Who is Jibril?
Among Muslims, Jibril is almost universally described as the chief of the Malaika (مَلَائِكَة), the “angel” who brought revelation to every prophet, including Muhammad.
Children are taught that he had six hundred wings, that he taught the Prophet to pray, that he fought demons, and that he appeared in human form to chat with the companions.
Yet, when we turn to the Quran itself, a fascinating observation emerges:
Nowhere does the Quran call Jibril an “angel” (malak).
Before exploring the verses from the Quran, let’s first look at how the hadith literature shaped today’s popular image.
Jibril in Hadiths - A character from myth and imagination
Over time, hadith and tafsir literature expanded Jibril’s role with vivid and often very human details about his appearance, behavior, and emotions, details entirely absent from the Quran.
Here are a few examples that have shaped popular belief:
Al-Shaibani narrated on the authority of Zirr who narrated it on this authority of Abdullah that the (words of Allah):
" The heart belied not what he saw" imply that he saw Gabriel (peace be upon him) and he had six hundred wings.
Sahih Muslim 174 b
Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah pleased with them) said:
Once we were sitting in the company of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when there appeared a man dressed in very white clothes and having extraordinary black hair. No signs of fatigue of journey appeared on him and he was known to none of us. He sat down facing the Prophet (ﷺ) leaning his knees against the knees of the Prophet (ﷺ) and placing both of his palms over his two thighs and said, "O Muhammad (ﷺ)! Tell me about Islam". He (ﷺ) replied, "Islam is to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that Muhammad (ﷺ) is the Messenger of Allah; that you observe Salat (prayers), pay Zakat, observe Saum (fasting) of Ramadan and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) of the House, provided you have resources of making journey to it." He replied: "You have spoken the truth." We were surprised to see that he had asked him and confirmed the correctness of the answers. He then enquired: "Tell me about Iman." He (ﷺ) said: "It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day and that you believe in preordainment (destiny), its bad and good consequences." He said, "You have spoken the truth." He then enquired: "Tell me about Ihsan." He (ﷺ) said, "It is to worship Allah as if you are seeing Him; and although you do not see Him, He sees you." He enquired: "Inform me about the Hour (i.e., the Day of Resurrection)." He (ﷺ) replied, "I have no more knowledge thereof than you". He said, "Inform me about some of its signs." He (ﷺ) said, "They are - that a bondswoman gives birth to her own master, and that you will find the barefooted, naked, poor shepherds competing one another in the construction of higher buildings." Then he departed. The Messenger of Allah kept silent for a while then he said to me, "O 'Umar! Do you know who the questioner was?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He was Jibril (Gabriel); he came to you to teach you your religion."
Riyad as-Salihin 60
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When Allah drowned Fir'awn he said: 'I believe that there is no god except the One that the children of Isra'il believe in.' So Jibrail said: 'O Muhammad! If you could only have seen me, while I was taking (the mud) from the sea, and filling his mouth out of fear that the mercy would reach him.'"
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3107
This last narration is particularly revealing: Jibril is depicted physically preventing Fir'auns repentance by filling his mouth with mud, a dramatic image nowhere found in the Quran.
In the Qur’an’s own account (10:90–92), God alone addresses Fir'aun in judgment, with no mention of any intermediary or “mud-stuffing.”
Furthermore these hadith portray Jibril almost like a companion, chatty, instructive, in combat... - which sharply contrasts with the Quran’s reverent tone and mystery around this being.
What does the Quran actually say about Jibril?
Jibril is mentioned by name only three times in the Quran; in 2:97, 2:98, and 66:4. These verses, when read carefully, give us his role and also, intriguingly, what he is not.
Say: “Whoever is an enemy to Jibril, then know that he has sent it down into your heart with the permission of God, affirming what is with him, and a guide and good news for the believers.
Quran 2:97
Whoever is an enemy to God and His Malaika, and His messengers,and Jibril, and Mikal, then so God is the enemy to the disbelievers.”
Quran 2:98
If the two of you repent to God, then your hearts have listened. But if you band together against him, then God is his ally, and so are Jibril and the righteous believers. Also, the Malaika are his helpers.
Quran 66:4
Notice something subtle but significant:
Jibril and Mikal are never directly called “Malaika/Angels” in the Quran. In fact, in verses 2:98 and 66:4, they are clearly listed separately from the Malaika.
If the Quran intended to classify Jibril as a Malak, why make this distinction twice?
Jibril and the Holy Spirit - Are they the same?
In 2:97, Gabriel is said to have brought down (nazzala) the Quran by God’s permission.
Say: “Whoever is an enemy to Jibril, then know that he has sent it down(nazzala/نَزَّلَهُۥ ) into your heart with the permission of God, affirming what is with him, and a guide and good news for the believers.
Quran 2:97
But elsewhere, the Quran says:
Say, “The holy spirit [Ruh al quds] has brought it down (nazzala/ نَزَّلَهُۥ) from your Lord with the truth to reassure the believers, and as a guide and good news for those who submit.
Quran 16:102
The same verb, nazzala (“brought down”), is used for both Jibril and the Holy Spirit, strongly suggesting they refer to the same agent of revelation. Thus, in Quranic language, Jibril = the Holy Spirit (Ruh al-Qudus), not necessarily an “angel” in the classical sense.
The Spirit (Ruh) / Separate from Malaika
The Quran consistently distinguishes “the Spirit/ Ruh” from “the Malaika”:
on the Day the spirit [Ruh] and the [Malaika] will stand in ranks. None will talk, except those granted permission by the Most Compassionate and whose words are true.
Quran 78:38
˹through which˺ the [Malaika] and the spirit [Ruh] will ascend to Him on a Day fifty thousand years in length.
Quran 70:4
That night the [Malaika] and the spirit [Ruh] descend, by the permission of their Lord, for every matter.
Quran 97:4
He sends down the [Malaika] with [Spirit] by His command to whoever He wills of His servants, “Warn that there is no god except Me, so be mindful of Me.
Quran 16:2
Each time, the Spirit is mentioned as a separate category, not as part of the Malaika. This distinction cannot be accidental. The Quran uses precise language and where the Spirit is meant, it says Ruh, not Malak.
The Mystery of the Spirit and the Limits of Human Knowledge
While human imagination has filled volumes about Jibril’s nature, wings, and missions, the Quran itself cautions us against such speculation:
“They ask you concerning the Spirit (al-Ruh). Say: The Spirit is from the command (amr) of my Lord, and you have been given but little knowledge thereof.”
Quran 17:85
This verse is a gentle but firm boundary. Whatever the Ruh is, whether Jibril, or a divine mechanism of communication, or something beyond human conception, we are not meant to fully know.
The Quran teaches us to observe what is said, and to refrain from asserting what is not.
Jibril’s essence remains part of the unknown, a mystery of God’s command. Our duty is not to explain him but to heed the message he delivered.