In Islamic belief, Maalik denotes an angel in Hell/Purgatory (Arabic: جهنم‎ / jahannam) who guards the Hellfire, assisted by 19 mysterious guardians known as az-zabānīya. In the Qur'an, Maalik is mentioned in Sura 43:77, telling the wicked who appeal to him that they must remain in Hell because "they abhorred the truth when the truth was brought to them." According to Islamic legendary tradition, Muhammad was taken to see Heaven and Hell, and there, he saw Maalik, and was shown a glimpse of the suffering of the people of Hell. The Qur'an itself does neither explain nor specifically describe the origin, purpose or character of Maalik.