f the impeccability of the angels. Speaking of those who
reject God's Apostle the Quran says: "And they followed what the Satans
read in the reign of Solomon; not that Solomon was unbelieving, but the
Satans were unbelieving. Sorcery did they teach to men, and what had been
revealed to the two angels Harut and Marut at Babel. Yet no man did these
two teach until they had said, 'We are only a temptation. Be not thou an
unbeliever.'" (Sura ii. 96). Here it is quite clear that two angels teach
sorcery, which is generally allowed to be an evil. Some explanation has to
be given. Commentators are by no means reticent on this subject. The story
goes that in the time of the prophet Enoch when the angels saw the bad
actions of men they said: "O Lord! Adam and his descendants whom Thou has
appointed as Thy vice-regents on earth act disobediently." To which the
Lord replied: "If I were to send you on earth, and to give you lustful and
angry dispositions, you too would sin." The angels thought otherwise; so
God told them to select two of their number who should undergo this ordeal.
They selected two, renowned for devotion and piety. God having implanted in
them the passions of lust and anger said: "All day go to and fro on the
earth, put an end to the quarrels of men, ascribe no equal to Me, do not
commit adultery, drink no wine, and every night repeat the Ism-ul-A'zam,
the exalted name (of God) and return to heaven." This they did for some
time, but at length a beautiful woman named Zuhra (Venus) led them astray.
One day she brought them a cup of wine. One said: {143} "God has forbidden
it;" the other, "God is merciful and forgiving." So they drank the wine,
killed the husband of Zuhra, to whom they revealed the "exalted name," and
fell into grievous sin. Immediately after, they found that the "name" had
gone from their memories and so they could not return to heaven as usual.
They were very much concerned at this and begged Enoch to intercede for
them. The prophet did so, and with such success that the angels were
allowed to choose between a present or a future punishment. They elected to
be punished here on earth. They were then suspended with their heads
downwards in a well at Babel. Some say that angels came and whipped them
with rods of fire, and that a fresh spring ever flowed just beyond the
reach of their parched lips. The woman was changed to a star. Some assert
that it was a shooting star which has now passed out of existenc