Islamic teaching holds that human beings’ ability to perceive angels is unique and rare. Below is what Islamic sources have to say regarding this:
General Rule
The general principle in Islam is that the angels are invisible beings (from the realm of al-ghayb) which human persons cannot see with their physical eyes in general. Angels consist of light (nur) and are from a different realm than human persons.
Exceptions in Islamic Tradition
Islamic Tradition does talk about exceptions when human persons have seen the angels:
1. Prophets
Prophet Muhammad saw the angel Jibrīl (Gabriel) in his actual form with 600 wings extended across the horizon for the second time (found in a reliable hadith).
Jibrīl also visited the Prophet Muhammad as a human being on multiple occasions. Other prophets like Ibrahim (Abraham) and Lut (Lot) also received visits from angels as human beings
2. Unusual Situations
Maryam (Mary) saw an angel who appeared to her in the form of a man (refers to the Quran)
Companions of the Battle of Badr are said to have glimpsed angels as if they were among them, and fighting with them.
Some translators state that companions saw the effects of angels but not their forms.
After Death
- Islamic tradition instructs that human beings will behold angels
- At the time of death, when the Angel of Death comes to take the soul
- When interrogated in the grave by the angels, Munkar and Nakir
- On the Day of Judgment, when angels shall be present in large numbers
Scholarly Position
Most Islamic scholars are of the view that:
- It is primarily the right of prophets to see angels in their true form
- Angels can manifest themselves to common mortals in disguised forms (most frequently human form)
- Seeing angels should be suspected
- Muslims should not walk around seeking the power to perceive angels
Conclusion
Islam acknowledges that it’s possible for people to see angels in some exceptional cases but emphasizes that angels themselves are primarily unseen beings whose presence is believed on the basis of faith (iman bil-ghayb, belief in the unseen).
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