And
they followed what the satans chanted (of sorcery) against the kingdom of
Sulayman; and Sulayman was not an unbeliever, but, the satans disbelieved;
they taught men sorcery and what was sent down to the two angels at
Babylon, Harut and Marut Yet these two taught no one until they. had said:
"Surely we are only a trial, therefore do not be a disbeliever. " Even
then men learned from these two that by which they might cause a
separation between a man and his wife; and they cannot hurt with it any
one except with Allah's permission; and they learned what harmed them and
did not profit them; and certainly they knew that he who bought it should
have no share (of good) in the hereafter, and vile was the price
for which they sold their souls; had they but known (this) ( 102).
And if they had believed and guarded themselves (against evil),
reward from Allah would certainly have been better; had they but known
(this) ( 103).
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COMMENTARY
QUR'AN: And they
followed what the satans chanted.
The
exegetes have disputed among themselves about each and every aspect of
this verse; so much so that the resulting picture of the differences is
almost unparalleled in the whole Qur'an. A list of the differences is
given below:
"they
followed": Does the pronoun, "they", refer to the Jews of the Sulayman's
time, or to those at the time of the Prophet, or to all?
"chanted":
The Arabic word is "tatlu" which may be translated as "chanted",
"recited", "told a lie about",
"faked" or
"followed and acted according to". In which sense the word is used here?
Every meaning has some supporters.
"satans":
Does it refer to the satans of jinn? Or to those among the human
beings? Or to both?
"about":
The Arabic participle is 'ala (=against, on, about, upon). Does the
phrase mean, about the kingdom of Sulayman? Or, during the reign of
Sulayman? Or, against his kingdom? Or, on his reign?
"the satans
disbelieved": Some say, they disbelieved because they published the
sorcery among the people. Others say, they disbelieved because they
ascribed the sorcery to Sulayman. Still others say, the disbelief, as
mentioned here, actually means sorcery.
"they
taught men sorcery": It means they instructed them as a teacher instructs
his students. No! it means that they buried the chants under Sulayman's
chair, and then directed the men to it who brought it out and learnt
it.
"and what
was sent down": The word translated here as "what" is "ma" which is a relative pronoun
("what") also, it is a particle of negation ("not"). "And" is mostly used
as a conjunctive; but not infrequently, it is also used to begin a new
sentence. A group says that "ma"
means "what", and the conjunctive joins it to "what the satans
chanted" (the Jews followed what was sent down). Another party is of the
opinion that the conjunctive joins it to "sorcery" (the satans taught them
sorcery and that which was sent down). A third group thinks that "ma" means "not", and the word "and"
begins a new sentence (And sorcery was not sent down to the two angels,
contrary to what the Jews claimed).
"sent
down": Was it sent down from the heavens? Or from the highlands?
"the two
angels": They were the angels from the heaven. No! They were two good men,
or men who feigned to be good. No! It is not "al-malakayn (=two angels); it is
"al-malikayn" (=to
kings)
"Babylon":
It is the famous ancient city of Iraq. No! It is a city in Damawand
(Iran); Wrong! It is the land between Nasibayn (Turkey) and
Ra'su'l-'Ayn.
"these two
taught no one": Teaching is used in its common meaning of instruction. No!
It means, these two apprised no one.
"do not be
a disbeliever": By learning sorcery? Or, by practicing it? Or, by
both?
"the men
learned from these two": The "two" refers to the two angels. No! It means,
they learned from the two subjects, sorcery and disbelief. Wrong! They
learned the practice of sorcery, in place of the advice given by the
angels.
"that by
which they might cause a separation between a man and his wife": Some
exegetes say that they caused love or hate between the couple with the
help of their sorcery. Others think that they misled one of the spouses to
disbelief and polytheism, and the apostasy caused the separation mentioned
here. A third group say that they created hatred and enmity between the
couple with their calumny and slander.
This, in
short, gives a glimpse of the differences of opinions concerning the
explanations of the words and clauses of the verse. There are still more
differences about the event referred to whether it narrates an actual
happening or is just a parable; and so on and so forth. Compute the
differences mentioned above and you will get nearly one million and two
hundred sixty thousand possible explanations!!
It seems an
astounding quality of the Qur'an that a verse that is subjected to so many
divergent interpretations, still maintains its highest standard of
eloquence; that in spite of all these vagaries of the exegetes, its
meaning is not disjointed, nor its beauty marred.
A similar
treatment has been meted out to the verse: Is he then who has with him
clear proof from his Lord, and a witness from him recites it and before it
(is) the Book of Musa, a guide and a mercy (11:17).
However, it
appears from the context that this verse deals with a hitherto unmentioned
affair of the Jews, that is, their wide-spread use of sorcery. They based
this practice on one or two stories, which were very popular among
them.
The Jews
were addicted to making alterations and interpolations in, and omissions
from, their Divine books, let alone the historical narrations. They used
to change their books and records fitting them to the prevalent moods of
their times. A story narrated by them was not to be relied upon. But this
Qur'anic admonition is based on their own belief, because it was they who
used to narrate these stories.
The verse
proves that the practice of sorcery was prevalent among the Jews, and that
they ascribed it to Sulayman (a.s.) They presumed that Sulayman (a.s.) got
the kingdom and subjugated the jinn, the human beings, the animals
and the birds all with the help of sorcery; and all the supernatural
miraculous events related to him depended on witchcraft. And they claimed
that some of the enchantments in their hands had come down to them from
him. The remaining portion was attributed to the two angels at Babylon,
named Harut and Marut.
The Qur'an
refutes the stories, saying that the prophet Sulayman (a.s.) never
indulged in witchcraft and sorcery. How could he, when sorcery was nothing
but disbelief in Allah? Sulayman (a.s.) could not be an unbeliever as he
was a sinless, innocent prophet. All this is clearly seen from the words
of Allah: "and Sulayman was not an unbeliever, but the satans disbelieved,
they taught men sorcery"; "and certainly they knew that he who bought it
should have no share (of good) in the hereafter". Sulayman's position was
too distinguished, his rank too high, and his name too sacred to be
associated with disbelief and sorcery. He was the prophet whose
outstanding position has been eulogized in several places in the chapters
of Meccan period, long before this Chapter of the Cow was revealed. See,
for example, the chapters of the Cattle (6th), the Prophets (21st), the
Ant (27th) and Sad (38th). You shall find therein that Sulayman (a.s.) was
an excellent servant of Allah, a prophet and an apostle; Allah gave him
the knowledge and the wisdom; and granted him a kingdom which was not fit
for any one after him. Obviously, Sulayman could not indulge in sorcery;
it was just a mythical story invented by the satans, which they dictated
to their human friends; and it was the satans who disbelieved because they
misguided the men by teaching them sorcery.
As for the
story of the two angels at Babylon, the Qur'anic stand is as follows:
The two
angels, Harut and Marut were certainly given some sorcery as a means of
test and trial for the human beings - and no objection could be raised
against that; after all, Allah has taught the human nature the ways of
evil too in order that He may test them with it. Likewise, sorcery was
sent down to the two angels; but they did not teach it to anyone until
they had said to him: Surely we are only a trial, therefore do not become
a disbeliever by using it for wrongful purposes; you must use it only to
nullify the effect of witchcraft, to expose the viles of the sorcerers and
things like that. But the men learned from them that by which they might
destroy the domestic peace and turn the love between husband and wife -
the best of the things ingrained in human nature into hatred, causing a
separation between them. Also they learned what harmed them and did not
benefit them.
The verse
therefore may be explained as follows:
And they
(i.e., the Jews coming after the reign of Sulayman - every generation
passing on the legacy to the later one) followed what the satans from
among the jinn faked and lied about the kingdom of Sulayman.
“Tatlu” (translated here as recited or chanted) actually has the
connotation of "lied about " or "faked about", because it is followed by
the preposition “ala" - ( = on) which has changed its semantic
value. Why do we say that the satans were from the jinn? The
following two verses read together provide the answer to this
question:
And of
the satans there were those who dived for him and did other work beside
that, and We kept guard over them (21:82); and when he fell down,
the jinn came to know plainly that if they had known the unseen, they
would not have tarried in abasing torment (34:14). The first verse
shows that the satans were reduced to subjection by Sulayman. (a.s.) who
kept them away from mischief by assigning to them very heavy task; and the
second verse refers to the same slavish group as the jinn
QUR'AN:
and Sulayman. was not an unbeliever: "and" is used here in the
meaning of "while". Sulayman. did not indulge in sorcery; therefore, it
was not he who disbelieved; rather it was the satans who disbelieved,
because they misled the people by teaching them sorcery.
QUR'AN:
and what was sent down: The Jews followed that which was sent
down - through inspiration - to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut
Yet these two did not teach any one any thing of the sorcery, without
warning him not to practice it. They admonished every one who wanted to
learn sorcery: Surely we are only a trial for you. What we teach you is
but a means of test for you. Beware! Don't become an unbeliever by
practicing sorcery.
QUR'AN: Even then
men learned from these two.- that is, from the two angels, Harut and
Marut "that by which they might cause a separation", that is, the sorcery
which caused separation "between a man and his wife".
QUR'AN: and they
cannot hurt with it any one except with Allah's permission: It is a
parenthetic sentence, to remove a possible misunderstanding: One could
assume, on hearing that the sorcerers caused separation between a husband
and his wife, that the sorcerers were powerful enough to disturb the
divinely ordained arrangement of the world; that they could undo the
Divine Decree and change the system created by Allah. This sentence clears
the air and emphasizes the fact that sorcery draws its strength from the
Divine Decree; it cannot affect any thing but with the permission of
Allah. Therefore, the sorcerers act within the framework of the system
designed by Allah.
This
sentence was placed where it is because only the preceding sentence
(that by which they might cause a separation…) mentions the effect
of sorcery. Therefore, it was explained that whatever effect it had was
based on the permission of Allah The following clause (and they learned
what harmed them and did not profit them) is not concerned with this
aspect of sorcery, and the above -mentioned clarifying parenthetic
sentence, if placed after it, would have looked out of place.
QUR'AN: and
certainly they knew that he who bought it should have no share (of
good) in the hereafter: They knew it because their reason and
intellect told them that the sorcery was the wicked source of disorder in
the society. Also, they were made aware of it by Musa (a.s.) when he had
said: and the magician shall not be successful wheresoever he may come
from (20:69).
QUR'AN: and vile was
the price for which they sold their souls; had they but known (this):
They knew that sorcery was bad for them and ruinous for their future
abode; yet it was as though they did not know it -because they did not act
according to their knowledge. If a knowledge fails to lead the knower to
the straight path, then it is not knowledge; it is ignorance. Allah says:
Have you then seen him who takes his low desire for his god, and Allah
has made him err in spite of (his) knowledge . . . (45:23).
Therefore, it was completely in order to wish for them knowledge and
guidance, even if they had had the knowledge before.
QURAN: And if they
had believed and guarded themselves . . .
If they had
followed the dictates of belief and piety, instead of following the
satans' yams and practicing sorcery which is nothing short of disbelief,
they would have got its reward from Allah. This verse indicates that the
disbelief emanating from sorcery is disbelief within the sphere of action,
like that which results from withholding zakat it is not disbelief
within the sphere of faith. Had the sorcery been a disbelief within the
sphere of faith, Allah would have only said, "And if they believed",
without adding "and guarded themselves (against evil)". The Jews had
believed, no doubt; but they did not guard themselves against evil and did
not desist from the things forbidden by Allah there fore, AIM did not
attach any importance, any value, to their belief, and they were called
the disbelievers.
QUR'AN:
reward from Allah would certainly have been better; had they but known
(this): that is, better than the rewards and profits they seek through
sorcery and amass through disbelief.
TRADITIONS
al-Baqir
(a.s.) said, inter alia, explaining the words of Allah And they
followed what the satans chanted (of sorcery) against the kingdom
of Sulayman . . . : "When Sulayman died, Iblis invented sorcery and
wrote it in a book; then folding it, wrote on its. back: 'This is
the valuable treasure of knowledge which Asif ibn Barkhiya produced for
the king Sulayman ibn Dawud Whoever wanted such and such thing, should do
so and so.' Then he buried it under his throne. Thereafter, he unearthed
it for the Jews and recited it (before them). The disbelievers said:
'Sulayman had not gained supremacy over us but because of this.' And the
believers said: 'Nay! He was a servant of Allah and His prophet.' Thus
Allah, Great is His remembrance! said: And they followed what the
satans chanted (of sorcery) against the kingdom of 'Sulayman "
(at-Tafsir, al-'Ayyashi, al-Qummi)
The
author says: This tradition says that it was the Satan, that is,
Iblis, who invented sorcery and wrote and recited it. There is no
discrepancy between this statement and the verse under discussion which
ascribes these things to the satans from among the jinn Even their
deeds are ultimately attributed to the Iblis, because he is the source of
all evil; it is he who instigates his friends to wickedness and evil. Such
usage is common in the traditions.
It appears
from this tradition that the verb, "tatlu " in this verse is
derived from "at - tilawah (= to recite, to chant). It is not in
conflict with the interpretation given by us in the commentary that it
gives the meaning of "lied about" or "faked about"; because, as we said
there, this connotation emerges from the preposition, “'ala” -
which has changed its semantic value. The sentence, therefore, may be
interpreted as follows: The satans chanted the sorcery, reciting it, and
faking it, lying about the kingdom of Sulayman.
Etymologically, tala,
yatlu, tilawatan returns to waliya, yali, wilayatan which
has the semantic value of being near to, governing and
following; one owns a thing gradually, one part following the other
- reciting is called at-tilawah simply because in recitation
one word follows the other.
A fuller
discourse of this subject will be given under the verse: Verily, your
guardian is only Allah and His Apostle and those who believe, those who
establish prayer and pay zakat while they bow down (5:58).
ar-Rida
(a.s.) said, inter alia, in his discussion with al-Ma - "And
as for Harut and Marut they were two angels; they taught sorcery to the
people in order that they could protect themselves from the enchantments
of the sorcerers, and could nullify their devices. And they did not teach
any one any (enchantment) until they had said to him: 'Surely we are
only a trial, therefore do not be a disbeliever.' But a group became
disbelievers by practicing what they were warned against; and they caused
a separation between a man and his wife with their practice (of sorcery).
Allah has said: and they cannot hurt with it any one except with
Allah's permission. " ('Uyunu 'l-akhbar)
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