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. They are said to tempt humans by teaching them the arts of sorcery (siḥr) in Babylon.^[1]^[2]

Quranic exegesis (tafsīr) explains that this pair of angels complained about human wickedness, a reference to Surah 2:30, whereupon they were sent down to earth to compete against humankind with 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 angelic pair is exemplary for angels in Islamic tradition to be tested and potentially fail. Furthermore, they are strongly associated with introducing sorcery to the world throughout Islamic culture.

^ Quran 2:102 ^{(Translated by Yusuf Ali)}
^ Jastrow, Morris; Price, Ira Maurice; Jastrow, Marcus; Ginzberg, Louis; MacDonald, Duncan B. (1906). "Tower of Babel". Jewish Encyclopedia. Funk @-Wagnalls.

[1] Quran 2:102 ^{(Translated by Yusuf Ali)}

[JE-2] Jastrow, Morris; Price, Ira Maurice; Jastrow, Marcus; Ginzberg, Louis; MacDonald, Duncan B. (1906). "Tower of Babel". Jewish Encyclopedia. Funk @-Wagnalls.

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