“They followed what the devils recited concerning Solomon’s kingdom. Solomon did not disbelieve; rather, it was the devils who disbelieved, teaching people magic and what had been sent down to the two angels in Babylon, Hārūt and Mārūt. Yet the two would not teach anyone without first saying, ‘We are only a test, so do not disbelieve.’ Nevertheless, people learned from them how to cause separation between a man and his wife, though they could not harm anyone thereby except by Allah’s permission. They learned what harmed them and did not benefit them. They certainly knew that whoever acquired it would have no share in the Hereafter. How wretched was that for which they sold their souls, if only they knew! * Had they believed and been mindful of Allah, a reward from Allah would have been far better, if only they knew.”
They were lying in this claim, for Solomon did not practice magic. Rather, the One whose word is true declared him innocent by saying, “Solomon did not disbelieve”—that is, by learning magic; he never learned it—“rather, it was the devils who disbelieved” by doing so.
“Teaching people magic” was part of their efforts to mislead them and their eagerness to lead the children of Adam astray. The Jews likewise followed the magic that had been sent down to the two angels in Babylon, in the land of Iraq. Magic was sent down to them as a test and trial from Allah for His servants, and they taught it to people.
“Yet the two would not teach anyone without first” advising and warning him, saying, “We are only a test, so do not disbelieve.” That is: Do not learn magic, for it is disbelief. Thus, they forbade him from practicing magic and informed him of its status. The devils therefore taught magic through deception and misguidance, falsely attributing it to and promoting it in the name of one whom Allah had absolved of it—Solomon (peace be upon him). By contrast, the two angels taught it as a test while sincerely warning people, so that no one would have an excuse.
These Jews followed both the magic taught by the devils and the magic taught by the two angels. They abandoned the knowledge of the prophets and messengers and turned instead to the knowledge of the devils. Each is drawn to what suits him.
Allah then mentioned the evils of magic, saying, “People learned from them how to cause separation between a man and his wife,” even though the love between spouses is incomparable to any other love, for Allah said concerning them, “He placed affection and mercy between you.” This proves that magic is real and that it causes harm by Allah’s permission—that is, by Allah’s will.
Permission is of two kinds. The first is decretive permission, which pertains to Allah’s will, as in this verse. The second is legislative permission, as in His words in the preceding verse: “For it is he who brought it down upon your heart by Allah’s permission.” This verse and others like it establish that, however powerful causes may be in their effects, they remain subject to divine decree and predestination and possess no independent causal efficacy. No sect of this nation opposed this principle except the Qadarites with regard to human actions. They claimed that such actions are independent and not subject to the divine will, thereby placing them outside Allah’s power. In doing so, they opposed the Book of Allah, the sunnah of His Messenger, and the consensus of the Companions and their successors.
Allah then stated that the knowledge of magic is purely harmful and contains no religious or worldly benefit, unlike some sins in which certain worldly benefits may be found. Thus, Allah said concerning wine and gambling: “Say, ‘In them is great sin and benefits for people, but their sin is greater than their benefit.’” Magic, however, is purely harmful, so there is no reason whatsoever to pursue it. Everything prohibited is either purely harmful or contains more evil than good, just as everything commanded is either entirely beneficial or contains more good than evil.
“They certainly knew”—that is, the Jews—“that whoever acquired it,” meaning whoever desired magic as a buyer desires merchandise, “would have no share in the Hereafter.” That is, he would have no portion there; rather, magic makes one deserving of punishment. They therefore did not practice it out of ignorance, but because they preferred the life of this world to the Hereafter.
“How wretched was that for which they sold their souls, if only they knew!” Had they possessed knowledge that bore fruit in action, they would not have done so.