Angels are luminous beings. Allāh táālā has given them the power to assume any form they wish – sometimes they appear in human forms and on other occasions they may appear in other forms as well.
Angels obey the commands of Allāh absolutely and do not disobey him in any way, neither deliberately nor by forgetfulness, negligence or error. They are immune to sins and are divinely protected from committing both major or minor sins.
Angels are assigned various duties such as:
delivering the Revelation [waĥy] to Prophets making it rain some control the winds some deliver sustenance some fashion the faces of children in their mothers’ wombs some dispense [perform actions, work upon, taşarruf] in the bodies of humans some protect humans from their enemies some are appointed to find assemblies where Allāh táālā is remembered [dhikr]
and be present in those assemblies some write down the deeds of humans many other Angels are ordered to be present at the tomb of our Prophet ﷺ. some are assigned to deliver the prayers and salutations of Muslims to the Prophet ﷺ. some are tasked to interrogate the dead some take out the souls from bodies [at the time of their death] some are appointed to administer punishment an Angel is appointed to blow the Horn [that signals the end of the world]. Angels have been assigned many other duties, other than those mentioned above.
Angels do not have a gender; they are neither male nor female.
It is kufr to believe that they are pre-eternal [qadīm] or that they are creators [khāliq]
of anything.
Only Allāh ﷻ, who has created them, knows their number; or His Messenger ﷺ after being informed by Allāh. Among Angels, four are very well-known: Jibrīl, Mikā’īl, Isrāfīl, Ázrā’īl عليهم السلام. These four are superior to all other Angels.
Disrespecting or insulting Angels in any manner is disbelief [kufr]. Sometimes, ignorant people call their enemies or those whom they hate as Angel of Death or Ázrā’īl. This is close to being a statement of disbelief.
It is kufr to reject the existence of Angels or to say that ‘angel’ is a descriptor of the propensity to do good and they do not exist as discrete and actual beings.
Footnotes
In various ĥadīth, it is mentioned that Sayyidunā Jibrīl appeared in human form. In Sūrah Mariyam, 19:17: “And he appeared to her in the form of a handsome human”.
“They act upon that which they are commanded,” Sūrah al-Naĥl 16:50. They do not disobey Allāh when He commands them and do [obey] that which they are commanded. Sūrah al-Taĥrīm, 66:6.
They are honourable slaves; they do not hasten to speak and they act upon His command. Sūrah al- Anbiyā’a, 21:26-27.
Sūrah al-Shuárā, 26:193: “And descended with it [waĥy] the Faithful Spirit” Also, in Sūrah al-Shūrā, 42:51: “Or send a Messenger with Revelation by His Permission”
A ĥadīth is mentioned by Imām Suyūţī in al-Durr al-Manthūr under Sūrah al-Ĥāqqah, 69:6 reported by Ţabarī, narrated by Álī ibn Abī Ţālib رضي الله عنه: “Not a single drop of water comes down, except by measure at the hands of an Angel, save on the day of Nūĥ عليه السلام; for indeed, water was permitted to ignore the custodians, and water gushed forth passing over the custodians [and flooded the earth]” citing Ibn Jarīr al-Ţabarī.
Sūrah al-Nāziáāt, 79:5. “The planners of affairs in this world.” Allāh táālā has appointed them to discharge various duties such as make the winds blow [all tafsīrs]. Also Sūrah al-Dhāriyāt, 51:1-4.
Suyūţī attributes this to Ĥakīm al-Tirmidhī from his Nawādiru’l Uşūl via Abū Hurayrah in his Al-Ĥabā’ik, §473; also in his Jam’ al-Jawamiy, §6951.
Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه; Bukhārī §318, §3333, §6595. Şaĥīĥ Muslim §2646.
In the ĥadīth of Muslim §2645 narrated by Ĥudhayfah ibn Asīd رضي الله عنه, that RasūlAllāh ﷺ said: “After 42 nights pass on the embryo [nuţfah], Allāh táālā sends an Angel who fashions the shape [of the baby] and creates its ears, eyes, skin, flesh and bones...” 42
Sūrah al-Anáām, 6:61; “He sends for you Guardian Angels.” And in Sūrah al-Raád, 13:11: “For a human, are assigned Angels in shifts, to his front and to his back, protecting him by the Command of Allāh.”
Şaĥīĥ Muslim §2689.
Sūrah al-Infiţār, 82:11; “Kirāman-Kātibin” could be their names; or they are “the honourable scribes”.
Abu’sh Shaykh via Kaáb; Al-Ĥabā’ik, §488-489.
Al-Ĥabā’ik, §449 vide Úqaylī, Abu’sh Shaykh, Ibn al-Najjār, ĥadīth of Ámmār ibn Yāsir رضي الله عنهما: RasūlAllāh ﷺ said: “Indeed, Allāh has appointed an Angel and given him the [power of] hearing the entire creation. He will be standing near my grave after I pass away, and until Judgement day, whenever a follower of mine sends blessings, he will [convey it to me] by naming him and his father, saying: “O Muĥammad, so-and-so, son of so-and-so has sent you blessings.” Other narrations of similar meaning are mentioned in the same Al-Ĥabā’ik thus: §449-450 vide Ţabarānī again through ĥadīth Ámmār رضي الله عنه. §451 vide Ibn Abī Shaybah, ĥadīth of Yazīd al-Raqqāshi رضي الله عنه. §452 vide Khaţīb, ĥadīth of Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه. §453 vide Bayhaqī in Shuáb al-Īymān, ĥadīth of Ibn Ábbās رضي الله عنهما. §454 vide Daylamī, ĥadīth of Abū Bakr [al-Şiddīq] رضي الله عنه. §455 vide Ţabarānī, ĥadīth of Ĥasan ibn Álī رضي الله عنهما. §456 vide Bayhaqī in Shuáb al-Īymān, ĥadīth of Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه. §457 vide Aĥmad, Nasā’īy, Ibn Ĥibbān, Ţabarānī, Ĥākim, Abu’sh Shaykh, Bayhaqī; ĥadīth of Ibn Masúūd رضي الله عنه: RasūlAllāh ﷺ said: “Indeed there are Angels of Allāh,who roam the earth and convey to me the greetings of my followers.”
Al-Ĥabā’ik §302; Mishkāt §130; Tirmidhī §1071; Abū Dāwūd §4753.
Sūrah al-Sajdah, 32:11: “Say: When the Angel of Death gives you death, for which he is appointed over you, and then you will return to your Lord-Sustainer”.
Sūrah al-Anfāl, 8:50: “And if you could see the Angels serving death to disbelievers; hitting on their faces and their backs [and saying:] “Taste this, a fiery punishment”.
Sūrah al-Naml, 27:87: “On that Day, when the Horn will be blown..” 43
Sūrah al-Muddath’thir, 74:31: “None knows the [extent] of the armies of your Lord, except [your Lord- Sustainer] Himself”
This name is not found in either the Qur’ān or in the Ĥadīth, but is adduced from Israelite tradition. The name is pronounced both with a fat’ĥah and a kasrah as Ázrā’īl and Ízrā’īl [See Tāj al-Árūs ].
Al-Ĥabā’ik, §27-35, narrating from various sources. In one narration via Abu’sh Shaykh in his Al-Áżamah: “These four Angels: Jibrīl, Mīkāyil, Isrāfīl and the Angel of Death were the first whom Allāh created [in creation] and will be the last to be given death, and then, the first to be resurrected. They are the planners of affairs and the distributors of affairs [by the permission of Allāh].”
For example, if a person they dislike appears, and they say: “Here comes Ízrā’īl”.
This is said by naturalism leaning heretics such as ‘Sir’ Syed Aĥmad Khān of Aligarh, [1817-1898 CE / 1234-1315 AH ], who disbelieved in the existence of supernatural beings such as jinns and Angels. ‘Sir’ mentioned here is not as a honorific or as a term of respect, but only for identification as he is commonly known as Sir-Syed in the subcontinent. Also, it is easier to refer to him thus without confusing with some other ‘Sayyid Ahmed’ or ‘Ahmed Khān’. The followers of Sir-Syed’s philosophy are known as Naycharī. 44