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XI.—ANGELS.
The existence of angels (malak, pl. maláik), and their purity, are absolutely required to be believed in by the Qurán, and he is reckoned an infidel who denies that there are such beings, or hates any of them or asserts any distinction of the sexes. The Muhammadans reckon four archangels: (1) Jibráíl (Gabriel), who is God's messenger ; (2) Míkáíl (Michael), who is the protector of the Jews; (3) Isráfíl, who will sound the last trumpet at the resurrection; (4) Azráíl, the angel of death. Muhammad undoubtedly obtained the names of these archangels from the Scriptures and Jewish tradition, although in the Apocryphal Book of Enoch[1] the names of the six archangels are Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Sarakiel,
- ↑ Book of Enoch translated by Archbishop Laurence, chap. xx.
