| In Quran and exegesis [ ] mentions an angel of death, identified with Azrael | 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 0 950444618 pp |
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| According to one Muslim tradition, 40 days before the death of a person approaches, God drops a leaf from a tree below the heavenly throne, on which Azrael reads the name of the person he must take with him | It is said that, when was about to die, he laid in his bed and met Azrael in human shape |
A welcoming depiction of the Archangel of Death, as usually attributed to Azrael, by , 1881.
14| Only Azrael succeeded, whereupon he was destined to become the angel concerning life and death of humanity | Western reception [ ] The Islamic notion of Azrael, including some narratives such as the tale of , a reaching back to , was already known in America in the 18th century as attested by and |
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| He is responsible for taking the souls of the deceased away from the body | When the unbelievers in hell cry out for help, an angel, also identified with Azrael, will appear on the horizon and tell them that they must remain |
, , , , , ,.
11| mentions an entire host of angels of death, subordinative to Azrael | In Hebrew, Azrael translates to 'Angel of God' or 'Help from God' |
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| Other Quranic verses refer to a multitude of angels of death; according to , these verses refer to lesser angels of death, subordinate to Azrael, who aid the archangel in his duty | However, as the text only lists names, it cannot be determined whether Azrael was associated with death prior to the advent of |
Albany: State University of New York Press.
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