Al-Baqarah 2:102

And they followed what the devils taught during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but it was the devils who disbelieved. They taught the people witchcraft and what was revealed in Babylon to the two angels Harut and Marut. They did not teach anybody until they had said, “We are a test, so do not lose faith.” But they learned from them the means to cause separation between man and his wife. But they cannot harm anyone except with Allah’s permission. And they learned what would harm them and not benefit them. Yet they knew that whoever deals in it will have no share in the Hereafter. Miserable is what they sold their souls for, if they only knew.

And they followed what the devils taught during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but it was the devils who disbelieved. They taught the people witchcraft and what was revealed in Babylon to the two angels Harut and Marut. They did not teach anybody until they had said, “We are a test, so do not lose faith.” But they learned from them the means to cause separation between man and his wife. But they cannot harm anyone except with God’s permission. And they learned what would harm them and not benefit them. Yet they knew that whoever deals in it will have no share in the Hereafter. Miserable is what they sold their souls for, if they only knew.

They followed what the devils taught during Solomon's kingdom. Solomon didn't disbelieve, but the devils did. They taught people magic and what was sent to the two angels, Harut and Marut, in Babylon. But those two angels never taught anyone without first saying, "We are only a test, so don't disbelieve." People learned from them how to separate a husband from his wife. But they couldn't harm anyone with it unless Allah allowed it. They learned things that hurt them and didn't help them. They knew that whoever chose magic would have no share of good in the Hereafter. What a terrible thing they traded themselves for, if only they knew!

They followed what the devils taught during Solomon's reign. Solomon never disbelieved — it was the devils who disbelieved, teaching people magic, and what was revealed to the two angels, Harut and Marut, in Babylon. But those two angels never taught anyone without first saying, "We are only a test, so don't disbelieve." Yet people learned from them how to separate a husband from his wife. But they couldn't harm anyone with it unless Allah allowed it. They learned things that hurt them and didn't help them at all. And they knew that whoever chose magic would have no share in the Hereafter. What a terrible price they paid for themselves — if only they understood!

They followed what the devils recited over Solomon’s kingdom. Solomon did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people sorcery and what was sent down to the two angels in Babylon, Harut and Marut. Yet those two would not teach anyone without saying, “We are only a trial, so do not disbelieve.” Still, they learned from them what separates a man from his wife. But they could not harm anyone with it except by God’s permission. They learned what harmed them and did not benefit them. They certainly knew that whoever purchased it would have no share in the Hereafter. How wretched is what they sold their souls for—if only they knew.

And they followed what the devils taught during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but it was the devils who disbelieved, teaching people witchcraft, and what was revealed in Babylon to the two angels Harut and Marut. Although they taught no one without declaring, “We are a test, so do not lose faith.” But they learned from them the means of causing separation between man and his wife. But they cannot harm anyone except with Allah's consent. And they learned what harms them, and does not benefit them. Yet they knew, that whoever deals in it, will have no share in the Hereafter. Evil is what they sold their souls for—if they only knew.

And they followed what the devils taught during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but it was the devils who disbelieved, teaching people witchcraft, and what was revealed in Babylon to the two angels Harut and Marut. Although they taught no one without declaring, “We are a test, so do not lose faith.” But they learned from them the means of causing separation between man and his wife. But they cannot harm anyone except with God's consent. And they learned what harms them, and does not benefit them. Yet they knew, that whoever deals in it, will have no share in the Hereafter. Evil is what they sold their souls for—if they only knew.

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, Hārūt and Mārūt. But they [i.e., the two angels] do not teach anyone unless they say, "We are a trial, so do not disbelieve [by practicing magic]."34 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 Allāh. And they [i.e., people] learn what harms them and does not benefit them. But they [i.e., the Children of Israel] certainly knew that whoever purchased it [i.e., magic] would not have in the Hereafter any share. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew.

They followed what the Shayâtîn (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulaimân (Solomon). Sulaimân did not disbelieve, but the Shayâtîn (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Hârût and Mârût, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, "We are only 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, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allâh’s Leave. And they learn that which harms them and profits them not. And indeed they knew that the buyers of it (magic) would have no share in the Hereafter. And how bad indeed was that for which they sold their ownselves, if they but knew.

They followed what was recited by the devils during the kingdom of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels Hārūt and Mārūt in Babylon. But these two angels did not teach anyone without telling them, “We are only a test, so do not disbelieve.” Yet they would learn from them what would cause separation between a man and his wife. But they could not harm anyone except by Allah’s permission. They would learn what harmed them and did not benefit them, although they already knew that whoever gets into it would not have any share in the Hereafter. How terrible was the price for which they sold themselves, if only they knew!

They followed what the evil ones gave out (falsely) against the power of Solomon: the blasphemers Were, not Solomon, but the evil ones, teaching men Magic, and such things as came down at babylon to the angels Harut and Marut. But neither of these taught anyone (Such things) without saying: "We are only for trial; so do not blaspheme." They learned from them the means to sow discord between man and wife. But they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah's permission. And they learned what harmed them, not what profited them. And they knew that the buyers of (magic) would have no share in the happiness of the Hereafter. And vile was the price for which they did sell their souls, if they but knew!

And follow that which the devils falsely related against the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon disbelieved not; but the devils disbelieved, teaching mankind magic and that which was revealed to the two angels in Babel, Harut and Marut. Nor did they (the two angels) teach it to anyone till they had said: We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not (in the guidance of Allah). And from these two (angles) people learn that by which they cause division between man and wife; but they injure thereby no-one save by Allah's leave. And they learn that which harmeth them and profiteth them not. And surely they do know that he who trafficketh therein will have no (happy) portion in the Hereafter; and surely evil is the price for which they sell their souls, if they but knew.

They pursued what the devils falsely attributed to the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon was not an unbeliever: it is the devils who are unbelievers. They taught people witchcraft, and that which was sent down to Harut and Marut, the two angels in Babylon. But these two taught no one until they had said, "We are but a trial, therefore, do not disbelieve [in God's guidance]." So men learnt from them that by which they caused discord between man and wife; but they harmed no one thereby, except by the command of God; [on the contrary], these people learned that which would harm them and do them no good, knowing full well that whoever acquired [this knowledge] would have no share in the Hereafter. Evil indeed was the [price] for which they sold their souls, if only they had known it.

(Instead of this,) they began to follow that (magic) to which the devils falsely attributed (the greatness of) the kingdom of Solomon. In fact Solomon was never involved in any practice of disbelief, but the satans, who taught magic to the people were themselves guilty of disbelief. They were after that thing which was sent to Harut and Marut, the two angels at Babylon. Whenever these two angels taught black art to anyone, they would always give a clear warning beforehand, saying, "We are merely a trial for you; so you should not commit blasphemy. But in spite of this warning, those people used to learn from the angels the art which caused division between husband and wife. Although it was obvious that they could not do any harm to anyone by means of this magic without Allah's permission, yet they learnt that art which could not be profitable even for them but was actually harmful. Moreover, they knew it full well that anyone, who purchased that art, would have no share in the Hereafter. What a vile commodity it was for which they sold off their souls, if they had but known it!

And they followed what the devils pursued during Solomon’s reign —and Solomon was not faithless but it was the devils who were faithless—teaching the people magic and what was sent down to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut, who would not teach anyone without telling [him], ‘We are only a test, so do not be faithless.’ But they would learn from those two that with which they would cause a split between man and his wife—though they could not harm anyone with it except with Allah’s leave. They would learn that which would harm them and bring them no benefit; though they certainly knew that anyone who buys it has no share in the Hereafter. Surely, evil is that for which they sold their souls, had they known!

WaittabaAAoo ma tatloo alshshayateenu AAala mulki sulaymana wama kafara sulaymanu walakinna alshshayateena kafaroo yuAAallimoona alnnasa alssihra wama onzila AAala almalakayni bibabila haroota wamaroota wama yuAAallimani min ahadin hatta yaqoola innama nahnu fitnatun fala takfur fayataAAallamoona minhuma ma yufarriqoona bihi bayna almari wazawjihi wama hum bidarreena bihi min ahadin illa biithni Allahi wayataAAallamoona ma yadurruhum wala yanfaAAuhum walaqad AAalimoo lamani ishtarahu ma lahu fee alakhirati min khalaqin walabisa ma sharaw bihi anfusahum law kanoo yaAAlamoona