بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

When Al-Quran uses the word ‘sahar’ (magic) it does not mean black magic or Voodoo. Black magic and voodoo may exist however, Quran does not use the word ‘sahar’ in this context. Magic (sahar) in Quran is stated to be something which is false (batil). The magicians are those who present falsehood which they have fabricated, in such a way that it appears alive and thriving. A person who comes under the influence of magic is not able to reason and use his intellect.

People who are much accustomed to magic/falsehood, when Al-Haq (the Truth) comes to them via a messenger of Allah, they think it to be actually magic, because the messenger shows the ayahs of Allah, alive and thriving, which the magicians had convinced them to be archaic and tales of the past (83:13). The Haq/Truth presented by the messenger engulfs and swallows the falsehood with which the magicians mesmerize the people. However, people still bent on falsehood and with vested interests, believe in the magic/falsehood of their magicians and they accuse instead, the messenger of Allah for putting forth falsehood and magic:  

38:4  وَعَجِبُوا أَن جَاءَهُم مُّنذِرٌ مِّنْهُمْ ۖ وَقَالَ الْكَافِرُونَ هَٰذَا سَاحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ

So they wonder that a Warner has come to them from among themselves! and the rejecters say, “This is a sorcerer telling lies!

51:52  كَذَٰلِكَ مَا أَتَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا قَالُوا سَاحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ

Similarly, no Messenger came to the people before them, but they said (of him) in (like manner), “A sorcerer, or one possessed/psychopath”!

The falsehood is so perfected by their fabricators that it actually looks true to the onlookers. Only Allah’s help and spirit of His Book can help overpower and engulf this falsehood.

20:66  قَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُوا ۖ فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَىٰ

He (Moosa) said, “Nay, throw ye first!” Then behold their ropes and their rods-so it seemed to him on account of their magic – to be in lively motion!

It also depends how we visualize the narrative in Quran. If we visualize it like a competition of sorcery then we may conclude like Pharaoh, who said that Moosa (a.s) was a bigger sorcerer (20:71). However, if we visualize it as a battle between truth and fabrications, then we will see it like the magicians who attained solid faith after witnessing the Truth from Allah engulfing their fabrications (7:126, 20:72).

10:82  وَيُحِقُّ اللَّهُ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُجْرِمُونَ

“And Allah by His Kalamat/Words establish His truth, however much the criminals may hate it!”

20:69  وَأَلْقِ مَا فِي يَمِينِكَ تَلْقَفْ مَا صَنَعُوا ۖ إِنَّمَا صَنَعُوا كَيْدُ سَاحِرٍ ۖ وَلَا يُفْلِحُ السَّاحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَىٰ

(Allah said) “And put forth from your Right. It will swallow what they have faked; what they have faked is but a magician’s trick, and the magician thrives not, (no matter) where he goes.”

Allah has sent prophets to people and sent with the prophets, Al-Kitab/the Book, to judge between them with Haq/Truth. However, after this Truth came to the people through the Book and prophets, they started differing among each other.

2:213   كَانَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ وَأَنزَلَ مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِيمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ ۚ وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوهُ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ فَهَدَى اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

‘Mankind was one single nation, and Allah sent prophets with glad tidings and warnings; and with them He sent the Book in truth, to judge between mankind in matters wherein they differed; but the people given the Book, after the clear Signs came to them, did not differ among themselves, except through selfish contumacy. Allah by His grace guided the believers to the Truth, concerning that wherein they differed, for Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path.’

The corrupt clergy in order to gain control of masses and spread their own fabrications, hid the original Book behind their backs: 

2:101  وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ نَبَذَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

And when there came to them a messenger from Allah, confirming what was with them, a party of the people who were given the Book threw away the Book of Allah behind their backs, as if they did not know it!

The corrupt clergy after hiding Allah’s Book behind their back put forth an alternative, i.e a book which they wrote with their own hands and attributed it to be by divine inspiration.

2:79  فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ الْكِتَابَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَٰذَا مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُوا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا ۖ فَوَيْلٌ لَّهُم مِّمَّا كَتَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَوَيْلٌ لَّهُم مِّمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ

Then woe to those who write the book with their own hands and they say, this is from Allah, to earn with it a small price! woe to them for what their hands write, and woe to the gain they make thereby.

Kingdom of Sulieman (a.s) is an era of advanced technological developments in mining, electricity, industries, air travel, entertainment industry and innovations. A reading of previous post about ‘who are Jinns as per Quran’ will be useful. Satan Jinns are those from advanced nations who are rejecters, racists and hide their true personalities. Many people after putting the Book of Allah behind their backs, followed what these satans were reciting towards the Kingdom of Sueliman (a.s).

2:102  وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ ۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَٰكِنَّ 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 اللَّهِ ۚ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ ۚ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُوا لَمَنِ اشْتَرَاهُ مَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ ۚ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ

And they followed what satans recited towards the kingdom of Suleiman/Solomon. And Suleiman did not reject but the satans rejected and taught the people the magic; and was not sent down on two angels with Babel, Harut and Marut.

And neither of the two, taught  anyone without saying. “We are but temptation; so do not reject”. Thus they learned from both of them what causes differences between man and wife. But they could not thus harm anyone except by the will of Allah. And they learned what harmed them, and not profited them. And they knew that whosoever bought it, would have no share in the Hereafter. And vile was the price for which they did sell their nafs/psyche, if they but knew!

The people followed what the satans of advanced nations kept on reciting towards the Kingdom of Sulieman. The satans managed to mesmerize the people with their teaching deviant to the teachings of God.

‘Babel’ is a proper name. In most exegeses, it is said to be the name of  an ancient city ‘Babylon’. However, when we read the previous verse 2:101, it says that the people had put the Book of Allah behind their backs as if they did not know it. This Ayat 2:102 is a continuation, stating that after putting the Book of Allah behind their back, they followed something alternative to Allah’s Book. ‘Babel’, mentioned in Quran should not be the name of a city but it should be the name of this alternative book which these mischievous ones brought forth. The ancient city with the name of ‘Babylon’ cannot be ‘Babel’ of Quran, because as per Quran, Suleiman (a.s) has been granted a Kingdom, the grandeur of which cannot be surpassed in present or future. Ruins of ancient city Babylone, don’t given indications of high-rise buildings which we see in present day mega cities, therefore this ancient city can not be the Kingdom of Suleiman. A city representing King Suleiman Kingdom, will have such grandeur which will be unsurpassable in all times to come (38:35).

38:35  قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَهَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لَّا يَنبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ مِّن بَعْدِي ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ

He (Suleiman) said, “O my Lord! Forgive me, and grant me a kingdom (likes of ) which is not attained by any one after me; for You are the grantor of bounties.

Therefore ‘Babel’  is the name which Quran refers to that alternative book, which people of the world most commonly know as ‘Bible’.  Then Quran states that Suleiman did not reject but actually the satans are the rejecters. We observe that in Bible, satans recite lies towards Suleiman (a.s), that he was a sinful prophet who practiced idolatry. This lie in bible is rejected in this Ayat by Quran that Sulieman was not a rejecter.

Considering this part of the ayat (وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ). There are two schools of thoughts one stating that the ( مَا) is ‘ما الموصولة‘ (relative pronoun) which means ‘what/which’ and the other school saying that this is the ( مَا)/’Ma’ of negation. As satans don’t follow angelic revelation, we will consider the ( مَا) as the negation and thus the above statement is translated as below :

And was not sent down on two angels with Babel, Harut and Marut 

This is a statement that Babel (Bible) is not an angelic revelation. It was not revealed on two Angels. (by the way there are only two angels mentioned by name in Bible). Also, Harut and Marut should be separate entities from the angels mentioned in the ayat and they are associated with Babel i.e two portions associated with ‘Bible’ (Hebrew Bible and new Testament by Mathew, Mark, Luke and John). The roots words of Harut and Marut indicate the meanings Harut as the ‘one who tears/splits’ and Marut as the one ‘who makes barren’. These negative names indicate that Harut and Marut are not angles, but those associated with teaching of alternative to the Book of Allah (Babel). Please consider that it is stated in Quran that Malaika/angels only comes with Haq/truth (15:8). So Harut and Marut should not be Malaika if they came with false hood and satans were following them.  

15:8 مَا نُنَزِّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَمَا كَانُوا إِذًا مُّنظَرِينَ

We do not send the angels down except with Haq/truth, and at that time the (rejecters) will not be given any respite.

So we deduce from above that Harut and Marut mentioned in above ayat are separate entities from the angels mentioned. Harut and Marut are associated with teaching Bible. They apparently say that we all are temptations (of the world) so people should not reject. However, the preachers of bible also teach some thing which causes separation between man and wife. This thing which causes separation between man and wife is the concept of celibacy for priesthood which discourages marriages for the priests and at one time those priest who were already married were forced to forego their marriages.

The people casting the spells and teachings magical falsehood (Batil)  under the garb of religion, mostly are cheaters. Their motivation most of the times is not reward of the hereafter, but worldly gains and other vested interests. This is a very low price they sell their souls for against the reward of hereafter.  

3:187    وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَكْتُمُونَهُ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَاشْتَرَوْا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا ۖ فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ

And Allah took the covenant of those who were given the Book: You will make it clear to the people and not conceal it, but they placed it behind their backs and purchased with it a cheap price. Miserable indeed is what they have purchased.

Notes:

The Bible portrays Solomon as the King who was a sinner of idolatry. These are the lies being spreads by the satans. In this ayat Quran confirms that Solomon was not a rejecter but those who are propagating these lies are in fact the rejecters.

Quote from Wiki:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon

“The Hebrew Bible credits him as the builder of the First Temple in Jerusalem,^[5] beginning in the fourth year of his reign, using the vast wealth he had accumulated. He dedicated the temple to Yahweh, the God of Israel.^[7] He is portrayed as great in wisdom, wealth and power beyond either of the previous kings of the country, but also as a king who sinned. His sins included idolatry, marrying foreign women and, ultimately, turning away from Yahweh, and they led to the kingdom’s being torn in two during the reign of his son Rehoboam.^[8]”

Roots of Harut and Marut:

Harata To spear, slit, widen, impair (reputation), have a wide mouth, have wide sides of the mouth, tear up. Hârût: A descriptive name one who tore up. Marata To break, make barren, Maratun: Barren and stripped land; Man without eyebrows. Mart: Hairless beast. Mârût:

Al-Injeel and Bible:

Important thing to note that Al-Injeel is an attribute of Al-Kitab, i.e the book revealed by God. Al-Injeel is not to be confused by the book known as Bible. Bible is not the altered version of Al-Injeel as Allah’s ‘Kalima’/Word  cannot be changed and Bible cannot be presented as remnant of knowledge of Allah’s Book (46:4). See previous post of ‘Who are Ahlal Kitab (https://topicsfromquran.com/2017/03/26/who-are-ahlal-kitab/)

Celibacy initiation:

Evolution of Rules on Celibacy