Overview
Azrael (; , 'God has helped'; ) is the angel of death in some Abrahamic religions, namely Islam and Christian popular culture.
Relative to similar concepts of such beings, Azrael holds a benevolent role as God's angel of death; he acts as a psychopomp, responsible for transporting the souls of the deceased after their death. In Islam, he is said to hold a scroll concerning the fate of mortals, recording and erasing their names at their birth and death, similar to the role of the Malakh ha-Maveth (Angel of Death) in Judaism.
Depending on the perspective and precepts of the various religions in which he is a figure, he may also be portrayed as a resident of the Third Heaven, a division of heaven in Judaism and Islam. In Islam, he is one of the four archangels, and is identified with the Quranic Malak ul-Maut, which corresponds with the Hebrew-language term Mal'akh ha-Maweth in Rabbinic literature. In Hebrew, Azrael translates to "Angel of God" or "Help from God".
Etymology and place in Judaism
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