[1] Surah 2/269
يُؤتِي الحِكمَةَ مَن يَشاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُؤتَ الحِكمَةَ فَقَد أوتِيَ خَيرًا كَثيرًا ۗ وَما يَذَّكَّرُ إِلّا أُولُو الأَلبابِ
[2] Surah 102/8
ثُمَّ لَتُسأَلُنَّ يَومَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعيمِ
[3] Surah 20/65-69
قالوا يا موسىٰ إِمّا أَن تُلقِيَ وَإِمّا أَن نَكونَ أَوَّلَ مَن أَلقىٰ قالَ بَل أَلقوا ۖ فَإِذا حِبالُهُم وَعِصِيُّهُم يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيهِ مِن سِحرِهِم أَنَّها تَسعىٰفَ أَوجَسَ في نَفسِهِ خيفَةً موسىٰ قُلنا لا تَخَف إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الأَعلىٰ وَأَلقِ ما في يَمينِكَ تَلقَف ما صَنَعوا ۖ إِنَّما صَنَعوا كَيدُ ساحِرٍ ۖ وَلا يُفلِحُ السّاحِرُ حَيثُ أَتىٰ
[4] Surah 2/101-102
لَمّا جاءَهُم رَسولٌ مِن عِندِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِما مَعَهُم نَبَذَ فَريقٌ مِنَ الَّذينَ أوتُوا الكِتابَ كِتابَ اللَّهِ وَراءَ ظُهورِهِمكَأَنَّهُم لا يَعلَمونَوَاتَّبَعوا ما تَتلُو الشَّياطينُ عَلىٰ مُلكِ سُلَيمانَ ۖ وَما كَفَرَ سُلَيمانُ وَلٰكِنَّ الشَّياطينَ كَفَروا يُعَلِّمونَ النّاسَ السِّحرَ وَماأُنزِلَ عَلَى المَلَكَينِ بِبابِلَ هاروتَ وَماروتَ ۚ وَما يُعَلِّمانِ مِن أَحَدٍ حَتّىٰ يَقولا إِنَّما نَحنُ فِتنَةٌ فَلا تَكفُر ۖ فَيَتَعَلَّمونَمِنهُما ما يُفَرِّقونَ بِهِ بَينَ المَرءِ وَزَوجِهِ ۚ وَما هُم بِضارّينَ بِهِ مِن أَحَدٍ إِلّا بِإِذنِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَيَتَعَلَّمونَ ما يَضُرُّهُم وَلايَنفَعُهُم ۚ وَلَقَد عَلِموا لَمَنِ اشتَراهُ ما لَهُ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِن خَلاقٍ ۚ وَلَبِئسَ ما شَرَوا بِهِ أَنفُسَهُم ۚ لَو كانوا يَعلَمونَ
[5] “There was a time when black magic had grown very popular in the world, particularly in Babylon. Seeing its astonishing efficacy, ignorant people began to confuse its effects with the miracles of
prophets, and to suppose that the two were identical in nature. Some even looked upon magicians as being holy men, and worthy of being obeyed; still others actually started learning and practicing black
magic as if it were a good deed bearing a divine sanction”.
This extraordinary veneration for magic and magicians had become a potent source of misguidance. In order to eradicate this misunderstanding, Allah sent down to Babylon two angels, Harut and Marut, for informing the people as to the true nature of magic and as to its different forms, so that they should distinguish it from the miracles of prophets, and keep away from obeying magicians and
practicing magic themselves.
In short, the two angels came down to Babylon, and started the work assigned to them — that is to say, they used to explain the basic principles of magic, its different forms and the specific formulas, and
then used to dissuade the people from getting themselves involved in these activities or with the magicians. Their work was exactly like that of a scholar who, finding that illiterate people sometime fall into uttering heretical words or phrases on account of their ignorance, should collect in his speeches or writings all such phrases that have gained currency, and inform them as to what they must carefully
avoid.
The angels could not be more honest and forthright. So, they explained the basic principles of magic and even the subsidiary details to all those who were ready to take the pledge to remain steadfast in
their faith. Of course, if anyone broke the pledge and fell into transgression or infidelity, it was his own business, and the angels could not be held responsible for it.
[6] There are several ways of pleasing the devils. Sometimes one sings the praises of the devils, and
sometimes recites formulas of a heretical nature which deny Allah or associate others with Him. The worship of stars and planets too gladdens their heart, as do certain evil deeds – for example, preparing
a charm with the blood of a person killed unlawfully, or refusing to adopt the prescribed modes of purifying one’s body, or living constantly and deliberately in a state of uncleanliness and impurity.
Just as the aid of the angels can be won only through those modes of speech and action which they like (for example, remembrance of Allah, fear of Him and obedience to His commandments, cleanliness and
purity, avoidance of all kinds of dirtiness, physical or otherwise, and good deeds in general), similarly the co-operation of the devils can be obtained through those modes of speech and action which are pleasant
to them. That is why only those are successful in the practice of black magic who are habitually unclean and impure, avoid required purification and remembrance of Allah, and are given to all kinds of
evil deeds – for example, it is usually during the period of menstruation that women become effective in the practice of black magic. So much for black magic or sorcery in the exact sense of the term.