Editing Azrael

'''Azrael''' (Arabic: عزرائيل), often referred to as the '''Angel of Death''' (Malak al-Mawt) in Islamic tradition, is the angel responsible for taking the souls of living beings at the time of death.

== Overview ==

Azrael is one of the major angels in Islamic theology, assigned with the essential role of separating the soul from the body when a person’s time of death arrives. This process is believed to occur under the direct command of Allah.

He is not considered evil or malevolent, but rather a servant carrying out a necessary divine function.

== Role and Function ==

Azrael is associated with:

* Taking the souls of the deceased
* Appearing at the moment of death (in visible or unseen form)
* Carrying out the transition from life to the afterlife
* Following precise divine timing for each soul
* Working alongside other angels involved in death and judgment

It is believed that he does not act independently, but only by Allah’s command.

== Azrael in Islam ==

In Islamic belief:

* Azrael is created from light
* He is fully obedient to Allah
* He performs his duty without personal choice or delay
* He is present wherever death occurs, by divine permission

The Qur’an refers generally to the Angel of Death, while the name Azrael appears in later Islamic tradition and scholarly writings.

== Process of Death ==

According to Islamic teachings, the experience of death differs depending on the individual:

* For the righteous: the soul is taken gently and peacefully
* For the wicked: the soul is taken with difficulty and distress

Azrael and his assisting angels carry out this process precisely according to divine decree.

== Appearance ==

Islamic sources do not give a fixed physical description of Azrael, but traditional accounts often describe him as:

* Vast in size and presence
* Capable of appearing in many places simultaneously
* Surrounded by assisting angels
* Awe-inspiring and majestic in form

== Symbolism ==

Azrael symbolizes:

* The inevitability of death
* Transition between life and afterlife
* Divine justice and timing
* The separation of soul and body
* The completion of earthly life

== Comparison with Other Traditions ==

Azrael is often compared conceptually with angelic figures of death in other traditions, though in Islam he is a neutral servant of God rather than a personification of death itself.

== Related Pages ==

* [[Angels in Islam]]
* [[Jibril]]
* [[Mikail]]
* [[Israfil]]
* [[Angelology]]
* [[Named Celestial Beings]]

[[Category:Angels & Celestial Beings]]
[[Category:Islamic theology]]
[[Category:Archangels]]
[[Category:Named Celestial Beings]]