{When a Messenger from Allah came to them, confirming what they already possessed, a party of those who had been given the Scripture cast the Book of Allah behind their backs as though they knew nothing about it. They then followed what the devils recited during the reign of Solomon. Solomon himself did not disbelieve; rather, the devils disbelieved, teaching people sorcery and what had been sent down to the two angels in Babylon—Hārūt and Mārūt. Yet the two would teach no one until they had first declared, “We are only a trial, so do not fall into unbelief.” From them people learned how to separate a man from his wife, though they could not harm anyone with it except by Allah’s permission. They learned what harmed them and brought them no benefit, and they surely knew that whoever purchased such knowledge would have no share in the Hereafter. Evil indeed is that for which they sold their souls, if only they knew. Had they believed and been mindful of Allah, reward from Allah would have been far better, if only they knew.} [al-Baqarah: 101]

Thus the Exalted One condemned those who turned away from following the Book of Allah and His messengers, and chose instead what the devils recited in Solomon’s time. He clarified—glorified is He—that Solomon did not disbelieve, but that the devils disbelieved, teaching people sorcery and what had been revealed to the two angels in Babylon. Those two angels, Hārūt and Mārūt, would teach no one until they had first said, “We are only a trial, so do not disbelieve.” The Most High also informed us that they can harm no one by it except with Allah’s permission,