuscript of the Siyer-i Nabi, or Life of the Prophet (TSK H 1223) with his trumpet held to his lips and ready to go!
@aaolomi Malik, guardian of Hell: , shown in f. 53a of a beautiful 15th c. Mi'rajnama written in Chaghatay Turkish using Uyghur script (BnF Supp. Turc. 190) meeting Muhammad
@aaolomi Ridwan, guardian of the gates of Paradise: , shown here welcoming Jibril and Muhammad on his Night Journey, in a page from a dispersed Mir'ajname found on f. 61a of the Bahram Mirza Album (TSK H. 2154)
@aaolomi Munkar and Nakir: , shown together in this 18th c. Turkish version of the Aja'ib al-Makhluqat (Wonders of Creation) by Qazwini (Walters Ms. W.659), fol. 51b
@aaolomi Harut and Marut: , shown hanging as punishment for criticizing the fall of Adam, in f. 16b from the early 17th c. Falnama of Ahmed I (TSK H. 1703)
@aaolomi The Hamalat al-Arsh, carriers of the celestial throne: , 3 of them here portrayed zoomorphically, as they often were (Wellcome MS Persian 373)
@aaolomi Finally, this scene, in which the angels bow to Adam and the jinn Iblis refuses, comes from f. 16a of a Majma' al-Tawarikh (Assembly of Histories) written by Hafiz-i Abru in 1415 (TSK B282): . It shows Iblis with dark skin and horns, typical for the period
@aaolomi And that's all, folks! The only named angel I wasn't able to find was Ra'd, angel of thunder: . Anyone have an image of him?
@aaolomi All of these images and more, like this lovely 16th c. view of Muhammad ascending to Heaven surrounded by angels (RISD 84.147) are available via @HarvardLibrary 's Hollis Images platform-- always feel free to ask me for help or more information!
@aaolomi @HarvardLibrary One more-- as @oceanflyer1 pointed out, I forgot the angels who follow us to record our good and bad deeds! . This image, like some of the others above, comes from an 18th c. Turkish version of the Wonders of Creation (Walters Ms. W.659), f. 50b.
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