Jibrīl

Jibrīl, known in English as Angel Gabriel, occupies a central position in Islamic belief and sīrah literature as the chief angel responsible for conveying divine revelation to the prophets. In the Qurʾān, Jibrīl is described as a trustworthy and noble messenger who brought the revelation of the Qurʾān to Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ by the command of Allāh (Qurʾān 2:97; 26:193–194). Islamic tradition regards him as one of the greatest angels and the intermediary between heaven and the prophets.

The role of Jibrīl in the sīrah of Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ began with the first revelation in the Cave of Ḥirāʾ in 610 CE. According to authentic narrations, Jibrīl appeared to the Prophet ﷺ and commanded him to “Read” (iqraʾ), marking the beginning of prophethood and the revelation of the Qurʾān. Throughout the Makkan and Madinan periods, Jibrīl continued to deliver revelation, guide the Prophet ﷺ, and strengthen the believers during times of hardship and conflict.

Sīrah sources also describe Jibrīl’s presence during major events of the Prophetic mission. He accompanied the Prophet ﷺ during the Night Journey and Ascension (Isrāʾ wa Miʿrāj), guided him in matters of worship, and brought divine instructions concerning law, ethics, and communal affairs. Islamic traditions further mention his support for the Muslims during battles such as Badr, where the Qurʾān refers to angels assisting the believers (Qurʾān 8:9–12).

Among the most celebrated accounts involving Jibrīl is the ḥadīth of Jibrīl, in which he appeared before the Prophet ﷺ in human form and asked a series of questions concerning Islam, īmān, and iḥsān. Through this dialogue, the Prophet ﷺ articulated the essential principles of faith, worship, and spiritual excellence. The narration subsequently assumed a central place in Islamic scholarship and came to be regarded as a concise exposition of the fundamental teachings of Islam.

The figure of Jibrīl occupies immense significance in Islam as the angel of revelation and divine communication. His relationship with Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ represents the link between divine guidance and humanity, making him an essential figure in Qurʾānic revelation, Prophetic history, and Islamic theology.

## References

1 Qurʾān 2:97; 8: 9-12; 26:193–194. 2 Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, trans. Syed Muḥammad Ibrāhīm and Ḥabīb al-Raḥmān Ṣiddīqī (Karachi: Nafīs Academy, 1990), 2: 55-58, 64. 3 Ṣafī al-Raḥmān Mubārakpūrī, al-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm (Urdu) (Lahore: Maktabah al-Salafiyyah, 1995), 96-102, 197-204.4 Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq ibn Yasār and Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Hishām, Sīrat Ibn Hishām, Urdu trans. Syed Yāsīn ʿAlī Ḥusnī Niẓāmī (Lahore: Idārah Islāmiyāt, 1994), 1: 156-162, 263. 5 Shiblī Nuʿmānī and Syed Sulaimān Nadwī, Sīrat al-Nabī (Lahore: Maktabah Khalīl, 1990), 1: 102-5. 6 Abū ʿUbayd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Saʿd al-Baṣrī, Ṭabaqāt Ibn Saʿd, trans. ʿAbdullāh al-ʿAmadī (Karachi: Dār al-Ishāʿat, 2003), 1: 166. 7 Qāḍī Muḥammad Sulaymān Salmān Manṣūrpūrī, Wa-mā arsalnāka illā raḥmatan li’l-ʿālamīn (Lahore: Progressive Books, 2022), 1: 33-37, 53.