Al-Ayyashi about the infallibility of the angels Harut and Marut

Muhammad Ibn Mas’ud Al-Ayyashi writes:

عن محمد بن قيس قال سمعت أبا جعفر عليه السلام وسأله عطا ونحن بمكة عن هاروت وماروت فقال أبو جعفر عليه السلام: ان الملائكة كانوا ينزلون من السماء إلى الأرض في كل يوم وليلة يحفظون أعمال أهل أوساط الأرض من ولد آدم والجن فيكتبون اعمالهم ويعرجون بها إلى السماء

From Muhammad Ibn Qais, who reported from Abu Ja’far (a. ) said: “When we were in Mecca, Ata’ questioned him about Harut and Marut, whereupon Abu Ja’far (Al-Baqir) said: “The angels used to descend from heaven to earth every day and every night, while the inhabitants of the earth from the children of Adam and the Hidden (Jinn) remembered and wrote down their works and ascended with them to heaven.”

قال فضج أهل السماء من معاصي أهل الأرض فتوامروا فيما بينهم مما يسمعون ويرون من افترائهم الكذب على الله تبارك وتعالى وجرءتهم عليه ونزهوا الله مما يقول فيه خلقه ويصفون فقال طائفة من الملائكة يا ربنا ما تغضب مما يعمل خلقك في أرضك ومما يصفون فيك الكذب ويقولون الزور ويرتكبون المعاصي وقد نهيتهم عنها ثم أنت تحلم عنهم وهم في قبضتك وقدرتك وخلال عافيتك

“He said: “Then the inhabitants of heaven broke out in turmoil over the disobedience of the inhabitants of the earth, and consulted with one another about what they heard and saw of their lies about God and their arrogance towards Him, and they absolved God of what His creatures said and described about Him. Then a group of angels said: “Our Lord! are You not angry about what Your creatures are doing on Your earth, and about what they attribute to You in lies, and in speaking falsely, and in disobedience, and You have forbidden them to do so? Then you spare them, while they are in your grip and your power and within your good.”

قال أبو جعفر عليه السلام فأحب الله ان يرى الملائكة القدرة ونافذ امره في جميع خلقه ويعرف الملائكة ما من به عليهم ومما عدله عنهم من صنع خلقه وما طبعهم عليه من الطاعة وعصمهم من الذنوب، قال فأوحى الله إلى الملائكة ان انتخبوا منكم ملكين حتى أهبطهما إلى الأرض ثم اجعل فيهما من طبايع المطعم والمشرب والشهوة والحرص والأمل مثل ما جعلته في ولد آدم ثم أختبرهما في الطاعة لي

“Abu Ja’far (a.) said: “Then God wanted to show the angels the power and His implementation of His command in all His creatures and to make the angels realize that by which He pardoned them and from which He made them deviate from the doings of His creatures and to which He made them obey and protected them from sin.” He said: “Thus God revealed to the angels: “Choose from you two angels that i may send them down to the earth. Then i will provide them with the ability to eat, drink, desire, aspire and hope as i provided the children of Adam. Then i will test them to see if they are obedient to Me.”

فندبوا إلى ذلك هاروت وماروت وكانا من أشد الملائكة قولا في العيب لولد آدم واستيثار غضب الله عليهم قال فأوحى الله اليهما ان اهبطا إلى الأرض فقد جعلت فيكما من طبايع الطعام والشراب والشهوة والحرص والأمل مثل ما جعلته في ولد آدم، قال ثم أوحى الله اليهما انظرا ان لا تشركا بي شيئا ولا تقتلا النفس التي حرم الله ولا تزنيا ولا تشربا الخمر قال ثم كشط عن السماوات السبع ليريهما قدرته ثم أهبطهما إلى الأرض في صورة البشر ولباسهم فهبطا ناحية بابل فوقع لهما بناء مشرق فأقبلا نحوه فإذا بحضرته امرأة جميلة حسناء متزينة عطرة مقبلة مسفرة نحوهما

“So they assigned it to Harut and Marut. The two were among the angels who were most severe in judging the blemishes of the children of Adam and quickly sought the wrath of God upon them.” He said: “Thus God revealed to the two of them: “Come down to earth. I have endowed you with the ability to eat, drink, desire, aspire and hope as I endowed the children of Adam with it.” He said: “Then God revealed to them: “See that you do not associate with Me and do not kill a soul that God has forbidden and does not commit fornication or drink alcohol.” Then He revealed the seven heavens to show them His power. Then He sent them down to earth in the form of men and in their clothes. So they came down at Babel, and there appeared to them a shining building. They went there and found with it a beautiful woman who was pretty, adorned and scented and came to them shining.”

قال فلما نظرا إليها وناطقاها وتأملاها وقعت في قلوبهما موقعا شديدا لموقع الشهوة التي جعلت فيهما فرجعا إليها رجوع فتنة وخذلان وراوداها عن نفسهما فقالت لهما ان لي دينا أدين به وليس أقدر في ديني على أن أجيبكما إلى ما تريدان إلا أن تدخلا في ديني الذي أدين به فقالا لها وما دينك؟ قالت لي إله من عبده وسجد له كان لي السبيل إلى أن أجيبه إلى كل ما سألني، فقالا لها وما إلهك قالت الهي هذا الصنم

“He said: “When they saw her and talked with her and looked at her, she took a great place in their hearts because of the lust with which they were endowed. Then the two of them turned back to her to reverse the temptation and the discouragement, and tried to entice her. So she said to the two of them: “I have a religion in which i believe, and i cannot follow what you wish in my religion unless you convert to my religion in which i believe.” And the two said to her: “And what is your religion?” She said: “I have a God. He that served him and worshipped him, I can fulfill his wishes in all things.” So they said: “And what is your god?” She said: “My god is this idol.”

قال فنظر أحدهما إلى صاحبه فقال هاتان خصلتان مما نهانا عنهما الشرك والزنا لأنا ان سجدنا لهذا الصنم وعبدناه أشركنا بالله وإنما نشرك بالله لنصل إلى الزنا وهو ذا نحن نطلب الزنا وليس نخطأ الا بالشرك فائتمرا بينهما فغلبتهما الشهوة التي جعلت فيهما، فقالا لها فانا نجيبك ما سألت فقالت فدونكما فاشربا هذا الخمر فإنه قربان لكما عنده به تصلان إلى ما تريدان، فائتمرا بينهما فقالا هذه ثلاث خصال مما نهانا ربنا عنها الشرك والزنا وشرب الخمر وإنما ندخل في شرب الخمر والشرك حتى نصل إلى الزنا فائتمرا بينهما، فقالا ما أعظم البلية بك قد أجبناك إلى ما سألت قالت فدونكما فاشربا من هذا الخمر واعبدا هذا الصنم واسجدا له، فشربا الخمر وعبدا الصنم

“He said: “Then one of them looked at his companion and said: ‘These are two things of those that have been forbidden to us: The association and the fornication. For when we bow down before this idol and serve it, we associate with God, and we associate with God only for the reason that we may arrive at fornication, and this is it. We seek fornication, and we do not commit any sin except by association.” So they consulted with each other, and lust took over, and the two of them were endowed with it. And they said unto her: “We will comply with your request.” She said: “Here you have. So both of you drink this alcohol, for it is an offering for you for him. And so you both shall have what you both want.” So they consulted each other. Then the two said: “These are the three things of those which our Lord has forbidden us: the association, fornication, and the drinking of alcohol, and we take only the drinking of alcohol and the association to commit fornication.” So they consulted with one another and said: “How great is the trial you have given us. We will follow you in what you ask.” She said: “Here you have.Drink of this alcohol, both of you, and serve this idol, and worship him. And they both drank of that alcohol, and served the idol.”

ثم راوداها من نفسها فلما تهيأت لهما وتهيئا لها دخل عليهما سائل يسأل، فلما رآهما ورأياه ذعرا منه فقال لهما انكما لامرءان ذعران فدخلتما بهذه المرأة العطرة الحسناء، انكما لرجلا سوء وخرج عنهما فقالت لهما لا وإلهي لا تصلان الآن إلي وقد اطلع هذا الرجل على حالكما وعرف مكانكما ويخرج الآن ويخبر بخبركما ولكن بادرا إلى هذا الرجل فاقتلاه قبل ان يفضحكما ويفضحني ثم دونكما فاقضيا حاجتكما وأنتما مطمئنان آمنان

“Then they seduced her. Now when she was getting ready for them and the two were getting ready for her, an questioning beggar came in to them. When he saw them and the two saw him, they were afraid of him. Then he said to them: “Surely you are two fearful people. You went in to this beautiful fragrant woman. You are two truly wicked men.” And he went out from them. So she said to the two of them: “Nay, by my God, you do not come to me now, while this man saw your condition and recognized your attitude. He now goes out and speaks about your story. Rather hasten to this man and kill him before he exposes you and me. Then take and satisfy your need while you have certainty and safety.”

قال فقاما إلى الرجل فأدركاه فقتلاه ثم رجعا إليها فلم يرياها وبدت لهما سوأتهما ونزع عنهما رياشهما واسقط في أيديهما، قال فأوحى الله اليهما إنما أهبطتكما إلى الأرض مع خلقي ساعة من النهار فعصيتماني بأربع من معاصي كلها قد نهيتكما عنها فلم تراقباني فلم تستحيا مني وقد كنتما أشد من نقم على أهل الأرض للمعاصي واستسجز أسفي وغضبي عليهم، ولما جعلت فيكما من طبع خلقي وعصمني إياكما من المعاصي فكيف رأيتما موضع خذلاني فيكما، اختارا عذاب الدنيا أو عذاب الآخرة

“He said: “So they stood up. They caught up with him and killed him. Then they returned to her, but they did not see her. Then their abomination became visible to the two. Their feathers were stripped from them and they fell into their hands.” He said: “Then God revealed to the two of them: “I have sent you down to My creatures on earth only a little, whereupon you disobeyed Me in all four disobedience which I have forbidden you. so you have not feared Me nor been ashamed before Me, while you were most strict with the inhabitants of the earth because of the disobedience and considered My sorrow (43:55) and anger towards them as legitimate, and when I endowed you with the disposition of My creatures and with My protection for you from the disobedience, how did you see the place of My discontentment for you? Choose the punishment in this world or the punishment in the Hereafter”

فقال أحدهما لصاحبه نتمتع من شهواتها في الدنيا إذ صرنا إليها إلى أن نصير إلى عذاب الآخرة، فقال الآخر ان عذاب الدنيا له مدة وانقطاع وعذاب الآخرة قائم لا انقضاء له فلسنا نختار عذاب الآخرة الدائم الشديد على عذاب الدنيا المنقطع الفاني قال فاختارا عذاب الدنيا وكانا يعلمان الناس السحر في ارض بابل ثم لما علما الناس السحر رفعا من الأرض إلى الهواء فهما معذبان منكسان معلقان في الهواء إلى يوم القيامة

“Then one of them said to his companion: “We will enjoy her lusts in this world, if we can get to her, until we reach the punishment in the hereafter.” To which the other said: “The punishment in this world has a period of time and an end, while the punishment in the Hereafter is permanent and endless. So we do not prefer eternal hard punishment in the hereafter to temporary punishment in this world.” He said: “Thus they chose the punishment in this world and they used to teach sorcery to the people of the land of Babylon. When they taught magic to the people, they were lifted up from the earth into the air. Thus they are punished hanging in the air until the day of resurrection, while the lowest is turned upside down.” [Tafsir-ul-Qumi, Volume 1, pages 55 – 58]

Muhammad Baqir Al-Majlisi writes:

وأقول يمكن حمل الخبر على التقية بقرينة كون السائل من علماء العامة

“I say: “It is possible to interpret the tradition in such a way that it was said out of caution (Taqiyyah), by the indication that the questioner (Ata’) belongs to the scholars of the general public.” [Bihar-ul-Anwar, Volume 56, Page 319]

Comment:

At-Tusi does not believe in the infallibility of all angels [Here!]