Israfil

Israfil is an archangel in Islamic tradition, best known as the angel who will blow the trumpet to herald the Day of Judgment (Qiyamah). Although the name does not appear in the Quran, a figure blowing a trumpet is repeatedly alluded to, and Islamic exegesis identifies this angel as Israfil. He is one of the four archangels in Islam, alongside Gabriel (who revealed the Quran to Muhammad), Michael (who provides sustenance), and Azrael (the angel of death). In some contexts, Israfil is equated with the Judeo-Christian angels Raphael or Uriel, though this association is not universally accepted.

Etymology and Meaning

The meaning of the name Israfil is uncertain. Some scholars have proposed that it derives from a Hebrew or Aramaic root meaning “burning” or “kindling,” but no definitive etymology exists. The name is not used in the Hebrew Bible but appears in Islamic sources through direct connection to the archangel. It is ultimately related to the name Raphael, which in Hebrew means “God heals” (from rafa “to heal” and ʾel “God”). In Jewish tradition, Raphael is an archangel known for healing and is featured in the Book of Tobit, where he aids Tobias and cures Tobit of blindness.

Religious Role and Iconography

In Islamic tradition, Israfil is portrayed as a magnificent, colossal angel with four wings. According to the hadith, he holds a pen (qalam) with which he writes the destinies of humans and conveys God’s commands to the other archangels. With one wing, he writes divine decrees; with the other, he covers his face in awe of God’s majesty. Israfil is often described as the nearest of all angels to God, acting as an intermediary between the Creator and the celestial hierarchy. His primary eschatological duty is to sound the trumpet (sūr) twice: the first blast will bring about the annihilation of all creation, while the second blast will resurrect all souls for judgment. This trumpet scenario is mirrored in Judeo-Christian apocalyptic literature (e.g., Revelation 8–11), in which angels blow trumpets to announce cataclysmic events.

Despite his importance, the so-called “Book of the Dead” and later occult writings elaborate on his role as the eldest archangel—a status derived from imagined chronology rather than canonical sources. In popular culture, Israfil is sometimes likened to Greek or Zoroastrian motifs.

Notable Bearers and Cultural Significance

Israfil is not commonly used as a given name among Muslims today, though it appears occasionally as a devotional name or in poetry. The 19th-century Urdu poet Muhammad Hussain Azad wrote an epic titled Israfil ke Ansar (“The Trumpet of Israfil”), using the angel as a symbol of divine awakening. In Hindu-Islamic mystical traditions, Israfil functions as a metaphor for the soul’s yearning for resurrection. Though obscure as an und Islamic environment, the name retains a recognizable presence due to its apocalyptic resonance.

Related Names and Variants

The name Israfil is sometimes rendered as Israfel (cosmopolitan in fantasy literature) or occasionally confused with the surname-like Israphel (from fictional tongue, e.g., Trinity Blood). In some Arab cultures the nickname style substitutes Sirafi. The linked forms underscore a relationship to “change me.” As for theological: in Sufi one might encounter further refinements, the name itself became synonymous with trumpet bearer secondarily after prophet(s).

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