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Bismillahi ar-rahmani ar-rahim

Al-Baqara (2) 101,102

وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ نَبَذَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونوَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَى مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَكِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ كَفَرُوا يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّى يَقُولَا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَا تَكْفُرَ

And when a messenger from Allah comes to them confirming what they have, some recipients of the book toss Allah’s book behind their backs as if they did not know and follow what the devils recited about the kingdom of Sulayman. Sulayman did not disbelieve like the devils, who taught people magic; what was revealed to Harut and Marut, the two angels in Babylon. They did not teach anyone before telling him, “We are a temptation, so do not disbelieve.”

The above ayah is the only one in the Qur’an which mentions the fateful city of Babylon, in today’s Iraq. Although its context is not very clear, there are good lessons in it. 1. It tells us that the city was linked to magic. 2. It shows that the origin of magic, so common nowadays in almost every Muslim nation, is from the devils. 3. It demonstrates that even though Allah permits evil to have power over people, he sets limits to it – Even the angelic teachers of magic in Babylon had to reveal the dark nature of their works before they could seduce those willing to follow them. 4. There is one more important lesson for us: The people who are led astray, according to this Qur’anic text, are the ones who TOSS ALLAH’S BOOK BEHIND THEIR BACKS, AS IF THEY DID NOT KNOW. Let us not follow this old foolishness. Let us look at Allah’s revelation with care, read it and memorize it. It was given to humankind for a good purpose.

Allah revealed to us many things about Babylon, and issued serious warnings against the ways of that glorious but ungodly city. Today we will read the very first story ever told by the prophets about Babylon. The other Babylon stories will come much later in our readings, so do not forget what you learn today.

Tawrat, Genesis 11:1-9

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Allah’s revelations are intended to: (based on the above ayah, choose one correct answer)

1. be tossed by believers behind their backs

2. lead believers to the devils’ way

3. save believers from the devils’ way

Allah confused people’s languages in order to: (based on the above ayahs, choose one correct answer)

1. put an end to their plan to “make name for themselves”

2. see what happens

3. give jobs to translators, interpreters and dictionary publishers