Encyclopedia of Islam

Further reading: Kenneth Cragg, Troubled by Truth: 

Life Studies in Interfaith Concern (Edinburgh: Pent-

land Press, 1992), 187–202; A. A. A. Fyzee, Outlines 

of Muhammadan Law (Delhi: Oxford University Press, 

1999); Ismail Poonawala, “In Memorium: A. A. A. 

Fyzee, 1899–1981,” International Journal of Middle East 

Studies 14, no. 3 (1982).

Fyzee, Asaf Ali Asghar

  

253  J

---

254

AF

J:

Gabriel

 

(Hebrew: man of God; Arabic: 

Jibril)

Gabriel is the 

angel

 of revelation in Islamic 

belief and is counted among the archangels. His 

name first appears in the pre-Islamic period in 

two late books of the Bible—the book of Daniel 

(8:15–26, 9:21–27) in the Old Testament and 

the Gospel of Luke (1:11–20, 26–38) in the 

New Testament. Gabriel is also mentioned in the 

extra-biblical book of 1 Enoch (9:1–10, 40:6) 

and in rabbinic Bible commentaries. In these 

texts, he is portrayed as a divine messenger and 

as an intercessor on behalf of God’s people. In the 

q

Uran

, Gabriel’s name occurs three times as one 

of God’s angels; he is the bringer of revelation (Q 

297–98) and m

Uhammad

’s supporter (Q 66:4). 

Though not specifically mentioned in other parts 

of the Quran, medieval commentators identified 

Gabriel with the angelic spirit (ruh) that appeared 

to  m

ary

 as a perfectly formed man to announce 

to her that she would give birth to J

esUs

 (Q 

19:17–21). He was also thought to be the spirit 

that descended on the n

ight

 

oF

  d

estiny

 (laylat 

al-qadr), when the Quran was first revealed (Q 

97), and in Q 27:192–194 he was said to be the 

“trustworthy spirit” who brought God’s revela-

tion to Muhammad’s heart.

Gabriel plays a bigger role in later accounts 

of Muhammad’s life. He is one of the angels 

involved in cutting open Muhammad’s breast and 

cleansing his heart so as to prepare him for his 

prophetic mission. In Ibn Ishaq’s 

biography

 of 

Muhammad (eighth century), Gabriel confronts 

the prophet on Mount Hira and commands him 

to recite the Quran’s first verses. According to 

i

bn

  i

shaq

 (d. 767) and Quran commentators, he 

guided Muhammad on his miraculous journey 

from m

ecca

 to J

erUsalem

, then through the seven 

heavens, where he had visions of heaven and 

hell, former prophets, and God. According to the 

hadith

, Gabriel once appeared to Muhammad and 

his companions in the form of a man with black 

hair, dressed in white garments, and interrogated 

him about Islam, 

Faith

 (iman), and right action 

(ihsan). He also was linked to the events sur-

rounding Muhammad’s h

iJra

 to m

edina

 in 622, 

having warned him that his life was in danger.

In collections of legends about the prophets 

who preceded Muhammad, such as al-Thalabi’s 

Lives of the Prophets (11th century), Gabriel’s role 

in human history was greatly expanded. For exam-

ple, Gabriel taught Adam the skills he needed in 

order to survive after being expelled from 

para

-

dise

. He also came to the aid of a

braham

, J

oseph

, 

G

---

and m

oses

. The Shia link Gabriel to key events in 

their versions of the lives of Muhammad, a

li

 

ibn

a

bi

  t

alib

, F

atima

, and other Shii Imams. Thus, 

Gabriel was present when Fatima and Ali were 

married. He also conveyed to Muhammad a testa-

ment that was to be transmitted to the Imams, and 

he announced to Muhammad that his grandson 

Husayn (d. 680), the foremost of the martyrs, 

would be killed by fellow Muslims.

Accounts differ as to Gabriel’s appearance. As 

an angel, he was a being of pure light. According 

to some traditions, he had a human form (as in Q 

19:17–21) and could even ride a horse into battle as 

a turbaned warrior. r

Uzbihan

 b

aqli

 (d. 1209), the 

Persian mystic, saw Gabriel as “a bridegroom, like 

a moon among the stars,” wearing a red garment 

with green silk trim (Baqli 47). Persian and Turkish 

illustrated manuscripts of the 15th to 18th centu-

ries usually portray Gabriel in a human form with 

wings, elegant garments, and a crown, surrounded 

by flames. In some of the early hadith and other 

texts, he was given a more awesome appearance—a 

being with six wings, each of which had 600 wings 

that could stretch across the horizons of the earth.

See also a

dam

 

and

 e

ve

; 

holy

 

books

; h

Usayn

 

ibn

a

li

; 

imam

; n

ight

 J

oUrney

 

and

 a

scent

; s

hiism

.