The figure of Azrael, known in Islam as the "angel of death," has held a profound place in Muslim communities' consciousness for centuries. This name, frequently mentioned in folk songs and poetry, popular narratives, and even everyday conversation, is accepted as though it were a fundamental element of the Quran. Yet upon a more careful examination of the matter, one is confronted with a strikingly compelling truth: the name "Azrael" appears in neither the Quran nor hadith sources. This situation makes it genuinely necessary to question the origins of this belief and whether it is compatible with Islamic creed. The Origin of the Name Azrael and Its Historical Background The word "Azrael" is a name of Hebrew origin belonging to the Semitic language family. An etymological examination reveals that it is based on the Hebrew form "El-azar," carrying the meaning "God's help." The name also means "one who separates" or "one who severs something from something," and this meaning gradually opened the door to its identification with the angel of death. The entry of this name into Islam occurred not through direct revelation, but as a product of contact between Jewish and Christian traditions and Islamic culture. Various narratives concerning the angel of death exist in Jewish tradition. These narratives seeped into Islamic literature during the early period of Islam through relations established with the People of the Book — particularly through the channel of Isrāʾīliyyāt. Consequently, the name "Azrael" is nourished not from Islam's original source of revelation, but from foreign narrative elements that later blended into Islamic culture. The Angel of Death in the Quran: Singular or Plural? The Quran contains many verses related to death, yet none of them mention the name "Azrael." Moreover, the Quran attributes the duty of death not to a single angel, but to a community of angels. Verse 61 of Surah Al-An'am carries a particularly clear expression in this regard:
"And He is the Irresistible, Supreme over His servants, and He sends guardians over you until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him, and they never fail in their duty." (Al-An'am, 6:61) Several important points stand out in this verse. First, the expression "Our messengers" is used in the plural — meaning the act of taking souls is not the monopoly of a single angel. Second, it is emphasized that this duty at the moment of death is carried out flawlessly, yet no special name is given to the angel performing it. Verse 27 of Surah Muhammad draws a similar framework: "How will it be when the angels take them at death, striking their faces and backs?" (Muhammad, 47:27) Here too, the verbs and subjective references are used in the plural. The act of taking souls is depicted as the joint activity of more than one angel. Verse 32 of Surah An-Nahl, while describing the moment of death for the righteous, likewise uses a plural expression: "Those whom the angels take in death while they are pure — they say, 'Peace be upon you! Enter Paradise for what you used to do.'" (An-Nahl, 16:32) This verse, while offering a depiction of the moment of death not in a purely fearful manner but as a peaceful and glad reception for believers, again refers to a community of angels. The Quran's consistent use of plural language does not support the concept of a single, individual "angel of death." The Expression "Malak al-Mawt": A Single Name or a Title? At this point, the following objection may arise: Verse 11 of Surah As-Sajdah states: "Say: The angel of death, who has been entrusted with you, will take your souls, and then you will be returned to your Lord." (As-Sajdah, 32:11) In this verse, "malak al-mawt" (angel of death) is used in the singular. However, it is not possible to claim that this expression refers to a specific angel named "Azrael," because the Quran has not given this angel any special name. "Malak al-mawt" is a title or a job description — just as the word "messenger" defines a role rather than a specific person. Furthermore, this expression should not be thought to contradict the plural expressions used in other verses. The Narrative of Prophet Moses and the Angel of Death: A Critical Reading According to a widely transmitted narration in Islam, reported to appear in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih al-Muslim, the angel of death came to take the soul of Prophet Moses, whereupon Moses struck the angel and gouged out his eye. It is narrated that God restored the angel's eye, and Moses then requested the right to determine his own time of death. What is also noteworthy in this narration is the absence of the name "Azrael." Just as the name is not found in the Quran, it does not appear in this narration transmitted in the sources either. On the other hand, the content of this narration stands in serious tension with the Quran's general message. The Quran depicts prophets as being in complete submission to the will of God. A prophet who knows that everything, including death, occurs by God's decree applying physical violence to an angel appointed by God is incompatible with this theological framework. It is worth noting that Moses' character in the Quran — portrayed as both passionate and deeply devoted in faith — is well-established; however, striking God's angel is a matter that points to a different dimension altogether. This narration was infiltrated into Islam by enemies of the religion. The Issue of Isrāʾīliyyāt: The Entry of Foreign Narratives into Islam Isrāʾīliyyāt is a term used in Islamic exegetical literature to describe narrations of Jewish and Christian origin. In the early period of Islam, individuals who converted from the People of the Book transmitted narratives from their own religious cultures, and these narratives at times became mixed into exegetical and hadith literature. The name "Azrael," with all its characteristics, falls squarely into this Isrāʾīliyyāt category. Detailed narratives concerning the angel of death exist in Jewish apocryphal literature — particularly in the Talmud and various midrashim. The passage of these narratives into Islamic culture laid the groundwork for Azrael's adoption as the angel of death. Indeed, the increasingly frequent mention of Azrael in popular Islamic works written after the early major compilers of exegesis and hadith lays bare the historical process of this transition. The Silence of Revelation: A Theological Assessment The Quran is extremely clear and detailed on matters of creed. On subjects such as the names and attributes of God, the general duties of angels, and the stages of the afterlife, revelation has conveyed all necessary information. If the existence of an angel named "Azrael" were necessary and decisive for belief, one would expect the Quran to have explicitly mentioned this name. Yet no special name has been given in the Quran to any angel associated with the duty of death. This silence should be regarded not as coincidental, but as a meaningful and deliberate choice. Testing Belief Against Revelation Although the belief in Azrael has left deep traces in the cultural memory of Muslim societies, grounding this belief on firm foundations from the perspective of the Quran and hadith is difficult. The conclusions reached may be summarized under the following headings: First, the name "Azrael" appears in neither the Quran nor in the hadiths concerning the angel of death. The name was carried into Islamic culture from Jewish and Christian traditions. Second, the Quran conveys the duty of death most often through plural expressions. The act of taking souls is attributed to a community of angels — a fact that calls into question a single, dominant portrayal of "Azrael." Third, the expression "malak al-mawt" is a title, not a proper name, and identifying it directly with "Azrael" goes beyond what can be derived from the text. Fourth, the narration about Prophet Moses striking the angel of death strains the Quran's portrayal of prophets in terms of its content, and may be assessed as bearing the influence of Isrāʾīliyyāt. Fifth, the foundational principle of Islamic creed is to ground matters of belief in revelation. To call an angel by a name that revelation has not explicitly given, and to attribute specific qualities to it, amounts to accepting elements that were subsequently added to the religion's original structure. This assessment does not invite Muslims to abandon their general belief in angels as affirmed by God; on the contrary, it invites them to pass their claims of belief through the filter of the Quran. What revelation clearly states is the truth that angels carry out their duty at the moment of death. However, this truth does not necessitate names that go beyond revelation and are the product of cultural and religious transmission. The fundamental epistemological principle of Islam remains constant: the Quran is sufficient. This principle continues to serve as a guide in the matter of Azrael as well.
