The Kiraman Katibin originate in the Islamic scriptural and interpretive tradition: the Quran refers to divine record-keeping in passages linked by tafsir to the notion of attendant recorders (e.g., Surahs cited in secondary sources include 6:61; 13:11; 50:17–18; 82:10–12), and hadith and exegetical literature further define their office. They are presented as part of the broader realm of mala'ikah (angels), created by God to perform specific administrative and cosmic duties.
Primary sources supplied do not give fixed, detailed physical descriptions. Traditional and pedagogical accounts commonly portray the pair metaphorically as one angel at the right recording good deeds and one at the left recording bad deeds; children's literature often depicts them as positioned beside a person's shoulders. Some popular traditions provide the personal names Raqib and Atid, but scholastic sources emphasize the office of 'noble writers' over consistent anthropomorphic particulars.
Their defined, scripted function is to write down and record a person's actions. Tradition reports a division of labor—one records good deeds, the other records bad deeds—and indicates they accompany a person continually to document acts each day. Hadith-based summaries in the sources state they record outward actions rather than mere unacted thoughts: a hadith qudsi quoted in secondary material instructs not to record an intended evil until it is performed. Secondary sources also summarize narrations that good deeds may be multiplied in recording and that mercy operates in the recording process (e.g., delayed recording of a sin to allow repentance), though the precise texts and chains are not reproduced in the supplied materials.
Weaknesses
- conditionTemporary absence during certain bodily/ritual states (traditional report)
Wards
- otherNone attested in provided sources (they are not adversarial and are not objects of exorcism or warding)
Abraham
Abraham (originally Abram) is the foundational patriarchal ancestor in the Hebrew Bible whose life establishes a covenantal relationship between his family/people and God. He functions as an exemplar of faith, the progenitor of promised descendants, and a narrative anchor for claims of land, blessing, and communal identity in later religious traditions.
Abraham (Ibrāhīm) in Islam
Ibrāhīm (Abraham) in Islam is a human prophet and messenger chosen by God, a paradigm of pure monotheism (hanīf), patriarchal ancestor to later peoples and prophets, and traditionally regarded as having helped establish the Kaʿbah with his son Ismāʿīl. He is called Khalīl Allāh ('Friend of God') and is central to rites commemorated in Hajj and Eid al‑Adha.
Adam (ʾĀdam)
In Islamic theology Adam (Arabic: آدم, ʾĀdam) is presented as the first human being and the first prophet (nabī), created by God from earth/clay, granted life by God's spirit, placed in a paradisal Garden, taught knowledge (the "Names"), tested by divine command, tempted by Iblīs, and ultimately sent to live and die on Earth while remaining eligible for repentance and forgiveness.
Allah
Allah is the Arabic-language term for the singular monotheistic God of the Abrahamic tradition as used in Islamic theology and by Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians. Linguistically related to other West Semitic divine names, the term in Islamic usage functions as God's unique proper name (Lafẓ al-Jalālah) and denotes the transcendent creator and sovereign of the universe.
Al‑Yasa (Elisha)
Al‑Yasa (Elisha) is a prophetic figure attested in Abrahamic scriptural traditions. In the Hebrew Bible he is described as an Israelite prophet and 'wonder‑worker'; later traditions in Christianity and Islam also recognize him among the line of prophets.
Archangel
An archangel is a ranked heavenly messenger in Abrahamic and related religious literatures, understood in many traditions as a high‑level angelic agent charged with carrying out divine missions. The term and ranked office are framed by Greek etymology (archángelos, 'chief messenger') and by medieval Christian angelology (notably Pseudo‑Dionysius), while named figures such as Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael appear across Jewish, Christian, and Islamic texts and liturgies.
Asiya bint Muzāḥim (Asiya)
Asiya is the Qur'anic figure presented as the wife of the Pharaoh in the era of Moses who secretly embraced monotheism, adopted and preserved the infant Moses, and is venerated in Islamic tradition as an exemplary righteous woman promised a house in Paradise for her faith and steadfastness.
Azrael
Azrael is the canonical angel of death in Islamic tradition and appears earlier in apocryphal Christian literature; portrayed as a high‑ranking, God‑ordained psychopomp who removes and transports souls, keeps a register of human fates, and acts only under divine command. In some extra‑Quranic and exegetical accounts he is depicted with vast, awe‑inspiring physical attributes and in a few apocryphal Christian texts he is associated with punitive afterlife functions.
Bearers of the Throne (ḥamlat al‑arsh)
The ḥamlat al‑arsh are a class of angels in Islamic textual tradition whose primary role is to carry or support God’s Throne (al‑ʿArsh). Descriptions vary across transmissions, emphasizing their cosmic scale, proximity to the divine Throne, and symbolic features drawn from a range of hadith and exegetical reports.
Bibi Seshanbe
Persian holy angel associated with saving and curing people, particularly the poor and desperate. (Note: - The power_tier should be Greater, as Bibi Seshanbe is described as a "holy angel" which typically suggests deity-level abilities. - The summary mentions she is associated with saving and curing peop)
Bonga/Bong
Mythological figure from Bengali mythology considered the progenitor of the Bengalis, with conflicting accounts in Hindu and Muslim literature. (Note: 1. Power tier: Primordial is likely an overestimation given the conflicting descriptions and lack of clear abilities. 2. Appearance: Should be stated as "No physical description provided" instead of ")
Cherub
In Abrahamic religious literatures a cherub (Hebrew kərūḇ, pl. kərūḇīm; English cherub/cherubim) is a class of exalted celestial being associated with the divine presence, guardianship of sacred space, and service near God. Descriptions range from the composite, winged hybrid creatures of prophetic visions and Near Eastern art to later Western artistic renderings as chubby winged putti; their rank and appearance vary across Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions.
Community Record
- [1]Kiraman Katibin - Wikipedia. Wikipedia entry 'Kiraman Katibin' (summarizes Quranic references, hadith commentary, popular pedagogy)wiki
- [2]The World Of The Angels (Archive). Archive: The World Of The Angels (discusses angels in Islam, including roles and nature of mala'ikah)other
- [3]My Special Angels: The Two Noble Scribes | Story Time with Khala Emira (Archive). Children's/pedagogical account describing the Kiraman Katibin as beside each person's shoulders and recording deedsliterary
- [4]Angels in Islam - Wikipedia. Wikipedia entry on Islamic angelology summarizing nature, creation from light, obedience, and specialized angelic offices (context for Kiraman Katibin)wiki
- [5]Noble Quran - Translation of Sura Al-Infitaar (Sura 82). Translation of Quranic verses (e.g., 82:10–12) which tafsir links to the doctrine of recorders; cited in secondary materials providedother
- [6]Imaginova Glossary: Kiraman Katibin Angel. Popular summary noting the 'noble writers' function and common pedagogical imageryother