This verse introduces the mysterious figures of Harut and Marut, two angels in Babylon associated with the teaching of magic.
Surah 2:102:
And they followed 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." And they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife.
This verse is a "textual artifact"—a fragment of much older Judeo-Christian and Zoroastrian myths that were partially "rehabilitated" into the Quranic framework, creating significant theological friction.
The primary argument for "plagiarism" lies in the undeniable structural and narrative similarities between the Quranic account and the Jewish Midrash Abkir (recorded in the Yalkut Shimoni).
Textual Comparison: Surah 2:102 (Harut and Marut)
| Feature | Jewish Source (Midrash Abkir/Enoch) | Quranic Verse (2:102) | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Protagonists | Two angels: Shemhazai and Azael. | Two angels: Harut and Marut. | Names are swapped for Persian Zoroastrian archangels (Haurvatat & Ameretat). |
| The Setting | The earth/Babylon during the corruption. | Babylon (bi-Babil). | Maintains the specific Jewish location of the "Watchers" myth. |
| The Activity | They teach humans sorcery and forbidden arts. | They teach humans magic (as-sihr). | Parallels the "forbidden knowledge" theme of apocryphal literature. |
| The Moral | Angels rebel, sin with women, and fall. | Angels are "sinless" but act as a trial/test. | An awkward theological fix; depicts God sending angels to teach sinful magic. |
The Quran keeps the "Babylonian magic-teaching duo" framework but swaps the names and "sanitizes" the story. While the Jewish version explains the origin of evil through fallen angels, the Quranic version struggles to explain why God would send angels to teach magic—an act the Quran elsewhere labels as Kufr (disbelief).
The names Harut and Marut are NOT Arabic or Semitic. They are "loan-names" from the Persian Zoroastrian archangels:
In the Armenian and Persian traditions, these two figures were often paired together as guardians. The author of the Quran appears to have taken these Persian names and grafted them onto the Jewish "fallen angel" story from Babylon. This is a classic example of syncretism—mixing cultural folklore into a single "revelation."
The most significant blow comes from the internal inconsistency regarding the nature of angels within the Quranic corpus.
The Contradiction:
Doctrine A (Infallibility):
"They [angels] do not disobey Allah in what He commands them and do always what they are commanded." (Surah 66:6) and "...who do not act proudly... they fear their Lord." (Surah, 16:49-50).
Doctrine B (The 2:102 Paradox):
In 2:102, God sends two angels to Babylon specifically to teach magic!
The Argument:
If magic is a tool of the devil and a path to Hell (as 2:102 itself states), why is God the "sender" of this magic via His angels?
If the angels were obedient, then God is the source and teacher of sorcery/disbelief.
If the angels were disobedient (as the original Jewish sources claim), then the Quran’s claim that angels are sinless and infallible (66:6) is false.
The Quran attempts to resolve this by having the angels say, "We are only a trial," but this creates a moral absurdity: it depicts God as a "cosmic entrapment officer," sending holy beings to provide humans with the exact tools they need to lose their salvation!
Surah 2:102 is the result of a "Scriptural Remix." The author:
Borrowed the plot from Jewish Midrash.
Borrowed the names from Zoroastrianism.
Modified the theology to fit a strict Islamic view of God's sovereignty.
The result is a narrative that lacks the moral clarity of the Bible and contradicts the Quran's own descriptions of angelic nature. It serves more as a record of the legends circulating in 7th-century Arabia than as an eternal, consistent decree.