Surah Al-Baqarah 2:102

Proofs of Muhammad's ﷺ Prophethood

Imam Abu Ja`far bin Jarir said that Allah's statement,

وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ءَايَـتٍ بَيِّنَـتٍ

(And indeed We have sent down to you manifest Ayat) means, "We have sent to you, O Muhammad, clear signs that testify to your prophethood." These Ayat are contained in the Book of Allah (Qur'an) which narrates the secrets of the knowledge that the Jews possess, which they hid, and the stories of their earlier generations. The Book of Allah also mentions the texts in the Books of the Jews that are known to only the rabbis and scholars, and the sections where they altered and distorted the rulings of the Tawrah. Since Allah mentioned all of this in His Book revealed to His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, then this fact alone should be enough evidence for those who are truthful with themselves and who wish to avoid bringing themselves to destruction due to envy and transgression. Further human instict testifies to the truth that Muhammad was sent with and the clear signs that he brought which he did not learn or acquire from mankind. Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas said that,

وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ءَايَـتٍ بَيِّنَـتٍ

(And indeed We have sent down to you manifest Ayat) means, "You recite and convey this Book to them day and night, although you are an Ummi (unlettered) who never read a book. Yet, you inform them of what they have (in their own Books). Allah stated that this fact should serve as an example, a clear sign and a proof against them, if they but knew."

The Jews break Their Covenants

When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sent and Allah reminded the Jews of the covenant that they had with Him, especially concerning Muhammad ﷺ , Malik bin As-Sayf said, "By Allah! Allah never made a covenant with us about Muhammad ﷺ, nor did He take a pledge from us at all." Allah then revealed,

أَوَكُلَّمَا عَـهَدُواْ عَهْدًا نَّبَذَهُ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُم

(Is it not (the case) that every time they make a covenant, some party among them throw it aside) Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that Allah's statement,

بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ

(Nay! (the truth is:) most of them believe not) means, "There is not a promise that they make, but they break it and abandon it. They make a promise today and break it tomorrow."

The Jews abandoned the Book of Allah and practiced Magic

As-Suddi commented on,

وَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ

(And when there came to them a Messenger from Allah (i.e. Muhammad ) confirming what was with them), "When Muhammad ﷺ came to them, they wanted to contradict and dispute with him using the Tawrah. However, the Tawrah and the Qur'an affirmed each other. So the Jews gave up on using the Torah, and took to the Book of Asaf, and the magic of Harut and Marut, which indeed did not conform to the Qur'an. Hence Allah's statement,

كَأَنَّهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ

(As if they did not know!)."

Also, Qatadah said that Allah's statement,

كَأَنَّهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ

(As if they did not know!) means, "They knew the truth but abandoned it, hid it and denied the fact that they even had it."

Magic existed before Sulayman (Solomon)

As-Suddi said that Allah's statement,

وَاتَّبَعُواْ مَا تَتْلُواْ الشَّيَـطِينُ عَلَى مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَـنَ

(They followed what the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulayman) means, "`During the time of Prophet Solomon.' Beforehand, the devils used to ascend to heaven and eavesdrop on the conversations of the angels about what will occur on the earth regarding death, other incidents or unseen matters. They would convey this news to the soothsayers, and the soothsayers would in turn convey the news to the people. The people would believe what the soothsayers told them as being true. When the soothsayers trusted the devils, the devils started to lie to them and added other words to the true news that they heard, to the extent of adding seventy false words to each true word. The people recorded these words in some books. Soon after, the Children of Israel said that the Jinns know matters of the Unseen. When Solomon was sent as a Prophet, he collected these books in a box and buried it under his throne; any devil that dared get near the box was burned. Solomon said, `I will not hear of anyone who says that the devils know the Unseen, but I will cut off his head.' When Solomon died and the scholars who knew the truth about Solomon perished, there came another generation. To them, the devil materialized in the shape of a human and said to some of the Children of Israel, `Should I lead you to a treasure that you will never be able to use up' They said. `Yes.' He said, `Dig under this throne,' and he went with them and showed them Solomon's throne. They said to him, `Come closer.' He said, `No. I will wait for you here, and if you do not find the treasure then kill me. ' They dug and found the buried books, and Satan said to them, `Solomon only controlled the humans, devils and birds with this magic.' Thereafter, the news that Solomon was a sorcerer spread among the people, and the Children of Israel adopted these books. When Muhammad ﷺ came, they disputed with him relying on these books. Hence Allah's statement,

وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَـنُ وَلَـكِنَّ الشَّيْاطِينَ كَفَرُواْ

(Sulayman did not disbelieve, but the Shayatin (devils) disbelieved).

The Story of Harut and Marut, and the Explanation that They were Angels

Allah said,

وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَـرُوتَ وَمَـرُوتَ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّى يَقُولاَ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلاَ تَكْفُرْ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ

(And such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Harut and Marut, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, "We are 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).

There is a difference of opinion regarding this story. It was said that this Ayah denies that anything was sent down to the two angels, as Al-Qurtubi stated and then referred to the Ayah,

وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَـنُ

(Sulayman did not disbelieve) saying, "The negation applies in both cases. Allah then said,

وَلَـكِنَّ الشَّيْاطِينَ كَفَرُواْ يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ

(But the Shayatin (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels).

The Jews claimed that Gabriel and Michael brought magic down to the two angels, but Allah refuted this false claim."

Also, Ibn Jarir reported, that Al-`Awfi said that Ibn `Abbas said about Allah's statement,

وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ

(And such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels)

"Allah did not send magic down."

Also, Ibn Jarir narrated that Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said about,

وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ

(And such things that came down to the two angels), "Allah did not send magic down to the them." Ibn Jarir commented, "This is the correct explanation for this Ayah.

وَاتَّبَعُواْ مَا تَتْلُواْ الشَّيَـطِينُ عَلَى مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَـنَ

(They followed what the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely) in the lifetime of Sulayman.) meaning, magic. However, neither did Solomon disbelieve nor did Allah send magic with the two angels. The devils, on the other hand, disbelieved and taught magic to the people of the Babylon of Harut and Marut."

Ibn Jarir continued; "If someone asks about explaining this Ayah in this manner, we say that,

وَاتَّبَعُواْ مَا تَتْلُواْ الشَّيَـطِينُ عَلَى مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَـنَ

(They followed what the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely) in the lifetime of Sulayman.) means, magic. Solomon neither disbelieved nor did Allah send magic with the two angels. However, the devils disbelieved and taught magic to the people in the Babylon of Harut and Marut, meaning Gabriel and Michael, for Jewish sorcerers claimed that Allah sent magic by the words of Gabriel and Michael to Solomon, son of David. Allah denied this false claim and stated to His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that Gabriel and Michael were not sent with magic. Allah also exonerated Solomon from practicing magic, which the devils taught to the people of Babylon by the hands of two men, Harut and Marut. Hence, Harut and Marut were two ordinary men (not angels or Gabriel or Michael)." These were the words of At-Tabari, and this explanation is not plausible.

Many among the Salaf, said that Harut and Marut were angels who came down from heaven to earth and did what they did as the Ayah stated. To conform this opinion with the fact that the angels are immune from error, we say that Allah had eternal knowledge what these angels would do, just as He had eternal knowledge that Iblis would do as he did, while Allah refered to him being among the angels,

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـئِكَةِ اسْجُدُواْ لأَدَمَ فَسَجَدُواْ إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى

(And (remember) when We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves before Adam." And they prostrated except Iblis (Satan), he refused) (20:116) and so forth. However, what Harut and Marut did was less evil than what Iblis, may Allah curse him, did. Al-Qurtubi reported this opinion from `Ali, Ibn Mas`ud, Ibn `Abbas, Ibn `Umar, Ka`b Al-Ahbar, As-Suddi and Al-Kalbi.

Learning Magic is Kufr

Allah said,

وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّى يَقُولاَ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلاَ تَكْفُرْ

(But neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, "We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).)

Abu Ja`far Ar-Razi said that Ar-Rabi' bin Anas said that Qays bin `Abbad said that Ibn `Abbas said, "When someone came to the angels to learn magic, they would discourage him and say to him, `We are only a test, so do not fall into disbelief.' They had knowledge of what is good and evil and what constitutes belief or disbelief, and they thus knew that magic is a form of disbelief. When the person who came to learn magic still insisted on learning it, they commanded him to go to such and such place, where if he went, Satan would meet him and teach him magic. When this man would learn magic, the light (of faith) would depart him, and he would see it shining (and flying away) in the sky. He would then proclaim, `O my sorrow! Woe unto me! What should I do." Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that this Ayah means, "The angels were sent with magic, so that the people whom Allah willed would be tried and tested. Allah made them promise that they would not teach anyone until first proclaiming, `We are a test for you, do not fall into disbelief."' It was recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim. Also, Qatadah said, "Allah took their covenant to not teach anyone magic until they said, `We are a test. Therefore, do not fall in disbelief."'

Also, As-Suddi said, "When a man would come to the two angels they would advise him, `Do not fall into disbelief. We are a test. ' When the man would ignore their advice, they would say, `Go to that pile of ashes and urinate on it.' When he would urinate on the ashes, a light, meaning the light of faith, would depart from him and would shine until it entered heaven. Then something black that appeared to be smoke would descend and enter his ears and the rest of his body, and this is Allah's anger. When he told the angels what happened, they would teach him magic. So Allah's statement,

وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّى يَقُولاَ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلاَ تَكْفُرْ

(But neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, "We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).)

Sunayd said that Hajjaj said that Ibn Jurayj commented on this Ayah (2:102), "No one dares practice magic except a disbeliever. As for the Fitnah, it involves trials and freedom of choice."The scholars who stated that learning magic is disbelief relied on this Ayah for evidence. They also mentioned the Hadith that Abu Bakr Al-Bazzar recorded from `Abdullah, which states,

«مَنْ أَتَى كَاهِنًا أَوْ سَاحِرًا فَصَدَّقَهُ بِمَا يَقُولُ فَقَدْ كَفَر بِمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلى مُحَمَّدٍصلى الله عليه وسلّم»

(Whoever came to a soothsayer or a sorcerer and believed in what he said, will have disbelieved in what Allah revealed to Muhammad .)

This Hadith has an authentic chain of narration and there are other Hadiths which support it.

Causing a Separation between the Spouses is One of the Effects of Magic

Allah said,

فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ

(And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife,) This means, "The people learned magic from Harut and Marut and indulged in evil acts that included separating spouses, even though spouses are close to, and intimately associate with each other. This is the devil's work." Muslim recorded that Jabir bin `Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَيَضَعُ عَرْشَهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُ سَرَايَاهُ فِي النَّاسِ فَأَقْرَبُهُمْ عِنْدَهُ مَنْزِلَةً أَعْظَمُهُمْ عِنْدَهُ فِتْنَةً وَيَجِيءُ أَحَدُهُمْ فَيَقُولُ: مَا زِلْتُ بِفُلَانٍ حَتَّى تَرَكْتُهُ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ كَذَا وَكَذَا، فَيَقُولُ إِبْلِيسُ: لَا وَاللهِ مَا صَنَعْتَ شَيْئًا، وَيَجِيءُ أَحَدُهُمْ فَيَقُولُ: مَا تَرَكْتُهُ حَتّى فَرَّقْتُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ أَهْلِهِ، قَالَ: فَيُقرِّبُهُ وَيُدْنِيهِ وَيَلْتَزِمُهُ وَيَقُولُ: نِعْمَ أَنْت»

(Satan erects his throne on water and sends his emissaries among the people. The closest person to him is the person who causes the most Fitnah. One of them (a devil) would come to him and would say, `I kept inciting so-and-so, until he said such and such words.' Iblis says, `No, by Allah, you have not done much.' Another devil would come to him and would say, `I kept inciting so-and-so, until I separated between him and his wife.' Satan would draw him closer and embrace him, saying, `Yes, you did well.')

Separation between a man and his wife occurs here because each spouse imagines that the other spouse is ugly or ill-mannered, etc.

Allah's Appointed Term supercedes Everything

Allah said,

وَمَا هُم بِضَآرِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

(But they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah's leave). Sufyan Ath-Thawri commented, "Except by Allah's appointed term." Further, Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that,

وَمَا هُم بِضَآرِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

(But they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah's leave) means, "Allah allows magicians to adversely affect whomever He wills and saves whomever He wills from them. Sorcerers never bring harm to anyone except by Allah's leave." Allah's statement,

وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلاَ يَنفَعُهُمْ

(And they learn that which harms them and profits them not.) means, it harms their religion and does not have a benefit compared to its harm.

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُواْ لَمَنِ اشْتَرَاهُ مَا لَهُ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَـقٍ

(And indeed they knew that the buyers of it (magic) would have no (Khalaq) share in the Hereafter.) meaning, "The Jews who preferred magic over following the Messenger of Allah ﷺ knew that those who commit the same error shall have no Khalaq in the Hereafter." Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and As-Suddi stated that `no Khalaq' means, `no share.'

Allah then said,

وَاتَّبَعُواْ مَا تَتْلُواْ الشَّيَـطِينُ عَلَى مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَـنَ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَـنُ وَلَـكِنَّ الشَّيْاطِينَ كَفَرُواْ يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَـرُوتَ وَمَـرُوتَ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّى يَقُولاَ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلاَ تَكْفُرْ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ وَمَا هُم بِضَآرِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلاَ يَنفَعُهُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُواْ لَمَنِ اشْتَرَاهُ مَا لَهُ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَـقٍ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْاْ بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ لَوْ كَانُواْ يَعْلَمُونَ - وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ ءَامَنُواْ واتَّقَوْا لَمَثُوبَةٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَّوْ كَانُواْ يَعْلَمُونَ

(And how bad indeed was that for which they sold their own selves, if they but knew. And if they had believed and guarded themselves from evil and kept their duty to Allah, far better would have been the reward from their Lord, if they but knew!). Allah stated, o

وَلَبِئْسَ

(And how bad) meaning, what they preferred, magic, instead of faith and following the Messenger, if they but comprehend the advice.

وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ ءَامَنُواْ واتَّقَوْا لَمَثُوبَةٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ

(And if they had believed and guarded themselves from evil and kept their duty to Allah, far better would have been the reward from their Lord,) meaning, "Had they believed in Allah and His Messenger and avoided the prohibitions, then Allah's reward for these good deeds would have been better for them than what they chose and preferred for themselves." Similarly, Allah said,

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ وَيْلَكُمْ ثَوَابُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِّمَنْ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـلِحاً وَلاَ يُلَقَّاهَآ إِلاَّ الصَّـبِرُونَ

(But those who had been given (religious) knowledge said: "Woe to you! The reward of Allah (in the Hereafter) is better for those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and this none shall attain except As-Sabirun (the patient in following the truth).") (28:80).

Orang-orang Yahudi mengikuti sihir yang dibacakan oleh setan pada masa Sulaiman putra Daud, meskipun mereka tahu, bahwa yang demikian itu sebenarnya salah. Mereka menuduh bahwa Nabi Sulaiman yang menghimpun kitab sihir, dan menyimpan di bawah tahtanya, kemudian dikeluarkan dan disiarkan.

Dugaan seperti ini adalah suatu pemalsuan dan perbuatan yang dipengaruhi oleh hawa nafsu. Sebenarnya mereka hanya menghubung-hubungkan sihir itu pada Nabi Sulaiman. Nabi Sulaiman tidak mengajarkan atau mempraktekkan sihir karena ia mengetahui bahwa perbuatan yang demikian itu termasuk mengingkari Tuhan, apalagi kalau ditinjau dari kedudukannya sebagai nabi, mustahillah ia mempraktekkan sihir.

Kisah tentang sihir banyak dituturkan dalam Al-Qur'an terutama dalam kisah Musa dan Fir'aun. Dalam kisah itu diterangkan sifat-sifat sihir, bahwa sihir itu adalah sulapan yang menipu pandangan mata, sehingga orang yang melihat mengira, bahwa yang terlihat seolah-olah keadaan yang sebenarnya. Hal ini dijelaskan dalam firman Allah:

"¦Terbayang olehnya (Musa) seakan-akan ular merayap cepat, karena sihir mereka¦. (taha/20:66)

Dan sesuai dengan firman Allah:

"¦Mereka menyihir mata orang banyak dan menjadikan orang banyak itu takut,¦ (al-A'raf/7:116)

Sihir termasuk sesuatu yang tersembunyi, yang hanya diketahui oleh sebagian manusia saja. Tetapi apa yang telah terjadi menunjukkan bahwa kedua malaikat ) itu tidak mampu memberikan pengaruh gaib yang melebihi kemampuan manusia, bahkan yang disebut kekuatan gaib oleh mereka itu hanyalah kemahiran dalam menguasai sebab-sebab yang mempunyai perpautan dengan akibat yang dilakukan. Hal ini hanyalah terjadi karena izin Allah semata-mata, sesuai dengan hukum yang telah ditetapkan-Nya.

Dalam praktek, tukang-tukang sihir itu membaca mantera dengan menyebut nama-nama setan dan raja-raja jin agar timbul kesan seolah-olah manteranya itu dikabulkan oleh raja jin. Atas dasar praktek mereka inilah timbul anggapan yang merata dalam lapisan masyarakat, bahwa sihir itu dibantu oleh setan.

Kemudian orang Yahudi yang sezaman dengan Nabi Muhammad saw menyebarluaskan sihir itu di kalangan orang-orang Islam dengan tujuan untuk menyesatkan. Mereka dapati sihir itu dari nenek moyang mereka yang mengatakan sihir itu dari Sulaiman a.s.. Padahal kedua malaikat tidak mengajarkan sihir kepada seorang pun, sebelum memberikan nasihat agar orang jangan mengamalkan sihir itu, sebab orang yang mempraktekkan sihir itu adalah kafir.

Ayat 102 ini tidak lepas dari ayat 101 sebelumnya. Sebagian Ahli Kitab itu meninggalkan Kitab mereka (Taurat) dan mengikuti bisikan manusia-manusia setan (syayatin) yang mengajarkan sihir pada masa Nabi Sulaiman. Ayat ini membantah tuduhan kelompok Yahudi, bahwa ia mendapatkan kekuasaan dan kekayaannya melalui sihir (Zamakhsyari 1/230), juga menolak pernyataan Bibel, bahwa Sulaiman telah berdosa dengan melakukan praktek syirik. Dia dituduh beristrikan 700 perempuan bangsawan asing dan 300 gundik. Karena kebanyakan mereka penyembah berhala, maka Sulaiman juga pada masa tuanya terpengaruh oleh mereka, cenderung percaya kepada berhala-berhala dan dewa-dewa”tidak seperti bapanya Daud (Kitab Raja-Raja I, 11:1-10).

Harut dan Marut yang disebutkan dalam ayat ini adalah dua orang di Babilonia, sekitar Sungai Furat di Irak, "yang berpura-pura seperti orang saleh dan bertakwa. Mereka mengajarkan sihir kepada masyarakat, sehingga keduanya dikira dua malaikat yang turun dari langit, dan yang diajarkan dikira wahyu dari Allah. Mereka pandai sekali menipu dan menjaga itikad baik masyarakat kepada mereka, maka mereka berkata kepada setiap orang yang ingin belajar dari mereka, bahwa "Kami hanyalah cobaan, janganlah kamu menjadi kafir," yakni bahwa mereka para penguji "yang akan menguji kamu, akan bersyukur atau akan kufur. Maka kami menasihati kalian, janganlah menjadi kafir." Mereka berkata begitu untuk memberi kesan bahwa ilmu yang mereka bawa dari Tuhan, dan praktek mereka untuk kepentingan rohani. Tapi tujuannya hanya demi merusak keharmonisan. Dalam hal ini orang-orang Yahudi punya banyak tahayul. Mereka percaya bahwa sihir yang diturunkan kepada mereka sungguh dari Tuhan. Kedatangan kedua malaikat itu hanya untuk mengajar manusia. Maka Al-Qur'an datang membantah anggapan mereka, bahwa itu datang dari langit, dan mengecam keras mereka yang belajar dan mengajarkannya..." (al-Qasimi 1/210).

Mengutip al-hasan al-Basri, al-Zamakhsyari (1/230) mengatakan bahwa kata malakaini (dua malaikat) ini dibaca malikaini (dua raja). Muhammad Asad menambahkan, bahwa Ibn Abbas dan tabi'in berikutnya, seperti al-hasan al-Basri, Abu al-Aswad adh-ahhak juga membacanya malikaini. Adapun dua malaikat itu adalah Jibril dan Mikhail, mereka yang mengajarkan sihir kepada Sulaiman, seperti yang dituduhkan oleh orang-orang Yahudi itu. Sedang dua raja adalah Daud dan Sulaiman.

Tentang kata Wa ma unzila 'ala al-malakaini, pendapat para mufasir tidak sama, ada yang mengatakan ma nafiyyah ("tidak diturunkan") ada pula yang berpendapat ma ismiyyah atau isim mausul ("apa yang diturunkan"), dan sebagainya. Tetapi perbedaan gramatikal ini rasanya kurang perlu dibahas di sini.

Dengan mengacu kepada tafsir-tafsir Haqqani, Baidhawi dan ar-Razi, kita coba meringkaskan apa yang disebutkan dalam tafsir Abdullah Yusuf Ali, bahwa "Kata 'para malaikat yang diterapkan pada Harut dan Marut ialah kata kiasan, yang berarti 'orang-orang baik, berpengetahuan, berilmu (atau arif bijaksana) dan punya kekuatan", seperti kata malaikat dalam bahasa-bahasa modern juga dipakai untuk perempuan yang baik dan cantik, dan bagi mereka berlaku segala sifat keindahan, yang juga berarti kebaikan, pengetahuan, kearifan dan kekuatan.

"Harut dan Marut hidup di Babilonia, pusat ilmu paling tua, terutama dalam astronomi. Diperkirakan masanya sekitar zaman Kerajaan Kuno di Timur, sangat kuat dan maju. Malah mungkin lebih tua lagi, mengingat Marut atau Marduk merupakan pahlawan yang didewakan dan kemudian dipuja sebagai dewa sihir di Babilonia. Agak berbeda dengan pendapat al-Qasimi di atas, ia menyebutkan bahwa Harut dan Marut sebagai manusia yang baik tidak mau menceburkan diri ke dalam kejahatan, mereka bersih dari segala penipuan. Ilmu dan seni jika dipelajari oleh orang jahat dapat digunakan untuk kejahatan pula. Di samping praktek sihirnya yang keji, setan juga belajar tentang ilmu yang benar itu sedikit-sedikit dan akan digunakannya untuk maksud-maksud jahat tadi. Harut dan Marut bukan mau menyembunyikan ilmu, namun mereka belum pernah mengajarkan kepada siapa pun tanpa memberikan peringatan mengenai bahaya dan godaan ilmu semacam itu bila berada di tangan orang jahat. Mereka melihat bukan tidak mungkin orang-orang jahat itu akan terjerumus ke dalam kekufuran dan akan jadi sombong karena ilmunya. Ilmu ini memang merupakan cobaan dan godaan; kalau sudah diberi peringatan, tahulah kita akan bahayanya. (Abdullah Yusuf Ali: C. 107).

Yusuf Ali menambahkan, "Di antara sekian banyak cerita Israiliat dalam Midrash (Kitab Tafsir Yahudi) ada sebuah cerita tentang dua malaikat yang memohonkan izin kepada Allah hendak turun ke bumi ini, tetapi kemudian mereka menyerah kepada godaan, lalu sebagai hukuman mereka digantung di Babilonia dengan kaki di atas. Cerita-cerita tentang para malaikat yang berdosa yang telah menerima hukuman demikian sudah menjadi kepercayaan kalangan kristiani dahulu juga. (Lihat Surat Petrus yang Kedua, 2, 4, dan Surat Yudas, ayat 6).

Apa yang dipelajari oleh setan dari Harut dan Marut mereka ubah untuk maksud-maksud jahat. Karena dicampur dengan kepalsuan dan penipuan, maka lahirlah segala jimat-jimat, mantera dan guna-guna. Tetapi lepas dari mudarat yang dibuat oleh penipu-penipu yang hendak ditimpakannya kepada orang lain itu, mudarat atau bahaya yang mereka lakukan itu akan menimpa jiwa mereka sendiri. Mereka menjual diri sendiri menjadi budak kejahatan (Idem).

Ayat ini sebenarnya tidak menunjukkan hakikat sihir. Apakah sihir itu berpengaruh secara tabi'i atau disebabkan oleh sesuatu yang sangat misteri, juga tidak diterangkan apakah sihir itu dapat memberi pengaruh kepada manusia dengan cara yang tidak biasa, atau sama sekali tidak memberikan pengaruh apa-apa. Ringkasnya, Allah tidak memberikan keterangan secara terinci. Andaikan Allah memandang baik menerangkan hakikat sihir itu dan bermanfaat bagi manusia, tentulah Allah akan menerangkannya secara terperinci.

Seterusnya Allah menjelaskan bahwa sihir tidak memberikan manfaat sedikit pun kepada manusia, bahkan memberikan mudarat. Oleh sebab itu, Allah mengancam orang yang mempraktekkannya dengan siksaan. Orang-orang Yahudi pun sebetulnya telah mengetahui bahwa sihir memudaratkan manusia, dan seharusnya mereka membencinya. Tetapi, karena ada maksud jahat yang terkandung dalam hati mereka untuk menyesatkan orang Islam, mereka pun mau mengerjakannya. Oleh karena itulah, Allah mencela perbuatan sihir dan memasukkan orang yang melakukannya ke dalam golongan orang yang memilih perbuatan sesat. Selanjutnya Allah menegaskan bahwa di akhirat mereka tidak akan mendapat kebahagiaan sedikit pun. Karena mereka yang telah memilih perbuatan sihir, berarti mereka telah menyalahi hukum yang termuat dalam Taurat, padahal dalam Kitab mereka sendiri terdapat juga ketentuan bahwa orang yang mengikuti bisikan jin, setan dan dukun itu, sama hukumnya dengan orang yang menyembah berhala dan patung.

Lebih jauh Allah menjelaskan bahwa sihir yang mereka kerjakan itu sangat jelek, Allah menggambarkan orang yang memilih perbuatan sihir sebagai kesenangannya seperti orang yang menjual iman dengan kesesatan. Gambaran serupa ini gunanya untuk menyingkapkan selubung mereka, agar kesadarannya dapat terbuka dan mengetahui bahwa manusia diciptakan Allah untuk berbakti kepada-Nya. Dengan kata lain, andaikata mereka mengetahui kesesatan orang yang mempelajari dan mempraktekkan sihir, tentulah mereka tidak akan melakukannya. Tetapi mereka telah jauh tertipu, sehingga mereka beranggapan bahwa sihir itu termasuk ilmu pengetahuan, dan mereka merasa puas dengan ilmu yang tidak terbukti kebenarannya dan tidak memberikan pengaruh apa pun kepada jiwa seseorang kecuali dengan izin Allah.