10 ANGELS OF ISLAM

Archangels :

There are four Archangels whom Muslims are required to acknowledge as part of their conversion to Islam.

Jibra'il (OR Jibreel OR Geebril OR Jibril OR Djebril OR Gabriel in English and the Bible). Jibra'il is the Archangel responsible for revealing the Qur'an to Muhammad, verse by verse. Jibra'il is known as the angel who communicates with (all) the Prophets that Muslims accept. He is mentioned specifically in the Qur'an.

Azra'il (OR Azrail OR Izrael OR Azrael). Azrael is the Angel of Death who along with his helpers is responsible for parting the soul of the human from the body. The actual process of separating the soul from the body depends on the person's history or record of good or bad deeds. If the human was a bad person in life, the soul is ripped out very painfully. But if the human was a righteous person, then the soul is separated like a 'drop of water dripping from glass'.

Mika'il (OR Mikael OR Mikaa’eel OR Michael). Michael is the Archangel charged with bringing thunder and lightning onto the Earth. He is also responsible for the rewards doled out to good persons in this life. This archangel was mentioned in Qur'an.

Israfil (OR Israafeel OR Isrofil OR Raphael). According to the Hadith, Israfil is the Angel responsible for signalling the coming of Judgment Day by blowing a horn and sending out a "Blast of Truth". It translates to English as Azrael or one of the similar names. Blowing of the trumpet is described at many places in Quran. First time, it will destroy everything 69:13. Second time, all human beings will come to life again 36:51.

Other angels :

Malik denotes a terrible angel who guards the Hellfire, assisted by 19 sbires (zabaniya) or guardians. In the Qu'ran, sura 43, 77, Malik tells the wicked who appeal to him that they must remain in Hell forever because "they abhorred the truth when the truth was brought to them."

Ridwan is the angel who is responsible for Heaven (Paradise).

Kirama Katibin, or honourable recorders, are two angels in Islam who record a person's good and bad deeds. If there is one type of deed more than the other this decides if one is sent to the Jannah or the Jahannam. These two Angels are mentioned in Sura 82, Ayah 11 of the Qur'an.

Nakir and Munkar, in Islamic eschatology, are angels who test the faith of the dead in their graves. They are one of the few angels directly mentioned in the Qu'ran.

According to Islam, after death, a person's soul passes through a stage called barzakh, where it exists in the grave. (Even if the person's body was destroyed, the soul will still rest in the earth near their place of death.) Nakir and Munkar prop the deceased soul upright in the grave and ask three questions: "Who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is your Prophet?" A righteous believer will respond correctly, saying that their Lord is God, that their religion is any monotheistic faith before and including Islam, and the main prophet of that religion. A voice from God will resonate down into the grave, confirming that what the person said was true. He or she will then be shown a window to the place he or she could have had in Hell, but are then shown the place that God has given for him or her in Paradise. Then there comes to him some of heaven's breezes and fragrances, and the grave will expand into a comfortable space as far as the eye can see, and his grave will be lit up. The righteous believer will then remain in a state of bliss until Judgement Day.

A non-believer will respond incorrectly and the angels will rebuke him: "Neither did you know nor did you seek guidance from those who had knowledge." They will then show the soul the place he or she could have had in Paradise, and then show that person his or her eternal place in Hell. Then he will be hit with an iron hammer between his ears, and he will cry and that cry will be heard by whatever living being approaches him except human beings and Jinns. That person's grave is tightened until his ribs come over each other like clasped hands, and he or she remains in a state of torture until Judgement Day.