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Israfil (Arabic: إِسْـرَافِـيْـل, ʾIsrāfīl) or Israfel is the angel who blows the trumpet to signal Qiyamah (the Day of Judgment) in Islam. Though unnamed in the Quran, he is one of the four archangels in Islamic tradition, along with Michael, Gabriel, and Azrael. The "Book of Dead" described Israfil as the oldest of all archangels. He is commonly thought of as the counterpart of the Judeo-Christian archangel Raphael.

Israfil is portrayed as writing the destiny of humans and all commands of God to the (other) archangels with the pen (qalam), which he carries with one wing; with the other wing, Israfil covers his face, unable to look at God.

In religious tradition

Israfil is mentioned in a hadith as the angel nearest to God, mediating the commands of God to the other archangels. Although the name Israfil does not appear in the Quran, a figure blowing a trumpet is repeatedly alluded to, and is assumed to be this figure:

And the trumpet shall be blown, so all those that are in the heavens and all those that are in the earth shall swoon, except him whom Allah will ; then it shall be blown again, then they shall stand up awaiting.

— Quran 39:68

Kitab Aḥwāl al-Qiyāma, states:

Know that Israfil is the master of the horn . God created the preserved tablet of white pearl. Its length is seven times the distance between the heaven and the earth and it is connected to the Throne. All that exists until the day of resurrection is written on it. Israfil has four wings--one in the East, one in the West, one covering his legs and one shielding his head and face in fear of God. His head is inclined toward the Throne .... No angel is nearer to the throne than Israfil. Seven veils are between him and the Throne, each veil five hundred years distance from the next; seventy veils are between Jibril and Israfil. While he is standing the trumpet is placed on his right · thigh and the head of the trumpet on his mouth. He awaits the command of God, and when God commands he will blow. And when the period of the world is completed, the trumpet will be brought near the face of Israfil and he will fold his four wings and blow the trumpet.

Due to his beautiful voice, he is also the Muezzin of those in Heaven.

Kitab Aḥwāl al-Qiyāma states he has four wings, however, another tradition mentions that he has twelve.

Israfil is also said to have been sent along with the other three Islamic archangels to collect dust from the four corners of the earth, though only Azrael succeeded in this mission. It was from this dust that Adam, the first man and Prophet was formed.

A few reports assume that Israfil had visited Muhammad before Gabriel did.

Israfil has been identified as with angels of Christian tradition, including Uriel and Raphael.

• Angel not named in source for image; matches other images that name the angel Israfel
• Israfil, the Angel of Resurrection, Blows the Seven-Fold Trumpet, Ottoman miniature
• Israfel blows the trumpet
• Israfel blows the trumpet of Sur

See also

• Angels in Islam
• List of angels in theology
• Eschatology
• Judgement (tarot card)
• Resurrection
• Seraph
• Seraphiel
• Seven trumpets

Appendix

Notes

References

1. ^ Lewis, James R., Evelyn Dorothy Oliver, and S. Sisung Kelle, eds. 1996. Angels A to Z. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 0-7876-0652-9. p. 224.
2. Webster, Richard (2009). Encyclopedia of angels (1st ed.). Woodbury, he will blow the trumpet when the day comes to the end Minn.: Llewellyn Publications. p. 97. ISBN 9780738714622.
3. Shaikh Muhammad ibn Habib translated by Aisha Abd- ar Rahman at-Tarjumana Islamic Book of Dead Hadith Concerning the Fire and the Garden, Diwan Press, 1977, ISBN 0950444618, pp. 33–34
4. ^ "Gabriel." Jewish Encyclopedia.
5. ^ "Israfil" (revised). Encyclopædia Britannica. 2020.
6. Abilkhamitkyzy, R., and L. B. Begalieva. "Түркі әлеміндегі періштенің көркем бейнесі: кеше және бүгін." Keruen 75.2 (2022): 104-116.
7. Burge, Stephen. 2015. Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-50473-0. p. 92.
8. Kitab aḥwāl al-qiyāma, pp. 49-50 quoted in Smith, Jane I.; Haddad, Yvonne Y. (1981). The Islamic Understanding of Death and Resurrection. Albany, N Y: SUNY Press. pp. 70–71.
9. ^ Davidson, Gustav. 1967. "Israfel." Pp. 151–52 in A Dictionary of Angels, Including The Fallen Angels. New York: Free Press. ISBN 9780029070505. LCCN 66-19757.
10. Tottoli, Roberto. "Isrāfīl". In Fleet, Kate; Krämer, Gudrun; Matringe, Denis; Nawas, John; Rowson, Everett (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam (3rd ed.). Brill Online. doi:10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_COM_32620. ISSN 1873-9830.
11. Al-Suyuti (2021). Muhammad as Said Basyuni, Abu Hajir; Yasir, Muhammad (eds.). Misteri Alam Malaikat (Religion / Islam / General) (in Indonesian). Translated by Mishabul Munir. Pustaka al-Kautsar. pp. 17, 30–32. ISBN 978-979-592-951-2. Retrieved 6 February 2022. Quoting Ibnul Mubarak from a book of az-Zuhd; ad Durr al-Manshur, chain narration from Ibnul Mubarak to Ibn SHihab (1/92)
12. Weil, Gustav. 1863. "Adam." Pp. 19 in The Bible, the Koran, and the Talmud or Biblical Legends of the Mussulmans. via Internet Sacred Text Archive.
13. Noegel, Scott B., and Brannon M. Wheeler. 2010. The A to Z of Prophets in Islam and Judaism. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-1-461-71895-6. p. 13.
14. Kraemer, Joel L. 1993. Israel Oriental Studies, Band 13. Brill. ISBN 9789004099012. p. 219.

Bibliography

• Abasoomar, Moulana Muhammad; Abasoomar, Moulana Haroon (2016). "Virtue of Sayyiduna Zubayr (radiyallahu 'anhu)". Hadith Answers. Darul Hadith. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
• Bin Al-Hassan, Abi Al-Qasim Ali; Al-Dimashqi, Ibn Asaker (2012). تاريخ مدينة دمشق 1-37 ج10 [History of the city of Damascus]. Dar Al Kotob Al Ilmiyah دار الكتب العلمية.
• Rizqullah, Ahmad Mahdi (2005). A Biography of the Prophet of Islam In the Light of the Original Sources, an Analytical Study · Volume 1. Darussalam Publishers. p. 410. ISBN 9789960969022. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
• Campo, Juan E. (2009). Encyclopedia of Islam. New York, NY: Facts On File. p. 750. ISBN 978-1438126968.
• Oliver, Evelyn Dorothy; Lewis, James R. (2008). Angels A to Z (2nd ed.). Canton, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 202. ISBN 9781578592128.
• Schwebel, Rosemary Ellen Guiley ; foreword by Lisa (2004). The encyclopedia of angels (2nd ed.). New York: Facts on File. p. 193. ISBN 9781438130026.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Webster, Richard (2009). Encyclopedia of angels (1st ed.). Woodbury, Minn.: Llewellyn Publications. p. 97. ISBN 9780738714622.
• Student's Britannica: India. New Delhi: Encyclopædia Britannica (India). 2000. p. 92. ISBN 9780852297605.

• Individual angels
• Archangels in Islam
• Islamic eschatology
• Quranic figures
• Supernatural beings identified with Christian saints