By: Firushan Thaufeeq
10th January 10, 2018
All praise is due to Allah alone; we praise Him, seek His aid and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Him from the evil of our inner-selves and the evil of our actions. Whomsoever Allah guides no one can misguide and whomsoever Allah misguides no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammed is His slave and messenger.
One of the worst fithna faced by the mankind is magic. Therefore, it’s important to consider the way this fithna was introduced to our world, by whom, where and why. But in its article, is focuses on the individuals who introduced it. Those two individuals are namely Harut and Marut as Allah mention in the Quran;
﴿وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ ۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ كَفَرُوا يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ ۚ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ ۖ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ ۚ وَمَا هُم بِضَارِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّـهِ ۚ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ ۚ ... ﴾
“And they followed [instead] what the devils had recited during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut. But the two angels do not teach anyone unless they say, "We are a trial, so do not disbelieve [by practicing magic]." And [yet] they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife. But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah. And the people learn what harms them and does not benefit them….” [2:102][1]
There are two opinions regarding Harut and Marut, some scholar’s say’s there are two angels that Allah send down, but others say any can’t be angels as angels are free of sin and magic is sin and there are two ordinary man (Ibn Kathir). Let’s look at the evidence this both parties provided to proof their view.
Ibn Kathir is on the view that Harut and Marut is two angels. He said in his Tafseer of Surah Baqarah;
“Many among the Salaf, said that; Harut and Marut were angels who came down from heaven to earth and did what they did as the Ayah (2:102) stated” (Ibn Kathir)”.
He supported his view by saying that angels are immune from error, but;
“We say that Allah had eternal knowledge what these angels would do, just as He had eternal knowledge that Iblis would do as he did, while Allah referred to him being among the angels (وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ), (And (remember) when We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves before Adam.'' And they prostrated except Iblis (Satan), he refused), (20:116), and so forth. However, what Harut and Marut did was less evil than what Iblis, may Allah curse him, did. Al-Qurtubi reported this opinion from Ali, Ibn Mas`ud, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar, Ka`b Al-Ahbar, As-Suddi and Al-Kalbi”.
Ibn Kathir, said in his Tafseer of Quran, that Ibn Jarir has the view that Harut and Marut were two men from Babylon and devils taught magic to them.
It is reported by Ibn Jarir, that Al-Awfi and Ar-Rabi bin Anas, said that Ibn Abbas said about the Ayah, (وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ) (And such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels),
"Allah did not send magic down.''
Than Ibn Jarir commented on this Ayah saying,
"This is the correct explanation for this Ayah, (وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ) (They followed what the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely) in the lifetime of Suleiman) meaning, magic. However, neither did Solomon disbelieve nor did Allah send magic with the two angels. The devils, on the other hand, disbelieved and taught magic to the people of the Babylon of Harut and Marut.'' (Ibn Kathir)
Ibn Jarir also put emphases on this statement by reject the Jewish claim that Harut and Marut meaning Gabriel and Michael and Allah sent magic by the words of Gabriel and Michael to Solomon (Ibn Kathir).
"Allah denied this false claim and stated to His Prophet Muhammad that Gabriel and Michael were not sent with magic. Allah also exonerated Solomon from practicing magic, which the devils taught to the people of Babylon by the hands of two men, Harut and Marut. Hence, Harut and Marut were two ordinary men (not angels or Gabriel or Michael).'' (Ibn Kathir)
The position of post of the Salf this that Harut and Marut were two angles send to Babylon to test the people. They teach them magic to fulfill the commanded by Allah. They didn’t disbeliever, rather they inform to the people that "We are a trial, so do not disbelieve [by practicing magic]."[2]
It is same as, when;
"Allah willed to test three Israelis who were a Leper, a blind man and a bald-headed man. So, he sent them an angel who came to the leper and said, 'What thing do you like most?' He replied, 'Good color and good skin, for the people have a strong aversion to me.' The angel touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given a good color and beautiful skin. The angel asked him, 'What kind of property do you like best?' He replied, 'Camels (or cows).' (The narrator is in doubt, for either the leper or the bald-headed man demanded camels and the other demanded cows). So he (i.e. the leper) was given a pregnant she-camel, and the angel said (to him), 'May Allah bless you in it.' The angel then went to the bald-headed man and said, 'What thing do you like most?' He said, 'I like good hair and wish to be cured of this disease, for the people feel repulsion for me.' The angel touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given good hair. The angel asked (him), 'What kind of property do you like best?' He replied, 'Cows,' The angel gave him a pregnant cow and said, 'May Allah bless you in it.' The angel went to the blind man and asked, 'What thing do you like best?' He said, '(I like) that Allah may restore my eye-sight to me so that I may see the people.' The angel touched his eyes and Allah gave him back his eye-sight. The angel asked him, 'What kind of property do you like best?' He replied, 'Sheep.' The angel gave him a pregnant sheep. Afterwards, all the three pregnant animals gave birth to young ones, and multiplied and brought forth so much that one of the (three) men had a herd of camels filling a valley, and one had a herd of cows filling a valley, and one had a flock of sheep filling a valley”[3].
After some time, the “angel, disguised in the shape and appearance of a leper” (Sahih al-Bukhari , 2018), and ask for help but only blind man helped him and Allah punished their two as there were unthankful of the countless gift given by Allah.
Therefore, we can concluled that Harut and Marut were angles. Allah knows best.
Ibn Kathir. (n.d.). Quran Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 2). Retrieved 12 10, 2017, from Qtafsir: http://www.qtafsir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=336&Itemid=36
Sahih al-Bukhari . (2018, 1 3). (51)Chapter: The tale of three Israelites, a leper, a bald man and a blind man. Retrieved from Sunnah.com: https://sunnah.com/bukhari/60/131
[1] Translated by: Saheeh International; http://tanzil.net/#2:102
[2] Translated by: Saheeh International; http://tanzil.net/#2:102
[3] Sahih al-Bukhari 3464, https://sunnah.com/bukhari/60/131