Identifying Angles with Incorporeal Beings in the Islamic Philosophy

In Muslim philosophers’ view, studying incorporeal beings and studying angels have always been correlatives; and incorporeal beings have always been identified with angels. On the one hand, considering numerous evidences for abstraction of angels, philosopher have held that angels were incorporeal beings; on the other hand, in view of their various ontological models, while explaining the status of incorporeal beings in this system, they have identified angels with these very incorporeal beings. In the present article, firstly we have defined incorporeal being, stated their various types and their features, and have presented a picture of knowing abstractions in Islamic philosophy. We, then, have mentioned texts denoting identity of angels with incorporeal beings by great Muslim philosophers to confirm the principle of this identity. The final judgment suggests that, altogether, in view of common features of angels and incorporeal beings, such an identity is confirmed; and conformity of intellect and religious law is proved again. However, in identifying individual angels with certain instances of incorporeal beings, one must take more care.