Tawûsî Melek or Melek Taûs (Kurdish: تاوسی مەلەک, romanized: Tawûsî Melek, lit. 'Peacock Angel') is one of the central figures of Yazidism. In Yazidi creation stories, before the creation of this world, God created seven Divine Beings, of whom Tawûsî Melek was appointed as the leader. God assigned all of the world's affairs to these seven Divine Beings, also often referred to as the Seven Angels or heft sirr ("the Seven Mysteries").

According to the Mishefa Reş (Black Book), Tawûsî Melek is identified with ‘Azazîl, the angel created by God and appointed as leader of all other angels. The Kitêbê Cilwê (Book of Revelation) further exalts Tawûsî Melek as the central symbol of the Yazidi faith. Scholars note that this figure shares similarities with the Islamic ‘Azazîl or Iblis, a jinn who once led the angels before refusing to bow to Adam. This overlap of names and motifs led Muslims and Christians in the Middle East to interpret Tawûsî Melek as the embodiment of Satan, calling Yazidis “devil-worshippers” (ʿAbadat al-Shayṭān). Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Western travelers reinforced this misunderstanding, shaping much of the outside perception of Yazidism in later scholarship. In Yazidi beliefs, Tawûsî Melek, the Lord of this World, is responsible for all that happens on this world, both good and bad. According to religious tradition, Nature, with its myriad phenomena of light and darkness, emanates from a single source, that is Tawûsî Melek. Qewl passages emphasize Tawûsî Melek's power on the earth, in the sky, sea, on the mountains, and their residents, that is, his power exists in all parts of nature, whether celestial or terrestrial.

Scholars have noted that the image of the peacock in Yazidi tradition may be linked to earlier Mesopotamian and Iranian religious symbols. In Mesopotamian iconography, the peacock is associated with the Semitic deity Tammuz (Dumuzid), the son of Enki and consort of the goddess Inanna/Ishtar. Because of this association and the phonetic similarity between Tammuz and Tawûs, it has been argued that Tawûsî Melek may represent a continuation of the ancient fertility god Dumuzid.

Some scholars also identify Iranian elements within Yazidism, suggesting that Tawûsî Melek may reflect aspects of Zoroastrian dualism, in which the destructive spirit Angra Mainyu (Ahriman) opposes the beneficent Ahura Mazda (Ohrmazd). However, Yazidi theology does not recognize an independent evil principle: Tawûsî Melek is not viewed as evil or in opposition to God. According to late Zoroastrian tradition, Angra Mainyu was said to have created the peacock to demonstrate his power to produce beauty and goodness, a motif that may have influenced Yazidi symbolism through the Shamsani communities, who preserved ancient Iranian angel-veneration practices. The prominence of Tawûsî Melek may also have been reinforced by the teachings of the 12th-century Sufi mystic Sheikh ʿAdī, who continued earlier Sufi concepts concerning the possible redemption of Satan.

Tawûsî Melek’s ambiguous role has often been misunderstood by outsiders. In Yazidi belief he is not an embodiment of evil but the chief of the seven archangels and God’s representative on earth. Yazidis reject the identification of Tawûsî Melek with Satan and traditionally avoid uttering that name, viewing it as sinful. According to Yazidi scripture, Tawûsî Melek warned his followers not to misuse his name: “O people who observe my injunctions, reject such sayings and teachings as they are not from me… lest you be guilty of sin.” In Yazidi cosmology, Tawûsî Melek’s refusal to bow before Adam was not an act of pride but one of fidelity to God, who then appointed him as the leader of the angels.

Another Yazidi tradition describes Tawûsî Melek as a fallen but ultimately redeemed being: after disobeying God, he wept for seven thousand years, filling seven jars with tears and extinguishing the fires of Hell, after which God forgave him and restored him to grace. Consequently, Yazidis regard him as the source of divine goodness rather than evil. This theme of the “redeemed Satan” also appears in Sufi mysticism, where figures such as ʿAzazīl (Iblis) were interpreted as tragic instruments of divine will rather than rebels against it.

The Yazidis consider Tawûsî Melek an emanation of God who is a good, benevolent angel and leader of the archangels, who was entrusted to take care of the world after he passed a test and created the cosmos from the Cosmic egg. Yazidis believe that Tawûsî Melek is not a source of evil or wickedness. They consider him to be the leader of the archangels, not a fallen nor a disgraced angel, but an emanation of God himself. The Yazidis believe that the founder or reformer of their religion, Sheikh Adi Ibn Musafir, was an incarnation of Tawûsî Melek.

In Yazidi religious folk beliefs, Tawûsî Melek is described as eternal and an eternal light (Tawûsî Melek herhey ye û nûra baqî ye), and in Yazidi mythology, when Tawûsî Melek descended to earth, the seven colours of the rainbow transformed into a seven-coloured bird, the peacock, which flew around every part of earth to bless it, and its last resting place was in Lalish. Hence, in Yazidi mythology, the rainbow is linked with Tawûsî Melek and it is believed that he shows his blessing with the sign of rainbow.