Qur'an 2:102 Al-Baqarah
وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ مَا تَتْلُوا۟ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَٰنَ ۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَٰنُ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ ٱلسِّحْرَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَى ٱلْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَٰرُوتَ وَمَٰرُوتَ ۚ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَآ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌۭ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ ۖ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِۦ بَيْنَ ٱلْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِۦ ۚ وَمَا هُم بِضَآرِّينَ بِهِۦ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ ۚ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُوا۟ لَمَنِ ٱشْتَرَىٰهُ مَا لَهُۥ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَٰقٍۢ ۚ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ
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. But the Children of Israel certainly knew that whoever purchased the magic would not have in the Hereafter any share. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew.
Saheeh International
What it says
This traces the blame away from Sulayman: what they followed was what the devils recited during his reign, and Sulayman himself did not disbelieve, the devils did, teaching people sorcery. Two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut, taught something too, but not without warning first that they were only a trial and that whoever learned from them should not disbelieve; what people took from them was used to divide a man and his wife, and it harmed no one except by Allah's permission. They learned what harmed them and did not benefit them, knowing full well that whoever buys it has no share in the Hereafter, a poor bargain, selling themselves for it, had they known.
Word by word
وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ wa-tabaʿū and they followed · مَا mā what · تَتْلُوا۟ tatlū recited · ٱلشَّيَٰطِينُ ash-shayāṭīnu the devils · عَلَىٰ ʿalā during · مُلْكِ mulki the kingdom of · سُلَيْمَٰنَ sulaymāna Sulayman · وَمَا wa-mā and not · كَفَرَ kafara disbelieved · سُلَيْمَٰنُ sulaymānu Sulayman · وَلَٰكِنَّ wa-lākinna but · ٱلشَّيَٰطِينَ ash-shayāṭīna the devils · كَفَرُوا۟ kafarū disbelieved · يُعَلِّمُونَ yuʿallimūna teaching · ٱلنَّاسَ an-nāsa the people · ٱلسِّحْرَ as-siḥra sorcery · وَمَآ wa-mā and what · أُنزِلَ unzila was sent down · عَلَى ʿalā to · ٱلْمَلَكَيْنِ al-malakayni the two angels · بِبَابِلَ bibābila at Babylon · هَٰرُوتَ hārūta Harut · وَمَٰرُوتَ wa-mārūta and Marut · وَمَا wa-mā and not · يُعَلِّمَانِ yuʿallimāni the two taught · مِنْ min any · أَحَدٍ aḥadin one · حَتَّىٰ ḥattā until · يَقُولَآ yaqūlā the two said · إِنَّمَا innamā indeed only · نَحْنُ naḥnu we · فِتْنَةٌ fitnatun are a trial · فَلَا fa-lā so do not · تَكْفُرْ takfur disbelieve · فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ fa-yataʿallamūna and they would learn · مِنْهُمَا minhumā from the two of them · مَا mā what · يُفَرِّقُونَ yufarriqūna they use to cause division · بِهِۦ bihi with it · بَيْنَ bayna between · ٱلْمَرْءِ al-marʾi a man · وَزَوْجِهِۦ wa-zawjihi and his wife · وَمَا wa-mā and not · هُم hum they · بِضَآرِّينَ biḍārrīna harming · بِهِۦ bihi with it · مِنْ min any · أَحَدٍ aḥadin one · إِلَّا illā except · بِإِذْنِ bi-idhni by permission of · ٱللَّهِ llāhi Allah · وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ wa-yataʿallamūna and they learned · مَا mā what · يَضُرُّهُمْ yaḍurruhum harms them · وَلَا wa-lā and not · يَنفَعُهُمْ yanfaʿuhum benefits them · وَلَقَدْ wa-laqad and certainly · عَلِمُوا۟ ʿalimū they knew · لَمَنِ lamani that whoever · ٱشْتَرَىٰهُ ishtarāhu buys it · مَا mā not · لَهُۥ lahu for him · فِى fī in · ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ al-ākhirati the Hereafter · مِنْ min any · خَلَٰقٍ khalāqin share · وَلَبِئْسَ wa-labiʾsa and evil indeed is · مَا mā what · شَرَوْا۟ sharaw they sold · بِهِۦٓ bihi for it · أَنفُسَهُمْ anfusahum themselves · لَوْ law if · كَانُوا۟ kānū they had · يَعْلَمُونَ yaʿlamūn known
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