Allah ﷻ mentions the angel in the Qur’an using the name Mīkāl, saying: “Whoever is an enemy to Allah, His angels, His messengers, Jibrīl and Mīkāl—then indeed Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.” (Surah al-Baqarah 2:98). In the Sunnah, the same angel is frequently referred to as Mīkā’īl, such as in the supplications of the Prophet ﷺ and other authentic narrations.

The scholars of tafsīr and Arabic linguistics explain that Mīkāl and Mīkā’īl refer to the same angel, and that the difference is due to variant linguistic forms and dialectical pronunciations. Both names trace back to non-Arabic (Hebrew/Semitic) origins, and Arabic usage sometimes preserves more than one accepted form of such names. This is similar to other names where more than one pronunciation is authentically transmitted.

With respect to naming children, the principle in Islam is that names should carry good meanings, not contain shirk, and not imply attributes unique to Allah. Naming a child after angels is permissible according to the majority of scholars, and both forms of the name are valid because both are authentically established in Islamic sources.

However, scholars often recommend using the Qur’anic form of a name when there is a clear preference, as it is the most authoritative source. This makes Mīkāl slightly preferable, though Mīkā’īl remains fully permissible and correct.