Allah mentioned angels in various contexts in the Holy Quran, always in relation to his Holy name and will.
The Holy Quran also describes the duties of angels, such as carrying the throne. Characteristics of angels are also covered, such as purity, highness, unreluctant prostration and worship of Allah, and other characteristics. The number of angels is unknown, although it is believed to be a large number.
Allah assigned certain high tasks to certain major angels, as described in the Holy Quran and in Sunnah. Let's explore those together.
Gabriel was mentioned in various names and descriptions in the Holy Quran and Sunnah.
He is one of the four greatest angels. He is assigned with high tasks, such as: Rain control, guidance of the prophet (PBUH) to the good, fighting alongside the prophet
Allah assigned the Soor blowing task to Israfil. He shall blow the Soor twice: The first time to make all living things fall dead, and the second time brings all the dead back to life.
He is the last creature to die, as he is assigned to reaping the souls of people when they die. This has been mentioned in both the Holy Quran and Sunnah. It is worth mentioning that the Angel of Death is not named in either source. The name Azrael is not substantiated.
The evidence to his presence is the saying of the Prophet (PBUH): “Allah has assigned an angel to wombs, the angel says: I ask you Allah, a sperm, I ask you Allah, a seed, I ask you Allah, the seed grows. If he wanted to go through with the creation, he says: Male or female, happy or unhappy, all livelihood and time of death is written while the fetus is still inside his mother’s womb”.
His task is to take charge of the mountains; the mountains have angels responsible for them, who carry out what God commands them to do, and the evidence for this is the statement of Gabriel, peace be upon him, to the Prophet with what was proven in Sahih Al-Bukhari: “The Angel of the Mountains has been sent to you to order him to carry your command to the mountains.”
In some of the narrations, they are called Munkar and Nakeer, and their mission is to question the dead in his grave, and the evidence for this is what was narrated in the Sahih on the authority of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, that he said: (Indeed, if a man is placed in his grave and his companions turn away from him, and he can hear the footsteps of their sandals, two angels come to him and they both sit, and they both say: What did you believe of this man, the Prophet, PBUH?”
Malik is one of the angels responsible for hell, and he takes precedence over them. Allah the Almighty said about the people of Hell: And they will call, “O Malik, let your Lord put an end to us!” He will say, “Indeed, you will remain.”
The two names are mentioned in the Holy Quran in the Almighty’s verse: (along with what had been revealed to the two angels, Hârût and Mârût, in Babylon).
Names of some sects of angels are mentioned in the Holy Quran, and the Prophetic Sunnah mentions their sects, and among these sects are the following
The number of angels assigned to carry the throne is 8 as mentioned in the Holy Quran: (On that Day eight ˹mighty angels˺ will bear the Throne of your Lord above them.)
Their mission is to protect the children of Adam, to guard the believer, and to protect him from calamities and the horrors that may afflict him on his day. The Almighty said: (He reigns supreme over all of His creation, and sends recording-angels, watching over you. When death comes to any of you, our angels take their soul, never neglecting this duty.) Everything that Allah has written to happen to humans is exempted from protection.
It has been proven that among the tasks of the angels is to welcome the people of heaven and greet them with kind words, and the evidence for their existence is the saying of Allah the Almighty: “And those who were mindful of their Lord will be led to Paradise in successive groups. When they arrive at its already open gates, its keepers will say, “Peace be upon you! You have done well, so come in, to stay forever.”
Their mission is to meet the people of Hell, to push them to enter it, and to reprimand them for what they committed in the life of this world. The Almighty said: (almost bursting in fury. Every time a group is cast into it, its keepers will ask them, “Did a warner not come to you? They will reply, “Yes, a warner did come to us, but we denied and said, ‘Allah has revealed nothing. You are extremely astray.)
The Angels in charge of torturing the People of Hell are called Al Zabaniyah, as mentioned in the Holy Quran: (We will call the wardens of Hell.) They are many, headed by 19 angels.
They are angels who roam Earth and take part in prayers.
It is called by this name because of their succession in the night and the day, and they succeed each other, and because of its succession on the servant from before him and from behind him, the Almighty said: (For each one there are successive angels before and behind, protecting them by Allah’s command.)
They are the angels who visit al-Bayt al-Ma’mūr, which is a house in the seventh sky above the Kaabah. They are many, to the extent that each one of them visits the Frequented House once only, and 70 thousand of them visit it every day.
Scribes in any language are the writers. The angel-scribes write the deeds. Allah said: (by the hands of angel-scribes, honourable and virtuous.)
Allah the Almighty described angels, and the abilities that they possess, and the explanation of that is as follows:
Allah Almighty described the angels with many noble moral qualities, He said: (by the hands of angel-scribes, honourable and virtuous.). Here are a few of these qualities:
