Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When Allah Almighty was to send Adam (peace be upon him) down to the earth, the angels said: 'O our Lord! Will You make as Your vicegerent in it one who will cause corruption in it and shed blood, while we glorify You with Your praise and declare Your holiness?' The Lord said: 'I know what you do not know.' They said: 'O our Lord! We are more obedient to You than the children of Adam.' Allah Almighty said to the angels: 'Present two angels from among the angels; the two of them will be sent down to the earth, and then We will make manifest how they act.' The angels said: 'O our Lord! Harut and Marut.' The two of them were sent down to the earth, and Zuhrah was presented before them in the form of a beautiful woman. She came to the two angels, and the two angels asked her for intimacy. She replied: 'No, by Allah! Until you say this word of shirk, I will not come near you.' The two of them said: 'No, by Allah! We will never associate anyone with Allah.' The woman left them and went away. Then she came back carrying a child, and the two of them again asked her for intimacy. She replied: 'No, by Allah! Until you kill this child, I will not come near you.' The two of them said: 'No, by Allah! We will never kill him.' Then the woman went away. Then she came back with a cup of wine that she was carrying, and the two of them again asked her for intimacy. The woman said: 'No, by Allah! Until you drink this wine, I will not come near you.' The two of them drank the wine and became intoxicated; they committed fornication with her and also killed the child. When the two of them came to their senses, the woman said: 'By Allah! Of the things you refused to do, you left nothing undone; when you were intoxicated, you did them.' Then the two angels were given the choice between the punishment of this world and that of the Hereafter, and they chose the punishment of this world."
Allamah al-Haythami says: Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih, except for Musa bin Jubayr, and he is thiqah (trustworthy).
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب التفسير / 10832
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:إسناده حسن
Hadith Takhrij«اخرجه احمد فى المسند (6178) ، أخرجه مسند أحمد برقم: 6143، وأخرجه البحر الزخار المعروف بمسند البزار 10 - 18 برقم: 5996، وأخرجه إتحاف الخيرة المهرة بزوائد المسانيد العشرة برقم: 5617/1»