List of spiritual entities in Islam explained

This is a list of spiritual entities in Islam. Islamic traditions and mythologies branching of from the Quran state more precisely, about the nature of different spiritual or supernatural creatures. According to a hadith attributed to ibn Abbas, God created four types of intelligent beings; those among whom all will be in paradise - they are the angels; all those who will be in hell-fire - they are the devils; and creatures both in paradise and hell - they are the jinn and humans.^[1] Most creatures can be assigned to these. Later, Muslims also accepted belief in undefined demons (dīv).^{[2] [3]}

A

• Abu abdul al-Rahman, a jinn-king and son in law of Malik Gatshan, ascetic and devoted to the Kaaba.^[4] (Genie)
• Adiliob, friend of renewal of religion (Bid'ah). (Devil)^[5]
• Afra'il, the guardian angel of the seventh heaven.^[6] (Angel)
• Alheng, a prince of the righteous jinn during the reign of Solomon.^[7] (Genie)
• Amir, jinn dwelling in houses. (Genie)
• Angel, heavenly spirit created out of light or fire.^[8] (Angel)
• Artiya'il, the angel who removes grief and depression from the children of Adam.^[9] (Angel)
• Arina'il, guardian angel of the third heaven.^[10] (Angel)
• Awar, a devil of lust, tempting into adultery. (Devil)
• Azazil, leader of angels punishing demons, Satan. (Archangel or Genie)
• Ayna, daughter of Satan. Married an apostate jinni.^[11] (Devil)
• Azrāʾīl (Azrael), the Angel of Death. (Archangel)

B

• Bahamut, a giant monster, carrying the earth. Responsible for earth-quakes. Behemoth. (Other)
• Batr, a devil making people appreciate slapping and screaming. (Devil)
• Bilquis, queen of Sheba, considered only partly human. (Human and Genie or Human and Fairy)
• Binn, predecessor of the jinn. Often paired with hinn. Extinct. (Demon)
• Bīwarāsp the Wise, jinn-king in the epistle The Case of the Animals versus Man, written by the Brethren of Purity. (Genie)
• Bubu, jinn seen by children. (Genie)
• Buraq, the winged horse-like heavenly ride that carried the Muhammad in his Night Ascension. (Other)

C

• Cherubim (al-Karubiyyin), a class of angels dwelling in the sixth heaven, sometimes identified with the Muqarraboon. (Angels or Archangels)
• Chotrob, a devil tempting during prayer.^[12] (Devil)

D

• Dābbat al-Arḍ, beast of the Earth, associated with apocalyptic events. (Other)
• Dasim, a devil causing enmity between husband and wife. (Devil)
• Dajjal, deceiver in the End-Times, False Prophet. (Devil or Other)
• Darda'il (The Journeyers), who travel the earth searching out assemblies where people remember God's name.^[13] (Angel)
• al-Dik, an angel in the shape of a rooster. He is responsible for the crowing of cockerels and announcing time.^[14] (Angel)
• Dhaqwan, an ifrit who tempted Solomon into carrying the throne of Bilqis.^[15] (Demon)
• Div, supernatural monsters, often endowed with magical abilities, but can be enslaved. Also the Indian deities. They could grant wishes in turn for worshipping them. (Demon)
• Dumah, an angel receiving the souls of the damned. (Angel)

F

• Faqtash, a devil in the story of Solomon, who is broke a magical mirror given by God to Adam. Solomon commands the devil to retrieve it. (Devil)
• Futrus, a fallen angel and delegate of Hussain. He was cast out of heaven after he delayed a command, but rehabilitated by Muhammad. (Angel)

G

• Gabriel, archangel who delivers messages between heaven and earth, warrior angel in the Battle of Badr. (Archangel)
• Ghaddar, a dog- or goat-like devil, mutilating the genitalia of men, expected to live in the desert. (Devil)
• Ghilman, also called Wildān are the perpetually youthful attendants in Jannah. (Human)
• Ghoul, shape-shifting jinni, who lurks on travellers, their scream leads them away from their path and then consumes their flesh. (Genie)

H

• Habib, an angel created from fire and ice, consisting one half of fire and another half of snow. Both elements pass into each other without extinguishing. (Angel)
• Hamalat al-'Arsh, those who carry the 'Arsh (Throne of God), in the seventh heaven. Comparable to the Seraphim. (Angels)
• Harahil, angel responsible for the night. (Angel)
• Ham ibn Him ibn Laqis ibn Iblis, grandson of Iblis, exception among the devils, who followed the prophets. (Devil)
• Harut and Marut, fallen angels tempting humans in Babylon to perform magic, mentioned in Quran.^[16] (Angels)
• Hanzab and Hadis, devils who distract Muslims from prayers. (Devils)
• Hinn, either a weak class of jinn or their predecessor.^[17] (Genie or Demon)
• Houri, beautiful and pure beings of Paradise. (Human)

I

• Iblis, leader of devils, Satan. (Angel, Genie or Devil)
• Ifrit, cunning demon of the underworld, also associated with ghosts of the dead. (Demon)
• Inhabitants of the third earth, creatures supposed to have faces like humans but with the mouth of a dog, feet of cows and ears like goats. They never disobey God.^[18] (Other)
• Isma'il, guardian angel of the first heaven, this angel offers advice to the believers on earth and prays for them.^[19] (Angel)
• Israfil, the archangel who will blow into the trumpet to signal Qiyamah, in the seventh heaven. (Archangel)

J

• Jann, either a type of jinn or ancestor of the jinn.^[20] (Genie)
• Jinn, invisible being, like humans, created with fitra. Their destiny depends on God's Judgement on the Day of Resurrection. (Genie)
• Jundullah, army of angels who helped Muhammad in the battlefield.^[21] (Angels)

K

• Kabkab, a devil causing trouble to people. (Devil)
• Kalqa’il, guardian of the fifth heaven.^[22] (Angel)
• Khanas, a devil flowing through the veins of the sons of Adam. (Devil)^[23]
• Khartafush, a jinni who betrayed his father and joined the army of devils, after he married the daughter of Iblis.^[24] (Genie)
• Khidr, sometimes regarded as an angel who took human form and thus able to reveal hidden knowledge exceeding those of the prophets to guide and help people or prophets.^[25] (Angel or Human)
• Katahur, a jinni who spied Solomon for a demon-king.^[26] (Genie)
• Kiraman Katibin (Raqib and Atid) (Honourable Recorders), one records the good deeds and one records the bad deeds of Humans. (Angels)

L

• Laqis, lord of fire-worshippers. (Devil)
• Luwaytha, giant beast carrying the earth, responsible for earthquakes. Leviathan.^[27] (Other)

M

• Maalik, chief of the angels guarding Hellfire (jahannam), mentioned in the Quran. (Angel)
• Malik Gatshan, king of all jinn living on Mount Qaf.^[28] (Genie)
• Marid, a powerful rebellious demon, who assaults heaven in order to listen to the angels, mentioned in Quran. (Demon)
• Matatrush, angel guarding the heavenly veil. Jews are blamed for venerating this angel on Rosh Hashanah as a son of god.^[29] (Angel)
• Mika'il, guardian angel of the second heaven. (Angel)
• Mikha'il, archangel of mercy, bestows earth with rain. (Archangel)
• Mihraz al-Ahmar, a devil, who dries water and causes noses to bleed. (Devil)
• Mu'aqqibat or Hafaza (The Protectors/Guardian angel), protect from demons and devils, bring down blessings. (Angels)
• Muwakkil, ambiguous beings, at times described as angels and sometimes as jinn. They are said to guard the names of God and assist pious people who perform dhikr. Probably deriving from Medieval cosmographic and esoteric teachings. (Angels, Genie, or Other) ^[30]
• Munkar and Nakir, question the dead in their graves.^[31] (Angels)

N

• Nasnas, a half-demon, considered offspring of the div. (Demon)
• Nāzi'āt, taking the soul from the infidel in the most painful way. (Angel)
• Nāshiṭāt, taking the soul of the believers in the most gentle way. (Angel)

P

• Peri, usually benevolent spirits. Supposed to have been created before the jinn but after the div. (Fairy)

Q

• Qareen, a spiritual double of human. Only a companion in the Quran. (Demon or Other)

R

• Rafraf, heavenly ride that carried Muhammad beyond the heavens.^[32] (Other)
• Ramyail, an angel receiving the souls of the believers. (Angel)
• Riḍwan, guardian angel of the gates of heaven.^[33] (Angel)
• Ruh, spirit, sometimes also an archangel in the highest heaven. (Archangel or Other)

S

• Sakhr, a king of the jinn, sometimes of demons (div). Appears in the legend of Solomon. (Genie or demon)
• Salsa'il, guardian angel of the fourth heaven.^[34] (Angel)
• Shamka'il, an angel of the sixth heaven. (Angel)
• Sharahil, angel responsible for the day and the sun, Sarahiel. (Angel)
• Shayateen, evil spirits, tempting humans into sin. Usually the offspring of Iblis, sometimes spirits cast out of heaven. (Genie or Devils)
• Sila, shape-shifter, often female. Like ghoul, they try to seduce travellers to leave the road and assault them later. They can not shift their hooves. (Genie)
• Susail, angel of hell, who shows Muhammad the first layer of punishment during his Night Journey. (Angel)
• Sut, a devil inspiring lies. (Devil)

U

• Ummu's-sibyan (mother of children), she is considered the mother of Changelings and compared to Lilith and Lamia. (demon)^[35]

W

• Wasnan, makes people sleepy, so they miss the morning prayer. (Devil)
• Wassin, ruler over grief and anxiety. ^[36] (Devil)
• Walhan, a devil who causes Muslims to waste water during ritual purification.^[37] (Devil)

Y

• Yajuj and Majuj, two tribes, associated with armageddon. (Human)
• Yusuf ibn Yasif, last messenger sent to the jinn in pre-Adamite times. Supposed to be killed in a cauldron of copper filled with oil for delivering a message of God.^[38] (Genie)

Z

• Zabaniyah, torture the sinners in Hellfire. (Angels)
• Zalambur, a devil tempting people into dishonesty. (Devil)
• Zār, group of jinn, mostly malevolent. Associated with possession.^[39] (Genie)
• Zuhra, a woman who tempted two fallen angels into telling the secret name of God. By that, she tried to ascend to heaven, but has been turned into a star by God. Venus.^[40] (Human)

See also

• • • Islamic mythology List of characters and names mentioned in the Quran List of angels in theology
• List of theological demons
• Heaven in Islam
• Hell in Islam

Notes and References

1. Sharpe, Elizabeth Marie Into the realm of smokeless fire: (Qur'an 55:14): A critical translation of al-Damiri's article on the jinn from "Hayat al-Hayawan al-Kubra 1953 The University of Arizona download date: 15/03/2020 p. 16
2. Petrushevsky, I. P. (1985). Islam in Iran. Vereinigtes Königreich: State University of New York Press.
3. Vilozny, Roy. "Between Myth-Making and Shiite Exegesis: Nasnās and Qurʾān 2: 30." Intellectual History of the Islamicate World 6.3 (2018): 292.
4. Zadeh, Travis. "Commanding demons and jinn: The sorcerer in early Islamic thought." No Tapping around Philology: A Festschrift in Honor of Wheeler McIntosh Thackston Jr.’s 70th Birthday (2014): 149
5. Joseph Hammer Purgstall; Rosenöl. 971 original: 1813 Georg Olms Verlag. pp. 184-185
6. Book: Muhammad, the Messenger of Islam: His Life & Prophecy. 2002. ISCA. 978-1-930409-11-8. en.
7. Joseph Hammer Purgstall; Rosenöl. 971 original: 1813 Georg Olms Verlag. pp. 184-185
8. Burge, Stephen (2015). Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik. Routledge. p. 58. .
9. Stephen Burge Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi Akhbar al-malik Routledge 2015
10. Web site: Angelic Names and Sufi Meditation. 2021-09-04. legacy.nurmuhammad.com.
11. Zadeh, Travis. "Commanding demons and jinn: The sorcerer in early Islamic thought." No Tapping around Philology: A Festschrift in Honor of Wheeler McIntosh Thackston Jr.’s 70th Birthday (2014): 149
12. Joseph Hammer Purgstall; Rosenöl. 971 original: 1813 Georg Olms Verlag. pp. 184-185
13. Web site: July 25, 2011. Shirath (Jembatan) | www.dinul-islam.org. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110725235213/http://dinul-islam.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=102:shirath-jembatan&catid=20:daqoiqul-akhbar&Itemid=19. July 25, 2011.
14. Burge, Stephen. Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik. Routledge, 2015. p. 86
15. Die Dschinn, Teufel und Engel im Koran [microform]by Eichler, Paul Arno, 1889-Publication date 1928Topics KoranPublisher Leipzig : KleinCollection microfilm; additional_collectionsDigitizing sponsor Internet ArchiveContributor Internet ArchiveLanguage GermanMicrofilmAddeddate 2007-02-13 00:12:26Foldoutcount 0Identifier MN40251ucmf_1Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t4zg6hn3vOpenlibrary_edition OL14024173MOpenlibrary_work OL10715783WPages 66Ppi 400
16. Hussein Abdul-Raof Theological Approaches to Qur'anic Exegesis: A Practical Comparative-Contrastive Analysis Routledge 2012 page 155
17. Web site: al-Bidayah wa'an-Nihayah (The Beginning and the End) - Tarikh ibn Kathir - The history of Ibn Kathir. 2021-09-04. qurango.com.
18. Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Thalabi Arais Al Majalis Fi Qisas Al Anbiya Lives Of The Prophets Lives Of The Prophets
19. Web site: 27 September 2012. Ahadith, the Traditions.
20. Burge, Stephen (2015). Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik. Routledge. p. 100. .
21. Surah Al-Anfaal Ayah #09 Where ALLAH said, (Remember) when you asked help of your Lord, and he answered you, indeed, I will reinforce you with a thousand from the Angels, following one another. This Ayah affirms the statement of Ar-Rabi bin Anas in Tafsir ibn e kathir while explaining the Tafsir of Ayah no 12 of surah Al-Anfal where he said in the Aftermath of badr, the people used to recognize whomever the Angels killed from those whom they killed, by the wound over their necks, fingers, and toes because those parts had Mark as if they were branded by fire.
22. Web site: Angelic Names and Sufi Meditation. 2021-09-04. legacy.nurmuhammad.com.
23. Awn, Peter J. “The Ethical Concerns of Classical Sufism.” The Journal of Religious Ethics, vol. 11, no. 2, [Journal of Religious Ethics, Inc, Wiley, Blackwell Publishing Ltd], 1983, pp. 240–63, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40017708.
24. Zadeh, Travis. "Commanding demons and jinn: The sorcerer in early Islamic thought." No Tapping around Philology: A Festschrift in Honor of Wheeler McIntosh Thackston Jr.’s 70th Birthday (2014): 149
25. Brannon Wheeler Prophets in the Quran: An Introduction to the Quran and Muslim Exegesis A&C Black 2002 page 225
26. Rosenöl. (n.d.). (n.p.): Georg Olms Verlag. p. 183
27. Bein, Amit. "The Istanbul earthquake of 1894 and science in the late Ottoman Empire." Middle Eastern Studies 44.6 (2008): 911.
28. Crooke, W., Sharif, J. (1999). Islam in India. Indien: Atlantic. p. 288
29. Steven M. Wasserstrom Between Muslim and Jew: The Problem of Symbiosis under Early Islam Princeton University Press 2014 ISBN 9781400864133 p. 184
30. Safvi, R. (2022). In Search of the Divine: Living Histories of Sufism in India. Indien: Hachette India.
31. [Sahih al-Tirmidhi]
32. Web site: 2013-01-23. Day of Judgement (Qiyamat). 2021-09-04. Al-Islam.org. en.
33. Raven, W., "Riḍwān", in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs. Erste Online-Erscheinung: 2012 Erste Druckedition:, 1960-2007
34. Web site: Angelic Names and Sufi Meditation. 2021-09-04. legacy.nurmuhammad.com.
35. Ivanow, W. "130. Muhammadan Child-Killing Demons." Man 26 (1926): 195-199.
36. Crooke, W., Sharif, J. (1999). Islam in India. Indien: Atlantic. p. 288
37. 10.1553/0x00281c07 . Hammer-Purgstall, Joseph FRH. Von . ÖBL . free .
38. Kister, Meir J. "Ādam: A Study of Some Legends in tafsīr and ḥadīth Literature." Israel Oriental Studies 13 (1993): 122.
39. Shamanism and Islam: Sufism, Healing Rituals and Spirits in the Muslim World. (2017). Vereinigtes Königreich: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 148
40. Crone, Patricia. "The Book of Watchers in the Qurʾān." The Qurʾānic Pagans and Related Matters. Brill, 2016. 183-218.