Azrael

Azrael (; Hebrew: עֲזַרְאֵל, romanized: ʿǍzarʾēl, lit. 'God has helped'; Arabic: عزرائيل, romanized: ʿAzrāʾīl or ʿIzrāʾīl) is the canonical angel of death in Islam. An Angel with a similar name appears in the 16th century Classical Ethiopic version of Apocalypse of Peter, but as an angel of hell who avenges those who had been wronged during life. 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-mavet (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 al-Mawt (ملك الموت, 'Angel of Death'), which corresponds with the Hebrew term Malʾakh ha-Maweth (מלאך המוות) in Rabbinic literature. In Hebrew, Azrael translates to 'Angel of God' or 'Help from God'.