Harut and Marut

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 mankind's 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. Reports about the trial and subsequent punishment goes back to Muhammad and the earliest companians. However, some later 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 complaint 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.

In the Quran, Harut and Marut are mentioned briefly in Surah 2:102. There are different readings and interpretations of the verses. 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":