Surah Al-Baqarah (البقرة) • The Cow

Quran 2:102

2:102

وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ مَا تَتْلُوا۟ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَـٰنَ ۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَـٰنُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ ٱلسِّحْرَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَى ٱلْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَـٰرُوتَ وَمَـٰرُوتَ ۚ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَآ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ 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 ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَـٰقٍ ۚ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ

wa-ittabaʿū mā tatlū l-shayāṭīnu ʿalā mul'ki sulaymāna wamā kafara sulaymānu walākinna l-shayāṭīna kafarū yuʿallimūna l-nāsa l-siḥ'ra wamā unzila ʿalā l-malakayni bibābila hārūta wamārūta wamā yuʿallimāni min aḥadin ḥattā yaqūlā innamā naḥnu fit'natun falā takfur fayataʿallamūna min'humā mā yufarriqūna bihi bayna l-mari wazawjihi wamā hum biḍārrīna bihi min aḥadin illā bi-idh'ni l-lahi wayataʿallamūna mā yaḍurruhum walā yanfaʿuhum walaqad ʿalimū lamani ish'tarāhu mā lahu fī l-ākhirati min khalāqin walabi'sa mā sharaw bihi anfusahum law kānū yaʿlamūna

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, Hārūt and Mārūt. But they [i.e., 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 Allāh. And they [i.e., people] learn what harms them and does not benefit them. But they [i.e., the Children of Israel] certainly knew that whoever purchased it [i.e., magic] would not have in the Hereafter any share. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew.

— Saheeh International

and followed what the evil ones had fabricated about the Kingdom of Solomon instead. Not that Solomon himself was a disbeliever; it was the evil ones who were disbelievers. They taught people witchcraft and what was revealed in Babylon to the two angels Harut and Marut. Yet these two never taught anyone without first warning him, ‘We are sent only to tempt- do not disbelieve.’ From these two, they learned what can cause discord between man and wife, although they harm no one with it except by God’s leave. They learned what harmed them, not what benefited them, knowing full well that whoever gained [this knowledge] would lose any share in the Hereafter. Evil indeed is the [price] for which they sold their souls, if only they knew.

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

They followed what the Shayâtîn (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulaimân (Solomon). Sulaimân did not disbelieve, but the Shayâtîn (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Hârût and Mârût, 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)." And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allâh’s Leave. And they learn that which harms them and profits them not. And indeed they knew that the buyers of it (magic) would have no share in the Hereafter. And how bad indeed was that for which they sold their ownselves, if they but knew.

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

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Word by Word

وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟wa-ittabaʿūAnd they followed
مَاmāwhat
تَتْلُوا۟tatlūrecite(d)
ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينُl-shayāṭīnuthe devils
عَلَىٰʿalāover
مُلْكِmul'ki(the) kingdom
سُلَيْمَـٰنَۖsulaymāna(of) Sulaiman
وَمَاwamāAnd not
كَفَرَkafaradisbelieved
سُلَيْمَـٰنُsulaymānuSulaiman
وَلَـٰكِنَّwalākinna[and] but
ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينَl-shayāṭīnathe devils
كَفَرُوا۟kafarūdisbelieved
يُعَلِّمُونَyuʿallimūnathey teach
ٱلنَّاسَl-nāsathe people
ٱلسِّحْرَl-siḥ'ra[the] magic
وَمَآwamāand what
أُنزِلَunzilawas sent down
عَلَىʿalāto
ٱلْمَلَكَيْنِl-malakaynithe two angels
بِبَابِلَbibābilain Babylon
هَـٰرُوتَhārūtaHarut
وَمَـٰرُوتَۚwamārūtaand Marut
وَمَاwamāAnd not
يُعَلِّمَانِyuʿallimānithey both teach
مِنْminany
أَحَدٍaḥadinone
حَتَّىٰḥattāunless
يَقُولَآyaqūlāthey [both] say
إِنَّمَاinnamāOnly
نَحْنُnaḥnuwe
فِتْنَةٌۭfit'natun(are) a trial
فَلَاfalāso (do) not
تَكْفُرْۖtakfurdisbelieve
فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَfayataʿallamūnaBut they learn
مِنْهُمَاmin'humāfrom those two
مَاmāwhat
يُفَرِّقُونَyufarriqūna[they] causes separation
بِهِۦbihiwith it
بَيْنَbaynabetween
ٱلْمَرْءِl-marithe man
وَزَوْجِهِۦۚwazawjihiand his spouse
وَمَاwamāAnd not
هُمhumthey (could)
بِضَآرِّينَbiḍārrīnaat all [be those who] harm
بِهِۦbihiwith it
مِنْminany
أَحَدٍaḥadinone
إِلَّاillāexcept
بِإِذْنِbi-idh'niby permission
ٱللَّهِۚl-lahi(of) Allah
وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَwayataʿallamūnaAnd they learn
مَاmāwhat
يَضُرُّهُمْyaḍurruhumharms them
وَلَاwalāand not
يَنفَعُهُمْۚyanfaʿuhumprofits them
وَلَقَدْwalaqadAnd indeed
عَلِمُوا۟ʿalimūthey knew
لَمَنِlamanithat whoever
ٱشْتَرَىٰهُish'tarāhubuys it
مَاmānot
لَهُۥlahufor him
فِىfīin
ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِl-ākhiratithe Hereafter
مِنْminany
خَلَـٰقٍۢۚkhalāqinshare
وَلَبِئْسَwalabi'saAnd surely evil
مَاmā(is) what
شَرَوْا۟sharawthey sold
بِهِۦٓbihiwith it
أَنفُسَهُمْۚanfusahumthemselves
لَوْlawif
كَانُوا۟kānūthey were
يَعْلَمُونَyaʿlamūna(to) know