Ma`rifat

The hypertextual analysis of Quranic verses possessing a biblical background in relation to Judaeo-Christian scriptures opens an analytical portal toward deciphering the historico-theological tenets of the Quran’s outward-facing propositions. A quintessential case of these extra-religious verses is Surah Al-Baqarah (2:102), which engages with several biblical and parabiblical notions of the People of the Book, including the alleged disbelief of Solomon, subjugation to demonic recitations, the sorcery taught by Hārūt and Mārūt, and the employment of magic to sever marital bonds. The objective of this research is to identify the biblical subtexts of these Quranic assertions; to achieve this, the verse was systematically partitioned into discrete semantic segments. Next, employing a hypertextual approach juxtaposed with the Bible and the Talmud, the biblical subtexts of the verse were identified and critically analyzed. The findings indicate that while Surah Al-Baqarah (2:102) is broadly aligned with biblical traditions across several themes, it fundamentally diverges in critical instances, adopting a polemical and corrective stance that refutes specific tenets held by the People of the Book. The doctrinal departure of the Quran from the Judaeo-Christian canon in Q. 2:102 crystallizes in two issues: the alleged disbelief of Solomon and the transgression and fall of Hārūt and Mārūt. The former is explicitly refuted, whereas the latter is implicitly undermined. The remaining clauses of the verse function as either an elaboration or an abridgment of received biblical traditions regarding this subject.