Angels: who they are and what they do
Islamic Studies · Key Stage 2 · The School
Made of light, always obedient
Muslims believe angels are made of light. The Quran says angels do what Allah commands them (16:50). They do not eat, sleep or grow tired. Belief in angels is one of the six articles of faith — not a side detail, but a core part of what Muslims believe.
Different angels, different jobs
JIBRIL brought revelation to the prophets. This included bringing the Quran to Muhammad ﷺ. MIKAIL is linked with provision, such as rain. ISRAFIL will sound the trumpet on the Day of Judgement. Two angels are believed to record a person's deeds. One for good. One for bad. Hadiths say a child is not held to account for wrong deeds until he grows up.
Why belief in them matters
The Quran lists belief in angels alongside belief in Allah, His books, and His messengers (2:285). Deeds being recorded shapes how a Muslim tries to behave. Even when nobody else is watching. Nobody being present is not the same as nobody watching.
Imagine a school day. At break, a teacher called Mrs Khan helps a new pupil find her class. Ibn Kathir explains that 82:10-12 speaks of noble angels who write down what people do. Her kind act is one thing they write down. Later she speaks unkindly to a colleague. She stops at once and feels deep regret. She decides never to do it again. She says sorry to her colleague. Then she asks Allah to forgive her. The scholar al-Nawawi wrote that tawbah, which means turning back, needs at least three things: stopping the wrong, regret, and a firm choice not to repeat it. The Quran says that anyone who does wrong and then asks Allah for forgiveness will find Him most forgiving and merciful (4:110). By evening, Mrs Khan has made tawbah and hopes to find Allah most forgiving. Hadiths in Abu Dawud (4403) and Ibn Majah (2041, graded good) say the pen is lifted from a child until he grows up, so a child is not held to account for wrong deeds. So this story uses an adult.