In Islam, he is known as ʿIzrāʾīl, often called the Angel of Death. His name means “whom God helps.” In Hebrew and Christian traditions, he is known as Azrael, the same title used for the angel responsible for taking souls. Though not mentioned by name in the Qur’an, Islamic tradition consistently identifies him as the one appointed to separate souls from their bodies when their appointed time arrives.

ʿIzrāʾīl’s primary duty is to take the souls of the living at the exact moment decreed by God. He does not cause death — he carries it out. The Qur’an speaks of the “Angel of Death who has been given charge over you” (32:11), and his role is to fulfill that divine command without haste or delay. He oversees countless subordinate angels who assist him, each responsible for the souls of different people across the world. To the righteous, his arrival is gentle; to the wicked, it is severe. His task bridges the boundary between life and eternity.

Descriptions of ʿIzrāʾīl vary, but all emphasize his immense, awe-inspiring presence. Some traditions describe him as a figure whose entire body is covered with eyes and tongues — each representing a living soul under his watch. When a person dies, the corresponding eye closes, and when a new soul is born, another opens. His reach spans the earth; he can take a soul from one corner of creation while standing in another. His strength lies not in destruction but in perfect execution of divine timing.

ʿIzrāʾīl is neither cruel nor kind in human terms — he is impartial, obedient, and unwavering. He serves as a reminder that death itself is not chaos but order. Despite his fearsome reputation, his essence reflects mercy: for believers, he is the one who ends pain and opens the door to peace. He fulfills his task with solemn precision, untouched by pride or hesitation.

ʿIzrāʾīl acts only at the command of God. He does not choose who dies or when; he simply enacts the decree that has already been written. He cannot extend or shorten a life by even a moment. His power ends at the threshold of divine will — a testament that even the Angel of Death is a servant, not a master, of destiny.

ʿIzrāʾīl stands as a symbol of the inevitable and the just. He embodies the truth that every life has its appointed time, and that death is not annihilation but transition. Through him, the believer learns to see death not as an enemy, but as a messenger of return — the gentle servant who fulfills the final act of divine mercy.