Our remembrance of Azrael, and the generations who followed after him, have become distorted by 2500 years of religious conflicts and war. Now, that which we all desire, the right to be remembered for who we are, what we believed and everything we've accomplished, hangs in the balance. It is my hope that by sharing these chronicles with you all, we can learn more about what took place so long ago that confused the meaning of the name Help of God with that of Death.

But be warned! This is a very long journey back through time. Here, we examine all the different records from a variety of periods, in chronologcal order. It is a serious line of study, so prepare yourself or print the pages to read later when you can devote more time. Let's begin.

Azrael's true record is a first person account that begins in ancient Babylon. Azra (), whose name means Help in biblical Hebrew, was one of the descendants of the powerful priests of Aaron. He was born into a time of great upheaval but also one of great promise.

In the year 597 BC, the holy city of Jerusalem was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Chaldea who captured an estimated 10,000 Judean leaders and priests, and brought them to Babylon. They became known as the "Golah" (the exiled). Those who remained were called the "am ha'aretz" (the people of the land). This event is known in history as the Babylonian Exile or the Great Captivity.

As fate would have it, the Chaldeans of Babylon were defeated by the Persians in 538 BC, and it was this event that gave the Jews a second chance. By special decree of King Cyrus, they were freed from exile and could return to their ancestral home.

Azra, one of the "bene Golah" (sons of the exiled), had been raised in the captivity. He had never seen the land of his fathers, but by virtue of his bloodline, he was educated in Jewish law and custom. He was taught, and he believed that the exile was a consequence of God's punishment for the sin of Avodah Zarah (idolatry and idol worship). Azra vowed to restore God's faith in his people by teaching them the Laws of God.

Azra was well favored in the royal court of the Persian monarch, King Artaxerxes II. Not only was he granted permission to return to Jerusalem, he was also provided with funding from the king's treasury, a royal decree giving Azra the Power of Judgement over all his people, and the return of artifacts that were stolen from the first Temple.

First Book of Azrael (aka: 1 Ezra 7:25, 26) ~ King Artaxerxes:

And you Azra, appoint magistrate and judges that may judge all who are beyond the river, who know the laws of God, and teach ye those who know them not. And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death...

Azra, having been blessed by both his God and the King, had gathered his people together by the riverside of Ahava, carefully recording all the names of those who came. This was the custom of his people, to keep these records for the Book of Generations. When this task was finished, they left the riverside and set off for their return to Jerusalem.

After he arrived in Jerusalem, he read the Book of Law to the people and within days he was told that the very crimes that were said to be responsible for the destruction of the first Temple, were still being practiced ~ the most powerful of these being, inter-marriage between his own people, the "Zerah Kodesh" (Holy Seed), and the "Am Ha'Aretz" (the people of the lands). Inter-marriage was strictly forbidden. Since the days of Genesis, inter-marriage outside the Zerah Kodesh had become a known cause of war, especially when children were born into the unions. Parental conflicts surrounding how the children would be raised, what language they would speak and which God they serve, caused domestic disputes that travelled quickly from parents, to families and spread throughout entire neighborhoods, creating dissent among the people. Jerusalem had just been reclaimed but she was still vulnerable. If Azra had any hope of restoring order, he had to address every known threat to her. He detailed these issues in his book. These are his own words:

First Book of Azrael (aka: 1 Ezra 9: 1, 2) ~ Ezra:

Now, after these things were done, the princes came to me saying: The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the lands... For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons, so their holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of the lands: And, the hand of the princes and rulers have been chief in this trespass.

It may interest you to know that this story had been re-told several hundred years later, but it somehow became twisted and speaks of angels who mated with human women, again, naming all those angels who were judged guilty. This was caused by a misinterpretation of the Hebrew words: Zerah Kodesh [Holy Seed], Bene Elohim [ Sons of God], the Malakhim [Messengers] and the Am ha'Aretz [People of the Land]. We will be addressing many of these issues later, but getting back to the story, following a series of long hearings involving the accused men and their family elders, Azra recorded the names of those who were found guilty and they were ordered to divorce their wives or forfeit their claim to Jerusalem forever. By this ruling, the names of the men who refused to divorce were erased from the records.

First Book of Azrael (aka: 1 Ezra 10; 7, 8):

And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem; and that whosoever did not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of the captivity.

Contrary to popular belief, Azra was NOT the master-mind behind this decree. He recognized the potential danger this could bring to the newly reformed community but he was not the one to suggest that divorce was a solution. That came from one of the men who had married a foreign wife.

First Book of Azrael (aka: 1 Ezra 10: 2, 3):

And Shecaniah, the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Azra; We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land. Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them..."

This highly controversial decree had allowed Judaism to thrive and grow in number, but this also produced enemies from within their own people. Those who kept their wives had left harboring bitter resentments against Azra and the Temple.

But for his efforts to reclaim and restore the holy city of Jerusalem, his name was held in the highest honor. His legacy became a legend, and he was soon looked upon as the second Moses, because Azra had led his people out of the Babylonian exile just as Moses had done in Egypt before him. Judaism not only survived but it exists to this day because of him.

Sanhedrin 21b:

The Torah could have been given to Israel through Ezra, if Moses had not preceded him."

There have even been several debates as to whether or not Azra may have been the author of the Torah. However, we have not been able to find any evidence to support such a dramatic claim. It's more likely that, as a scribe, he copied it from fragments and memories. None the less, the statement appears here and there:

Kolel: The Torah - Who Wrote It?

Whether Ezra wrote the Torah or not, Ezra's followers called the Sofrim (scribes) continued the chain of tradition."

Madam Blavatsky claims that Azra not only wrote the Torah, but she accuses him of stealing the original story from the Babylonians. This has a grain of truth to it so I would like to take a moment here to explain why people feel this way. The reason the stories seem similar is because the Judeans were Babylonians!  Abraham, their ancestor, left Babylon. If anyone wanted to review the records of the Jewish ancestors, that pre-date their Exodus from Egypt into the land we now know as Israel, they would see that these records came from Babylon. Madam Blavatsky's accusation is based on a trivial misunderstanding since no Jewish record attempts to deny this:

Book of Nehemiah, Chapter 9;7:

Thou art the LORD the God, who did choose Abram, and brought him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name of Abraham;

Some scholars believe that Azra was the inventor of the Ashuri script, which is still used today. This comes out of a dispute between the Jews and the Samaritans who accuse Azra as follows:

Epiphanius:

The Samaritans, however, retain the deesse non, which form, as we have said, was engraved in older times in the stone tablets. But when Ezra came up from Babylon and desired to make Israel different from the other peoples in order that the offspring of Abraham, should not appear to be defiled by the inhabitants of the land (who have indeed the Law but not the Prophets), he changed the previous form, abandoning the deesse non, because that form was already in the hands of the Samaritans.

Another critisism of Ezra can be found in Temurah 15b which questions whether or not the offering that was made to atone for the sin of Avodah Zarah, was even lawful. In plain terms, the offering was intended for the people who commited this sin during the time of the first Temple. They had to be at least 13 years of age back then, so it was assumed that, by the time Ezra returned and the second Temple was built, that generation had already died. To assume the whole generation had died is almost as weird as accusing Azra of breaking the very laws he gave back to his people. There were, of course, elders from that generation who lived and the atonement was made on their behalf:

The First Book of Azrael (aka: 1 Ezra) Chapter 3: 12 and 13:

But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, the old men that had seen the first house standing on its foundation, wept with a loud voice, when this house was before their eyes; and many shouted aloud for joy; so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people; for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.

In Jewish history Azra is remembered as the Father of Judaism and his book appears in the Old Testament of the bible. His name is translated differently. The most notable are: Ezra (Hebrew to English), Esdras (Hebrew to Greek), and Uzayr (Hebrew to Arabic). The names Ezraeil & Azrael were not used until after 600 AD and there are no Jewish records that name Azrael (Azriel) as an Angel of Death and Judgement.

During the early Christian period two more books were discovered purporting to be his and carried his name into the holy scripture of the time. The first book was known as 1 Esdras and was basically a Greek translation of the Jewish records of Ezra and Nehemiah, but the second book, 2 Esdras, was a haunting piece:

Charles L. Souvay:

Widely known in the early Christian ages and frequently quoted by the Fathers (especially St. Ambrose), it may be said to have framed the popular belief of the middle ages concerning the last things.

This book has created so many problems, I honestly don't know where to begin! It opens with the same introduction as the first Book of Azra in which he provides his entire geneology, all the way back to Aaron, so one would assume this was written by Azra's own hand. However, let us take a closer look at some of the problems I've been trying to resolve:

1) Not all versions are the same, but the differences are so subtle they are easy for most people to miss. One difference reveals who the author of this book really was. This can be found in Chapter 3:

In the KJV, this passage reads:

In the thirtieth year after the destruction of our city, I was in Babylon and lay troubled on my bed, and my thoughts welled up in my heart, because I saw the desolation of Sion and the wealth of those who lived in Babylon.

In the NIV, this passage reads:

In the thirtieth year after the destruction of our city, I Salathiel, who am also Ezra, was in Babylon. I was troubled as I lay on my bed, and my thoughts welled up in my heart, because I saw the desolation of Zion and the wealth of those who lived in Babylon.

2) The name "Salathiel" is the Greek (70) version of the Hebrew name, Sheiltiel, the father of Zarubabbel - a respected name that Azra knew, and as a scribe he even recorded the name, but he never took this name for himself. Also, as far as I know, the Greek influence did not exist in Jerusalem during the time Azra lived, so I find it hard to believe this book was written by Azra's own hand.

3) The NIV version admits that the author of this book believed he was both these people during the time the book was written. A condition that implies a spiritual collaboration (necromancy: communication with the dead). This alone can explain a motive for why certain church publishers have elected to edit this line and remove both names.

4) Esdras builds from Azra's original record by adding a divine dialogue in which, by the help of the angel Uriel, God reveals to Azra that he will disown the Jewish people because of their disobedience and send his son (Messiah) to bless a new nation, though the new nation was obviously not Babylon or Persia. In this story, Azra was not just a scribe, but a prophet who bears witness to the coming of Christ. In the end he is taken to heaven alive, without tasting death, in the same tradition told in the book of Enoch. I believe this book existed before the time of Jesus because it doesn't name the Messiah. But it does establish the foundation for the movement. While this book was cherished by the early Christians, it's authenticity is heavily questioned, and as such it was excluded from a place in the Jewish canon.

However, it did associate the name of Azra with End Times, and the book is more commonly known as the Apocalypse of Azra. It was from this book, ascribed to Azra, the Requiem Aeternam became part of Christian burial rites, furthering an association of his name with death and burial.

The Requiem Aeternam

Candles are lit all round the coffin and they should be allowed to burn, at least during the continuance of the Office, Mass, and Absolutions. Throughout the Office of the Dead each psalm is ended with the Requiem aeternam (Eternal rest give unto them Oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them).

These words are borrowed from a passage in 2 Esdras
(Apocrypha), ii, 34-35.

There is one more verse in this book that is worthy of mention since it's connected to the Islamic Angel of Death literature that followed this record. In some Islamic folk lore, Azrael is the Angel of Death that separates the souls from their bodies. We'll be studying the Islamic history later, but this verse offers a unique insight as to why Azrael was described as a "Separator of Souls".

The Book of Azrael (aka: 2 Esdras Chapter 7:100):

Then I asked: When souls are separated from their bodies, will they be be given the opportunity to see what you have described to me?

There are several reasons why this book was not accepted by Jewish scholars. Let's just go over some of the main reasons why:

• The book is written in Greek and there are no Hebrew versions of it.
• The Greek influence did not exist during the time when Azra lived.
• The dates that are given for recorded events are about 100 years off.
• The author has identified himself by two different names.
• Angels were not given names during the time that Azra lived.
• The book contains Christian elements that date to 97 AD or later.

My Personal Reaction:

I believe that this book was written by a man named Salathiel during the early Christian period and that he wanted to be like Azra ~ a scribe. After comparing this book (2 Esdras) with the Book of Tobit and the Book of Enoch, I have concluded these were all written by the same person during the same period of time. For instance, the books 2 Esdras and Book of Tobit, each describe a groom who dies on his wedding night. The Books of Enoch and 2 Esdras each include dialogues with an angel named, Uriel. The stories were written in the same style, they all share and repeat emotive imagery, and are all inspired by Christian philosophy, but draw your own conclusions.

Shortly after this time, the Christian heretic Marcion, in an attempt to convince the church to produce their own new testament, apart from the Jewish Torah (known as the old Testament), wrote an interesting tale that claimed the Angel of Law had gathered the dust and created Adam and because of this, mankind was not a divine creation of God and was in need of redemption by him.

The Sources of Islam:

According to the heretic Marcion, he whom they name "the God of the Law," who got earth for the creation of man, was only an angel; for they say that the Law came down from one of the angels hostile to the great God. And that Angel they call Lord of the universe, Creator of all things, and Prince of this world. This last is taken from the Gospel of John, where the devil is so called. Marcion tells us that this angel was an inhabitant of the Second heaven, and at first knew nothing of the great God; but when he came to know of his existence, he became an enemy of "the Unknown God," and sought that mankind should neither know nor worship him. This imaginative story of the creation is in entire accord with what the Muslims say regarding Azâzîl, who came to dwell in the Second heaven.

Source: http://answering-islam.org.uk/Books/Tisdall/Sources0/p065-066.htm

Marcion's story challenged the Jewish view that creation was the perfect work of God, as told in the story of Genesis. I believe this tale was intended as a metaphor designed to pit Azra (Jewish Law) against Jesus (Christian Salvation). This contest between the two had been addressed by Muhammed himself (see Islamic History of Azrael). It also became the foundation for two tales by the 13th century Persian poet and mystic, Jalalud'din Rumi ~ The Obedience of the Angel of Death (in which Azrael is named as the angel who succeeds in collecting the dust) and The Creation of Adam (in which Azrael is named as the angel who fails to collect the handfuls of dust). Rumi's decision to use the name Azrael in his versions of Marcion's story, created further confusion between the names Azrael and Azazel.

The advent of Islam came in the 6th century AD and, by that time, Jerusalem had fallen and the Temple was destoyed, this second time around by the Roman armies. Though the Jews were not taken captive, they were dispersed all throughout the surrounding lands. It was during this period of history that the legends surrounding Azra the Scribe took on gigantic proportions. The most powerful record was made by Muhammed himself and it accuses the Jews of declaring Azra to be the son of God! In this section Azra is named under the Arabic rendering, Uzayr.

The Quran: Surah 9, verse 30:

The Jews call Uzayr (aka: Ezra) the son of Allah and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouths. In this they imitate what the non-believers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them. How they are deluded away from the truth.

This passage has been interpreted as hostile by Jewish scholars because it condemns (and curses) them for using the title, ben Elohim (son of God). This is a very small misunderstanding concerning words and meanings. This title was not uncommon and had never meant to imply a sole son of God, at least not by the Judeans, or the Christians during the time of Jesus for that matter. We offer the following passages as proof:

The Judean record, Deuteronomy 14:1 ~

You are the sons of YHVH. You shall not cut yourselves nor make any baldness on your head on account of the dead.

The Christian record, John 1:11 and 12 ~

He came unto his own, but his own did not receive him. But for those who did received him, to them he gave the power to become the sons of God.

Considering the existence of these two passages, I can certainly understand why the Jewish scholars would find fault with the passage in the Quran. Both of these passages address the bene elohim (sons of God) as men - note the plural form of the title in both passages? And they were certainly NOT addressing angels! So how could there be fault found with anyone who used this title in correct context? Well, before I consider that, I wanted to have a closer look at one portion of that Quranic verse that I found very intriguing:

Just who are these non-believers of old? Well, if the Jews and the Christians were both being compared to this mysterious people because they both used the title, son of God, then these "non-believers of old" must have used this title as well. I had to expand my search and, as far as I can tell, the Persians were the only other people who, prior to Christianity, claimed the existence of the only son of God, Mithras. According to legend, Mithras was ~

• Born on December 25th.
• Of a virgin.
• His birth was witnessed by the Magi.
• He formed his influence around twelve disciples.
• Was called the Savior of the World, the Lord of Light.
• He returned to heaven at the Spring Equinox.
• Before he returned he held a last supper with his 12 companions.
• This meal consisted of Midz (a special bread marked with a cross).

Was there a mix up? If so, then how were the Persian records of Mithras blended with the Christian records of Jesus? From what I could tell, it seems that Constantine had merged the records of Jesus with those of Sol Invictus, a Roman name for the Persian god, Mithras. Constantine worshipped Sol Invictus until he later converted to Christianity. When he failed to discover the actual date of the birth of Jesus, he blended the two traditions in an effort to celebrate the birth of Jesus in a fitting manner. Creativity in worship was common for his time and place, but this seems to have caused a lot confusion later on.

I believe that it was this "confusion" that Allah, through his prophet, Muhammed, intended to remove. If there was to be any true recognition of monotheism, it centers itself upon one law: God has no partner. To claim otherwise is incorrect and that was the whole purpose of Surah 9:30 ~ to address the cause of the confusion. It is to reprimand the Christians for confusing the meaning of the title and a reprimand to the Jews for creating a title that could be confused - and this was certainly not the first time this matter had been addressed. In Jewish records, YHVH made a similar complaint through his prophet, Jeremiah, surrounding the issue of a divine bride... Asherah, the Queen of Heaven and the Queen of the Shabbat.

Source: Song of Azrael Special Presentation: Jeremiah Vs. Asherah

Shortly after Muhammed's death, another round of stories began to circulate that added further confusion. They were reported by a man named Kaab al Ahbar who was described as a companion of the Caliph Omar and was considered to be one of the oldest authorities for Jewish traditions among the Muslims of his time. However, you should know that his records are a matter of heated contest between the Sunni and Shiite scholars. Song of Azrael inquired with the office of the Grand Ayatollah, Ali al Sistani of Iraq to clarify the actual complaint. This is their official response ~

Song of Azrael is also involved in a separate dispute concerning Kaab al Ahbar. We do not accept the idea that he was a Jewish authority and we have posted a Special Presentation page to review the evidence we have to support our position. But let's look at his stories so you can understand why there are so many problems ~

Uzayr [Ezra] Sleeps for 100 Years.

This story claims that Azra was on his way to his farm when he happened upon a ruined village. He saw the skeletal remains of the people and asked: "How will Allah ever bring them back?" So, Allah killed him. After one hundred years had passed, Azra was brought back to life and he returned home, to the astonishment of his children, who by that time were very old men. He then healed a blind woman and re-wrote the Torah.

Source: The Books of Azrael ~ Ezra Sleeps for 100 Years

The story implies that the only son of God would be resurrected from death to become a sign to his people, This was the written account that so named Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It was presented on the authority of Abdullah ibn Abbas, who was a Muslim scholar and, conincidentally, a student of Kaab al Ahbar. The story appears to describe Azra, using the same tradition found in the Christian book, 2 Esdras. I believe this story was created as an attempt to explain how Azra could have written two different books at two different times. Remember, I mentioned that 2 Esdras was not written during Ezra's own time and offered dates for events that are off by 100 years? In this story that just happens to be the period of time that Allah supposedly took Azra's life.

The story itself is a cocktail of sorts taken from other older books. It blends the Jewish version of Azra with the Christian version of Esdras, shadowed with a touch of Ezekiel and capped off with a touch of Enoch. It also happens to be the only other book I know of that records the story of the resurrection ~ and that, of course, is one of the Christian tests that would identify the true son of God! Then of course, there is the matter of his other story ~

Mankind Undertakes the Covenant

Kaab said: Seeds remained large during the days of Adam and his son, Seth, down to the time of Idris. When the people turned faithless, seeds shrank from the size of ostrich eggs to a smaller size. Then in the days of Pharaoh, they became smaller still. IN the time of Elijah, when they disbelieved, seeds became the size of chicken eggs and remained so until the time of Jeremiah. When they killed John, the son of Zacharias, and the days had passed until the appearance of Nebuchadnezzar they became the size of hazel nuts and remained so until the days of Ezra. However, when the Jews called Ezra the Son of God, they shrank to the size of ‘chick peas’ and remained so until the days of Jesus. But when the Christians called Jesus the son and his mother, the wife of God, they shrank to what you see today.

This story was written by Kaab al Ahbar to support the complaint in the Quran that condemned the Jews for calling Azra the son of YHVH, though as far as I can tell, the story that was responsible for the practice was written by Kaab al Ahbar in the first place! He is the only one in Jewish history {as far as I can tell} that reports the Jewish people were involved in this practice, and if he was the only Jewish authority of his time... as he claimed to be... the practice would have been his teaching! So, you'll all have to forgive me if I seem shocked by the next story in which he names the Angel of Death Azrael!

Kaab al Ahbar Names Azrael the Angel of Death

Kaab said: As for the Angel of Death, his name is Azrael and his abode is in the heaven of this Earth. God created for him the same number of helpers as those who shall taste death. His legs are on the borders of the seventh and lowest Earth, his head is in the seventh and highest heaven at the lastpartition and his face is turned toward the Preserved Tablet. He has 360 eyes, in each of which are three eyes. He has 360 tongues in each ofwhich are three tongues. He has 360 hands, in each of which are three hands. And he has 360 feet in each of which are three feet. He hasfour wings. One is in the East and one is in the West. One is at the last partition and one is under the limits of the seventh and lowestEarth. He gaze upon the Preserved Tablet and all of creation is depicted before his eyes. No creature’s soul is taken except after itslivelihood is exhausted and it’s purpose is fulfilled. The souls of the faithful, he seizes with his right hand and places them in Illiyyin. Thesouls of infidels he seizes with his left hand and places them in Sijinn until Doomsday.

I had always wondered how the Islamic Angel of Death was given a Hebrew name and while this certainly explains the point... it leads to an even greater mystery. Because it's not just a Hebrew name, but the name of Azra! Out of all the names Kaab al Ahbar could have chosen, he chose this one and simply added the "iel" (angelic suffix) to it ~ despite all the controversy from the last time a divine title had been attached to it! So, my question is WHY?

If Kaab al Ahbar was sincere when he converted to Islam, why did he teach the Muslims that the name the Angel of Death was Azrael? Kaab knew who Azra was and he obviously knew how to spell the name with the Shvah, so there can be no mistaken the identity of who it belonged to. How then could he get away with doing that? The answer was very simple. The Muslims of that period of time didn't understand Hebrew, and only knew of Azra by the Arabic rendering of his name, Uzayr. Because of this, they didn't see the obvious connection between the names Azra {Hebrew for Help} spelled [Ayin, Zayin, Resh, Aleph] and Azrael {Hebrew for Help of G-d} spelled [Ayin, Zayin, Resh, Yod, Aleph, Lamed] although a course in basic Hebrew grammar {use of shvah and dagesh payments} would have really shed some light on this business!

But why would he do this, or even risk it? The question concerning Kaab's choice of name for the Angel of Death (originally rendered as Ezra'eil) is mine alone {so far} but there were many other questions surrounding Kaab al Ahbar that caused him to become the subject of fierce dispute between the Shiite and Sunni scholars. The Shia have accused him of treachury, one accusation claims that he was involved in the murder of the Caliph Umar, an event which Kaab had predicted three days prior to the assasination that took the Caliph's life. The Caliph Omar was assassinated by a Persian slave named Abu Lulu. Also, Kaab al Ahbar was not a prophet so the basis for his prediction is also questionable. But did he conspire with the Persians? Did he even know them? Well, we did find his story resurface again, in Old Persian {Farsi}....

Translation from the Farsi (Old Persian) language: Earths, that is, the Seventh Earth, and his head is in the High Firmament, which is the highest of all firmaments, and the face of Ezraeil, God’s praise be upon him, is in front of the Protected Tablet, and he has closed humanity’s mouth and his command thereto according to the number of people who die, and all the people are in front of his two eyes. He does not take any creature’s life unless his provision has been exhausted and the hour of his death has come. And it has been related from Ash’ab ibn Aslam that Hazrat Khalil-ullah, God’s praise be upon him, spoke of the Monarch of Death, and said, What are you engaged upon when you are not here. One is in the East, and the other one is in the West, or it is in a country, or warfare flares up between two armies." Ezraeil, God's praise be upon him, said: "I summon souls, that is, the souls of all animals and human beings.

Putting all of these Stories & Records Together:

1) Azrael is a Hebrew name using Azra (Help) with the "iel" suffix (God).
2) Kaab al Ahbar claimed Azrael was the name of the Angel of Death.
3) This name does not exist in Jewish records for the Angel of Death.
4) This name does not exist in Christian records for the Angel of Death.
5) The Prophet Muhammed did not use this name in the Quran.
6) Kaab al Ahbar is the only known source who provided this name.

Because of these and other issues concerning Kaab al Ahbar's credibility, the following Muslim scholars have come to an official decision, concerning the use of the name Azrael for the Angel of Death ~

Shaykh al-Albaani:

This ("the Angel of Death") is what he is called in the Quran. With regard to the name Azrael, which is widely known among the people, there is no basis for this, rather it comes from the Isra'iliyat.

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen:

"The Angel of Death" is well known by the name Azrael, but this is not correct, rather this was narrated from Jewish sources. So we should not believe in this name, and we should call the one who is appointed over death "the Angel of Death," as Allah called him in the verse:

The angel of death, who is set over you, will take your souls. Then you shall be brought to your Lord” {al-Sajdah 32:11}

These are the main points of interest we ask our viewers to consider as we conclude this section of the Muslim records concerning the name, Azrael, for the Angel of Death. We hope it has become obvious that this matter is not as open and shut as the western world and media would like you to believe. Azrael was not named the Angel of Death in the Quran, or in any other reliable source.

Azrael in medieval Tales, Legends and Lore

A new direction in literature followed the events I have presented here and we will continue to present these stories as they were written in the chronology as well as address some problems that confused Azrael with a few other angels, Azael, Asrael and Azazel. This next section will also reveal several issues of plagiarism and other forms of scribal manipulation that have continued to this day. This section will be posted soon!

Azrael in Poetry, Saga and Stories

In this 12th century book of verse, Tales From Masnavi, you will find a story called, "The Obedience of the Angel of Death". This claims that the angel Azrael collected the dust from the Earth for the creation of Adam. As a reward for his obedience to God's command, he is made the executioner of all that would be created from it. This story is what you read on most websites that identify Azrael as the Angel of Death. Incidentally, Azraelwas titled the "Captain of the Divine Decree" and was in charge of the keeping of the "Laws of God" [Compare with Azra].

The problem is that some people have accepted this story as inspired literature. Few knew the work was borrowed from Marcion (see Christian History) and even fewer still knew that Rumi wrote two different versions of this story. In the Book, The Illustrated Rumi: A Treasury of Wisdom from the Poet of the Soul, you will find a story entitled "The Creation of Adam" which claims that Azrael fails in his mission to collect the dust from the Earth for the creation of Adam. God had to gather the dust himself in the end.

Rumi wrote two different versions of his story to satisfy two separate audiences. The mystics would appreciate "The Obedience of the Angel of Death" but the early Christians had believed in Marcion's account which claims that the angel who gathered the dust to create Adam was evil and they equated him with Azazel or Satan, so they prefered the version "The Creation of Adam" which was in keeping with their beliefs that God alone created mankind.

Other Similarities Between the Angel Azrael and the Scribe Azra

We are going to leave you for now to consider one of the most popular legends of all concerning Azrael as an angel. It is written:

The angel Azrael is forever writing and erasing what he writes. What he writes are the names of those who are born. What he erases are the names of those who have died.

Source: Unconfirmed and Unidentified

I will now compare this statement against what we know of Azra (Ezra):

1a) The Angel Azrael is forever writing.
1b) Azra was a professional scribe (always writing).

2a) What he writes are the names of those who are born.
2b) Azra's wrote the names of the men who were present and who they descended from (were born to).

3a) What he erases are the names of those who have died.
3b) Azra's wrote the names of the men who broke the laws of God. He mourned their loss and "made an end" with them. (their names were erased from the city register).

Other similarities between the Angel Azrael and the scribe Azra [Ezra]:

The Angel Azrael is a Hebrew name that means: Help of God.
Azra [Ezra] is a Hebrew name that means: Help.

The Angel Azrael was in charge of the Laws of God.
Azra was the keeper and reader of the divine law.

The Angel Azrael's face gazes upon the Preserved Tablet.
Azra's work was based on the Laws of Moses (Stone Tablets).

~ A Closing Statement ~

What happened to Azrael's name and reputation is sad, but I can learn to live with that. The fact that these issues could not be resolved by the scholars who had charge of the records, is sad, but I can live with that too. What I will not live with is the fact that people have died in wars that were caused by disputes surrounding these records. To fully understand the damage that has been caused I will simply remind you that "Water" does not mean "Fire" and when you pray for the "Help of God" you are not praying to "Death."

If any of our viewers have questions, comments, or information you feel should be included in our study of the origin of the name, Azrael, please let us know.

Where is all of this written? For a complete collection
of the books of Azrael, please visit our virtual Library:

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