Al Baqarah

وَاتَّبَعُواْ مَا تَتْلُواْ الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَى مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَـكِنَّ الشَّيْاطِينَ كَفَرُواْ يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّى يَقُولاَ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلاَ تَكْفُرْ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ وَمَا هُم بِضَآرِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلاَ يَنفَعُهُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُواْ لَمَنِ اشْتَرَاهُ مَا لَهُ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلاَقٍ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْاْ بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ لَوْ كَانُواْ يَعْلَمُونَ

And they followed what the Shaitans chanted of sorcery in the reign of Solomon; and Solomon disbelieved not, but the Shaitans disbelieved by teaching people sorcery; and that which was sent down to the two angels, Harut and Marut, in Babylon. Even though they (the two) never taught anyone without saying: ‘We are only a trial for you, therefore do not disbelieve’. So they learned from these two (magic spells) by which they might cause separation between a man and his wife, though they cannot hurt anyone (thereby) but by Allah’s leave. They learn what harms them and profits them not; and they surely knew that the buyers of it would have no share of happiness in the Hereafter. And vile was the price for which they sold their own selves, had they but known (this)! (2:102)

وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُواْ واتَّقَوْا لَمَثُوبَةٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّه خَيْرٌ لَّوْ كَانُواْ يَعْلَمُونَ

Yet, had they believed (in Allah) and guarded themselves (against evil) a reward from Allah would have been better, had they but known (this)! (2:103)

Solomon (‘A) And the Sorcerers in Babylon

It is understood from the Islamic literature that, at the time of Solomon (‘a), some of his fellow countrymen used to practice the art of sorcery. Solomon (‘a) ordered that their records and related materials be gathered and kept locked in a safe place. (Their preservation was, perhaps, for the purpose that there may have been some pieces of paper among them helpful for breaking the spells of the sorcerers’ magic.) After the departure of Solomon (‘a), a group of people took them out and began spreading and teaching others sorcery.

Some, taking advantage of this opportunity, said that Solomon (‘a) was not a prophet at all, and the wonderful power that he had over the realms of nature was through witchcraft; so it was with the help of those magic tricks that he could dominate his country and do extraordinary things. By following this group, some of the Israelites were severely engaged in the art of sorcery; so intensively that they put the Torah aside. When the Prophet of Islam (S) announced his invitation and, through the verses of the Qur’an, proclaimed that Solomon (‘a) had been one of the apostles of Allah, some of the Jewish rabbis told their people: ‘Are you not surprised that Muhammad says Solomon was an apostle while he was a sorcerer?’

This statement by those Jews was counted a great accusation against this Divine prophet (S), because when they said he was a sorcerer it insinuated that he was a liar and not a true prophet. This action caused him to be considered a blasphemer. Then, the above verse responded to their false accusation. However, the first verse of this group of verses illustrates another dimension of the heinous actions of the Jews: that they accused the apostle of Allah, Solomon (‘a), of sorcery and witchcraft. It says:

And they followed what the Shaitans chanted of sorcery in the reign of Solomon... (2:102)

The pronoun ‘they’, existing in the Arabic word / wattaba’u /, ‘they followed’, may refer to the Jews contemporary with the Prophet of Islam (S) or those contemporary with Solomon (‘a) or all of them. The objective meaning of the term / shayatin / may be the evil people, or devils of the Jinn, or both of them. Then, after stating the above idea, the Qur’an adds:

...and Solomon disbelieved not... (2:102)

Solomon (‘a) never did practice sorcery, and he did not take any advantage from it in attaining his goals:

…but the Shaitans disbelieved by teaching people sorcery; and that which was sent down to the two angels, Harut and Marut, in Babylon.... (2:102)

Yes, they stretched their hands toward sorcery from two sides: one, from the side of sorcery which was taught by the Shaitans during the time of Solomon (‘a); and the other side was the instructions that Harut and Marut taught people for the purpose of breaking the spells of sorcery.

…Even though they (the two) never taught anyone without saying: ‘We are only a trial for you, therefore do not disbelieve’…. (2:102)

In short, when these two angels appeared in the society, sorcery was in fashion among those people and a popular item in their marketplace. At that time, most of the people were captured in the grips of sorcerers. The two angels taught people the ways in which they could counter the effects of such wicked practices (the witchcraft) of the sorcerers as an art of self-defence. But learning this art demanded, firstly, that they learn about the magic itself.

So, in order to be able to negate sorcery, they initially had to learn sorcery itself, and the ways in which it might work effectively, as good skilful magicians. But Jewish mischief mongers took this matter as a means for spreading sorcery more and more. They expanded it so vastly that they accused the Divine prophet, Solomon (‘a), of sorcery and said that if nature, or even Jinns and humans, obeyed him (‘a), it was merely the effect of sorcery.

Yes, this is the common habit of the vicious: to accuse the great men as being their followers to justify their own school of thought. At any rate, they could not pass this Divine trial successfully and, consequently, failed in keeping the right path, the true Faith.

...So they learned from these two (magic spells) by which they might cause separation between a man and his wife... (2:102)

But the Power of Allah is above all these abilities.

…though they cannot hurt anyone (thereby) but by Allah’s leave. They learn what harms them and profits them not; … (2:102)

Yes, they altered this divine constructive training. Instead of utilizing it on the path of improving their society and using it as a means of defense against the witchcraft of the sorcerers, they applied it to doing evil.

…and they surely knew that the buyers of it would have no share of happiness in the Hereafter. And vile was the price for which they sold their own selves, had they but known (this)! (2:102)

They were heedless of their own happiness and of that of the society they belonged to, and were drowned in the whirlpool of blasphemy.

Yet, had they believed (in Allah) and guarded themselves (against evil) a reward from Allah would have been better, had they but known (this)! (2:103)