Zabaniyah

Islamic traditions

Names

Etymology

• 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". However, Qatada also stated that there are alternate etymology of Zabaniyah according to Arabian linguistic, which is also translated as "those who lead the first strike during a battle" or Shock troops.
• Al-Mubarrad suggested, zabāniya could derive from the idea of movement and the Zabaniyah are those who "push somebody ". 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. German modern historian Rudi Paret also noted the similar meaning of the term zabani indicates a characteristical action personified in a type of spirit. In that case, the zabani would refer to a spirit whose function is pushing someone back.
• * Ahmed described the pushing movement of scorpion's pincers or Chelae, were also called Zabani, which is the same root of the angels act of Zabani or pushing sinners to hell". 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.
• Ibn Hisham asserted in his chronicle, that Zabaniyah linguistically means "helpers", which singular noun are Zibniyah.
• 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.

  Number

Physical description

• Face. Several Hadith as recorded that Muhammad has met Malik, the leader of Zabaniyah, in one occasion and described that Maalik has sickeningly ugly face. Ibn Hisham also recorded another Hadith, that the true face of Zabaniyah angels are so repulsive beyond comprehension, to the point that any living human could die by the shock of only looking at their face. Aside from those Isra' and Mi'raj tradition, Muhammad also noting the gruesome appearance of Malik in his dream, in another tradition recorded by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, The face of Maalik is "very unpleasant".
• * 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. This also noted by modern researcher Christian Lange from the classical exegesis works, that zabaniyah have "repulsive faces, eyes like flashing lightening, teeth white like cows horns, lips hanging down to their feet, and rotten breath".
• Size. The Zabaniyah, are the largest type of angel. Al-Tabari also describing that the distance between Zabaniyah shoulders are 500 years.
• * Abdullah ibn Ahmad also narrated that the size of Zabaniyah were described that the distance between each of their shoulders were as long as the distance of 100 years of travels. While al-Baghawi records their shoulders are as wide as 1 year of journey. For the similar case, Ibn Rajab also brought a similar tradition.
• * Al-Baladhuri comments on this narration, that the angels which protected Muhammad from Abu Jahl's aggression near Ka'ba were twelve zabaniyah as tall sky.
• * has narrated: "The Zabaniyah angels have their head in the sky and their feet on the lowest earth". 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 with two prongs, and whip made of fire. The Zabaniyah angels used these tools to punish the sinners vigorously. According to Hasan al-Basri, the Zabaniyah will drive the sinners into hell with "iron hooks". Other than that, they also carrying hot chains for torturing inmates.
• Strength. Ibn Abi Hatim has recorded a Hadith narration from Abdullah ibn al-Harith that the Zabaniyah are the most powerful among angels.
• * The Zabaniyah angels also characterized being created by Allah to be able to perform any tasks commanded upon them to torture the inmates of hell. 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 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.
• * After the judgment day, One of Zabaniah were described as being able to drag entire sinners who are judged to enter hell while carrying a mountain on his shoulder, which he will use to crush the sinners with the said mountain, after all of them entered hell.
• * Al-Qurtubi has quoted Tafsir al-Tha'labi, 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.
• * After the Judgment day, the inmates of hell will be in blind and deaf condition. However, the Zabaniyah angels possessed ability where those deaf inmates can somehow heard the voices of Zabaniyah who tortured them.
• 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.
• * Diya al-Din al-Maqdisi narrated a Hadith transmitted by Anas ibn Malik in his book, Shifah an-Nar; that Zabaniyah were created 1,000 year before hell created, while simultaneously their physical strength growing everyday, to the point that the strength of each of Zabaniyah fingers could squeeze a human from each of their crowns to their ankles.
• Wings. Scholars noted several traditions that Zabaniyah possessed wings, as according to the hadiths of Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, the Zabaniyah were appeared before Abu Jahl, as Muhammad prayed in the Kaaba, one of the Zabaniyah scared Abu Jahl when he tried to trample on Muhammad's neck with his foot. 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 of Qur'an chapter al-Alaq.