Harut and Marut in the Book of Watchers and Book of Jubilees

Jaber 1 Harut and Marut in ​The Book of Watchers​ and ​Jubilees Hanan Jaber REL 432: History of Early Judaism November 18, 2018 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Jaber 2 Introduction Whenever a Muslim is asked whether a story or idea is part of their religion, one of the first sources they reference is the Quran. However, the Quran contains some verses which lack much context and are in need of exegetes to explain them. Typically, the exegetical writings (​tafsir​) will contain multiple chains of narrations, leading back to the prophet Muhammad or his companions, and give the context through which the verse was revealed, i.e. when, where, or why it was revealed. What strikes the modern Muslim reader, who has been taught that the Quran is different from all other Abrahamic books, as odd is how readily famous Quranic exegetes used ​israiliyat​ (biblical stories found only in the Hebrew of Christian Bible but not in the Quran) to give context to vague verses. One such verse that catches the eye is verse 2:102. This paper compares and contrasts the exegetical explanations regarding the angels mentioned in verse 2:102, Harut and Marut, and the fallen angels found in the pseudepigraphic works ​The Book of Jubilees​ and ​The Book of Watchers ​in ​1 Enoch​. It will be shown that the earlier Muslim exegetes were open to using biblical stories to explain the Quran, whereas the later scholars became rigidly against adding anything that was not contained in codified Islamic texts, such as the Quran and hadith literature. In order to understand how the exegetical interpretations of verse 2:102 evolved over time, it is important to comprehend how each century’s known exegete interpreted verse 2:102. The first exegesis to be analyzed will be that of Muhammad b. Jarir al-Tabari (d. 923 CE), whose exegetical work is the earliest preserved ​tafsir​, and who lived two centuries after the Prophet’s death. His style of exegesis includes presenting the major existing opinions during his time and Jaber 3 sometimes explaining his opinion (other times, leaving it up to the reader). For the sake of brevity, this paper will give his view with some opposing views in the footnotes. The second exegesis to be examined will be that of the Mu’tazilite, Persian scholar Mahmud b. Umar al-Zamakhshari (d. 1144 CE), whose exegesis is much less detailed than Tabari’s. Following will be that of the Andalusian scholar Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Qurtubi (d. 1273 CE). Then, that of 1 the famous Mamluk, Syrian historian Isma`il b. Umar b. Kathir (d. 1373 CE), who is the first exegete that challenges the acceptance of the biblical stories by his predecessors. Next, the Egyptian exegete Jalaluddin Al-Suyuti (d. 1505 CE). Then, the Yemeni scholar Muhammad b. Ali al-Shawkani (d. 1839 CE). Afterwards, the Egyptian, Islamist author, and a leader within the Muslim Brotherhood Sayyid Qutb (d. 1966 CE). And finally, the exegesis of the Palestinian founder of Noon Institute of Qur’anic Studies, Bassam Jarrar. However, before understanding whether or not the exegetes accepted the biblical story regarding Harut and Marut, it is important to understand the contents of ​The Book of Watchers​ and ​Jubilees​. Stories of Shemihazah, Asael, and the Watchers The biblical stories that most closely mirror that of the exegetical explanations of verse 2:102 in the Quran, ​1 Enoch​ and ​Book of Jubilees​, are those categorized as Jewish pseudepigraphic sources. These sources were not accepted into the canonized Hebrew Bible (the TaNaKh), and as such, were named pseudepigraphic writings. ​1 Enoch​ is a source that was discovered in the fourth Qumran Cave and comprises, as of now, of five booklets. It presents itself as being revelation revealed to Enoch, the seventh patriarch from Adam. ​The Book of 1 Commonly referred to as Ibn Kathir Jaber 4 Watchers​ is one of the earliest books of ​1 Enoch​, believed to have been written around the third century BCE2. In ​The​ ​Book of Watchers​, the heavenly angels desired the daughters of humans. They decided to “choose for [them]selves wives from the daughters of men, and...beget children for [them]selves.”3 Shemihazah and Asael were the leaders of these angels. After descending and sleeping with the daughters of humans, these angels taught their wives sorcery, charms4, and “the eternal mysteries that are in heaven”5. The results of these marriages between angels and humans are giants who wreak havoc on Earth, plunder, and kill. The non-rebellious angels, upon hearing the cries from Earth, go to God and complain that “Shemihazah and Asael [have]...gone in to the daughters of the men of earth, and they have lain with them, and have defiled themselves with the women. And they have revealed to them all sins, and have taught them to make hate-inducing charms”.6 Upon hearing this, God sends the four Archangels, Sariel, Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael to punish the rebellious angels. The order given to Raphael was to imprison Asael: “Go, Raphael, and bind Asael hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: And make an opening in the wilderness that is in Doudael7. Throw him there, and lay beneath him sharp and jagged stones. And cover him with darkness,...cover up his face, and let him not see the light...And announce the healing of the earth, which the watchers have desolated;...and all the sons of men may not perish because of the mystery that the watchers told and taught their sons.”8 Vanderkam, 91 ​1 Enoch​, 6:2 4 Ibid, 7:1 5 Ibid, 9:6 6 Ibid, 9:6-9:8 7 University of North Carolina professor John C. Reeves states the possibility that Doudel could have actually been the “Babil” mentioned in the Harut and Marut story in verse 2:102 in the Quran by saying, “One could certainly speculate here on possible orthographic confusions between Aramaic beth and dalet or Greek beta and delta, although the early Mishnaic toponym bet hidudo would point to the essential integrity of the phonemic cluster signaled by the texts of 1 Enoch, a correlation first noticed long ago by Geiger.” (Reeves, 830) 8 ​1 Enoch​, 10:4-7 2 3 Jaber 5 The punishment for Shemihazah and the other angels was similar, in that they were to be bound “for seventy generations in the valleys of the Earth”9. Another biblical story which tells a related story to that in ​1 Enoch​, and appears to have occured around the time of Enoch, is that of the Watchers in the ​Book of Jubilees.​ The ​Book of Jubilees​ was another pseudepigraphic source which was attributed to Moses paralleling the books of Genesis and Exodus, and was produced around the third or second centuries BCE10. After the start of the tenth jubilee, and during the time of Jared, the father of Enoch, “the angels of the Lord descended on the Earth, those who are named Watchers, that they should instruct the children of men, and that they should do judgement and uprightness on the Earth”11. Thus, the instructions for angels to descend to Earth was a Godly commandment in order for righteousness to come about on Earth, and not a rebellion by the angels, as was understood in the ​The Book of Watchers​. However, the angels of God who were sent down began to lust after earthly women, and married them. Due to the corruption that was brought about on Earth, God decided to destroy humanity through a flood. Then, God directly, without the suggestion of his angels, decided to punish the angels he sent: “He was exceedingly wroth, and He gave commandment to root them out of all their dominion, and He bade us to bind them in the depths of the earth, and behold they are bound in the midst of them, and are (kept) separate”12. The differences between these two biblical stories is that the former depicts angels who were rebellious beginning from their time in heaven, while the latter were sent by God to humans in order that they may spread righteousness. Both stories explain that the angels lusted after Ibid, 10:11-12 Reeves, 831 11 ​Book of Jubilees, 4:15 12 ​Ibid, 5:6 9 10 Jaber 6 earthly women, however, ​The​ ​Book of Watchers ​states that God’s punishment does not hit the angels until the archangels complain to him13. ​Jubilees​ shows no signs of angelic intervention in God’s punishment, and God himself punishes the Watchers by imprisoning them on Earth. However, the story that explains what the Watchers told their wives is ​The Book of Watchers​, and not ​Jubilees​. The next section will be dedicated to discussing how early Muslim exegetes used a marriage between the two stories to give a more comprehensive story to 2:102. The Exegeses Verse 2:102 reads: 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, Harut and Marut. But 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 Allah. And the people learn what harms them and does not benefit them. But they [the Children of Israel] certainly knew that whoever purchased the magic would not have in the Hereafter any share. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, 14 if they only knew. From the context of the previous verse, it is clear that the “they” beginning verse 2:102 is referring to the Sons of Israel (​bani Israil​). They followed what some devils (​shayatin​) had said about Solomon’s reign15. The Quran then states that Solomon did not disbelieve; rather, the devils did by teaching the people magic and that which was brought down to the two angels in Babylon (​babil​) Harut and Marut. There is no mention of what exactly was brought down to the two angels, and why it had to be “brought down”; nor any context of why these angels were in Babylon. Before these angels would teach anyone how to cause separation between a husband ​1 Enoch​, 10:1-2 Sahih International Translation of 2:102 15 ​Here, I disagree with the Sahih International Translation because the word ​‘ala​ does not mean during (​fi​). 13 14 Jaber 7 and wife, they would warn them not to disbelieve, because they were a test. Again, no reason is given as to why this would be a test, nor are there any details given about how the knowledge would be taught. Were these angels talking to humans in their angelic form? Were they in a different form? The verse simply does not provide such details. The verse then explains that no one could be harmed by the teachings of the angels except by Allah’s permission. Next, it explains that the knowledge that people would learn from these angels would only harm them and give them no benefit. For those who chose to “purchase” the magic, I assume here it means practice the teachings of the angels, they become losers in the afterlife. The verse ends by saying that their afterlife was sold for something so “wretched”, if only they knew. The story of Harut and Marut in this verse is extremely brief, and there is no mention of it anywhere else in the Quran. The message that seems to be the focus in this verse, perhaps, is the example of the Sons of Israel disregarding their books and following books of magic should not be imitated by the community receiving the Quran’s revelation. This verse only compares to the Watchers’ stories in that there are angels who seem to be communicating with humans, and teaching them some sort of magic. What will give context to this verse and almost replicate the Watchers’ stories is the exegeses. Tabari Before delving into the details of which parts of verse 2:102 could be related to The Book of Watchers ​and ​Jubilees​, it is important to understand the context in which the verse was revealed. Al-Tabari explains that verse 2:102 was revealed in reference to the Jews living 16 during Muhammad’s time in Madinah . These Jews disputed the Torah with Muhammad; and, ​He argues that it could have been in reference to the Jews during Solomon’s time or during the Prophet’s time, and that even if the verse was referring to the Jews during Solomon’s time, the Jews during Muhammad’s time were doing the exact same actions (Tabari, 594). 16 Jaber 8 after allegedly finding the Qur’an to be in agreement with the Torah, they cast the Torah behind their backs, as if they had no knowledge of its contents, and followed what the devils (​shayatin​) were saying during the reign of King Solomon. Tabari explains that, during the reign of 17 Solomon, some scholars believed that the devils, which Solomon had control over , were knowledgeable of magic. Those devils would go up to the heavens and hear what the angels were saying regarding earthly matters. Then, they would report what they heard to the scholars of the Jews (​al-kahanah)​. The ​kahanah​ would then gain the trust of the people, since it appeared that they could foresee the future. However, after gaining the trust of the people, they would embed lies within the truths, until there would be a grain of truth amongst a sea of lies. The Sons of 18 Israel then wrote books which contained what the ​kahanah​ taught them. Solomon, upon hearing of these books, collected them all and buried them under his throne. After his death, Satan (or other devils) instructed the people to dig under the throne and retrieve the books, 19 convincing them that Solomon used these books of magic to control the people, ​jinn , and birds. The rumor amongst the Sons of Israel became that Solomon was not a prophet, but a sorcerer. Therefore, verse 2:102 explains “it was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic.” 20 Verses 27:16-17 give evidence that King Solomon had a unique kingdom where he had soldiers from the ​Jinn​ (the species which Satan is believed to be from), men, and birds as well as communicate with birds. 18 This was the opinion of Al-Suddi. As for Ibn Zayd, he believed that the devils had written the books (Tabari, 591). Jarrar held that there can be devils from the human and ​jinn​, and that ​shayatin​ just meant people who would do satanic acts. 19 In Islamic literature, the ​jinn​ or creatures of God who are made out of fire (Satan is one of them). They have the ability to see humans, but humans cannot see them in their original form. 20 ​ The Qur’an explains Solomon did not disbelieve because had Solomon, who was believed to be a Prophet of God, taught the people magic rather than teaching them the word of God, he would have disbelieved (Tabari, 598). 17 Jaber 9 The verse now goes into the story of Harut and Marut. Here, Tabari cites narrations21 that reinterpret the verse to mean that God did not reveal magic to the angels, as it would not befit God to reveal evil. However, Tabari discredits this claim by explaining that God cannot forbid that which he never showed humans, e.g. God cannot forbid magic without showing humans 22 what magic is, first . According to Tabari, there are multiple narrations linking back to the companions which state that humans on Earth, during the time of Enoch, were committing many 23 sins and veering off of God’s path . The angels then, looking from above, told God, “Look, this is your creation that you created to worship you. They are now disobeying you and committing 24 acts of disbelief.” God responds to them by explaining that had they been in the place of humans, they too would disobey. God tells them to choose the best two angels amongst them, and the angels chose Harut and Marut. God tells Harut and Marut to go down to Earth and be judges between the people, judging with fairness. The conditions he places on them differ amongst the narrations, but most narrations agree that God says not to drink alcohol, kill, disbelieve in Him, or engage in adultery. The angels then go down and do what God says, until a 25 woman appears to them named Baythakhat, who wants them to judge a matter for her . The angels secretly lust after the woman and agree to commit adultery together. She refuses to give herself to them until they commit the acts God forbade them to do. In the narration of Ali b. Abu Talib, she refuses to give herself to them until they inform her of the sayings that would make 26 her ascend to the heavens . The angels give in to what she wants and, upon committing the ​The way narrations are presented in exegeses is through a chain that link back to either the Prophet, or a famous companion or scholar. 22 Tabari, 602 23 According to al-Rabi’s narration, this occured at the time of Enoch (Idris) (Tabari, 606). 24 Tabari, 605 25 This is the ​Nabati​ name, in Arabic her name was Zahrah and in Persian, Anahidh (Tabari, 605). 26 Tabari, 604 21 Jaber 10 forbidden acts, the woman, in some narrations, is taken by God and becomes a planet in the sky. Harut and Marut were then unable to ascend to the heavens and God tells them to choose either a worldly or eternal punishment in the hereafter, to which they choose the worldly punishment: to 27 hang in Babylon and remain on Earth for the people as a test . The narration of A’ishah bt. Abu Bakr shows that there were people who used to go to Babylon to visit Harut and Marut and ask them to teach them magic. These angels would then tell them to release a stool. Afterwards, the asker’s faith would fly up into the heavens because they chose to learn magic rather than keep their faith (even though the angels told them that they were a trial and that the person should not disbelieve by learning magic). Then, they would teach the person how to separate spouses using 28 illusions . Upon seeing the mischief caused by Harut and Marut, the angels above started 29 praying for the people of the Earth and asking God to forgive them . Obviously, al-Tabari’s exegesis almost mirrors the story of the Watchers in ​Jubilees​. Harut and Marut are angels who are sent down to Earth, by God, to bring humanity back to righteousness, just as the Watchers were sent. Both Harut and Marut and the Watchers would perform their duties until a woman seduces them and makes them forget what God told them. The Tabaraic story now shifts towards that of ​The Book of Watchers​, where the rebellious angels tell their wives the secrets of the heavens, just as Harut and Marut did. The punishment received by Harut and Marut mirrors that of ​The Book of Watchers ​and ​Jubilees​ in that they remain bound in the Earth for a long period of time. Zamakhshari Various narrations found in Tabari, 605-610. Tabari, 609 29 Ibid, 608 27 28 Jaber 11 Unlike Tabari, Zamakhshari’s explanation of verse 2:102 is short and concise. He explains that the ​jinn​ would hear the angels talk in the heavens and teach it to the ​kahanah​. The kahanah​ then wrote it in books and taught it to the Sons of Israel. The Sons of Israel then preferred the books of the​ kahanah​ over the revealed books of God, and spread rumors saying Solomon was a magician. They followed those books along with the magic God sent with Harut 30 and Marut . He explains that Harut and Marut were angels sent from God as a test to the people in Babylon. They would teach them how to separate spouses, although he clarifies that their magic only worked by Allah’s permission and that it only made the spouses disillusioned and did 31 not physically affect them . Zamakhshari makes no mention of the stories of Tabari, not neccessarily because he was weary of biblical stories, but perhaps because he belonged to the Mu’tazilite theological school, which relied heavily on logic. Qurtubi 32 Qurtubi begins his exegesis by giving al-Suddi’s narration , explaining that the​ jinn​ at the time of Solomon buried their books under his throne, later saying that Solomon used these books to control the people. He adds that the good scholars of the Sons of Israel immediately denied that Solomon used magic, but that the evil-doers won over them and it was not until Muhammad’s time that Solomon was freed from these lies. He also explains that some scholars held that ​shayatin​ referred not only to ​jinn,​ but to satanic humans who wished to corrupt the Zamakhshari believes God revealed this magic to teach the people what magic was, and not to allow them to do magic. Tabari agrees with this statement. (Zamakhshari, 1). 31 Zamakhshari, 1. The Mu’tazilah in general did not believe that magic was a real thing that affects a person, using verse 20:66 to show that it ​appeared​ to Moses that the magicians’ ropes were moving, but that they were not actually moving. They believe magicians disallusion people and play mind-tricks on them, but cannot harm or benefit them (Qurtubi, 3). 32 See footnote 5. 30 Jaber 12 33 word of God, from the Sons of Israel . Like Tabari, he explains that magic refers to something that is real and has an effect on humans. However, Qurtubi differs from Tabari’s exegesis in terms of the story of Harut and Marut. Qurtubi holds that Harut and Marut lived at the time of Enoch. He argues that the “​ma​” in the verse did not mean “the devils disbelieved, teaching 34 people magic and ​that which​ was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut” ; rather, he believed it was a “​ma​ of negation” which would make the verse mean “And they followed [instead] what the devils had recited during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, Harut and Marut were teaching people magic in 35 Babylon, and God ​did not​ reveal magic to two angels.” He explains that the Sons of Israel claimed that God sent magic down with two angels, Gabriel and Mikael; so God had two things to clarify: Solomon not being a magician and magic not being revealed to angels Gabriel and Mikael. He argues that this is the more correct understanding because it does not befit God to 36 reveal magic at all, and especially to angels (who are considered pure beings) . He believed that Harut and Marut were either ​jinn​ (most likely) or human magicians. He explains that most of the tafsir​ scholars believed that God revealed magic to two angels, Harut and Marut, who were sent down to teach it to the people in order for the people to be warned not to do it, and not for the purpose of practicing magic. That was why the angels warned the people, before teaching them 37 magic, by saying, “We are a test, so do not disbelieve [by practicing magic].” Qurtubi also argues against the story that Tabari gives, i.e. that Harut and Marut disobeyed God after he sent them down and lusted after a woman. He argues that God has the ability to decree what he Qurtubi, 1 Sahih International Translation, 2:102 35 Qurtubi, 8 36 Ibid, 10 37 Ibid, 9 33 34 Jaber 13 wants; however, because the Qur’an, in multiple verses, explains that angels never disobey God and that they do what they are told and are constantly remembering Him, Muslims cannot believe any story which shows otherwise unless there is a clear revelation or Prophetic saying about it. He also shows how the narrations about the fallen angels Harut and Marut are very weak in their authenticity. In explaining the rest of the verse, Qurtubi uses al-Suddi’s claim that anyone who would come to Harut and Marut would be told to leave because “[they] are tests, so do not disbelieve [by learning magic].” If they did not leave, they were told to soil on the ground and if they saw their faith leaving them, then Harut and Marut would teach them magic, i.e. how to separate 38 spouses . He ends by explaining that those who practiced magic could not harm anyone except by God’s will and that anyone who learned magic would lose all worldly or heavenly rewards. The only clear mirroring of Qurtubi’s exegesis to the story of the Watchers is his accepting that there was a story believed by certain Sons of Israel, regarding the archangels Gabriel and Mikael teaching people magic. What is interesting to note here is that ​The Book of Watchers​ does mention Mikael and Gabriel; however, they are the punishers of the two leaders of the rebellious angels, Shemihazah and Asael. Perhaps Qurtubi was aware of tales surrounding The Book of Watchers​, but a different version of the story was being told? Ibn Kathir Ibn Kathir’s exegesis appears to be the beginning of a series of exegetical more modern rejections of ​israiliyat​. He quotes Ibn ‘Abbas who mentions that at the time of Solomon, Solomon had his writer, Asaf, writing down the great name of God and other matters of 38 Ibid, 10 Jaber 14 Solomon, then burying whatever he wrote under the throne of Solomon. When Solomon died, the ​shayatin​ of both man and ​jinn​ took out the books and added lies between Solomon’s words. The Sons of Israel then believed that Solomon used to control creatures with his book and cursed 39 him until God revealed verse 2:102 . He also includes the narrations of al-Suddi and others, 40 which differed on who buried and authored the books under Solomon’s throne . However, Ibn Kathir believed that all these narrations were just adding unverified information, and that the only information that can be extracted from the beginning of the verse was that there were shayatin​ who lied about Solomon, and the Sons of Israel followed their teachings rather than the 41 revealed books they had, i.e. the Torah . When he begins discussing Harut and Marut, Ibn Kathir writes out every narration presented from the time of Tabari. He includes a new one about 42 how Baythakhat learned the “word that allowed the angels to ascend ” and, upon saying it, went up with the angels and cut off their wings, to which they fell and she remained as a planet. He also includes a narration where Ali b. Abu Talib was walking outside and then cursed a planet, 43 saying that it was through this planet that Harut and Marut were deceived . He explains that all the accounts of Harut and Marut which include Baythakhat, or any story not mentioned in the Qur’an, have questionable narrators, elaborating that some people in the chains of narration did not meet their predecessors. Even in the claim that he believes is more authentic than all other claims, the chain of narrators does not go back to Muhammad; rather, it goes back to one of his Companions, Ibn ‘Abbas. The most authentic claim of the unverified claims, according to Ibn Kathir, was the story of the angels choosing Harut and Marut to be sent to Earth. Once there, Ibn Kathir, 2 Ibid, 3 41 Ibid, 6 42 Ibid, 5 43 Ibid, 7 39 40 Jaber 15 they judge fairly amongst the people until Baythakhat convinces them to drink wine. After drinking, a man passes them, and they kill him for fear that he will tell the community. They also sleep with Baythakhat and, after committing all these sins, fail to ascend back to heaven. Living at the time of Enoch, they ask a religious man, arguably Enoch, to ask God to forgive them. God then allows them to choose between a worldly punishment and an eternal punishment in the hereafter, to which they choose the worldly. They are then chained in Babylon and teach magic 44 to those who wish to disbelieve . Even though he believes this story is authentic in its chain of narrators, he argues that it, and all of the other non-authentic narrations of the story of Harut and Marut, does not originate from the speech of Muhammad and, as such, is not to be taken as part of Islamic teaching; for Muslims should only accept true, in understanding Qur’anic stories, that 45 which Muhammad clearly stated, or was revealed to him . He goes on to explain the type of magic and method that Harut and Marut were teaching the people. He explains that God told Harut and Marut not to teach anyone magic unless they warn them, “We are a test, so do not 46 disbelieve” . If people still wanted to learn the magic, or practice it in other narrations, Harut and Marut would teach them ways to separate the spouses. He gives a ​hadith​ found in Sahih 47 Muslim which explains that Satan has multiple satans working under him, and that he is never 48 proud of one until they come to him saying they have caused spouses to divorce . He adds that the method people would learn magic from Harut and Marut, after being warned, was that they Ibid, 12 Ibid, 14 46 Ibid, 16 47 Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are considered the top two most authentic books of hadith by Sunni Muslims. 48 Ibn Kathir, 18 44 45 Jaber 16 were told to leave excrements in a certain place and, upon seeing their faith rise up to the sky and 49 black smoke surround them, they were to come back and learn magic . There is a clear difference between Ibn Kathir’s understanding of verse 2:102 and that of Tabari and Qurtubi. Ibn Kathir makes it a point to restate the claims of his exegetical predecessors only for the purposes of debunking their narrations. He seems to be a more moderate rejector of ​israiliyat​, compared to later exegetes, in that he at least gives the biblical narratives a platform. Al-Suyuti Al-Suyuti, like Zamakhshari, removes most of the controversy surrounding this verse, and gives one clear explanation for it. He explains that the Jews, at the time of the Prophet, accepted the teachings that were perpetuated from the time of Solomon, i.e. the teachings of the shayatin​ and ​kahanah​, believing that Solomon was a magician after uncovering the buried books under his throne. The verse clarifies that Solomon was not a magician, but the ​shayatin​ were, teaching the people magic, including the magic brought by the angels Harut and Marut. Suyuti believed that these angels were brought down to test the people; whoever learned magic from 50 them chose disbelief over belief, and whoever left this knowledge chose belief over disbelief . Suyuti does not quote any story surrounding this verse, nor does he traverse far from what the Qur’an states. Al-Shawkani Al-Shawkani’s exegesis encompasses many of the previous exegeses and follows a Tabaraic style. He lists out the opinions and arguments of Tabari and Qurtubi, as well as other 49 50 ​Ibid, 17 Al-Suyuti, 1 Jaber 17 exegetes, and then gives his opinion. He explains that verse 2:102 was revealed in reference to the Jews at the time of Muhammad who followed what the ​jinn​ and ​kahanah​ wrote instead of following the revealed Torah. He does not mention the​ jinn​ or Solomon burying these books and rediscovering them. He also explains that Harut and Marut were angels sent by God to the people as a test, to see who would choose to practice magic versus who would learn it in order to avoid 51 it . He explains that Harut and Marut warned the people that they, the angels, were a test, so the people should not disbelieve by practicing the magic they were about to learn. Then, they would teach them how to separate the spouses, with the verse saying that the magic could only harm the people if God allowed it. Shawkani does not go into any stories of fallen angels, nor does he move away from the literal meaning of the verse, demonstrating that the closer exegetes were to 52 the modern period, the more likely they were to reject narratives found only in biblical texts. Syed Qutb Qutb’s exegesis takes a similar form to al-Zamakhshari and al-Suyuti in that he gives a brief exegesis, debunking all other theories through dismissal. Qutb explains that the Jews, from the time of Solomon and onward, followed the teachings of the ​shayatin​ and believed Solomon was a sorcerer. God refutes them and says that it was not Solomon who was a sorcerer; rather, it was the ​shayatin​. They were teaching people sorcery as well as the magic taught by Harut and Marut. Like Qurtubi, Qutb understood the verse as “And they followed [instead] what the devils had recited during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils who disbelieved, teaching people magic in Babylon were Harut and Marut, and God did not reveal it Shawkani mentions that other scholars claimed that the learning of magic was disbelief, but he holds that learning it for the sake of avoiding it is allowed (Shawkani, 3). 52 Shawkani, 5 51 Jaber 18 53 to two angels.” He explains that God would not reveal magic; rather, the angels were teaching those persistent in learning from them, of course after they warned them that they were a test, how to separate spouses. He explains that the Qur’an does not go into historical details about the story because, in general, the Qur’an’s goal is not to preserve history inasmuch as it is to teach lessons. He also explains that there are multiple inaccuracies in the historical accounts given by other exegetes, and that there is no clear explanation of the story of Harut and Marut through the 54 Qur’an and Sunnah . He concerns himself more with explaining how effective black magic is on humans, and how nothing happens except by the will of God. Again, another example of how modern exegetes rejected and refuted the acceptance of biblical stories by earlier exegetes. Bassam Jarrar The exegesis that was very unique and epitomized the idea that modern exegetes have avoided using biblical stories is that of Jarrar, a professor in the Islamic University in Hebron 55 and founder of Noon Institute for Qur’anic Studies . Jarrar’s general exegetical strategy is to read 30 to 40 exegetical works about any verse along with a group of other scholars, discuss the verses amongst his group, and present the findings of the group to the public. Jarrar begins by explaining how some Jews disregarded the Torah and followed the lies that the ​shayatin​ said about the kingdom of Solomon. He makes sure to emphasize that the ​shayatin​ could have been 56 from the people or the jinn . He explains that in the Torah, Solomon is viewed as a strict ruler and was said to be a magician (​sahir​). That is why verse 2:102 was revealed, to free Solomon from such accusations. He explains that a group of Jews followed what the ​shayatin​ said about ​Qutb, 106 ​Ibid, 107 55 Homepage of the Organization and how they use different exegetical methods can be found here: http://www.islamnoon.com/language/en_home.htm 56 He gives evidence for this using verse 6:112 53 54 Jaber 19 the kingdom of Solomon. However, Solomon did not disbelieve (​wa ma kafara Sulayman​); rather, it was the ​shayatin​ who disbelieved by teaching the people magic and that which was brought down to the angels in Babylon, Harut and Marut. He corrects the understanding of his predecessors that the word ​`ala​, meaning on or about, means ​fi​, meaning in or at the time of. Hence, the various stories cited by his predecessors of the ​jinn​ creating books at the time of Solomon and hiding it under his chair were illogical; for Solomon controlled the ​jinn​ (“how 57 could the controlled ​jinn​ do something without Solomon’s knowledge?”, he questions.) . He explains that after the death of Solomon, the people who wanted to spread magic, but were unable to under Solomon, started spreading their teachings. In order to get the people to believe in these teachings, they attributed their magic to Solomon, claiming it came from him and therefore had legitimacy. Jarrar then goes into a long conversation about what​ sihr​ is, according to the Qur’an and Sunnah. He gives examples from the story of Moses as well as the ​hadith​ about the Prophet having magic done on him, to show that magic is something that only affects a person’s perceptions, and that no physical change is done to the possessed person unless they convince 58 themselves that they are possessed . Islam Noon​ “Bassam Jarar - ​Tafsir - “They were teaching the people magic and that which was brought down to the angels in Babylon Harut and Marut Part 1”​ Filmed [April 2017]. YouTube video, 18:30-21:00. Posted [April 2017]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA5ix2VawYg. 58 ​In verses 20:66 and 7:116, the magicians at the time of Pharaoh throw their sticks in front of Moses, and it appears​ to Moses that the sticks were moving (Jarrar argues the Qur’an never says the sticks were actually moving). The Prophetic narration he is referring to is when a Jewish man named Labid took hair from the Prophet’s comb and put a spell on him. The Prophet began assuming he did things that he did not do, and had to actively remember whether he did them or not. The Prophet then has a dream in which two men are talking and one says to the other, what is wrong with this man (pointing to the Prophet)? The other says he is ill by the sickness given to him by Labid, who threw his hair in the bottom of a certain well. Upon waking up, the Prophet tells his wife, `A’ishah what he saw. She tells him to remove the hair from the bottom of the well, to which he replies that God already cured him and he does not want the people to engage in these matters. He then goes with some of his companions and buries the well (it was not a drinking well). This is narrated in the two most authentic orthodox ​hadith​ books of Bukhari and Muslim. Jarrar uses this to show that magic, as explained by the Qur’an and Sunnah, only affects a person’s perceptions and does not actually change something’s essence. 57 Jaber 20 Returning back to the verse, he describes what the​ shayatin​ taught the people who left the Torah: magic. They also taught that which was brought down to the two angels in Babylon, Harut and Marut. Jarrar states that previous exegetes were unable to understand why God would send down magic with two angels, which is why the other exegetes either changed the meaning 59 of the verse to mean that God did not reveal magic to angels , or that God reveals everything and so He must have revealed the magic to the angels. Jarrar corrects their understandings by explaining that if what God had revealed to the angels was indeed magic, why would He be redundant and say, “The ​shayatin​ taught the people magic and magic (that which was revealed to Harut and Marut).” Furthermore, he finds it appalling that the exegetes would even consider God revealing magic when, at the beginning of the verse, God equated magic with disbelief! He clarifies these misunderstandings and says that the people in Babylon were suffering from the spells and magic used to oppress them (as Babylon was known for its sorcery). Therefore, God sent two angels to Earth, and then revealed to them the remedies for the spells. Hence, God 60 revealed honorable knowledge to the angels, and not magic . In order for Harut and Marut to teach people the remedy of magic, they would have to explain what magic was (just like a doctor who has a cure for poisons needs to know which cure corresponds to which poison). God did not need to reveal to the angels what magic was, for they understood it by watching the people 61 practice it from above . However, because the angels were teaching magic and its cure, they had to give a harsh warning to the people, i.e. “Truly, we are a test, so do not disbelieve [by practicing magic].” Therefore, the knowledge of magic was not forbidden; rather, it was the See Qurtubi’s exegesis He argues that it must have been angels, and not prophets, because the prophets were always accused of being magicians by their opponents. Hence, God removed any thoughts of the Prophets being magicians by using angels instead. Ibid (32:30-34:10). 61 He uses the verse 29:32 to explain that angels are knowledgeable of what humans know. Ibid (51:00-54:00) 59 60 Jaber 21 62 practice that was forbidden . Amongst the teachings they were teaching the people was that which separated spouses; however, the Qur’an explains that magic cannot harm anyone except 63 by the will of God, meaning that the magic in and of itself cannot harm . Jarrar’s exegesis, by far, offers a new understanding of the verse all together, claiming that what was revealed to Harut and Marut was the remedy for magic, and not magic itself. He also claims nowhere that Harut and Marut are punished, or that they stray off of God’s path, claiming that such an idea would go against the Quran. It is important to note that a hadith tradition found in al-Bukhari’s collection states: “​Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, ‘Convey from me even a single verse. Narrate from the children of Israel, for there is no harm in it. Whoever deliberately lies upon me, then let him take his seat in Hellfire.’”64. This hadith is important to keep in mind when exegetes reject biblical stories, for it was elaborated on by Imam Ash-Shafi’ee (d. 820 CE), who said, ​“It is known that the Prophet did not approve of falsehood. Thus, the meaning is to narrate from the children of Israel what is known not to be false.”65 Conclusion Through the century-by-century analysis of exegeses from the time of Tabari to Jarrar, it is obvious that the exegetes, themselves, had various ways of dealing with the multiple narrations regarding verse 2:102. The earlier exegetes, Tabari and Qurtubi were more comfortable including narrations that were outside of what the Qur’an informed its readers, going as far as Ibid 55:10-56:23 ​Islam Noon​ “Bassam Jarar - ​Tafsir - “They were teaching the people magic and that which was brought down to the angels in Babylon Harut and Marut Part 2”​ Filmed [April 2017]. YouTube video, 30:50-55:15. Posted [April 2017]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2WyB0QSOWk 64 ​Sahih Bukhari, 3274 65 Fath al-Bari, 3274 62 63 Jaber 22 including stories extremely similar to those of ​The Book of Watchers ​and ​Jubilees​. The later scholars, Ibn Kathir, Shawkani, al-Suyuti, and Qutb fell on the other extreme which was to not include anything that was not specifically mentioned by the Quran or authentic ​ahadith​ (sing. hadith​), although they did not elaborate much past what was contained in the Quran. The contemporary exegete, Jarrar, made sure not only to discredit the biblical stories presented by earlier exegetes, but to bring about a newer explanation that would give context to verse 2:102 without including biblical stories. Perhaps the reason that earlier exegetes were more accepting of biblical stories was their focus on preservation, and not on analysis. The codification of the Islamic sciences did started after Tabari and Qurtubi’s time, a little before Ibn Kathir; hence, it makes sense that Tabari and Qurtubi did not completely discard the ​israiliyat​, in an attempt to preserve every statement made about verses of the Quran. However, after the codification of the Islamic sciences, certain ideas could be accepted while others rejected. Perhaps that rigidity in acceptance is what influenced post-codification exegetes to reject any explanations that were not rooted in Islamic teachings. Jaber 23 Bibliography Al-Qurtubi, Muhammad b. Ahmad. ​Al-Jami ‘an Ahkam al-Qur’an​. Amman, Jordan: Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, 2018. Accessed October 2, 2018. https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=1&tTafsirNo=5&tSoraNo=2&tAyahNo= 102&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=1 Al-Shawkani, Muhammad b. `Ali. ​Fath al-Qadir​. Amman, Jordan: Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, 2018. 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