Angels are created from light and are honored in Islam. Learn who they are, what they do, and why believing in them correctly matters.
Angels appear in films, art, and everyday speech, and the images are usually wrong. In Chapter 5 of Mastering Tawhid, I explain what Islam teaches about these honored creations, and why believing in them correctly is part of believing in God.
- They are created from light, and they are countless
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said that God created the angels from light, the jinn from smokeless flame, and Adam from clay. God created all angels at once, and their number never grows or shrinks. They outnumber every other creation, and only God knows how many there are. The Qur’an says (74:31): “No one knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him.”
- They are not male or female, and they do not need what we need
Angels do not eat, drink, sleep, marry, or reproduce. They are neither male nor female. They can take different forms by God’s will. When they appear as people, they appear as men, never as women. This is why Islam does not depict angels as babies, girls, or women with wings.
The angel Gabriel once appeared to the Prophet’s companions in the form of a young man in bright white clothes with no trace of travel on him. The Prophet later told them, “That was Gabriel. He came to teach you your religion.”
- They have free will, and they always choose obedience
Many people assume angels obey because they have no choice. The book explains that they do have a mind and a choice. They always choose obedience, which is why they never sin. The Qur’an says (66:6) they never disobey God in what He orders and do exactly what they are ordered.
That is also why Satan was never a fallen angel. Satan was a jinn, created from fire, and he disobeyed. Angels, created from light, never do.
- Four names every Muslim knows
The four best angels are:
- Gabriel (Jibreel), who brought the revelation to all the Prophets, and the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad over twenty-three years.
- Michael (Mika’eel), in charge of rain and plants.
- Israfeel, who will blow the horn on the Day of Judgment.
- Azra’eel, the Angel of Death. He does not create death; God does. The book says it is wrong to curse him.
- Recorders, protectors, and an angel of mercy
Two angels, Raqeeb and Ateed, record each person’s deeds. Other angels, called the Hafadhah, protect us. The book asks: have you ever heard of a child surviving a fall that should have been fatal? The tradition says angels were assigned to guard us.
The chapter also tells of Rata’eel, the leader of the Angels of Mercy, who visits distressed believers at night. A companion named al-Irbad once prayed to die because he was weak and old. A young man in green told him instead to pray, “O God, guide me to good deeds until I die.” Only afterward did al-Irbad learn he had been speaking to an angel, sent to relieve sadness.
- God does not need them
A key point: angels are not God’s helpers. God has perfect power and needs no assistance. The angels do what they are ordered, and the universe does not depend on them. The Prophet said that in the sky there is not a space of four fingers without an angel standing, bowing, or prostrating to God.
- Why this protects you
This chapter has a practical side. Because the unseen is known only to God (Qur’an 27:65: “None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except God”), Islam warns against fortune tellers and anyone who claims to contact the dead. The book explains that they cannot do what they say. What they may pass on is information from devils who, in the book’s words, accompany every person and know details of that person’s life. Believing this keeps you from being deceived by false claims.
The takeaway
The unseen world is vast, orderly, and obedient to God. Learning about it makes the universe feel less random and more cared for. In the next article, I look at destiny, choice, and why God holds us accountable.
Question for you: Which part of the angels’ story surprised you most?
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