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Azrael

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, seeAzrael (disambiguation).
Not to be confused withAzazel,a fallen angel, orAzazil,in Islamic traditions the name of Iblis before his fall.
"Izrail" redirects here. Not to be confused withIsrael.
Azrael
עֲזַרְאֵל‎
عزرائيل‎
A welcoming depiction of the Archangel of Death (usually associated with Azrael), byEvelyn De Morgan,1881[1]
Angel of Death
Associated religionsIslamandJudaism(not canonical in the latter)
AttributesArchangel;psychopomp;wings; cloak.
AssociationsJibrāʾīl,Mīkāʾīl,andIsrāfīl(in Islam)
Alternate spellings
  • ʿĂzarʾēl
  • ʿAzrāʾīl
  • ʿIzrāʾīl
  • Ajrā-īl
  • Ezrā’ël
Appearance in text

Azrael(/ˈæzri.əl,-reɪ-/;Hebrew:עֲזַרְאֵל,romanized:ʿǍzarʾēl,'God has helped';[2]Arabic:عزرائيل,romanized:ʿAzrāʾīlorʿIzrāʾīl) is thecanonicalangel of deathinIslam,[3]and appears in theapocryphal textApocalypse of Peter.[4]

Relative to similar concepts of such beings, Azrael holds a benevolent role asGod's angel of death; he acts as apsychopomp,responsible for transporting the souls of the deceased after their death.[5]In Islam, he is said to hold a scroll concerning the fate of mortals, recording and erasing their names at their birth and death, similar to the role of the malakh ha-mavet (Angel of Death) inJudaism.[6][7]: 234 

Depending on the perspective and precepts of the various religions in which he is a figure, he may also be portrayed as a resident of theThird Heaven,adivision of heavenin Judaism and Islam.[8]In Islam, he is one of the fourarchangels,and is identified with theQuranicMalʾak al-Mawt(ملاك الموت,'angel of death'), which corresponds with the Hebrew termMalʾakh ha-Maweth(מלאך המוות) inRabbinic literature.In Hebrew, Azrael translates to "Angel of God" or "Help from God".[8]

Etymology and place in Judaism

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TheHebrew Bibledoes not mention an angel by the name Azrael, nor does it appear in therabbinic literatureof theTalmudorMidrashim.No such angel is treated as canonical in traditionalRabbinic Judaism.However, an angel by a similar name,Azriel(עזריאל), is mentioned in Kabbalistic literature, such as theZohar.

Despite the absence of such a figure in Judaism, the nameAzraelis suggestive of a Hebrewtheophoricעזראל,meaning "the one whom God helps".Archeologicalevidence uncovered in Jewish settlements inMesopotamiaconfirms that it was indeed at one time used on anincantation bowlfrom the7th century.[9][10]However, as the text thereon only lists names, an association of this angelic name with death cannot be identified in Judaism.[11]

After the emergence of Islam, the name Azrael became popular among both Christian and Islamic literature andfolklore.[citation needed]The name spelled asEzrā’ëlappears in theClassical Ethiopicversion ofApocalypse of Peter(dating to the 16th century) as an angel of hell, who avenges those who had been wronged during life.[12]

Islam

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Before the creation of man, Azrael proved to be the only angel brave enough to go down to Earth and face the hordes of Iblīs, the devil, in order to bring God the materials needed to make man. For this service he was made the angel of death and given a register of all mankind.[13] Along withGabriel,Michael,andIsrafil,Azrael is one of the four majorarchangels in Islam.[14]He is responsible for taking the souls of the deceased away from the body.[15][16]Azrael does not act independently, but is only informed byGodwhen the time is up to take a soul.[17]

In Quran and its exegesis

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Surah 32:11 mentions the angel of death.[18]Regarding Azrael's missions and function, interpretation from several groups of modern Islamic scholars fromImam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic Universityin Yemen and Mauritania has issuedfatwathat taken the interpretation fromibn Kathirregarding Quran chapterAl-An'amverse 61, and ahadithtransmitted byAbu Hurairahandibn Abbas,that the angel of death has assisting angels who helped him taking souls.[19]According toexegesis,these verses refer to lesser angels of death, subordinative to Azrael, who aid the archangel in his duty.Tafsir al-Baydawimentions an entire host of angels of death, subordinative to Azrael.[20]

The eighth Umayyad CaliphUmar ibn Abd al-Azizonce reported the commentary regarding Azrael in Quran chapterAs-Sajdahverse 11Quran32:11,that taking many lives are very easy for the angel, that in caliph's words "it is as if the entire mankind of earth were only like a dish on a plate from the perspective ofMalak al-Mawt(angel of death) ".[21]Meanwhile,Al-Qurtubihas narrated from the authority ofMujahid ibn Jabrthat the world being between the hands of the Angel of Death is "similar to a vessel between the hands of a human; he takes from whatever place he wants", where Mujahid described that Azrael is able to seize many souls at the same moment because God made the earth shrunk for him until it seems as if it is a vessel between his hands.[19]A similarMarfu' Hadith(i.e., with anelevatedchain of transmission) was reported by Zuhayr ibn Muhammad.[19]When the unbelievers inhellcry out for help, an angel, also identified with Azrael, will appear on the horizon and tell them that they have to remain.[22]Other Quranic verses refer to a multitude of angels of death.

Several modern contemporaries, such as Wahbah al-Zuhayli, and scholars from Islamic University of Madinah,Indonesian religious ministry,Saudi Islamic affair ministry,andMasjid al-Haramhave compiled the classical exegesis from chapterAl-Anfalverse 50Quran8:50,that the angel of death has special tasks during thebattle of Badr.[23]

In Hadiths

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According to one Muslim tradition, 40 days before the death of a person approaches, God drops a leaf from a tree below the heavenly throne, on which Azrael reads the name of the person he must take with him.[16]Al-Qurtubinarrated commentary from classical scholar, Ibn Zhafar al-Wa'izh, that Azrael, has a shape resembling a blue colored ram, has numerous eyes in numerous places, and according toIkrimah Mawlâ Ibn 'Abbâs[id;ar],atabiʾscholar,[Notes 1]the size of Azrael were so huge that "if the Earth were put on his shoulder, it would be like a bean in an open field".[21]He also had 4,000 wings which consisted of two types, wings of grace and wings of punishment.[21]The wings of punishment are made from iron rods, hooks, and scissors.[21]Muqatil ibn Sulaymanhas recorded his commentary in his commentary work,al-Suluk,the angel possessed 70,000 limbs of foot.[24][Notes 2]

Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz,anUmayyad caliph,reported a narration that the angel of death is armed with a flaming whip.[21]Caliph Umar also reported a narration that the angel of death was so huge that he even dwarfedBearers of the Throne,group of angels which are known as the biggest among angels.[21]

The "Islamic Book of Dead" describes him with 4 faces, and his whole body consists of eyes and tongues whose number corresponds to the number of humans inhabiting the Earth.[6][8][35]: 33–34 

The angel of death features in a famous extra-Quranic creation story regarding the creation of Adam, recorded by various Muslim scholars, including Tabari, Mas'udi, Maqdisi, Kisa'i, Tha'labi, Ibn Kathir in his workQiṣaṣ al-Anbiyā(Stories of the Prophets), and Muqatil.[36]Accordingly, God ordered the archangels to collect dust from earth from which Adam is supposed to be created. Only Azrael succeeded, whereupon he was destined to become the angel concerning life and death, a reference to show the close connection between these two.[37]

Relationship between Azrael and Death

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Islam elaborated further narratives concerning the relation between Azrael and Death. Christian Lange mentioned that according to some scholars Azrael and Death were one entity; other exegesis scholars opined Azrael and Death were different entities, with Death as some kind of tool used by Azrael to take life.[38]: 129 

One account explains death and its relation to Azrael, representingDeathand Azrael as former two separate entities, but when God created Death, God ordered the angels to look upon it and they swoon for a thousand years. After the angels regained consciousness, Death recognized that it must submit to Azrael.[39]This opinion were shared among scholars of Islam such as Sultan ibn ‘Abdirrahman Al-‘Umairi, in his bookAl-‘Uquud Adz-Dzahabiyyah ‘alaa Maqaasid Al-‘Aqiidah Al-Waasithiyyahwhere he adds commentary the Hadith about Death will be materialized after the judgment day in form of a Ram, which said as different entity than Angel Azrael.[40]According to one narration, Azrael is rewarded to become the angel of death for successfully carrying the dirt of the earth from which Adam would be created.[41]

The identification of "Death" and angel Azrael as one entity were explained in a Hadith about the fate of "Death" entity itself after the judgment day, where classical Hanafite scholarBadr al-Din al-Aynihas interpreted in that Hadith which compiled inSahih Bukharicollection, that Death would take on the form of a ram, then placed between paradise and hell, and finally slaughtered by God himself, causing Death cease to exist, which followed by God to declare to both people of paradise and hell that eternity has begun, and their state will never end.[42]Lange mentioned that according to some scholars, the ram in that Hadith narration is no other than the angel of death himself, while others assert, this to be death's own form in the hereafter.[38]In other account sourced fromMuqatil ibn Sulayman,Azrael and death were said as one entity as he reported the angel has number of faces and hands equal to the number of living creatures on his body, where each of those faces and hands are connected with the life of each souls in the living world.[24]Whenever a face within Azrael body vanished, then the soul which connected with it will experience death.[24]

Saints and prophets

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A common belief holds that the lesser angels of death are for the common people, while saints and prophets meet the archangel of death himself.[20]Great prophets, such asMosesandMuhammadare invited politely by him, but saints are also said to meet Azrael in beautiful forms.

It is said that, whenRumiwas about to die, he laid in his bed and met Azrael in human shape.[43]The belief that Azrael appears to saints before they actually die to prepare themselves for death, is also attested by the testament ofNasir Khusraw,in which he claims to have met Azrael during his sleep, informing him about his upcoming death.[44]According to theSufiteacherAl-Jili,Azrael appears to the soul in a form provided by its most powerful metaphors.

It is believed to resist the pulling of the soul by the angel of death by accusing him of acting arbitrarily. In that case, the angel of death returns to heaven to bring proof for following heavenly instructions.[41]

Western reception

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A six wingedSeraphAzrael byM. Vroubel

The Islamic notion of Azrael, including some narratives such as the tale ofSolomon,ahadithreaching back toShahr Ibn Hawshab,[45]was already known in the United States in the 18th century as attested by Gregory Sharpe andJames Harris.[45]

Some Western adaptions extended the physical description of Azrael, hence the poetLeigh Huntdepicts Azrael as wearing a black-hooded cloak. Although lacking the eminentscythe,his portrayal nevertheless resembles theGrim Reaper.[45]Henry Wadsworth Longfellowmentions Azrael in "The Reaper and the Flowers"as an angel of death, but he is not equated withSamael,the angel of death in Jewish lore who appears as afallen and malevolent angel,instead.[46]Azrael also appears inG. K. Chesterton's poem "Lepanto"as one of the Islamic spirits commanded by" Mahound "(Muhammad) to resistDon John of Austria's crusade. InThe Smurfs,the cat of the evil wizardGargamelis called Azrael.

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toAzrael.

References

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Notes

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  1. ^According to the narrator, Ikrimah, he saw this narration fromnon-canonical sourcewhich he named the "scroll ofSeth".[21]
  2. ^Muqatil ibn Sulayman were neglected by numbers of Islamic scholars, such asAbu Hanifa(d. 150 H/ 767 CE) who criticised his theology,Ibn al-Mubarak(d. 181 H/ 797 CE) who criticised his methodology (particularly that he did not quote Hadith with chains of transmission), andWakee ibn al-Jarrah(d. 197/ 812 CE) who criticize Muqatil as lying in his narration.[25][26][27]Ibn Hajar in particular quotes the following from him: "Two disgusting opinions came to us from the east: Jahm the negator [of God’s attributes] and Muqatil the anthropomorphist."[28]Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalistated that the early scholars (as-salaf) rejected Muqatil's views after they became known after his debate with Jahm.[29][30]However, more recent scholars has argued while Muqatil are not trustworthy, his theology as antrophomorphist are falsely attributed, asIbn Abi al-Izz(d. 731), a follower ofIbn Taymiyyah,[31]argued that al-Ash'ari's material originated from the Mu'tazila and/or must have been tampered with.[32][33]Contemporary Saudi scholar Abdullah al-Ghunayman, author of the commentary on Ibn Taymiyyah'sAl-Aqidah Al-Waasitiyyah,argues that he could not find anything he would consider anthropomorphic from Muqatil, arguing that to be reliable, ones views must be taken from one's own works, and not from the works of an opponent. Al-Ghunayman says "Mushabbih" has become a catch word to accuse one's opponents because of their different views.[34][33]

Citations

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  1. ^Smith, Elise Lawton. 2002.Evelyn Pickering De Morgan and the Allegorical Body.Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.ISBN9780838638835.p. 153–54.
  2. ^"Strong's Hebrew Concordance - 5832. Azarel".
  3. ^"Azrael| Meaning, Angel, & Fate | Britannica".britannica.Retrieved2024-06-06.
  4. ^Bauckham, Richard (2008).The Fate of the Dead: Studies on the Jewish and Christian Apocalypses.Society of Biblical Literature.ISBN978-1-58983-288-6.
  5. ^Davidson, Gustav.1968. "Longfellow's Angels".Prairie Schooner42(3):235–43.JSTOR40630837.
  6. ^abHastings, James; Selbie, John A. (2003),Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics Part 3,Kessinger Publishing, p. 617,ISBN0-7661-3671-X
  7. ^Hamilton, Michelle M. 2014.Beyond Faith: Belief, Morality and Memory in a Fifteenth-Century Judeo-Iberian Manuscript.Leiden: Brill.ISBN9789004282735.
  8. ^abc Davidson, Gustav.[1967] 1971."A § Azrael".Pp. 64–65 inA Dictionary of Angels, Including the Fallen Angels.New York: Free Press.ISBN9780029070505.
  9. ^C.D. Isbell, Corpus of the Aramaic Incantation Bowls, Missoula: Scholars Press, 1975, §12:14 and 41:7, pp. 44 and 98
  10. ^J. Naveh and S. Shaked, Amulets and Magic Bowls: Aramaic Incantations of Late Antiquity, Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1985, §1:13; 2:16; 7:3, pp. 40–41, 46–7 and 68–9.
  11. ^Burge, S. (2019). Themes in Islamic angelology. In Angels in Islam: Jalal Al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik Fi Akhbar al-Mala'ik (p. 36). essay, Routledge.
  12. ^S. R. Burge (University of Edinburgh)cZR’L, The Angel of Death and the Ethiopic Apocalypse of Peter
  13. ^"Azrael| Meaning, Angel, & Fate | Britannica".
  14. ^Noegel, Scott B.; Wheeler, Brannon M. (2002).Historical Dictionary of Prophets in Islam and Judaism.Scarecrow.ISBN9780810843059.
  15. ^Çakmak, Cenap. 2017.Islam: A Worldwide Encyclopaedia,4 vols.ABC-Clio.ISBN9781610692175.p. 137
  16. ^abHoutsma, Martijn Theodoor.[1913–1936] 1987.E.J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam 1913-1936,edited by R. Arnold and C. Gibb. Leiden: Brill Publishers.ISBN978-9-004-08265-6.p. 570.
  17. ^Smith, Jane I., andYvonne Haddad.1981.Islamic Understanding of Death and Resurrection.Albany: State University of New York Press.ISBN9780873955072.p. 35.
  18. ^Cenap ÇakmakIslam: A Worldwide Encyclopedia [4 volumes]ABC-CLIO 2017ISBN9781610692175pp. 137
  19. ^abcAbdullaah Al-Faqeeh (2003)."Angel of death seizes many souls simultaneously; Fatwa No: 20657".Islamweb.net.Fatwa center of Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Yemen, and Mauritania Islamic educational institutes.Retrieved14 March2022.
  20. ^abMichelle M. HamiltonBeyond Faith: Belief, Morality and Memory in a Fifteenth-Century Judeo-Iberian ManuscriptBRILL, 14.11.2014ISBN9789004282735p. 235
  21. ^abcdefgal-Qurtubi(2005). Noor Ridho, Abdillah; Ihsan, Muhammad (eds.).At-Tadzkirah Jilid 1 Bekal Menghadapi Kehidupan Abadi[At-Tadhkirah Volume 1 Provisions for Facing Eternal Life](ebook)(Music / Religious / Muslim, Religion / Islam / Koran & Sacred Writings, Religion / Islam / Rituals & Practice) (in Indonesian). Translated by Anshor Umar Sitanggal. east Jakarta: Pustaka al-Kautsar. pp. 50, 140–141.ISBN9789795926320.Retrieved7 March2022.
  22. ^Christian Lange|Locating Hell in Islamic Traditions| BRILL | 978-90-04-30121-4 | p. 93
  23. ^Muhammad Sulaiman al-Ashqar;Wahbah_al-Zuhayli;Imad Zuhair Hafidz from Markaz Ta'dhim Qur'an Medina; Shalih bin Abdullah bin Humaid (2016)."Surat al Anfal ayat 50".Tafsirweb(in Indonesian and Arabic).Islamic University of Madinah;Ministry of Religious Affairs (Indonesia);Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance;Masjid al-Haram.Retrieved30 January2022.
  24. ^abcAhmad Zacky El-Syafa (2020).Ternyata Kita Tak Pantas Masuk Surga[Turns out we did not deserve to enter the heaven](ebook)(Religion / Islam / General, Young Adult Nonfiction / Religion / Islam) (in Indonesian). Surabaya: Genta Hidayah. pp. 38–39.ISBN9786232350571.Retrieved7 March2022.
  25. ^Ibn Ḥajar al-‛Asqalānī, Tahdhīb, 4/143-46
  26. ^al-Dhahabī, Mīzan, 6/505-7
  27. ^Tohe, Achmad.Muqatil ibn Sulayman: A neglected figure in the early history of Qur'ānic commentary.Diss. Boston University, 2015. pp. 11, 20
  28. ^Ibn Ḥajar al-‛Asqalānī, Tahdhīb, 10/281
  29. ^Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī, Bayān Faḍl ‛ilm al-Salaf ‛alā ‘Ilm al-Khalaf, ed. Muḥammad ibn Nāṣir al-‘Ajmī(Beirūt: Dār al-Bashā’ir al-Islāmiyyah, 2003), p.55
  30. ^Tohe, Achmad.Muqatil ibn Sulayman: A neglected figure in the early history of Qur'ānic commentary.Diss. Boston University, 2015. p. 33
  31. ^Shagaviev, Damir A., and Venera N. Khisamova. "Islamic theological literature of the Salafi sect in the modern Tatarstan." Journal of Sustainable Development 8.7 (2015): 83.
  32. ^Ṣadr al-Dīn ‘Alī ibn ‘Alī ibn Muḥammad ibn Abī al-‘Izz al-Ḥanafī, Sharḥal-Ṭaḥāwiyyahfī al-‘Aqīdah al-Salafiyyah, ed. Aḥmad Muḥammad Shākir (Riyāḍ: Fahrasah Maktabat al-Malik Fahd al-Waṭaniyyah, 1997).
  33. ^abTohe, Achmad.Muqatil ibn Sulayman: A neglected figure in the early history of Qur'ānic commentary.Diss. Boston University, 2015. p. 43
  34. ^Abd Allāh Mūḥammad al-Ghanīmān, Sharḥal-‛Aqīdah al-Wāsiṭiyyah(al-Maktabah al-Shāmilah), 12/8.
  35. ^Qāḍī, ʻAbd al-Raḥīm ibn Aḥmad (1977).Islamic book of the dead: a collection of Hadiths on the Fire & the Garden.Norwich, Norfolk: Diwan Press.ISBN0-9504446-2-6.OCLC13426566.
  36. ^Chipman, Leigh NB. "Mythic Aspects of the Process of Adam's Creation in Judaism and Islam." Studia Islamica (2001): 5-25.
  37. ^Ibn Kathir(2017). "Adam Alaihissalam". In Hikmatiar, Ikhlas (ed.).Kisah Para Nabi Sejarah Lengkap Kehidupan Para Nabi sejak Nabi Adam Alaihissalam hingga Nabi Isa Alaihissalam[Stories of the Prophets Complete History of the Life of the Prophets since Prophet Adam Alaihissalam to Prophet Isa Alaihissalam] (Religion / Islam / History) (in Indonesian). Translated by Saefulloh MS. east Jakarta: Qisthi Press. p. 46.ISBN9789791303842.Retrieved10 March2022.
  38. ^abLange, Christian (2016).Paradise and Hell in Islamic Traditions.Cambridge United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-521-50637-3.
  39. ^Jane I. Smith, Yvonne Yazbeck HaddadIslamic Understanding of Death and ResurrectionState University of New York Press 1981ISBN9780873955072p. 34-35
  40. ^Sulthon bin ‘Abdirrahman Al-‘Umairi.إمداد القارى بشرح كتاب التفسير من صحيح البخارى 1-4 - 3(Paperback)(in Arabic). IslamKotob. p. 506.Retrieved5 August2023.
  41. ^abWensinck, A.J., “ʿIzrāʾīl”, in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs. Consulted online on 17 August 2023doi:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_3719 First published online: 2012 First print edition:ISBN9789004161214,1960-2007
  42. ^Badr al-Din al-Ayni."Umdat al qari; Interpretation of Sahih Bukhari".Islamweb.net(in Arabic). al-Maktaba al-Islam (Islamic library). p. 53.Retrieved18 March2022.حدثنا عمر بن حفص بن غياث ، حدثنا أبي ، حد; فيقولون: نعم هذا الموت ، وكلهم قد رآه ، ثم ينادي: يا أهل النار ، فيشرئبون وينظرون ، فيقول: هل تعرفون هذا ؟ فيقولون: نعم هذا الموت ، وكلهم قد رآه فيذبح ثم يقول: يا أهل الجنة ، خلود فلا موت ، ويا أهل النار خلود فلا موت ، ثم قرأ; Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "On the Day of Resurrection Death will be brought forward in the shape of a black and white ram. Then a call maker will call, 'O people of Paradise!' Thereupon they will stretch their necks and look carefully. The caller will say, 'Do you know this?' They will say, 'Yes, this is Death.' By then all of them will have seen it. Then it will be announced again, 'O people of Hell!' They will stretch their necks and look carefully. The caller will say, 'Do you know this?' They will say, 'Yes, this is Death.' And by then all of them will have seen it. Then it (that ram) will be slaughtered and the caller will say, 'O people of Paradise! Eternity for you and no death O people of Hell! Eternity for you and no death." ' ثنا الأعمش ، حدثنا أبو صالح ، عن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: يؤتى بالموت كهيئة كبش أملح فينادي مناد: يا أهل الجنة ، فيشرئبون ، وينظرون ، فيقول: هل تعرفون هذا ؟
  43. ^Davidson, Gustav.A Dictionary of Angels, Including the Fallen Angels.New York: Free Press.Simon & Schuster.p. 255.
  44. ^Rubanovich, Julia. 2015.Orality and Textuality in the Iranian World: Patterns of Interaction Across the Centuries.Leiden: Brill.ISBN9789004291973.p. 148.
  45. ^abcAl-Garrallah, Aiman Sanad. 2016."The Islamic tale of Solomon and the Angel of Death in English Poetry: Origins, Translations, and Adaptations".Forum for World Literature Studies8(4):528–47.ISSN1949-8519.Issue link.
  46. ^Davidson, Gustav (Fall 1968). "Longfellow's Angels".Prairie Schooner.42(3): 235–243.JSTOR40630837.
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