Belief in angels is one of the six articles of faith in Islam, and all Muslims must accept their existence. The Qur'an emphasizes this in the following verse: "The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. All believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books and His Messengers." (Qur’an 2:285).
Although angels are part of the unseen and therefore mysterious, the Qur'an and hadith offer some insight into the creation of angels, their attributes, and their purpose.
What Are Angels?
Angels are powerful, spiritual beings whom Allah created from light prior to creating man from clay. They do not have physical bodies, and do not require sleep, food or drink.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him*) is reported to have said, "The angels are created from light, just as the jinn are created from smokeless fire and mankind is created from what you have been told about (clay).'" (Muslim)
Why Were Angels Created?
Angels were created to worship and serve their Creator. Angels are assigned specific tasks, but because they don't possess free will, they never sin or rebel against those duties. Thus, there is no concept of a "fallen angel" in Islam.
The Qur'an notes, "Those who are before Him are not scornful of worshiping Him, nor do they tire or get bored. They glorify Him night and day; they do not halt." (Qur’an 21:19-20)
How Many Angels Are There? Where Do Angels Live?
No one knows precisely how many angels there are. Angels are innumerable in number. Although angels live in heaven, some descend to earth to carry out their responsibilities and interact with mankind.
What Do Angels Look Like? Do Angels Have Wings?
Little has been revealed about the appearance of angels, but from the Qur'an Muslims know that angels have wings. "Praise be to Allah, the Originator of the Heavens and the Earth, Who made the angels messengers with wings – two, three or four." (Qur’an 35:1) In addition, a hadith mentions that the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) has six hundred wings.
However, the Qu'ran holds that Muslims shouldn't speculate on what angels look like. It's considered blasphemous, for example, to depict angels as naked babies with wings or as winged adults with halos.
How Big Are Angels?
Angels might be enormous in size. Consider the hadith mentioned above which describes Jibreel: "He had six hundred wings, each of which covered the horizon. There fell from his wings jewels, pearls and rubies, only Allah knows about them." (Narrated by Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood and reported by Ahmad in Al-Musnad)
In another hadith, a different angel is also described as unimaginably large. The Prophet (peace be upon him*) said, "I have been given permission to speak about one of the angels of Allah who carry the Throne. The distance between his ear-lobes and his shoulders is equivalent to a seven-hundred-year journey." (Sunan Abee Daawood, Kitaab al-Sunnah)
Are Angels Male or Female?
Muslims believe that angels are without gender. In particular, Muslims are cautioned against claiming that angels are female.
"Those who do not believe in the Hereafter, surely name the angels with female names." (Qur’an 53:27). And in another verse, Allah says, "And they consider the angels, who are worshipers of Allah, to be females. Did they witness their creation? Their testimony shall be recorded, and they will be asked." (Qur’an 43:19)
Angels Can Take the Form of Humans
Islamic teachings hold that angels have the ability to take on forms that are visible to the human eye. The Qur'an narrates an account of the angel Jibreel visiting Mary (may Allah be pleased with her) in the form of a man to inform her of the birth Jesus (peace be upon him). Similarly, Jibreel visited Muhammad (peace be upon him*) in the form of a man, as did other angels.
The fact that most of the time humans are unaware of the presence of angels doesn't negate their existence. According to the Qur'an, belief in angels is incumbent upon Muslims and unquestionably a part of Islamic faith: "Uprightness is not to turn your faces towards east or west, but uprightness is to believe in Allah and the Last Day, the angels, the Book and the Prophets." (Qur'an 2:177)
More Reading on Islamic Beliefs
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:
- Angels in Islam (Al-Malaikah) - Learn the names and duties of angels mentioned in the Qur'an and Hadith.
- What Do Muslims Believe? - An overview of the basic beliefs of Muslims, also called the six articles of faith.
- Satan in Islam Compared to Satan in Christianity - Learn how Muslims' belief about the devil differs from that of Christians.
* Muslims invoke Allah's blessings on the Prophet Muhammad whenever his name is mentioned.
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