Stephen Burge - Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyutis al-Habaik fi akhbar al-malaik

Angels are a basic tenet of belief in Islam, appearing in various types and genres of text, from eschatology to law and theology to devotional material. This book presents the first comprehensive study of angels in Islam, through an analysis of a collection of traditions (adth) compiled by the fifteenth-century polymath Jall al-Dn al-Suy (d. 911/1505).

With a focus on the principal angels in Islam, the author provides an analysis and critical translation of hadith included in al-Suys al-Habaik fi akhbar al-malaik (The Arrangement of the Traditions about Angels) many of which are translated into English for the first time. The book discusses the issues that the adth raise, exploring why angels are named in particular ways; how angels are described and portrayed in the adth; the ways in which angels interact with humans; and the theological controversies which feature angels. From this it is possible to place al-Suys collection in its religious and historical milieu, building on the study of angels in Judaism and Christianity to explore aspects of comparative religious beliefs about angels as well as relating Muslim beliefs about angels to wider debates in Islamic studies. London, UK.

Broadening the study of Islamic angelology and providing a significant amount of newly translated primary source material, this book will be of great interest to scholars of Islam, divinity and comparative religion.

S. R. Burge is a Research Associate at the Institute of Ismaili Studies, London, UK. His main areas of research are in the life and works of al-Suy, adth studies, tafsr and angelology.

Culture and Civilization in the Middle East

General Editor: Ian Richard Netton

Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Exeter

This series studies the Middle East through the twin foci of its diverse cultures and civilizations. Comprising original monographs as well as scholarly surveys, it covers topics in the fields of Middle Eastern literature, archaeology, law, history, philosophy, science, folklore, art, architecture and language. While there is a plurality of views, the series presents serious scholarship in a lucid and stimulating fashion.

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Angels in Islam

Jall al-Dn al-Suys al-abik f akhbr al-malik

S. R. Burge