Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Jibril (peace be upon him) was with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), speaking privately with him, when suddenly the horizon of the sky split open. Jibril (peace be upon him) began to draw close to the earth and to bow down, and then an angel appeared standing before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Muhammad, Allah commands you to choose between being a servant prophet and a king prophet. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Jibril (peace be upon him) signalled to me with his hand to be humble, and I knew that he was a sincere adviser to me, so I said: A servant prophet. Then that angel ascended to the sky, and I said: O Jibril, I had wanted to ask you about this, but what I saw of your state made me forget to ask. Who was this, O Jibril? He said: This is Israfil (peace be upon him). Since the day Allah created him, he has stood before Him with his two feet aligned, not raising his gaze. Between him and the Lord are seventy lights; if any one of those lights came near him, he would be burnt. Before him is a tablet; when Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, permits something in the sky or on the earth, that revelation rises and strikes his forehead, and he looks: if it is my (Jibril's) work, he commands me with it; if it is the work of Mika'il, he commands him with it; and if it is the work of the Angel of Death, he commands him with it. I said: O Jibril, and over what are you appointed? He said: Over the wind and the armies. I said: Over what is Mika'il appointed? He said: Over the plants and the rain. I said: Over what is the Angel of Death appointed? He said: Over taking the souls. And I thought he had descended only for the establishment of the Hour, and what you saw of me was only out of fear of the establishment of the Hour."
Hadith Referenceالمعجم الكبير للطبراني / باب العين / 12009