Angels in Islam: Who Are the Malaikah?

Belief in angels is one of the six pillars of Islamic faith — as fundamental to Muslim belief as the oneness of God, the prophethood of Muhammad, and the Day of Judgement. The mala’ika (angels) are not peripheral figures in Islamic theology; they are central to the understanding of how God relates to creation and how the divine will is carried out in the world.

Here is a clear, respectful guide to the angels of Islam — who they are, what they do, and how Islamic angelology compares to the traditions of Judaism and Christianity.

The Nature of the Mala’ika

In Islamic theology, angels are described as beings created from light — nur — in contrast to humans, who were created from clay, and jinn, who were created from smokeless fire. They are understood to be pure, obedient, and without the capacity for sin. Unlike humans, they have no free will in the sense of being able to disobey God — they exist entirely in service to the divine will, carrying out their assigned roles with perfect consistency.

The Quran describes angels as having wings — “messengers with wings, two or three or four” (Quran 35:1) — though the precise nature of these wings is understood to be beyond human comprehension. They are vast in number: Islamic tradition holds that the number of angels is known only to God, and that they fill the heavens in ways that dwarf human imagination.

The Four Great Angels

Jibril (Gabriel) — The Angel of Revelation

Jibril is the most prominent angel in Islamic tradition — the one who brought the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad over a period of twenty-three years. He is described in hadith as having 600 wings, each so vast that it spans the horizon. When Muhammad first encountered him in the Cave of Hira, the experience was so overwhelming that he trembled and had to be comforted by his wife Khadijah.

Jibril is also identified with the Holy Spirit in some Islamic interpretations, and is understood to have been the angel who communicated with the earlier prophets — including Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), and Isa (Jesus).

Mika’il (Michael) — The Angel of Provision

Mika’il is responsible for the natural world — for rain, for the growth of crops, for the provision of sustenance to all living things. He is understood as the angel of mercy and blessing, whose work sustains the physical world that God has created. In Islamic tradition, Mika’il and Jibril are the two angels most frequently mentioned together as the closest to God.

Israfil — The Angel of the Trumpet

Israfil is the angel who will blow the trumpet at the end of time — the signal for the Day of Judgement to begin. He is described as standing with the trumpet at his lips, waiting for the divine command, his gaze fixed on the Throne of God. His role is eschatological — concerned with the end of the world and the beginning of what comes after.

Azra’il (Azrael) — The Angel of Death

Azra’il — known in Islamic tradition as Malak al-Mawt, the Angel of Death — is responsible for receiving the souls of the dying at the moment of death. Far from being a figure of terror, he is understood in Islamic theology as a being of divine mercy, carrying out God’s will with compassion. The manner of a soul’s reception by Azra’il is understood to reflect the quality of that soul’s life — the righteous experience his presence as gentle and welcoming; others experience it differently.

The Recording Angels: Kiraman Katibin

Every human being is accompanied by two angels — the kiraman katibin, or “honoured scribes” — who record their deeds throughout their life. One records good deeds; the other records bad. These records will be presented on the Day of Judgement. The presence of these angels is understood not as surveillance but as a reminder of the weight and significance of every human action.

Munkar and Nakir

In Islamic tradition, two angels — Munkar and Nakir — visit the soul in the grave after death to question them about their faith and deeds. This questioning is understood as the first stage of the journey after death, and preparation for it is considered an important part of Islamic spiritual practice.

Angels Across Traditions

The Islamic understanding of angels shares much with the Jewish and Christian traditions — the same great figures (Jibril/Gabriel, Mika’il/Michael), the same understanding of angels as beings of light created to serve God, the same sense of their vast number and power. What is distinctive in Islam is the theological precision with which angelic nature is defined — the emphasis on their absolute obedience, their creation from light, and their role as the mechanism through which divine will is carried out in the world.

To explore archangel energy through candle and ritual, read our guides to the seven archangels and what they do and archangel prayers for every intention. Our candles honour the energy of the four great archangels:

• → Michael Candle — Protection & Courage
• → Raphael Candle — Healing & Restoration
• → Gabriel Candle — Clarity & Communication
• → Uriel Candle — Wisdom & Illumination