The story of Harut and Marut

God Almighty said: “And they followed what the devils recited to the king of Solomon, and Solomon did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved, teaching the people magic and what was revealed to the two angels in Babylon, Harut and Marut, and they did not teach anyone until they said, ‘We are only a test, so do not disbelieve.’ Then they learned from them what they used to separate a man and his wife, and they did not. Harmful with it from anyone except with the permission of God, and they learn what harms them and does not benefit them, and they have known that whoever buys it will have no share in the Hereafter. Evil is what they sold their souls for, if they had done them.” (102) Al-Baqarah.

Harut and Marut

Referring to what was confirmed by most scholars and sheikhs, that the Jews rejected the Book of God and followed the books of magic and sorcery that spread in the time of our Master Solomon, peace be upon him, when the devils would ascend to heaven and they would listen to the words of the angels who would speak about various matters that would happen, God willing, on earth, so they would inform the priests about that. They claim that they know the unseen, and the priests speak to the people and they find it as they said, so they added seventy words to each word, and they wrote that down in books that they read and taught the people what was in it. This was widespread in the time of our master Solomon, peace be upon him, so the Jews claimed that the jinn knew the unseen and that magic was the knowledge of Solomon, and he knew it. He reigned over what he possessed of mankind, jinn, birds, and spirits, and God Almighty responded to the acquittal of his Prophet Solomon by saying: (And Solomon did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved), and God sent down these two angels, “Harut and Marut,” to teach people magic as a test from Him, the Almighty, and to distinguish between magic and miracles, and to protect them from evil. .

Harut and Marut do not teach magic to anyone until they warn him and tell him that they are a test from God and that whoever learns magic and practices it is disbelief, and whoever avoids doing it is steadfast in faith, so Harut and Marut teach people the magic that separates spouses, and causes disagreement, conflict, and discord between them, so people learn what harms them and harms them. Other than them, and it will not benefit them in the afterlife, but they cannot harm anyone except with His permission, Glory be to Him, because magic does not affect itself, but rather by God’s command and will with His creation.

The Jews chose to be preoccupied with magic, and wretched is what they chose as an alternative to the true Book of God, and preferred it to faith, and if they had believed, it would have been better for them. As for the reason for the revelation of the verse, and what Harut and Marut mentioned, the Jews of Medina did not ask the Messenger Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, about a matter except that he answered them about it, and when they asked him about it, Magic, God Almighty revealed these verses to tell them the story.

God sent down these two angels to differentiate between the people between the truth that came to Solomon and God completed it with what Solomon possessed, and the falsehood that the priests brought of magic and sorcery, to differentiate between miracle and sorcery.