The Story of Harut and Marut | Part One | Sheikh Badr Al-Mashari

The greatest magic known to mankind is the magic of Harut and Marut and their teaching of black magic to people - Sheikh Badr Al-Mashari Among the most famous stories about magic is the story of the two angels Harut and Marut, which is mentioned in the Holy Quran, specifically in Surah Al-Baqarah: “And they followed what the devils had recited concerning the kingdom of Solomon. And Solomon did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut. But they did not teach anyone until they had said, ‘We are only a trial, so do not disbelieve.’ And they learned from them that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut.” They use it to separate a man from his wife, but they cannot harm anyone except by God's permission. They learn what harms them and does not benefit them. They already knew that whoever buys it will have no share in the Hereafter. And how wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if only they knew. They use it to separate a man from his wife, but they cannot harm anyone except by God's permission. The story goes that when the Jews abandoned their scriptures and turned to magic and sorcery during the time of King Solomon (peace be upon him), the demons who aided them in their magic would ascend to the heavens, reaching the clouds and mist to eavesdrop and relay the angels' conversations to their pagan priests. These priests claimed to know the unseen and foretell the future. The priests then fabricated these accounts, recording them in books which they read and taught to the people. The people, believing that the jinn and demons possessed knowledge of the unseen, began to say that even Solomon's knowledge was incomplete without their support. At that time, God sent the two angels Harut and Marut to the land of Babylon to teach the people magic. This was for several reasons, the most important being to break the priests' monopoly on this knowledge. It was also a test from God for the people, and to distinguish between magic and miracles, and to differentiate the words of the prophets (peace be upon them) from the words of the sorcerers. We find that Harut and Marut did not teach their knowledge to anyone without advising them, saying: “We are a test from God. Whoever learns our knowledge, believes in it, and acts upon it is an unbeliever who has lost his Hereafter. But whoever learns it but does not practice it, and dies steadfast in faith, God will reward him for his patience in resisting sin.” So people learned magic from Harut and Marut. Among the things they learned was the ability to separate spouses by God’s permission, using magic, and to employ magic to harm people. Thus, people learned what harmed them and others, and it would not benefit them in the Hereafter. However, they could not harm anyone except by God’s permission, for magic does not have power in itself, but rather by God’s command and will. The Jews knew that whoever replaces the words of God with what the devils recite will have no share in Paradise. Yet, the Jews chose to occupy themselves with magic, and how wretched a choice they made as a substitute for the true Book of God, preferring it to faith. If only they had believed, it would have been better for them. The Jews and Solomon Regarding the reason for the revelation of the verse that recounts the story of Harut and Marut, the Jews in Medina asked Muhammad (peace be upon him) about magic. It is said that when Solomon was mentioned in the Quran, the Jews claimed that Muhammad was asserting that the son of David was a prophet, which they did not believe. Rather, in their view, he was a sorcerer who commanded jinn and demons to serve him, like the priests. This verse was revealed to refute their claims and to exonerate Solomon, son of David (peace be upon them both), from the accusations and slander they leveled against him. Harut and Marut in Ancient Tradition The story of Harut and Marut is ancient, predating the Quran's explanation of their true nature. It revolves around two angels who descended to Earth after the angels questioned why God tolerated humanity's sinful acts. The angels performed well upon their descent until they encountered a woman of such beauty and charm that they could not resist her. She was an idol worshipper and invited them to her religion, which they refused. However, the woman persisted in her attempts to influence them, finally offering them a choice: accept her faith, kill a person, or drink wine. The angels considered wine the lesser of two evils and drank until they were drunk. A man witnessed their intoxication, and they killed him to prevent him from revealing their secret. In their state of intoxication, they also committed adultery with the woman. Upon awakening, they had committed all their sins and received their punishment in this world. It is said that the woman learned some words from them and ascended to ...