Azrael

This article is about the angel of death. For other uses, see Azriel (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Sir Azreal, a Knight of the Round Table.

Artistic depiction of Azrael, the Angel of Death, by Evelyn De Morgan.

Azrael is the name of the Archangel of Death in some extrabiblical traditions. He is also the angel of death in Islamic theology and Sikhism. It is an English form of the Arabic name ʿIzrāʾīl (عزرائيل) or Azra'eil (عزرایل), the name traditionally attributed to the angel of death in some sects of Islam and Sikhism, as well as some Hebrew lore.^[1][2] The Qur'an never uses this name, referring instead to Malak al-Maut (which translates directly as angel of death). It is also spelled Izrail, Azrin, Izrael, Azriel, Azrail, Ezraeil, Azraille, Azryel, Ozryel, or Azraa-eel. Chambers English dictionary uses the spelling Azrael. The name literally means Whom God Helps.,^[1] an adaptation form of Hebrew.

Background

Azrael is the name commonly used for the angel of death in some Jewish, Christian and very few Islamic traditions. Both Arabs and Jews are known to pronounce the name as "Azriel," not "Azrael." The similar spelling and pronunciation may be the cause of some confusion or misunderstandings. It has been mentioned that "Azriel" and "Azrael" may be two different individuals.

Depending on the outlook and precepts of various religions in which he is a figure, Azrael may be portrayed as residing in the Third Heaven.^[3] In one of his forms, he has four faces and four thousand wings, and his whole body consists of eyes and tongues, the number of which corresponds to the number of people inhabiting the Earth. He will be the last to die, recording and erasing constantly in a large book the names of men at birth and death, respectively.^[4]

In Judaism

In Jewish mysticism, he is commonly referred to as "Azriel," not "Azrael," and is sometimes identified as the embodiment of evil, not necessarily or specifically evil itself.^[1] However, the Zohar (the holy book of the branch of Judaism called Kabbalah), presents a more pleasant depiction of Azriel. The Zohar says that Azriel receives the prayers of faithful people when they reach heaven, and also commands legions of heavenly angels.

In Christianity

Some sources have speculated about a connection between Azrael and the human priest Ezra,^[5] or "Azra" as it is sometimes pronounced or spelled. Azra/Ezra was a scribe and judge over his people, given a collection of laws and punishments from the Archangel Uriel in 2 Esdras, also mentioning he entered heaven "without tasting Death's taint". Depending on various views of that description, it may or may not been seen as Azra ascending to angelic form, which the would give him the suffix "el" to denote him as an angelic being, hence "Azrael" or "Ezraiel". Because Azra was a judge, and given power to enforce laws and punishment, Azrael could be seen as an "avenging angel". However, Esdras' authenticity has been challenged for many reasons, and is not considered canonical in most Bibles or Christian beliefs. Despite this, the Requiem Anternam that is recited at Catholic funerals is based on scripture from 2 Esdras, which indicates that while the book in it's entirety is not considered canonical by some Christian denominations, it is still nonetheless respected and considered of having some truth.

A story from "Folk-lore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian and Jewish" by J. E. Hanauer tells of a soldier with a gambling addiction avoiding Azrael. Because the soldier goes to Jesus and asks for help, then later must see Jesus and repent to be allowed back in Heaven, this is seen as a Christian account of Azrael. However, it does not specify whether Azrael is an angel of death, or an angel of punishment in this story.

In Sikhism

In Sikh scriptures written by Guru Nanak Dev Ji, God (Waheguru) sends Azrael only to people who are unfaithful and unrepentant for their sins. Azrael appears on Earth in human form and hits sinful people on the head with his scythe to kill them and extract their souls from their bodies. Then he takes their souls to hell, and makes sure that they get the punishment that Waheguru decrees once he judges them. This would potray him as more of an avenging angel, or angel of retribution than a simple angel of death. It is unknown which story of Azrael this view is taken from.

Riffian (Berber) men of Morocco had the custom of shaving the head but leaving a single lock of hair on either the crown, left, or right side of the head, so that the angel Azrael is able "...to pull them up to heaven on the Last Day."^[6]

In Islam

In some cultures and sects, Azrael, also pronounced as ʿIzrāʾīl /Azriel, is the name referring to the angel of death by some Arabic speakers. The name is mentioned in a few Muslim books but is argued by some Muslims as having no basis of reference^{[citation needed]}. Along with Jibrīl, Mīkhā'īl, Isrāfīl and other angels, the Angel of Death is believed by Muslims to be one of the archangels.^[7] The Qur'an states that the angel of death takes the soul of every person and returns it to God.^[8] However, the Qur'an makes it clear that only God knows when and where each person will be taken by death,^[9] thus making it clear that the Angel of Death has no power of his own. Several Muslim traditions recount meetings between the Angel of Death and the prophets. The most famous being a conversation between the Angel of Death and Moses.^[7] He watches over the dying, separates the soul from the body, and receives the spirits of the dead in Muslim belief. Rather than merely representing death personified, the Angel of Death is usually described in Islamic sources as subordinate to the will of God "with the most profound reverence."^[10] However, there is no reference within the Quran or any Islamic teachings giving the angel of death the name of Azrael.

A man who was once Jewish and later converted to Islam, Kaab al Ahbar who was described as a companion of the Caliph Omar and was considered to be one of the oldest authorities for Jewish traditions among the Muslims of his time.^{[citation needed]} He was recorded as the man who named the angel of death in Islam as Azrael, as well as his description.^{[citation needed]} However, this has been challenged and disputed by some scholars, particularly Shia Muslims.^{[citation needed]} The office of the Grand Ayatollah, Ali al Sistani of Iraq said in a letter that Kaab was "a liar and a hypocrite" and accused him of placing many Jewish superstitions in Islamic prophetic texts.^{[citation needed]}

Some Sunni Muslim scholars, while having no negative view of Kaab, doubt the authenticity of the tradition itself.^{[citation needed]} Shaykh al-Albaani and Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen have both also disputed the usage of the name Azrael as it's not used in the Qur'an itself.^{[citation needed]} However, the same can be said about many Prophets and Angels, many of whom aren't mentioned by name in the Qur'an.

In art and literature

Azrael, as both a character or a more abstract concept has been adopted by many different artists, musicians, poets, and authors over the centuries to express or evoke a variety of different meanings or emotions in the reader – often drawing on the cultural resonance of the name for effect.

Depiction of Azrael by Mikhail Vrubel.

In literature, Azrael has been featured by a variety of authors, across a broad range of styles and countries.

• The Mexican poet Amado Nervo wrote a poem entitled "Azrael".
• Azrael is a character in Arthur Miller's play "The Creation of the World and Other Business".
• Asrael is a symphony by Czech composer Josef Suk, dating from 1906.
• In Salman Rushdie's 1988 novel The Satanic Verses, voiceover artist Saladin Chamcha has a vision of Azrael.
• In Edgar Allan Poe's story "Ligeia", Ligeia's husband "struggled desperately in spirit with the grim Azrael." and in his story Mesmeric Revelation the corpse of the sleep-waker appears as if pressed by Azrael's hand.

In popular culture

• In music, Azrael has been written about in both songs and albums by such varied acts as Toyah, Metallica, Demons and Wizards, Coil, The Nice, Crimson Glory, VNV Nation, Marduk, Masada and Udo.
• In the Kevin Smith movie Dogma, Azrael was a character played by Jason Lee as a fallen muse and demon.
• Azrael is the main character in Anne Rice's Servant of the Bones.
• In Terry Pratchett's Discworld universe, Azrael is an entity of immense scope and size which is to universes what the character Death is to living beings on the Discworld. The Apocalyptic Horseman representing Death in Pratchett and Gaiman's book Good Omens also calls itself Azrael before its final exit.
• In DC Comics, Azrael is an assassin trained by the religious cult of the Order of St. Dumas. The most famous version of the character was Jean Paul Valley, who briefly filled in as Batman during the Knightfall saga. The current Azrael is former Gotham City cop Michael Lane.
• In Marvel Comics, Azrael is the warrior/angel of death whom Wolverine has to fight every time he suffers a lethal wound in order to save his soul, which is returned to his physical body if he is victorious.^[11]
• In Melissa de la Cruz's Blue Bloods series, Azrael is portrayed as the New York City socialite Madeleine 'Mimi' Force.
• The Baron of Hell Azrael, is a character in Paul Doherty's novel The Plague Lord.
• In the episode Stowaway from Fringe, a nun tells Dana Gray the story of The Ascension of Azrael, a sinner condemned to purgatory who the angels interceded to God on behalf of him, but God denied their request to allow him into heaven. Because of this, the angels descended into purgatory and brought Azrael into heaven, telling God he had suffered enough as reason. The combined innocence of the angels outweighed Azrael's sin and allowed him into heaven, similar to Tyconius's rule on The Lord's Bipartite Body, wherein Jesus Christ outweighs any and all sinners in The Church.
• In King's Quest: Mask of Eternity, Azriel is the Lord of Death, the ruler of the Dimension of Death.

See also

• Death (personification)
• Sariel
• Angels in Islam
• Thanatos - The personification of Death in Greek Mythology
• Punishment of the Grave

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Davidson, Gustav (1967), A Dictionary of Angels, Including The Fallen Angels, Entry: Azrael, pp. 64, 65, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 66-19757
2. ^ Shri Guru Granth Sahib, Section 07 - Raag Gauree - Part 165, "Azraa-eel, the Angel of Death, shall crush them like sesame seeds in the oil-press."
3. ^ Davidson, Gustav (1967), A Dictionary of Angels, Including The Fallen Angels, Entry: Third Heaven, p. 288, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 66-19757
4. ^ Hastings, James, Selbie, John A. (Editors) (2003), Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics Part 3, Kessinger Publishing, 2003, ISBN 076613671X
5. ^ Who is Azrael? The Man to the Myth, The Azrael Chronicles: A Compendium of the Books of Azrael ha'Malak, wgOfAzrael.org
6. ^ El Maghreg: 1200 Miles' Ride Through Morocco, Hugh Edward Millington Stutfield pppp
7. ^ ^{a b} Historical Dictionary of Prophets in Islam and Judaism, Brannon M. Wheeler, Azrael
8. ^ Qur'an 32:11
9. ^ Qur'an 31:34
10. ^ Hanauer, J.E. (1907), Folk-lore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian and Jewish, Chapter V: The Angel of Death, at sacred-texts.com
11. ^ Wolverine, vol.3, #58, writer Marc Guggenheim, artist Howard Chaykin, color artist, Edgar Delgado (Oct. 2007)