Jibrai’l is the most renowned angel in Islam, named in the Qur’an and mentioned in several narrations from Muhammad and his companions. One of the four archangels with a large role in the religion’s cosmology.

A thread on Jibra’il-

Jibra’il is directly mentioned in the Qur’an and in fact is the angel who reputedly brought the revelation to Muhammad.

While the Qur’an records a dialogue of God speaking to humanity, it is taught to Muhammad by Jibrai’l

Jibrai’l is the angel of revelation, tasked with bringing God's message to mortals and carrying out the will of the Creator.

The angel appears with word and message from God as well as scripture.

Some sources claim the angel was created 500 years after Mikai’l and so therefore is one of the younger cohort out of the chief angels, but the most exalted

Jibrai’l is described as a vast being the color of snow with saffron feathers covering the entirety of his body, and crowned with the sun and moon with constellations adorning angelic robes

Jibrail's has thousands of wings that blot out the horizon

Daily Jibrai’l bathes in a sea of light and from the luminous drops God creates more angels known as the ruhaniyyun.

There is some debate over what the ruhaniyyun or ruhaniyya are:

Some contend they are angels who pray for humans until the end of days, other says they are the angels of the celestial spheres, of the zodiac and the planets, and yet others say they are not angels at all but spiritual essences of the heavens.

Perhaps they are all of the above, but they affirm Jibrail's connection with the starry world.

When Jibrai’l first appeared before Muhammad, the prophet was struck near catatonic.

The angel also reputedly appeared bodily as a human on occasion and so is attested in the hadith

Once a figure of snow-white robes and black bearded appeared from the desert, coming up to Muhammad sitting knee to knee and quizzed him on faith.

Muhammad would indicate the stranger was Jibra’il

The angel is also credited with guiding Muhammad on his night journey.

First purifying his heart, Jibrai’l led Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem and then up into the heavens on the back of a celestial steed called Buraq.

Jibrai’l showed Muhammad all the heavens.

Each of the angels are shown joyous in meeting Muhammad and respectful of Jibrai’l

Jibrai’l is said to have a mount of his own, Haizum, a mighty winged being whose hooves crackle with fire.

He rode the creature alongside the Muslims during the Battle of Badr, leading the angels against the Quraysh

But Muhammad isn’t the only prophet Jibrai’l guided in heaven. When God created Adam, Jibrai’l and Mikai’l showed him all of paradise on the back of a heavenly horse with Jibrai’l holding the bridle.

The two angels often work together

According to Muslims, Jibrai’l also appeared to the prophets of old, giving the news of Jesus to Mary and of Isaac and Ishmael to Abraham, and bringing revelations

In Islamic cosmology then, Jibrai’l becomes the ultimate angelic servant of God, carrying out the Creator’s will, passing revelation to prophets, and intervening directly as God’s agent

In esoteric circles Jibrai’l is attributed to the Moon, Mondays, and the cardinal direction of East.

There are other angels associated with the Moon, but Jibrai’l is said to be chief of the lunar stations and all the planetary beings

In astrological magic, Jibrai’l is invoked along with the ruhaniyya, the spirits/angels of the planets

The angel is also invoked in magic squares alongside the other archangels and in rites of healing, protection, jinn-binding, dreaming, and to bring visions.

Given Jibrail's connection with revelation the angel is said to govern certain divination practices and there is a famous invocation used to bring on prophetic dreams

While these practices fall outside orthodoxy, they indicate the way angels became part of an expanding cosmology

Jibrai'l is also said to be custodian of two of God's Names in certain mystic discussions on the names and attributes of the Divine.

I shall cover more angels in future tweets. You can read the previous threads pinned to my profile.