No matter how surprising, but invisible by nature, the form of angels can be found in almost all religions, at most they are not called angels, but kami (in Japan) or lower-ranking gods.

The figure of angels connects Islam and Christianity more than that of the prophets, including the figure of Jesus. Our belief in his death, resurrection and divinity separates us rather than unites us.

Angels , on the other hand, play a similar role in Islam as they do in Judaism or Christianity . They praise Allah, they know no fatigue in his service (cf. K 20,19-20), they hold the throne of Allah (as the God of the cherubim, cf. Psalm 80,2), they guard the 7-7 gates of heaven and hell. Their mission is largely related to people: they are the messengers of Allah, the guardians of the chosen ones (two accompany Allah's messengers, cf. K 72.27), they also participate in the battles of the righteous (cf. K 8.9), they record our deeds for the Day of Resurrection (cf. K 82,10-12), they also play a role in the events of our death and resurrection.

The Qur'an mentions angels more than 80 times, to whom Allah also gave 2-3-4 wings (cf. K 35,1). Angels are spiritual beings created from light by the Creator, yet they are willing to prostrate themselves before Adam, created from earth, at the request of Allah. There was only one exception: Iblis, whose name is found 8 times in the Koran, and he can probably be considered Satan (written with a capital letter). His opposition to God can be found in three places: K 7,11-18; 15:28-42; 38,71-85.

There is a certain hierarchy among the angels (K 37,164-165), as in the Bible. In the Bible, we find Mihály (Mi-ka-Él = who is like God) in the first place, who defeats Satan and his angels at the head of the heavenly armies (cf. Revelation 12:7-12). In second place, we find Gábor (Gabri-Él = God's hero), who announces the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus to Zacharias and the Virgin Mary, and who - according to Daniel's book - fights together with Mihály for the chosen people. Together with them, we honor Raphael (Rafa-Él = God's medicine) as an archangel, although he is only one of the characters of a "constructive narrative", the book of Tobias.

Islam recognizes four archangels. Gábriel (Djibril) ranks first among them. He is the one who "brings down the Qur'an to Muhammad's heart by the permission of Allah" (K 2.97), that is, he is the one who conveys Allah's revelations to the Prophet. According to tradition, he was also the leader of the thousand angels who helped the faithful to victory in the battles of Badr and Hunajn (6245 and 630). – The second place is Mihály (Miakil), whose name is found together with Gábriele in K 2.98. According to tradition, they together remove the black spot from the heart of the infant Muhammad, which could later lead Muhammad to sin. – The third is the Angel of Death (Azrael, cf. K 32.11), and the fourth is Israfil, who can be identified with Raphael. The figures of Azrael and Israfil are depicted by tradition as quite terrifying: with huge stature, many mouths and wings...

We must mention the jinn , which are not found in the Bible, and they are creatures that "popped out of fire" because Allah created them from the fire of Samun 8K 15,27). Jinns are invisible to the human eye, yet they are much more humanoid than angels. They are already capable of sexual intercourse, they can make people both good and bad. According to AK 72.4, one of them is a Satan (small letter) who "told gross lies about Allah". There are Muslims among them and there are also those who do not follow the true leadership (cf. K 72,12, 14). We can identify them with the devils. – It cannot be ruled out that the aforementioned Iblis also belongs to them.

Finally, let's also mention the Huris , who are white-bodied, female creatures with large, black eyes. They, as untouched "hidden gems", await the righteous men in the tents of the gardens of Paradise (cf. K 44,54; 52)

(Cover photo: Imre Varga)