Hillah, Iraq
Coordinates: 32.3368, 44.3436
Harut and Marut are two angels mentioned in Quran 2:102, who are described as having been present during the reign of Hz. Sulayman عليه اسلام, and as being located in Babylon.
According to some narratives, those two angels were in the time of Hz. Idris عليه اسلام. The Quran indicates that they were a trial for the people and through them the people were tested with sorcery.
In the Quran, the two angels are briefly mentioned as follows:
When there has come to them a Messenger from Allah (God) confirming what was with them, a party of them that were given the Book reject the Book of Allah behind their backs, as though they knew not!
They followed what the Shayatin (Satans) gave out, in the Mulki Sulayman. Sulayman did not disbelieve, but the Shayatin disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down upon al-Malakayn bi-Babil, Harut and Marut, but neither of these two taught anyone, till they had said, “We are only a Fitnah (trial), so do not disbelieve.” And from these, people learn that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by the Leave of Allah. 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 akhirah (Hereafter). And how bad indeed was that for which they sold their own selves, if they but knew!
Qur’an, 2: 101–102.
The story can be summarized as follows:
The angels were astonished at the acts of disobedience committed by the human beings on earth, claiming they would do better than them. Therefore, Allah challenged the angels to choose two representatives among them, who would descend to earth and be endowed with bodily desires.
During their stay on earth, they fell in love with a woman named Zohra (often identified with Venus). She told them she would become intimate with them if they joined her in idolatry and tell her how to ascend to heaven. The angels refused and remained pious.
Later they met her again and the woman this time stated she would become intimate with them if they drank alcohol. The angels thought that alcohol could not cause great harm and therefore, they accepted the condition. After they were drunk, they became intimate with her and after noticing a witness, they killed them.
On the next day, Harut and Marut regretted their deeds but could not ascend to heaven anymore due to their sins, as their link to the angels was broken.
Thereupon, Allah asked them, either their punishment shall be in this world or in the hereafter. They chose to be punished on earth and therefore were sent to Babel as a test, teaching humans magic but not without warning them that they were just a temptation.
