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			{{Short description\|Two angels mentioned in the Qur'an}}
	{{Islam}}
	]		] in an image from 1717 CE (1121 AH)]]
	'''Harut and Marut''' (Arabic: هاروت وماروت) are the two ] mentioned in the second ] of the ] who were present during the reign of the prophet ] and according to some narratives those two angels were in the time of Hazarat Idrees and were located at a location called ]. The Qur'an indicates that they were a trial for the people and through them the people were tested with sorcery. (Sura Al-Baqara, verse 102).

			'''Harut and Marut''' ({{langx\|ar\|هَارُوْت وَمَارُوْت\|Hārūt wa-Mārūt}}) are a pair of ] mentioned in ] ]:102, who teach ] (''siḥr'') in ].<ref>{{cite quran\|2\|102\|t=y\|s=ns}}</ref><ref name=JE>{{cite encyclopedia \|last1=Jastrow \|first1=Morris \|author1-link=Morris Jastrow \|last2=Price \|first2=Ira Maurice \|last3=Jastrow \|first3=Marcus \|author3-link=Marcus Jastrow \|last4=Ginzberg \|first4=Louis \|author4-link=Louis Ginzberg \|last5=MacDonald \|first5=Duncan B. \|author5-link=Duncan Black MacDonald \|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2279-babel-tower-of \|title=Tower of Babel \|encyclopedia=] \|publisher=] \|year=1906}}</ref> According to ] (''tafsīr''), when Harut and Marut complained about mankinds' wickedness, they were sent to earth in order to compete against humankind in regards to obedience. After they committed various crimes, they found themselves unable to return to ]. ] offered them a choice between punishment on earth or in ]. They decided for punishment on earth, leading to their situation mentioned in the Quran.
	==In the Qur'an==
	The story of Harut and Marut is revealed in the second surah (chapter), of the Qur'an, entitled "Al-Baqara" or "The Cow" . It appears in the 102nd ], or verse, and forms part of a narrative concerning the people who followed sorcery.
	<blockquote>
	They followed what the Satans gave out during the reign of Solomon.
	Solomon disbelieved not, but the Satans disbelieved,
	teaching men sorcery and such things that came down upon the two Angels at ''Babel'',
	''Harut'' and ''Marut'', but neither of these two taught anyone till they had said,
	''"We are only for trial, so disbelieve not."''
	And they learnt that which caused separation between a man and his wife,
	but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah's leave.
	And they learnt that which harmed them and profited them not.
	And indeed they knew that the buyers of it would have no share in the Hereafter.
	And how bad indeed was that for which they sold their own selves,
	if they but knew.
	And if they had believed and guarded themselves from evil
	and kept their duty to Allah,
	far better would have been the reward from their Lord,
	if they but knew!
	(Al-Baqarah, 102, 103)
	</blockquote>

			The story became subject of a theological dispute in Islam. Some Muslim theologians argue that angels could not commit sins and thus, reject the story of Harut and Marut. Depending on the ] (''Qira'at''), Harut and Marut are depicted as "two kings" instead. These kings would have learned sorcery from the devils and then taught it to the rest of mankind. An alternative attempt to protect Harut and Marut from sin while also affirming their angelic status describes them as angels who taught licit forms of magic, while the devils taught illicit magic.
	==Muslim interpretations==
	===Ibn Kathir===
	The 14th century scholar Ibn Kathir interpreted the story of Harut and Marut and goes into depth about what exactly the angels had taught to the people of magic in his book, Stories of the Qur'an:

			Some Muslim theologians relate the complain of Harut and Marut to the angels disputing in Surah 2:30. Accordingly, when God declares to create ], the angels are puzzled by that decision and argue that they do better than humans. The event of their story would take place after this announcement. The majority of Muslim scholars however, set their fall after the creation of Adam.
	<blockquote>

			== Quran==
	Narrated Al-`Ufi in his interpretation on the authority of Ibn `Abbas (May
			=== Readings ===
	Allah be pleased with him) pertaining to Allah's Statement {They followed
			In the Quran, Harut and Marut are mentioned briefly in ]. There are different readings and interpretations of the verses. The '']'' translates the verse as follows:
	what the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the
	lifetime of Sulaiman (Solomon). Sulaiman did not disbelieve, but the
	Shayatin (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that
	came down at Babylon to the two angels, Harut and Marut but neither
	of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said,
	"We are only for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from
	us).”...} When Sulaiman lost his kingdom, great numbers from among mankind
	and the jinn renegaded and followed their lusts. But, when Allah restored to
	Sulaiman his kingdom and the renegade came to follow the Straight Path once
	again, Sulaiman seized their holy scriptures which he buried underneath his
	throne. Shortly after, Sulaiman (Peace be upon him) died. In no time, the men
	and the Jinn uncovered the buried scriptures and said: This was a book revealed
	by Allah to Sulaiman who hide it from us. They took it as their religion and Allah
	the Almighty revealed His Saying: {And when there came to them a
	Messenger from Allah confirming what was with them, a party of those
	who were given the Scripture threw away the Book of Allah behind
	their backs as if they did not know!}. (Al-Baqarah, 101) and they followed
	what the devils gave out, i.e. musical instruments, play and all that blocks the
	remembrance of Allah.<ref></ref>
	</blockquote>

			{{blockquote\|Solomon did not disbelieve, but the satans disbelieved, teaching people sorcery and that which was sent down to the two angels at Babylon, Harūt and Marūt. But they would not teach anyone until they had said, "We are only a trial, so do not disbelieve." Then they would learn from them that by which they could cause separation between a man and his wife. But they did not harm anyone with it, save by God's Leave. And they would learn that which harmed them and brought them no benefit, knowing that whosoever purchases it has no share in the Hereafter. Evil is that for which they sold their souls, had they but known.\|The Qur'an, ]:102.<ref>{{cite book \|editor-last=Nasr \|editor-first=Seyyed Hossein \|editor-link=Seyyed Hossein Nasr \|title=] \|publisher=HarperOne \|year=2015 \|isbn=978-0-06-112586-7 \|pages=47–48}}</ref>}}
	===Critics about Harut and Marut===
	Some islamic exegets prefer to view Harut and Marut as ordinary men, than actual angels, who learned magic from ], since their legend can not be certainly attributed to ].<ref>Cenap Çakmak ''Islam: A Worldwide Encyclopedia '' ABC-CLIO 2017 {{ISBN\|978-1-610-69217-5}} page 578</ref>

			According to the reading attributed to ] (642–728), Harut and Marut are "two kings" ({{langx\|ar\|{{Script\|Arab\|ملكين}}\|malikayn}}), and not two angels (''malakayn'').<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 287-336.</ref><ref>Al-Saïd Muhammad Badawi Arabic–English Dictionary of Qurʾanic Usage M. A. Abdel Haleem ISBN 978-90-04-14948-9, p. 864</ref><ref>Omar Hamdan Studien zur Kanonisierung des Korantextes: al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrīs Beiträge zur Geschichte des Korans Otto Harrassowitz Verlag 2006 ISBN 978-3-447-05349-5 pp. 291–292 (German)</ref>
	According to Muslim scholar Ansar Al-'Adl, many interpretations of the verse originate from alleged Judeo-Christian sources that came to be recorded in some works of Quranic ], called ].<ref name="islamawareness.net">Ansar Al-'Adl, . Retrieved on 2010-01-20.</ref> Numerous stories have been transmitted about these verses, yet all center around the same basic story:

			Alternatively, a reading attributed to ] reads the term ''mā'' ({{langx\|ar\|{{Script\|Arab\|ما}}}}), as "not" instead of "what":
	], noted translator of the Qur'an into English, asserts that the source of this story may be the Jewish ]:
			<blockquote>"The devils believed not, they taught men sorcery and not what was sent down to the two angels at Babel, Harut and Marut."<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): p. 297</ref></blockquote>

			In his ], ] (839–923 CE) puts forth an argument that ''mā'' ("not") refers to the angels Gabriel and Michael, and not to Harut and Marut.<ref>Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 130</ref><ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): p. 297</ref> In line with Hasan al-Basri's reading, Harut and Marut are ordinary men, who learned sorcery from the devils.<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): p. 297</ref> This exegetical approach is similar to the reinterpretation of the '']'' mentioned in the ]; depicting them as ordinary humans (sons of Cain and Seth) instead of as angels.<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): p. 298</ref> However, most early commentators of the Quran regard Harut and Marut as angels.<ref>Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 131</ref>
	<blockquote>Among the Jewish traditions in the Midrash was a story of two angels who asked Allah's permission to come down to earth but succumbed to temptation, and were hung up by their feet at Babylon for punishment. Such stories about sinning angels who were cast down to punishment were believed in by the early Christians, also (see ] 2:4, and ], verse 6).<ref name="The Meaning of the Holy Quran">Ali, Abdullah Yousf, {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305200127/http://www.thegodisone.com/koran.pdf \|date=2009-03-05 }}, eleventh edition (2006), note 104, pg. 45.</ref></blockquote>

			Another variance can be found in a reading attributed to ibn Abbas. Accordingly, ''mā'' ("not") refers to the angels Harut and Marut, meaning that the devils taught men unlawful sorcery instead of the lawful things taught by the angels Harut and Marut.<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 297</ref> This reading is rather unconvincing as the verse depicts Harut and Marut as testers, implying that these angels taught something unlawful.<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): p. 297</ref> Tabari explains that this interpretation is best be understood as, that there are two kinds of magic; lawful sent down by angels and unlawful taught by devils.<ref>Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 130</ref><ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 298</ref> He defends this interpretation on the authority of ], arguing that ] creates both good and evil.<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 298</ref>
	According to ] professor ], Harut and Marut were merely human beings described with qualities often attributed to angels, rather than being actual angels, a belief which originates with ], one of ]'s companions.<ref name="islamawareness.net"/>

	==~~References~~==		=== Exegesis ===
			]
	{{reflist\|2}}
			Harut and Marut are portrayed as the origin of magical practises in the world<ref>Salim Ayduz, Caner Dagli ''The Oxford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Science, and Technology in Islam'' Oxford University Press, 2014 isbn 978-01998-1257-8 p. 504</ref> and by that, explain magic to be of otherwordly origin. From a theological viewpoint, Harut and Marut are a form of temptation, similar to the ] (''šayāṭīn'').<ref>Jones, David Albert. Angels: a very short introduction. OUP Oxford, 2010. p. 107</ref> They are also described in the '']ʾ'' (''Qiṣaṣ al-Anbiyā'') and seen as a symbol for "enchanting love".<ref name="islamansiklopedisi.org.tr"/>

			==== Tale of Harut and Marut ====
	==External links==
			The tale of Harut and Marut (''qiṣṣat Hārūt wa-Mārūt'') is a recurring story throughout ] (], ], ], ], ], ], ]) to explain the earthly abode of this angelic pair.<ref>Majmaʻ al-Buḥūth al-Islāmīyah ''The Fourth Conference of the Academy of Islamic Research'' 1968 p. 707</ref><ref name="Dye, Guillaume 2023"/> There are different variances of the same story with additional details. They all contain a prolegomenon in heaven, resulting in an angelic mission to earth, followed by a corruption of these angels, and consequent punishment by God.<ref name="Reeves, John C 2015">Reeves, John C. "Some Parascriptural Dimensions of the “Tale of Hārūt wa-Mārūt”." Journal of American Oriental Society 135.4 (2015): 817-842.</ref> In some variations, not two, but three angels are send down to earth. In Rumi's (1207 – 1273) ], God tests three angels. However, once on earth one of them suspects to fail and returns to heaven.<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 298</ref>
	* {{fr icon}}

	{{Qur'anic people}}
			A version provided by Tabari narrates the Tale of Harut and Marut as follows:<ref name="Hanan Jaber 14–15">{{cite book\|author=Hanan Jaber \|title=Harut and Marut in The Book of Watchers and Jubilees \|date=November 18, 2018 \|publisher=University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign \|pages=14–15}}</ref><blockquote>The angels were astonished at the acts of disobedience committed by the human beings on earth, claiming they would do better than them. Therefore, God challenged the angels to choose two representatives among them, who would descend to earth and be endowed with bodily desires. During their stay on earth, they fell in love with a woman named Zohra (]). She told them she would become intimate with them if they joined her in idolatry and told her how to ascend to heaven. The angels refused and remained pious.<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 298</ref>

			Later they met her again and the woman this time stated she would become intimate with them if they drank alcohol. The angels thought that alcohol could not cause great harm and therefore, they accepted the condition. After they were drunk, they became intimate with her and after noticing a witness, they killed them. The next day, Harut and Marut regretted their deeds but could not ascend to heaven anymore due to their sins, as their link to the angels was broken. Thereupon, God asked them, whether their punishment shall be in this world or in the hereafter. They chose to be punished on earth and therefore were sent to Babel as a test, teaching humans magic but not without warning them that they were just a temptation.<ref>{{cite book\|author=Hussein Abdul-Raof \|title=Theological Approaches to Qur'anic Exegesis: A Practical Comparative-Contrastive Analysis \|publisher=Routledge \|date=2012 \|isbn=978-1-136-45991-7 \|page=155}}</ref></blockquote>

			==== Protest of the angels ====
			Although not explicitly mentioned, Harut and Marut are sometimes linked to the events in Surah 2:30.<ref>Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 131</ref> ''The Study Quran'' translates the verse as follows: <blockquote>"And when thy Lord said to the angels,"I am placing a vicegerent upon the earth," they said, "Wilt Thou place therein one who will work corruption therein, and shed blood, while we hymn Thy praise and call Thee Holy?" He said, "Truly I know what you know not."]:30.<ref>{{cite book \|editor-last=Nasr \|editor-first=Seyyed Hossein \|editor-link=Seyyed Hossein Nasr \|title=] \|publisher=HarperOne \|year=2015 \|isbn=978-0-06-112586-7 \|pages=47–48}}</ref></blockquote> According to this view, God sent down these angels to demonstrate to the protesting angels men's unique and special features.<ref>Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 131</ref>

			In his ''Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik'', ] narrates a '']'' that after the dispute mentioned in this verse, the angels made a bet with God. They bet that they are more obedient than the sons of Adam. God then inqures them to choose two among them to descent to earth and being tested.<ref>Burge, Stephen. Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik. Routledge, 2015. p. 286</ref>

			] (1203–1283) narrates on authority of ibn Abbas, when Adam was cast out of the Garden Eden, he passed by a crowd of angels who reprimanded Adam for breaking the covenant with God.<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 298</ref> The most critical have been Harut and Marut. Adam sought mercy from the angels and their mockery. Then, God tries the angels until they fail on their part.<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 201</ref> This version is silent on the details of these angels sins and their teachings of magic.<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 301</ref>

			== Criticism ==
			=== Historical Criticism ===
			Although the Quran does not call this pair of angels ''fallen'' explicitly, the context assumes this to be true.<ref name="Dye, Guillaume 2023"/> The story bears some resemblance to the ],<ref name="Dye, Guillaume 2023"/> mentioned in Second Temple traditions and reflects an early Christian belief.<ref name="Dye, Guillaume 2023"/> The most dominant components of this motif, however, are unique to Islamic tradition and do not reflect neither biblical or Second Temple traditions: The core feature of this story is the angels' amazement at human wickedness.<ref name="Dye, Guillaume 2023"/> Unlike in the Book of Watchers and Christian tradition, the story is not about angelic revolt or original sin, but about how tough it is to be a human.<ref name="Dye, Guillaume 2023"/> In contrast to apocalyptic literature, according to the Quran, they are "sent down" by God.<ref name="Dye, Guillaume 2023">Dye, Guillaume. Early Islam: the sectarian milieu of late Antiquity?. Éditions de l'Université de Bruxelles, 2023.</ref>

			The names "Hārūt" and "Mārūt", do not originate from Semitic beliefs. Instead, they appear to be etymologically related to '']'' and '']'', two ] from ].<ref>Bürgel, J. Christoph. "Zoroastrianism as viewed in medieval Islamic sources." Muslim Perceptions of Other Religions (1999): 202-212.</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia \|encyclopedia=] \|title=Harut and Marut\|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Harut-and-Marut}}</ref> ] suggested that the story has close parallels to the ].<ref>Burge, Stephen. Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik. Routledge, 2015. p. 89</ref>

			''Mufassirs'' (authorized exegetes of the Quran) seem to have been aware of the historical reliance on previous Jewish material. Compared to the fallen angels from ], ] (737 AD – 819 AD) identifies Harut and Marut with them. Accordingly, their original names were (''‘Azā'', ''‘Azāyā'') and then changed after their fall to ''Hārūt'' and ''Mārūt'', just as the name of Satan was changed from '']'' to '']'' after his fall.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

			For this reason, some Muslim scholars argue that the stories surrounding Harut and Marut derive from Judeo-Christian sources ('']''). According to Ansar al-'Adl, the extra-Quranic story of this verse entered ''tafsir'' from Judaism or Christianity. The English Quran translator ] states this story develops from Jewish ]im, particularly ].<ref>{{cite book\|last=Ali \|first=Abdullah Yousf \|url= http://www.thegodisone.com/koran.pdf \|title=The Meaning of the Holy Quran \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305200127/http://www.thegodisone.com/koran.pdf \|archive-date=2009-03-05 \|edition=11th \|date=2006 \|at=note 104, p. 45}}</ref> Yet, historically, the Midrash Abkir is not dated earlier than the eleventh century, a time then the story of Harut and Marut has been recorded already.<ref name="Dye, Guillaume 2023"/> Thus, John C. Reeves concludes that, although the Quran alludes to previously known Judeo-Christian material, the midrashim is shaped by Muslim beliefs, not the other way around.<ref>{{Cite book\|title=Some Parascriptural Dimensions of the Muslim "Tale of Harut wa-Marut"\|last=Reeves\|first=John C.\|publisher=Journal of the American Oriental Society \|year=2015\|quote=Western scholars who have studied the "Tale of Harut and Marut" and grappled with its literary analogues have most frequently pointed to the Jewish and Christian parascriptural materials that envelop the enigmatic figure of Enoch and in particular to a curious medieval Jewish aggadic narrative known as the "Midrash of Shemhazai and 'Azael." (29) This unusual tale, extant in at least four Hebrew versions and one Aramaic rendition, (30) requires our attention at this stage, and I accordingly provide here a translation of what is arguably its earliest written registration, in the eleventh-century midrashic compilation Bereshit Rabbati of R. Moshe ha-Darshan.<br><br>Careful comparison of the developed narratives of the "Tale of Harut and Marut" and the "Midrash of Shemhazai and cAzael" amid the larger literary corpora within which they are embedded suggests that the Muslim Harut wa-Marut complex both chronologically and literarily precedes the articulated versions of the Jewish "Midrash of Shemhazai and 'Azael," or as Bernhard Heller expressed it over a century ago, "la legende a ete calquee sur celle de Harout et Marout." (39) What is likely the oldest Hebrew form of the story dates from approximately the eleventh century, (40) several hundred years after the bulk of the Muslim evidence.}}</ref>

			Similarly, ] argues that Jews adopted the Islamic story, especially since stories regarding fallen angels were considered unauthentic by ].<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book \| first=Patricia \| last=Crone \| author-link=Patricia Crone \| title=The Book of Watchers in the Quran \| pages=10–11}}</ref> Rejecting a Jewish origin of the story also comes from Muslim scholars. Kürşad Demirci points out that there are no similarities between the story of Harut and Marut and the angels from ancient Jewish lore.<ref name="islamansiklopedisi.org.tr">KÜRŞAT DEMİRCİ, "HÂRÛT ve MÂRÛT", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/harut-ve-marut (19.09.2023).</ref>

			=== Theological Criticism ===
			]
			The inclusion of Venus in the Tale of Harut and Marut gave rise to dispute in Islam. ] argues that there is nothing in the Quran about Venus and calls for eliminating her from the Tale of Harut and Marut, or interpreting her as merely an idol, similar to ].<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 300</ref> Likewise, ] argues that parts of the Tale of Harut and Marut are ] (''mawḍūʿ'') and traces them back to ].<ref>KÜRŞAT DEMİRCİ, "HÂRÛT ve MÂRÛT", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/harut-ve-marut (20.09.2023).</ref> Al-Suyuti, argues that the complain of the angels in the Tale of Harut and Marut goes back to Muhammad.<ref>Dye, Guillaume. Early Islam: the sectarian milieu of late Antiquity? Éditions de l'Université de Bruxelles, 2023.</ref>

			Although angels are not infallible in Orthodox Islam,<ref>Houtsma, M. Th. (1993). E.J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913–1936, Band 5. BRILL. p. 191. {{ISBN\|978-90-04-09791-9}}.</ref><ref>Welch, Alford T. (2008) Studies in Qur'an and Tafsir. Riga, Latvia: Scholars Press. p. 756</ref> ] (''falsafa'') commonly reject the Tale of Harut and Marut on grounds of angelic impeccability.<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 299</ref> According to the philosophers, angels lack a body and the mental capacity to strive for anything else but devotion to God.<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 299</ref> ] (787 – 886) considers angels to be pure ministers of God, a conception borrowed from Jewish lore.<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 300</ref> Likewise, they reject that the planets (angels) could commit sins, as they hold the view that the planets are integral part of the order of the universe.<ref>Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 299</ref> An exception to ] and ] acceptance of angelic fallibility<ref name="Samarkand BRILL pp. 54-56">{{cite book \|author-last=Rudolph \|author-first=Ulrich \|year=2015 \|chapter=The Foundation and Establishment of Ḥanafite Theology in the Second/ Eighth and Early Third/Ninth Centuries \|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LwOjBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA54 \|title=Al-Māturīdī and the Development of Sunnī Theology in Samarqand \|translator-last=Adem \|translator-first=Rodrigo \|location=] and ] \|publisher=] \|series=Islamic History and Civilization \|volume=100 \|pages=21–71 \|doi=10.1163/9789004261846_003 \|isbn=978-90-04-26184-6 \|lccn=2014034960 \|issn=0929-2403}}</ref> is ], who agrees with the ] and philosophers that angels cannot sin, and rejects the associated story of the Quranic verse regarding Harut and Marut.<ref>Street, Tony. "Medieval Islamic doctrine on the angels: the writings of Fakhr al-Dīh al-Rāzī." Parergon 9.2 (1991): 111-127.</ref> He further elavated this position to the ].<ref>Street, Tony. "Medieval Islamic doctrine on the angels: the writings of Fakhr al-Dīh al-Rāzī." Parergon 9.2 (1991): 111-127.</ref> ] explains, in his version of this story, that the lechery of Harut and Marut was in their heart ('']'') not in their flesh, since as angels they lack bodily desires.<ref name="Reeves, John C 2015"/>

			While the Tale of Harut and Marut has been widely accepted in pre-modern times, in the modern period Muslim scholars increasingly adhere to the philosopher position. ] ] ] and ] ignore Venus as part of the story entirely. Furthermore, in the process of the demystification of the Quran, they reject the heavenly origin of Harut and Marut.<ref>Burge, S.R. The Demystification of Magic in the Tafsīr al-Manār: An Analysis of the Exegetical and Homiletic Devices Used in the Discussion ‘Mabḥath al-siḥr wa-Hārūt wa-Mārūt’. Religions 2021, 12, 734. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12090734</ref>

			== Sufism ==
			] interpretates the verse concerning Harut and Marut metaphorically. The satans are forces veiling the soul from God's light through powers of illusions (''awham'').<ref>Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 133</ref> By doing so, they are "kafir"; rejecting that only God can ultimately affect things.<ref>Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 133</ref> The fallen angels Harut and Marut, in this context, are the "theoretical" and "practical" intellect, inclined towards the soul. Since the intellect descends to the heart, Harut and Marut are described as "upside down".<ref>Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 133</ref> Their sorcery consists of veiling the heart from the soul, which is symbolized in "separating husband and wife".<ref>Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 133</ref>

			] major work, the poem ], is closer to the orthodox Islamic depiction of Harut and Marut. The reader is recommended to remember the story of Harut and Marut, and how their self-righteousness led to their demise.<ref>{{Cite journal \|title=English-an Analysis of Spiritualism in Rumi's Mathnawi \|url=http://siarj.com/index.php/Siarj/article/view/246 \|journal=The Scholar Islamic Academic Research Journal \|date=2020 \|volume=6 \|issue=2 \|doi=10.29370/siarj/issue11ar6 \|pages=129–155\|doi-access=free }}</ref> By that, Rumi compares believers who criticize other believers for their sins, not realizing that they are doing for worse. Like the angels Harut and Marut, they look down on others, yet are blind to their own pride.<ref>Arberry, A.J. (1993). Tales from the Masnavi (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315026091 p. 173-174</ref>

			== See also ==
			* ]
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			== References ==
			{{reflist\|40em}}

			== External links ==
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	{{Angels in Abrahamic Religions}}		{{Angels in Abrahamic Religions}}
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Latest revision as of 02:57, 20 December 2024

Two angels mentioned in the Qur'an

Harut and Marut (Arabic: هَارُوْت وَمَارُوْت, romanized: Hārūt wa-Mārūt) are a pair of angels mentioned in the Quran Surah 2:102, who teach the arts of sorcery (siḥr) in Babylon. According to Quranic exegesis (tafsīr), when Harut and Marut complained about mankinds' wickedness, they were sent to earth in order to compete against humankind in regards to obedience. After they committed various crimes, they found themselves unable to return to heaven. God offered them a choice between punishment on earth or in hell. They decided for punishment on earth, leading to their situation mentioned in the Quran.

The story became subject of a theological dispute in Islam. Some Muslim theologians argue that angels could not commit sins and thus, reject the story of Harut and Marut. Depending on the reading of the Quran (Qira'at), Harut and Marut are depicted as "two kings" instead. These kings would have learned sorcery from the devils and then taught it to the rest of mankind. An alternative attempt to protect Harut and Marut from sin while also affirming their angelic status describes them as angels who taught licit forms of magic, while the devils taught illicit magic.

Some Muslim theologians relate the complain of Harut and Marut to the angels disputing in Surah 2:30. Accordingly, when God declares to create Adam, the angels are puzzled by that decision and argue that they do better than humans. The event of their story would take place after this announcement. The majority of Muslim scholars however, set their fall after the creation of Adam.

Quran

Readings

In the Quran, Harut and Marut are mentioned briefly in Surah 2:102. There are different readings and interpretations of the verses. The The Study Quran translates the verse as follows:

Solomon did not disbelieve, but the satans disbelieved, teaching people sorcery and that which was sent down to the two angels at Babylon, Harūt and Marūt. But they would not teach anyone until they had said, "We are only a trial, so do not disbelieve." Then they would learn from them that by which they could cause separation between a man and his wife. But they did not harm anyone with it, save by God's Leave. And they would learn that which harmed them and brought them no benefit, knowing that whosoever purchases it has no share in the Hereafter. Evil is that for which they sold their souls, had they but known.
— The Qur'an, 2:102.

According to the reading attributed to Hasan al-Basri (642–728), Harut and Marut are "two kings" (Arabic: ملكين‎, romanized: malikayn), and not two angels (malakayn).

Alternatively, a reading attributed to ibn Abbas reads the term mā (Arabic: ما‎), as "not" instead of "what":

"The devils believed not, they taught men sorcery and not what was sent down to the two angels at Babel, Harut and Marut."

In his commentary, Tabari (839–923 CE) puts forth an argument that mā ("not") refers to the angels Gabriel and Michael, and not to Harut and Marut. In line with Hasan al-Basri's reading, Harut and Marut are ordinary men, who learned sorcery from the devils. This exegetical approach is similar to the reinterpretation of the Bənē hāʾĔlōhīm mentioned in the Book of Genesis; depicting them as ordinary humans (sons of Cain and Seth) instead of as angels. However, most early commentators of the Quran regard Harut and Marut as angels.

Another variance can be found in a reading attributed to ibn Abbas. Accordingly, mā ("not") refers to the angels Harut and Marut, meaning that the devils taught men unlawful sorcery instead of the lawful things taught by the angels Harut and Marut. This reading is rather unconvincing as the verse depicts Harut and Marut as testers, implying that these angels taught something unlawful. Tabari explains that this interpretation is best be understood as, that there are two kinds of magic; lawful sent down by angels and unlawful taught by devils. He defends this interpretation on the authority of Ibn Wahb, arguing that God creates both good and evil.

Exegesis

Harut and Marut in Their Forever Well (1703)

Harut and Marut are portrayed as the origin of magical practises in the world and by that, explain magic to be of otherwordly origin. From a theological viewpoint, Harut and Marut are a form of temptation, similar to the satans (šayāṭīn). They are also described in the Stories of the Prophetsʾ (Qiṣaṣ al-Anbiyā) and seen as a symbol for "enchanting love".

Tale of Harut and Marut

The tale of Harut and Marut (qiṣṣat Hārūt wa-Mārūt) is a recurring story throughout Quranic exegesis (Tabari, ibn Hanbal, Rumi, Maqdisi, Tha'labi, Kisa'i, Suyuti) to explain the earthly abode of this angelic pair. There are different variances of the same story with additional details. They all contain a prolegomenon in heaven, resulting in an angelic mission to earth, followed by a corruption of these angels, and consequent punishment by God. In some variations, not two, but three angels are send down to earth. In Rumi's (1207 – 1273) Masnavi, God tests three angels. However, once on earth one of them suspects to fail and returns to heaven.

A version provided by Tabari narrates the Tale of Harut and Marut as follows:

The angels were astonished at the acts of disobedience committed by the human beings on earth, claiming they would do better than them. Therefore, God challenged the angels to choose two representatives among them, who would descend to earth and be endowed with bodily desires. During their stay on earth, they fell in love with a woman named Zohra (Venus). She told them she would become intimate with them if they joined her in idolatry and told her how to ascend to heaven. The angels refused and remained pious. Later they met her again and the woman this time stated she would become intimate with them if they drank alcohol. The angels thought that alcohol could not cause great harm and therefore, they accepted the condition. After they were drunk, they became intimate with her and after noticing a witness, they killed them. The next day, Harut and Marut regretted their deeds but could not ascend to heaven anymore due to their sins, as their link to the angels was broken. Thereupon, God asked them, whether their punishment shall be in this world or in the hereafter. They chose to be punished on earth and therefore were sent to Babel as a test, teaching humans magic but not without warning them that they were just a temptation.

Protest of the angels

Although not explicitly mentioned, Harut and Marut are sometimes linked to the events in Surah 2:30. The Study Quran translates the verse as follows:

"And when thy Lord said to the angels,"I am placing a vicegerent upon the earth," they said, "Wilt Thou place therein one who will work corruption therein, and shed blood, while we hymn Thy praise and call Thee Holy?" He said, "Truly I know what you know not."2:30.

According to this view, God sent down these angels to demonstrate to the protesting angels men's unique and special features.

In his Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik, Suyuti narrates a ḥadīth that after the dispute mentioned in this verse, the angels made a bet with God. They bet that they are more obedient than the sons of Adam. God then inqures them to choose two among them to descent to earth and being tested.

Zakariya al-Qazwini (1203–1283) narrates on authority of ibn Abbas, when Adam was cast out of the Garden Eden, he passed by a crowd of angels who reprimanded Adam for breaking the covenant with God. The most critical have been Harut and Marut. Adam sought mercy from the angels and their mockery. Then, God tries the angels until they fail on their part. This version is silent on the details of these angels sins and their teachings of magic.

Criticism

Historical Criticism

Although the Quran does not call this pair of angels fallen explicitly, the context assumes this to be true. The story bears some resemblance to the Watchers, mentioned in Second Temple traditions and reflects an early Christian belief. The most dominant components of this motif, however, are unique to Islamic tradition and do not reflect neither biblical or Second Temple traditions: The core feature of this story is the angels' amazement at human wickedness. Unlike in the Book of Watchers and Christian tradition, the story is not about angelic revolt or original sin, but about how tough it is to be a human. In contrast to apocalyptic literature, according to the Quran, they are "sent down" by God.

The names "Hārūt" and "Mārūt", do not originate from Semitic beliefs. Instead, they appear to be etymologically related to Haurvatat and Ameretat, two Amesha Spenta from Zoroastrianism. Georges Dumézil suggested that the story has close parallels to the Mahabharata.

Mufassirs (authorized exegetes of the Quran) seem to have been aware of the historical reliance on previous Jewish material. Compared to the fallen angels from 3 Enoch, Al-Kalbi (737 AD – 819 AD) identifies Harut and Marut with them. Accordingly, their original names were (‘Azā, ‘Azāyā) and then changed after their fall to Hārūt and Mārūt, just as the name of Satan was changed from ʿAzāzīl to Iblīs after his fall.

For this reason, some Muslim scholars argue that the stories surrounding Harut and Marut derive from Judeo-Christian sources (Israʼiliyyat). According to Ansar al-'Adl, the extra-Quranic story of this verse entered tafsir from Judaism or Christianity. The English Quran translator Abdullah Yusuf Ali states this story develops from Jewish midrashim, particularly Midrash Abkir. Yet, historically, the Midrash Abkir is not dated earlier than the eleventh century, a time then the story of Harut and Marut has been recorded already. Thus, John C. Reeves concludes that, although the Quran alludes to previously known Judeo-Christian material, the midrashim is shaped by Muslim beliefs, not the other way around.

Similarly, Patricia Crone argues that Jews adopted the Islamic story, especially since stories regarding fallen angels were considered unauthentic by Rabbinic Judaism. Rejecting a Jewish origin of the story also comes from Muslim scholars. Kürşad Demirci points out that there are no similarities between the story of Harut and Marut and the angels from ancient Jewish lore.

Theological Criticism

The inclusion of Venus in the Tale of Harut and Marut gave rise to dispute in Islam. Rabi ibn Anas argues that there is nothing in the Quran about Venus and calls for eliminating her from the Tale of Harut and Marut, or interpreting her as merely an idol, similar to worship of stars. Likewise, Ibn Kathir argues that parts of the Tale of Harut and Marut are fabricated (mawḍūʿ) and traces them back to Ka'b al-Ahbar. Al-Suyuti, argues that the complain of the angels in the Tale of Harut and Marut goes back to Muhammad.

Although angels are not infallible in Orthodox Islam, Muslim philosophers (falsafa) commonly reject the Tale of Harut and Marut on grounds of angelic impeccability. According to the philosophers, angels lack a body and the mental capacity to strive for anything else but devotion to God. Abu Ma'shar al-Balkhi (787 – 886) considers angels to be pure ministers of God, a conception borrowed from Jewish lore. Likewise, they reject that the planets (angels) could commit sins, as they hold the view that the planets are integral part of the order of the universe. An exception to Ash'arism and Māturīdism acceptance of angelic fallibility is Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, who agrees with the Mu'tazilites and philosophers that angels cannot sin, and rejects the associated story of the Quranic verse regarding Harut and Marut. He further elavated this position to the The Six Articles of Faith. Mujahid ibn Jabr explains, in his version of this story, that the lechery of Harut and Marut was in their heart (qalb) not in their flesh, since as angels they lack bodily desires.

While the Tale of Harut and Marut has been widely accepted in pre-modern times, in the modern period Muslim scholars increasingly adhere to the philosopher position. Modernist Salafis Muhammad Abduh and Rashid Rida ignore Venus as part of the story entirely. Furthermore, in the process of the demystification of the Quran, they reject the heavenly origin of Harut and Marut.

Sufism

Ibn Arabi interpretates the verse concerning Harut and Marut metaphorically. The satans are forces veiling the soul from God's light through powers of illusions (awham). By doing so, they are "kafir"; rejecting that only God can ultimately affect things. The fallen angels Harut and Marut, in this context, are the "theoretical" and "practical" intellect, inclined towards the soul. Since the intellect descends to the heart, Harut and Marut are described as "upside down". Their sorcery consists of veiling the heart from the soul, which is symbolized in "separating husband and wife".

Rūmīs major work, the poem Mas̲navī, is closer to the orthodox Islamic depiction of Harut and Marut. The reader is recommended to remember the story of Harut and Marut, and how their self-righteousness led to their demise. By that, Rumi compares believers who criticize other believers for their sins, not realizing that they are doing for worse. Like the angels Harut and Marut, they look down on others, yet are blind to their own pride.

References

Quran 2:102
Jastrow, Morris; Price, Ira Maurice; Jastrow, Marcus; Ginzberg, Louis; MacDonald, Duncan B. (1906). "Tower of Babel". Jewish Encyclopedia. Funk @-Wagnalls.
Nasr, Seyyed Hossein, ed. (2015). The Study Quran. HarperOne. pp. 47–48. ISBN 978-0-06-112586-7.
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 287-336.
Al-Saïd Muhammad Badawi Arabic–English Dictionary of Qurʾanic Usage M. A. Abdel Haleem ISBN 978-90-04-14948-9, p. 864
Omar Hamdan Studien zur Kanonisierung des Korantextes: al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrīs Beiträge zur Geschichte des Korans Otto Harrassowitz Verlag 2006 ISBN 978-3-447-05349-5 pp. 291–292 (German)
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): p. 297
Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 130
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): p. 297
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): p. 297
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): p. 298
Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 131
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 297
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): p. 297
Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 130
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 298
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 298
Salim Ayduz, Caner Dagli The Oxford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Science, and Technology in Islam Oxford University Press, 2014 isbn 978-01998-1257-8 p. 504
Jones, David Albert. Angels: a very short introduction. OUP Oxford, 2010. p. 107
^ KÜRŞAT DEMİRCİ, "HÂRÛT ve MÂRÛT", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/harut-ve-marut (19.09.2023).
Majmaʻ al-Buḥūth al-Islāmīyah The Fourth Conference of the Academy of Islamic Research 1968 p. 707
^ Dye, Guillaume. Early Islam: the sectarian milieu of late Antiquity?. Éditions de l'Université de Bruxelles, 2023.
^ Reeves, John C. "Some Parascriptural Dimensions of the “Tale of Hārūt wa-Mārūt”." Journal of American Oriental Society 135.4 (2015): 817-842.
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 298
Hanan Jaber (November 18, 2018). Harut and Marut in The Book of Watchers and Jubilees. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. pp. 14–15.
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 298
Hussein Abdul-Raof (2012). Theological Approaches to Qur'anic Exegesis: A Practical Comparative-Contrastive Analysis. Routledge. p. 155. ISBN 978-1-136-45991-7.
Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 131
Nasr, Seyyed Hossein, ed. (2015). The Study Quran. HarperOne. pp. 47–48. ISBN 978-0-06-112586-7.
Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 131
Burge, Stephen. Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik. Routledge, 2015. p. 286
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 298
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 201
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 301
Bürgel, J. Christoph. "Zoroastrianism as viewed in medieval Islamic sources." Muslim Perceptions of Other Religions (1999): 202-212.
"Harut and Marut". Britannica.
Burge, Stephen. Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik. Routledge, 2015. p. 89
^ Crone, Patricia. The Book of Watchers in the Quran. pp. 10–11.
Ali, Abdullah Yousf (2006). The Meaning of the Holy Quran (PDF) (11th ed.). note 104, p. 45. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-05.
Reeves, John C. (2015). Some Parascriptural Dimensions of the Muslim "Tale of Harut wa-Marut". Journal of the American Oriental Society. Western scholars who have studied the "Tale of Harut and Marut" and grappled with its literary analogues have most frequently pointed to the Jewish and Christian parascriptural materials that envelop the enigmatic figure of Enoch and in particular to a curious medieval Jewish aggadic narrative known as the "Midrash of Shemhazai and 'Azael." (29) This unusual tale, extant in at least four Hebrew versions and one Aramaic rendition, (30) requires our attention at this stage, and I accordingly provide here a translation of what is arguably its earliest written registration, in the eleventh-century midrashic compilation Bereshit Rabbati of R. Moshe ha-Darshan.

Careful comparison of the developed narratives of the "Tale of Harut and Marut" and the "Midrash of Shemhazai and cAzael" amid the larger literary corpora within which they are embedded suggests that the Muslim Harut wa-Marut complex both chronologically and literarily precedes the articulated versions of the Jewish "Midrash of Shemhazai and 'Azael," or as Bernhard Heller expressed it over a century ago, "la legende a ete calquee sur celle de Harout et Marout." (39) What is likely the oldest Hebrew form of the story dates from approximately the eleventh century, (40) several hundred years after the bulk of the Muslim evidence.
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 300
KÜRŞAT DEMİRCİ, "HÂRÛT ve MÂRÛT", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/harut-ve-marut (20.09.2023).
Dye, Guillaume. Early Islam: the sectarian milieu of late Antiquity? Éditions de l'Université de Bruxelles, 2023.
Houtsma, M. Th. (1993). E.J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913–1936, Band 5. BRILL. p. 191. ISBN 978-90-04-09791-9.
Welch, Alford T. (2008) Studies in Qur'an and Tafsir. Riga, Latvia: Scholars Press. p. 756
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 299
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 299
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 300
Jung, Leo. "Fallen Angels in Jewish, Christian and Mohammedan Literature: A Study in Comparative Folk-Lore." The Jewish Quarterly Review 16.3 (1926): 299
Rudolph, Ulrich (2015). "The Foundation and Establishment of Ḥanafite Theology in the Second/ Eighth and Early Third/Ninth Centuries". Al-Māturīdī and the Development of Sunnī Theology in Samarqand. Islamic History and Civilization. Vol. 100. Translated by Adem, Rodrigo. Leiden and Boston: Brill Publishers. pp. 21–71. doi:10.1163/9789004261846_003. ISBN 978-90-04-26184-6. ISSN 0929-2403. LCCN 2014034960.
Street, Tony. "Medieval Islamic doctrine on the angels: the writings of Fakhr al-Dīh al-Rāzī." Parergon 9.2 (1991): 111-127.
Street, Tony. "Medieval Islamic doctrine on the angels: the writings of Fakhr al-Dīh al-Rāzī." Parergon 9.2 (1991): 111-127.
Burge, S.R. The Demystification of Magic in the Tafsīr al-Manār: An Analysis of the Exegetical and Homiletic Devices Used in the Discussion ‘Mabḥath al-siḥr wa-Hārūt wa-Mārūt’. Religions 2021, 12, 734. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12090734
Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 133
Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 133
Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 133
Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Qurʾan and Its Interpreters, The, Volume 1 State University of New York Press, 30.06.1984 p. 133
"English-an Analysis of Spiritualism in Rumi's Mathnawi". The Scholar Islamic Academic Research Journal. 6 (2): 129–155. 2020. doi:10.29370/siarj/issue11ar6.
Arberry, A.J. (1993). Tales from the Masnavi (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315026091 p. 173-174

External links

(in French) Sunni point of view about Harut et Marut (at-tawhid.net)

Angels in Abrahamic religions

Angels in
Judaism

Individuals	Michael Gabriel Raphael Uriel Angel of the Lord Angel of the Presence Destroying Angel Azrael Ariel Arariel Azazel Camael Cassiel Dobiel Dumah Eisheth Hadraniel Haniel Jerahmeel Jophiel Kushiel Lailah Mastema Metatron Nuriel Pravuil Raziel Sachiel Samael Samyaza Sandalphon Tzaphqiel Yahoel Zadkiel Zerachiel
Groups	Seraphim Chayot Ophanim Cherubim Hashmallim Ishim Sons of God Recording angels

Angels in
Christianity

Individuals

Groups

Angels in
Islam

Individuals	Mikha'il Jibra'il Israfil Azra'il ar-Rūḥ ʿAzāzīl Iblis Artiya'il Darda'il Dumah Kalqa'il Futrus Ḥabīb Harut and Marut Mālik Munkar and Nakir Riḍwan
Groups	Mu'qarrabun (Cherubim and Seraphim) Archangels Angels of Hell Hafaza (Guardian angel) Recording angels Nāzi'āt and Nāshiṭāt

Uthras (angels) in
Mandaeism

Individuals	Yushamin Abatur Ptahil Hibil Shitil Anush Sam Ziwa Manda d-Hayyi Shilmai Nidbai Adathan and Yadathan Yufin-Yufafin Urfeil and Marfeil Tar and Tarwan Bihram Zihrun Etinsib Ziwa Nbat Nsab Gubran Shihlun Yurba Yukabar Yukashar Yawar Ziwa Simat Hayyi Saureil
Groups	Niṭufta Gupna Ziwa

Angel Moroni
- Mormonism
Hierarchy of angels
Heavenly host
Seven Archangels
Three Angels' Messages
Watcher
Fallen angels
List of angels in theology
List of angels in Ars Paulina
Ambiguous
- Chalkydri
- Elioud
- Nephilim
- Teraphim

In culture

People and things in the Quran

Characters

Non-humans

Allāh ('The God')
- Names of Allah found in the Quran, such as Karīm (Generous)

Animals

Related	The baqara (cow) of Israelites The dhiʾb (wolf) that Jacob feared could attack Joseph The fīl (elephant) of the Abyssinians Ḥimār (Domesticated donkey) The hud-hud (hoopoe) of Solomon The kalb (dog) of the sleepers of the cave The namlah (female ant) of Solomon The nūn (fish or whale) of Jonah The nāqat (she-camel) of Ṣāliḥ
Non-related	ʿAnkabūt (Female spider) Dābbat al-Arḍ (Beast of the Earth) Ḥimār (Wild ass) Naḥl (Honey bee) Qaswarah ('Lion', 'beast of prey' or 'hunter')

Malāʾikah (Angels)

Angels of Hell
- Mālik
- Zabāniyah
Bearers of the Throne
Harut and Marut
Kirāman Kātibīn (Honourable Scribes)
- Raqib
- Atid
Munkar and Nakir

Muqarrabun	Jibrīl (Gabriel, chief) Ar-Rūḥ ('The Spirit') Ar-Rūḥ al-Amīn ('The Trustworthy Spirit') Ar-Rūḥ al-Qudus ('The Holy Spirit') Angel of the Trumpet (Isrāfīl or Raphael) Malakul-Mawt (Angel of Death, Azrael) Mīkāil (Michael)

Jinn (Genies)

Jann
ʿIfrīt
Sakhr (Asmodeus)
Qarīn

Shayāṭīn (Demons)

Iblīs ash-Shayṭān (the (chief) Devil)
Mārid ('Rebellious one')

Others

Ghilmān or Wildān
Ḥūr

Prophets

Mentioned

Ādam (Adam)
Al-Yasaʿ (Elisha)
Ayyūb (Job)
Dāwūd (David)
Dhūl-Kifl (Ezekiel?)
Hārūn (Aaron)
Hūd (Eber?)
Idrīs (Enoch?)
Ilyās (Elijah)
ʿImrān (Joachim the father of Maryam)
Isḥāq (Isaac)
Ismāʿīl (Ishmael)
- Dhabih Ullah
Lūṭ (Lot)
Ṣāliḥ
Shuʿayb (Jethro, Reuel or Hobab?)
Sulaymān ibn Dāwūd (Solomon son of David)
ʿUzair (Ezra?)
Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā (John the Baptist the son of Zechariah)
Yaʿqūb (Jacob)
- Isrāʾīl (Israel)
Yūnus (Jonah)
- Dhūn-Nūn ('He of the Fish (or Whale)' or 'Owner of the Fish (or Whale)')
- Ṣāḥib al-Ḥūt ('Companion of the Whale')
Yūsuf ibn Ya‘qūb (Joseph son of Jacob)
Zakariyyā (Zechariah)

Ulul-ʿAzm ('Those of the Perseverance and Strong Will')	Muḥammad Aḥmad Other names and titles of Muhammad ʿĪsā (Jesus) Al-Masīḥ (The Messiah) Ibn Maryam (Son of Mary) Mūsā Kalīmullāh (Moses He who spoke to God) Ibrāhīm Khalīlullāh (Abraham Friend of God) Nūḥ (Noah)
Debatable ones	Dhūl-Qarnain Luqmān Maryam (Mary) Ṭālūt (Saul or Gideon?)

Implied

Irmiyā (Jeremiah)
Ṣamūʾīl (Samuel)
Yūshaʿ ibn Nūn (Joshua, companion and successor of Moses)

People of Prophets

Good ones

Adam's immediate relatives
- Martyred son
- Wife
Believer of Ya-Sin
Family of Noah
- Father Lamech
- Mother Shamkhah bint Anush or Betenos
Luqman's son
People of Abraham
- Mother Abiona or Amtelai the daughter of Karnebo
- Ishmael's mother
- Isaac's mother
People of Jesus
- Disciples (including Peter)
- Mary's mother
- Zechariah's wife
People of Solomon
Zayd (Muhammad's adopted son)

People of Joseph	Brothers (including Binyāmin (Benjamin) and Simeon) Egyptians ʿAzīz (Potiphar, Qatafir or Qittin) Malik (King Ar-Rayyān ibn Al-Walīd)) Wife of ʿAzīz (Zulaykhah) Mother
People of Aaron and Moses	Egyptians Believer (Hizbil or Hizqil ibn Sabura) Imraʾat Firʿawn (Āsiyá bint Muzāḥim the Wife of Pharaoh, who adopted Moses) Magicians of the Pharaoh Wise, pious man Moses' wife Moses' sister-in-law Mother Sister

Evil ones

Āzar (possibly Terah)
Firʿawn (Pharaoh of Moses' time)
Hāmān
Jālūt (Goliath)
Qārūn (Korah, cousin of Moses)
As-Sāmirī
Abū Lahab
Slayers of Ṣāliḥ's she-camel (Qaddar ibn Salif and Musda' ibn Dahr)

Implied or
not specified

Abraha
Abu Bakr
Bal'am/Balaam
Barṣīṣā
Caleb or Kaleb the companion of Joshua
Luqman's son
Nebuchadnezzar II
Nimrod
Rahmah the wife of Ayyub
Shaddad

Groups

Mentioned

Aṣḥāb al-Jannah
- People of Paradise
- People of the Burnt Garden
Aṣḥāb as-Sabt (Companions of the Sabbath)
Jesus' apostles
- Ḥawāriyyūn (Disciples of Jesus)
Companions of Noah's Ark
Aṣḥāb al-Kahf war-Raqīm (Companions of the Cave and Al-Raqaim?
Companions of the Elephant
People of al-Ukhdūd
People of a township in Surah Ya-Sin
People of Yathrib or Medina
Qawm Lūṭ (People of Sodom and Gomorrah)
Nation of Noah

Tribes,
ethnicities
or families

‘Ajam Ar-Rūm (literally 'The Romans') Banī Isrāʾīl (Children of Israel) Muʾtafikāt (Sodom and Gomorrah) People of Ibrahim People of Ilyas People of Nuh People of Shuaib Ahl Madyan People of Madyan) Aṣḥāb al-Aykah ('Companions of the Wood') Qawm Yūnus (People of Jonah) Ya'juj and Ma'juj/Gog and Magog People of Fir'aun Current Ummah of Islam (Ummah of Muhammad) Aṣḥāb Muḥammad (Companions of Muhammad) Anṣār (literally 'Helpers') Muhajirun (Emigrants from Mecca to Medina) People of Mecca Wife of Abu Lahab Children of Ayyub Sons of Adam Wife of Nuh Wife of Lut Yaʾjūj wa Maʾjūj (Gog and Magog) Son of Nuh
Aʿrāb (Arabs or Bedouins)	ʿĀd (people of Hud) Companions of the Rass Qawm Tubbaʿ (People of Tubba) People of Sabaʾ or Sheba Quraysh Thamūd (people of Ṣāliḥ) Aṣḥāb al-Ḥijr ('Companions of the Stoneland')
Ahl al-Bayt ('People of the Household')	Household of Abraham Brothers of Yūsuf Lot's daughters Progeny of Imran Household of Moses Household of Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib ibn Hashim Daughters of Muhammad Muhammad's wives Household of Salih

Implicitly
mentioned

Amalek
Ahl as-Suffa (People of the Verandah)
Banu Nadir
Banu Qaynuqa
Banu Qurayza
Iranian people
Umayyad Dynasty
Aus and Khazraj
People of Quba

Religious
groups

Ahl al-Dhimmah
Kāfirūn
- disbelievers
Majūs Zoroastrians
Munāfiqūn (Hypocrites)
Muslims
- Believers
Ahl al-Kitāb (People of the Book)
- Naṣārā (Christian(s) or People of the Injil)
  - Ruhban (Christian monks)
  - Qissis (Christian priest)
- Yahūd (Jews)
  - Ahbār (Jewish scholars)
  - Rabbani/Rabbi
- Sabians
Polytheists
- Meccan polytheists at the time of Muhammad
- Mesopotamian polytheists at the time of Abraham and Lot

Locations

Mentioned

Al-Arḍ Al-Muqaddasah ('The Holy Land')
- 'Blessed' Land'
Al-Jannah (Paradise, literally 'The Garden')
Jahannam (Hell)
Door of Hittah
Madyan (Midian)
Majmaʿ al-Baḥrayn
Miṣr (Mainland Egypt)
Salsabīl (A river in Paradise)

In the Arabian Peninsula (excluding Madyan)	Al-Aḥqāf ('The Sandy Plains,' or 'the Wind-curved Sand-hills') Iram dhāt al-ʿImād (Iram of the Pillars) Al-Madīnah (formerly Yathrib) ʿArafāt and Al-Mashʿar Al-Ḥarām Al-Ḥijr (Hegra) Badr Ḥunayn Makkah (Mecca) Bakkah Ḥaraman Āminan ('Sanctuary (which is) Secure') Kaʿbah (Kaaba) Maqām Ibrāhīm (Station of Abraham) Safa and Marwa Sabaʾ (Sheba) ʿArim Sabaʾ (Dam of Sheba) Rass
Sinai Region or Tīh Desert	Al-Wād Al-Muqaddas Ṭuwan (The Holy Valley of Tuwa) Al-Wādil-Ayman (The valley on the 'righthand' side of the Valley of Tuwa and Mount Sinai) Al-Buqʿah Al-Mubārakah ('The Blessed Place') Mount Sinai or Mount Tabor
In Mesopotamia	Al-Jūdiyy Munzalanm-Mubārakan ('Place-of-Landing Blessed') Bābil (Babylon) Qaryat Yūnus ('Township of Jonah,' that is Nineveh)
Religious locations	Bayʿa (Church) Miḥrāb Monastery Masjid (Mosque, literally 'Place of Prostration') Al-Mashʿar Al-Ḥarām ('The Sacred Grove') Al-Masjid Al-Aqṣā (Al-Aqsa, literally 'The Farthest Place-of-Prostration') Al-Masjid Al-Ḥarām (The Sacred Mosque of Mecca) Masjid al-Dirar A Mosque in the area of Medina, possibly: Masjid Qubāʾ (Quba Mosque) The Prophet's Mosque Salat (Synagogue)

Implied

Antioch
- Antakya
Arabia
- Al-Ḥijāz (literally 'The Barrier')
  - Al-Ḥajar al-Aswad (Black Stone) & Al-Hijr of Isma'il
  - Cave of Hira
  - Ghār ath-Thawr (Cave of the Bull)
  - Hudaybiyyah
  - Ta'if
Ayla
Barrier of Dhul-Qarnayn
Bayt al-Muqaddas & 'Ariha
Bilād ar-Rāfidayn (Mesopotamia)
Canaan
Cave of Seven Sleepers
Dār an-Nadwa
Jordan River
Nile River
Palestine River
Paradise of Shaddad

Events, incidents, occasions or times

Incident of Ifk
Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Decree)
Event of Mubahala
Sayl al-ʿArim (Flood of the Great Dam of Ma'rib in Sheba)
The Farewell Pilgrimage
Treaty of Hudaybiyyah

Battles or military expeditions	Battle of al-Aḥzāb ('the Confederates') Battle of Badr Battle of Hunayn Battle of Khaybar Battle of Uhud Expedition of Tabuk Conquest of Mecca
Days	Al-Jumuʿah (The Friday) As-Sabt (The Sabbath or Saturday) Days of battles Days of Hajj Doomsday
Months of the Islamic calendar	12 months: Four holy months Ash-Shahr Al-Ḥarām (The Sacred or Forbidden Month) Ramaḍān
Pilgrimages	Al-Ḥajj (literally 'The Pilgrimage', the Greater Pilgrimage) Al-ʿUmrah (The Lesser Pilgrimage)
Times for prayer or remembrance	Times for Duʿāʾ ('Invocation'), Ṣalāh and Dhikr ('Remembrance', including Taḥmīd ('Praising'), Takbīr and Tasbīḥ): Al-ʿAshiyy (The Afternoon or the Night) Al-Ghuduww ('The Mornings') Al-Bukrah ('The Morning') Aṣ-Ṣabāḥ ('The Morning') Al-Layl ('The Night') Al-ʿIshāʾ ('The Late-Night') Aẓ-Ẓuhr ('The Noon') Dulūk ash-Shams ('Decline of the Sun') Al-Masāʾ ('The Evening') Qabl al-Ghurūb ('Before the Setting (of the Sun)') Al-Aṣīl ('The Afternoon') Al-ʿAṣr ('The Afternoon') Qabl ṭulūʿ ash-Shams ('Before the rising of the Sun') Al-Fajr ('The Dawn')
Implied	Ghadir Khumm Laylat al-Mabit First Pilgrimage

Other

Holy books

Al-Injīl (The Gospel of Jesus)
Al-Qurʾān (The Book of Muhammad)
Ṣuḥuf-i Ibrāhīm (Scroll(s) of Abraham)
At-Tawrāt (The Torah)
- Ṣuḥuf-i-Mūsā (Scroll(s) of Moses)
- Tablets of Stone
Az-Zabūr (The Psalms of David)
Umm al-Kitāb ('Mother of the Book(s)')

Objects
of people
or beings

Heavenly food of Jesus' apostles
Noah's Ark
Staff of Musa
Tābūt as-Sakīnah (Casket of Shekhinah)
Throne of Bilqis
Trumpet of Israfil

Mentioned idols
(cult images)

'Ansāb
Jibt and Ṭāghūt (False god)

Of Israelites	Baʿal The ʿijl (golden calf statue) of Israelites
Of Noah's people	Nasr Suwāʿ Wadd Yaghūth Yaʿūq
Of Quraysh	Al-Lāt Al-ʿUzzā Manāt

Celestial
bodies

Maṣābīḥ (literally 'lamps'):

Al-Qamar (The Moon)
Kawākib (Planets)
- Al-Arḍ (The Earth)
Nujūm (Stars)
- Ash-Shams (The Sun)

Plant matter

Baṣal (Onion)

Fūm (Garlic or wheat)

Shaṭʾ (Shoot)

Sūq (Plant stem)

Zarʿ (Seed)

Fruits	ʿAdas (Lentil) Baql (Herb) Qith-thāʾ (Cucumber) Rummān (Pomegranate) Tīn (Fig) Zaytūn (Olive) In Paradise Forbidden fruit of Adam
Bushes, trees or plants	Plants of Sheba Athl (Tamarisk) Sidr (Lote-tree) Līnah (Tender Palm tree) Nakhl (Date palm) Sidrat al-Muntahā Zaqqūm

Liquids

Māʾ (Water or fluid)
- Nahr (River)
- Yamm (River or sea)
Sharāb (Drink)

Note: Names are sorted alphabetically. Standard form: Islamic name / Biblical name (title or relationship)

Categories:

Latest revision as of 02:57, 20 December 2024

Quran

Readings

Exegesis

Tale of Harut and Marut

Protest of the angels

Criticism

Historical Criticism

Theological Criticism

Sufism

See also

References

External links