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Islam is clear on the nature of angels. The functions that the angels perform vary, one of the most prominent of these functions is their function as messengers. The angel Jibraaiyl (Gabriel) is the most important (prominent) messenger angel, as in Islam, he delivers the message of God (Allah) to the Islamic prophets. Angels cannot be seen as they are heavenly beings but that can take on different forms, including human. One well known example is when God sent the angel Jibreel (Gabriel) to Maryam (Mary) in the form of a man, as God says in the Quran:
...then We sent her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects. —Quran, sura 19 (Maryam), ayat 17Similarly, angels also came to Abraham (ʾIbrāhīm) in human form, and he was not aware that they were angels until they told him so. Lot (Lūṭ) also had angels come to him to warn him of the impending doom of his people. All angels praise and glorify God and they never become tired of doing this.
They celebrate His praises night and day, nor do they ever flag or intermit. —Quran, sura 21 (Al-Anbiya), ayah 20 ...for in the presence of thy Lord are those who celebrate His praises by night and by day. And they never flag (nor feel themselves above it). —Quran, sura 41 (Fussilat), ayah 38There are angels standing in rows, who never get tired or sit down, and others who bow or prostrate, and never raise their heads. Abu Dharr al-Ghifari is quoted as saying:
"The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: 'I see what you do not see and hear what you do not hear. The heaven makes a noise like groaning, and it has the right to (or it is no surprise), for there is no space in it the width of four fingers, but there is an angel there, placing his forehead in sujood (prostration) to Allaah. By Allaah, if you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much, you would not enjoy your relationships with women and you would go out in the street praying to Allaah.'" —Abu `Isa Muhammad ibn `Isa at-Tirmidhi, Jami` at-TirmidhiNo angel is able to disobey God due to the way God created angels. For this reason, Islam does not teach that Iblīs or Shayṭan (the Devil or Satan) was a fallen angel, rather he was one of the jinn.
O ye who believe! save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who flinch not (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely) what they are commanded. —Quran, sura 66 (At-Tahrim), ayah 6The Quran also mentions that angels have qualities that may be typified by the word wings:
Praise be to Allah, Who created (out of nothing) the heavens and the earth, Who made the angels, messengers with wings,- two, or three, or four (pairs):... —Quran, sura 35 (Fatir) ayah 1The preceding sentence does not imply that all angels have two to four wings. Most notably, archangels (namely Gabriel and Michael) are described as having thousands of wings.
However, according to hadith collected by Muhammad al-Bukhari, Muhammad said that Gabriel had 600 wings;
Narrated Abu Ishaq-Ash-Shaibani:I asked Zir bin Hubaish regarding the Statement of Allah: "And was at a distance Of but two bow-lengths Or (even) nearer; So did (Allah) convey The Inspiration to His slave (Gabriel) and then he (Gabriel) Conveyed (that to Muhammad). (53.9-10) On that, Zir said, "Ibn Mas'ud informed us that the Prophet had seen Gabriel having 600 wings." —Muhammad al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 455
The angels also accompanied Muhammad up to Jannah (Heaven) when he received commands from God. Instead of riding on an angel, Muhammad rode a creature called a Buraq whose stride spans from horizon to horizon.
Angels are not equal in status and consequently they have been delegated different tasks to perform. The names and roles of some angels have been mentioned to us:
- The angels of the Seven Heavens.
- Hafaza, (The Guardian Angel):
- Kiraman Katibin (Honourable Recorders), two of whom are charged to every human being; one writes down good deeds called Raqib, and the another one called Atid writes down evil deeds.
- Mu'aqqibat (The Protectors) who keep people from death until its decreed time and who bring down blessings.
- Jundullah, those who help Muhammad in the battlefield
- The angels who violently pull out the souls of the wicked,
- Those who gently draw out the souls of the blessed,
- Those angels who distribute (provisions, rain, and other blessings) by (God's) Command.
- Those angels who drive the clouds.
- Hamalat al-'Arsh, those who carry the 'Arsh (Throne of God), comparable to the Christian Seraph
- Arham, those that give the spirit to the foetus in the womb and are charged with four commands: to write down his provision, his life-span, his actions, and whether he will be wretched or happy.
- The Angel of the Mountains
- Munkar and Nakir, who question the dead in their graves.
- Darda'il (The Journeyers), who travel in the earth searching out assemblies where people remember God's name.
- The angels charged with each existent thing, maintaining order and warding off corruption. Their number is known only to God.
- Ridwan is the angel who is responsible for Jannah (Paradise)
- Maalik is the chief of the angels who govern Jahannam (Hell)
- Zabaniah are 19 angels who torment sinful persons in hell
These angels take no pity on punishing them as they do what the Lord has commanded them to precisely and perfectly. A verse stipulates this:
O ye who believe! save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who flinch not (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely) what they are commanded. —Quran, sura 66 (At-Tahrim), ayah 6The following is a Quranic verse that mentions the meeting of an angel with Mary, mother of Jesus (ʿĪsā):
Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah; —Quran, sura 3 (Ali-Imran), ayah 45Muhammad, speaking of the magnitude of the angel Gabriel, has said that his wings spanned from the eastern to the western horizon.
Narrated Aisha:Whoever claimed that (the Prophet) Muhammad saw his Lord, is committing a great fault, for he only saw Gabriel in his genuine shape in which he was created covering the whole horizon. —Muhammad al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 457
Read more about this topic: Islamic View Of Angels