According to
Al-Qurtubi, Zabaniyah is a plural name a group of an angel. According to
ibn Barjan, the angels of punishment are those angels who said „Will you [God] place therein one who will cause corruption and shed blood?“ questioning the creation of
Adam.
Mujahid ibn Jabr defended the idea that the Zabaniyah are angels against contrary assertions. Based on a Hadith transmitted by
Umar, the second
Rashidun caliph,
Al-Muzani and
Ibn Kathir has stated that the belief to the existence of the angels who guarding hell as a part of the second article of
Six Articles of Faith in Islam. Scottish orientalist
H. A. R. Gibb has recorded a tradition that while the angels of mercy are said to be created from light (
nur), the angels of punishment are usually said to be created from fire (
nar). However, this distinction are not universally accepted among Muslim scholars. Both
Ibn Rajab, and
Al-Qurtubi narrates in his exegesis on Surah 66:6 that the angels of hell were created from anger, and that tormenting creatures is to them like food for the children of Adam. Some consider the Zabaniyah to be the hell's angels' subordinates.
Names A tradition from
At-Tadhkirah, a book authored by Al-Qurtubi, recorded that one of Zabaniyah was named ''Daqä'il'' () accompanied the
Angel of Death whenever he take the soul of a sinner. A Zabaniyah angel called
Susāʾīl shows Muhammad the punishments of sinners in
hell.
Etymology There are several interpretation according from exegesis and linguistical experts regarding the linguistic etymology of Zabaniyah: • Al-Qurtubi has recorded the interpretation from classical era Quran exegete
Qatada ibn Di'ama. According to Qatada, the term of Zabaniyah were taken from al-Zabn, which was synonymous with Arabic verb of "payment" or "retribution". This assertion also narrated by traditional Arabic linguist, Ibn Qatiya, and
Epigraphy expert, Ahmed ibn Muhammad bin Ali Al-Fayoumi, in his explanation of "Z-b-n" or "act of push" in that Quranic verse mentioned Zabaniyah according to the root of Arabic language, where it is root are similar to the Arabic expression. correspondingly, an 8th-century Arabic grammar expert from
Kufa, , also stated the word of
Zaban was used in Arabic to describe the claws part of
Scorpius constellation. •
Ibn Ashur using different analogy of the word, as he said in his work,
al-Tahrir wa'l-Tanwir, the word of
Zaban was derived from the kicking movement of a camel's leg. •
Ibn Taymiyya quoted classical interpretations from Qatada, Ahmed ibn Muhammad, and others scholars about the interpretation of zabaniyah in his work, ''ar-Ra'd 'Ala al-Manthiq''. Those arguments were used Ibn Taymiyya to argue against the scholars of
Kalam regarding Quranic tafseer about the nature of angels. • Ahmad Y. Hassan, one of founders of
PERSIS, has interpreted in his exegesis work
Tafsir al-Furqan that the Zabaniyah etymologically as "mighty soldiers of Allah". Ahmad Hassan derived this interpretation from view of Al-Qurtubi's personal interpretation which translate Zabaniyah as a police. However, Islamic scholars all agreed that the number of nineteen here only meant for the archangels, or leaders of the angels of hell. al-Qurtubi has reported another classical exegesis addendum that their number is nineteen thousands. Meanwhile, modern Saudi Grand mufti
Abd al-Aziz Ibn Baz has mentioned number of 4,900,000,000 angels which keeping hell, where each 70,000 of them holding a bridle from 70,000 bridles which restraining Jahannam. • The eyes of Zabaniyah were like
lightning and their mouths were like
Spurs of chicken, while their hairs is so long to the point its dragged under their feet. •
Size. The Zabaniyah, are the largest type of angel.
Al-Tabari also describing that the distance between Zabaniyah shoulders are 500 years. While al-Baghawi records their shoulders are as wide as 1 year of journey. • has narrated: Almost similar narration which also authored by Abdullah ibn al-Harith was quoted by medieval Hadith expert, , which transmitted through an anonymous
Atharist, although with slightly different textual: "The Zabaniyah angels have ". • One of Zabaniyah has its
chest as wide as one of the gate of
Jahannam. •
Tools. According to
Ibn al-Jawzi, Zabaniyah angels carrying tools such as iron beater or
Mirzabba(مِرْزَبَّة) with two prongs, and whip made of fire. The Zabaniyah angels used these tools to punish the sinners vigorously. Other than that, they also carrying hot chains for torturing inmates. Ibn Kathir has explained that Allah has granted Zabaniyah the abilities to manage a torture for sinners which no one can emulate; and gripping strength that so severe, which no creatures could match. •
Abu Ishaq al-Tha'labi gave his commentary about the
Asbab al-Nuzul (revelation) of Quran chapter Al-Muddaththir of 30th verse, that even if entire mankind joined forces, they would not be able to defeat a single Zabaniyah angel. • The Zabaniyah's strength allow them to shove seventy thousand people towards hell in one sweep.{{#tag:ref|identical commentary from
Muhammadiyah university highlighting here the words from At-Tahrim verse 6 which describe the Zabaniyah, where
Ghilaadhun (severe) were meant to be one of their characteristics of those angels does not have compassion and cruel towards those they tortured. Meanwhile, another characteristic in these verse,
Shiddad (mighty or solid) meant as those angels possessed strengths that so great to the point they cannot be defeated by anyone. that Zabaniyah has similar metaphysical capability with the
Angel of death, who could take souls of many creatures at once singlehandedly, whereas the Zabaniyah angels could torture sinners at the same time no matter how many sinners existed. • During the Judgment day, the Zabaniyah angels will lift and dragging out Jahannam from its place to the surface of plain, where all sinners await their judgments. •
Fingers. According to
Tawus ibn Kaysan interpretation, the Zabaniyah angels possessed fingers which number equal to the number of the sinners that will be thrown into hell after the judgment day. •
Ibn Qutaybah also further added that the fingers of the leader of Zabaniyah, Maalik, is so hot to the point that if one his finger touched the sky; that finger will cause the sky to melt.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explores this event in greater detail, stating that Abu Jahl was asked about his retreat whereupon he answered that he suddenly saw winged terrifying monster in a trench filled with flames, between him and Muhammad. This accident were believed by Muslims to be the
Asbab al-Nuzul (revelation) of Qur'an chapter
al-Alaq .
Tasks Modern orientalist and Islamic expert Frederick S. Colby also recorded the description from traditional exegesis that God have made hardness into each of Zabaniyah angel's heart, for they may have no mercy towards the inmates.
Torturing sinners in afterlife Muhammad al-Bukhari, in his commentary of his collection of Hadiths regarding afterlife (
Barzakh), added that the Zabaniyah will also inflict punishments towards peoples who commit
Riba or
usury by pelting their mouth with rocks while forcing them to swim in river of blood. This hadith described the situation of peoples who commit usury in
Barzakh, or a realm of afterlife, before the judgment day.
Adam ibn Abd al-aziz describes the
zabaniya as angels of death who, according to the
Quran (4:97, 32:11), conduct the souls of sinners and question them in the grave. Similar to the angelic pairs
Nāzi'āt and Nāshiṭāt and
Munkar and Nakir, they are assisting
Azrael and seize the souls of the injust.
Ghazali states, they appear as black shadows to the dying person, pull their souls out of their bodies, and drag them to hell. Furthermore, ibn Kathir, adding commentaries from narration of hadith transmitted from
Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud, that whoever wants to be saved from the torture after
judgment day should recite the
basmala frequently during their life, as it consists of 19 letters in accordance of the number of Zabaniyah. Classical scholars such as
Muqatil ibn Sulayman and
al-Mawardi interpreting surah
An-Naba 78:21 mentioned those angels who guard hell dwell in hell and actively monitoring the infidels until their descent into Hell, while Muhammad Sulaiman al-Ashqar from
Islamic University of Madinah also highlights these roles in the same verse. In specific, classical exegesises from Mujahid ibn Jabr, ,
Al-Dahhak ibn Muzahim,
Ismail ibn Abd al-Rahman as-Suddi, and
Sufyan al-Thawri; all of them have agreed that one of Zabaniyah duty after the judgment day is to push those who mocked Islam into hell. Ibn Abi Hatim also described Zabaniyah are leading the army of angels.
Torturing sinners in hell Both modern, and classical scholars has interpreted the verse of
Al-Muddaththir 69:30 about how the group of Zabaniyah throwing the sinners into Jahannam.
Hasan al-Basri has described that the task of Zabaniyah is driving sinners to enter hell. Ibn Kathir further described that each Zabaniyah restrained the sinners who were fated to be thrown to hell are shackling each sinner's arms to their neck before dragging them down. Ibn Kathir narrated in his
Al-Bidaya wa l-Nihaya, that the Zabaniyah will drag the face of those they torture. In the more expanded details from
Tafsir Ibn Kathir, it was explained the Zabaniyah will shackle the inmates, cursing them, pouring boiled water on top of their head, while at the same time
force-feeding then with fruits of
Zaqqum tree. In the interpretation of Quran chapter
Al-Haqqa verse 32, both Ibn Kathir and
Abdul-Rahman al-Sa'di gave their explanation that the chains in the verse were meant to be the chains which used by Zabaniyah angels to shackle the inmates in hell. However, al-Sa'di further explained more vividly as the Zabaniyah also will shoving the hot chains to the inmates rectums until it emerged from their mouth; while modern scholars such as Muhammad ibn Shalih ash-Shawi, and has traced the exegesis about the torture by shoving of chains into the inmate's rectum was traced from exegesis by
Sufyan al-Thawri. As for Muslim sinners which has committed huge sins and never repented during their life, The Zabaniyah tasked to shackle them more leniently than non-Muslim, and torture them until all of their sins has paid off with the punishments inflicted, thus release them from hell and sent them all to heaven. In some
Turkish lore, it is believed that when both groups battle, their strikes cause thunder. Another task of Zabaniyah angels were found in the interpretation of medieval Sufi scholar,
Ibn Barrajan (d. 1141) commentary on Sura
At-Tur that
Moses and
Aaron are protected by
zabaniyah. == Cultural interpretation ==