Angels in Islam

In Islam, angels (malāk; plural: malāʾik/malāʾikah) are believed to be heavenly beings, created from a luminous origin by God (Allah). Although Muslim authors disagree on the exact nature of angels, they agree that they are autonomous entities with subtle bodies. Yet, both concepts of angels as anthropomorphic creatures with wings and as abstract forces are acknowledged. The Quran is the principal source for the Islamic concept of angels, but more extensive features of angels appear in hadith literature, Mi'raj literature, Islamic exegesis, theology, philosophy, and mysticism. Belief in angels is one of the main articles of faith in Islam. The angels differ from other spiritual creatures in their attitude as creatures of virtue, in contrast to evil devils and ambiguous jinn. Angels are more prominent in Islam compared to Judeo-Christian tradition. Angels play an important role in Muslim everyday life by protecting the believers from evil influences and recording the deeds of humans. They have different duties, including their praise of God, interacting with humans in ordinary life, defending against devils (shayāṭīn) and carrying on natural phenomena. Angelic qualities, just as devilish ones, are assumed to be part of human's nature, the angelic one related to the spirit (ruh) and reason ('aql), while the devilish one to egoism. Angels might accompany aspiring saints or advise pious humans. Angels are believed to be attracted to clean and sacred places. Islamic Modernist scholars such as Muhammad Asad and Ghulam Ahmed Parwez have suggested a metaphorical reinterpretation of the concept of angels. Adherents to the Salafi methdology stick to a literal belief in the existence of angels, but nonetheless, have a less vivid imagination of angels, their individuality, and their interactions with the human world in general compared to traditional Islamic thought. The Quranic word for angel (malak) derives either from Malaka, meaning "he controlled", due to their power to govern different affairs assigned to them, or from the triliteral root '-l-k, l-'-k or m-l-k with the broad meaning of a "messenger", just as its counterpart in Hebrew (malʾákh).