In the Name ofAllah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
The Story of Habil and Qabil
“Able and Cain”
The First Crime on Earth
Allah the Almighty says:
{And
(O Muhammad (Peace be upon him» recite to them (the
Jews) the story of the two sons of Adam (Habil and Qabil) in truth;
when each offered a sacrifice (to Allah), it was accepted from the one
but not from the other. The latter said to the former:
"I will surely kill
you." The former said: "Verily, Allah accepts only from those who are
Al-Muttaqun (the pious)." "If you do stretch your hand against me to
kill me, I shall never stretch my hand against you to kill you: for I fear
Allah, the Lord of the `Alamin (mankind, jinn, and all that exists)."
"Verily, I intend to let you draw my sin on yourself as well as yours,
then you will be one of the dwellers of the Fire; and that is the
recompense of the Zalimin (polytheists and wrong-doers);" So the Nafs
(self) of the other (latter one) encouraged him and made fair-seeming
to him the murder of his brother; he murdered him and became one of
the losers; Then Allah sent a crow who scratched the ground to show
him to hide the dead body of his brother; He (the murderer) said: "Woe
to me! Am I not even able to be as this crow and to hide the dead body
of my brother?" Then he became one of those who regretted}.
(Al--Ma'idah, 27-31)
Narrated As-Sadiy on the authority of Abu Malik and Abu Salih after Ibn
'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) and on the authority of Ibn Mas`ud and
other Companions that Adam (Peace be upon him) used to get the male brought
by one birth married to the female brought by the other. Hence, it was supposed
that Abel would get married to Cain's sister who was better and more beautiful
than anyone else. At the same time, Cain wanted to keep her for himself. Adam
(Peace be upon him) ordered him to allow' Abel to marry her, but he totally
refused. Then, Adam (Peace be upon him) ordered both (Abel and Cain) to offer
a sacrifice to Allah Almighty. Meanwhile, Adam set forth towards Mecca to
perform Pilgrimage. Just before leaving, Adam tried to entrust (the affairs of) his
children to the heavens, the earth and finally to the mountains, but all declined
to shoulder the (heavy) trust. Thereupon, Cain accepted the trust and after
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Adam went away they (Abel and Cain) offered their sacrifices to Allah. Abel
offered a fat she-goat, while Cain offered a bundle of bad plants. Later, a fire
came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice offered by Abel and left
untouched that of Cain. Cain became livid with rage and said to his brother: I will
kill you so as not to marry my sister, Abel said:
{Verily, Allah accepts only
from those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious)}.
'Abdullah Ibn `Amr (May Allah be pleased with both of them) said: By Allah!
The murdered (Abel) was stronger (than the murderer, Cain), but he refused to
stretch his hand against his brother to kill him due to his piety and God-fearing.
Abu Ja`far Al-Baqir mentioned that Adam (Peace be upon him) was present
there when they offered their sacrifices. After Abel's sacrifice was accepted, Cain
said to his father, Adam: "It was accepted only from him because you invoked
Allah for his sake." And, he secretly intended something against his brother. One
day, Abel was late and Adam sent Cain to look for him. The two brothers met
and Cain said: "Your sacrifice was accepted and mine was not." Abel said:
"{Verily, Allah accepts only from those who are Al-Muttaqun (the
pious)}
." Cain got angry and hit his brother with an iron rod and Abel fell dead
at once.
It was said: Cain killed Abel by throwing a rock at his head while he was
asleep. It was also said: Cain choked Abel violently and bit him to death as
beasts do. However, Abel's saying when Cain threatened to kill him:
{If you do
stretch your hand against me to kill me, I shall never stretch my hand
against you to kill you: for I fear Allah, the Lord of the" Alamin
(mankind, jinn, and all that exists)}
(Al-Ma'idah, 28) indicated his good
morals and ethics, his fear from Allah, and perfect piety that he may harm his
brother, in contrast with the odious deed intended by his brother, Cain. For this,
Abu Bakrah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (Peace
be upon him) as saying:
"'When two Muslims confront each other and the one
amongst them attacks his brother with a weapon, both of them get into Hell-
Fire.' He (Ahnaf, one of the sub-narrators) said: 'I said, or it was said: Messenger
of Allah! It may be the case of one who kills, but what about the slain (why he
would be put in Hell-Fire)?' Thereupon, he (Peace be upon him) said: 'He also
intended to kill his companion.
"
Allah the Almighty says:
{Verily, I intend to let you draw my sin (on
yourself) as well as yours, then you will be one of the denizens of the
Fire; and that is the recompense of the Zalimun (polytheists and
wrong-doers)}.
(Al-Ma'idah, 29) i.e. I do not intend to fight against you
though I am myself far stronger and tougher than you are, but you will
{draw
my sin on yourself as well as yours},
i.e. you will bear the sin of murdering
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me along with your previous sins
.1
Narrated Imam Ahmed, Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi on the authority of Sa'd Ibn
Abu Waqqas his statement upon the ordeal of `Uthman Ibn `Affan that reads: I
testify that Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) said:
"There will be soon a
period of turmoil in which the one who sits will be better than one who stands
and the one who stands will be better than one who walks and the one who
walks will be better than one who runs.
" Someone said: 'Allah's Messenger! What
is your opinion if someone entered my home and stretched his hand to kill me?'
Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) said: 'Be just like the son of Adam
(Abel).
"Narrated by Ibn Mardwiyah after Hudhaifah Ibn Al- Yaman in another
wording as saying:
"Be just like the best of Adam's two sons."
Imam Ahmed transmitted after Mu`awiyah and Waki` their saying: We were
told by Al- A ` mash on the authority of `Abdullah Ibn Murrah after Masruq after
`Abdullah Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) as saying:
The Prophet
(Peace be upon him) said, "None (no human being) is killed or murdered
(unjustly), but a part of responsibility for the crime is laid on the first son of
Adam who invented the tradition of killing (murdering on earth).
" (Ahmed's
Musnad)
However, there is a cave, called the "Blood Cave", in a mountain located to
the northern part of Syria. It is thought to be the scene of the crime where Cain
killed his brother Abel. The people living there came to know this through the
People of the Book (Christians and Jews) and only Allah Almighty knows the
validity or realness of this. .Al-Hafiz Ibn `Asakir mentioned in the biography of
Ahmed Ibn Katheer that "He (Ahmed) saw in a dream Allah's Messenger (Peace
be upon him), Abu Bakr, `Umar and Abel. Ahmed came to know from Abel -who
took an oath of that- it was his own blood (that was spilt there (in that very
cave)). Abel said that he had asked Allah Almighty to make the invocations and
supplications offered in that place acceptable. Allah accepted his own invocations
and His Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) believed in that and said: I
(Allah's Messenger), Abu Bakr and `Umar used to visit that place every
Thursday. "However, it is to be stated that this narration represents only a
vision. Even if it were true, no religious ruling can ever be based on such a thing;
and Allah knows best!
Allah Almighty says:
{Then, Allah sent a crow who scratched the
ground to show him how to hide the dead body of his brother. He (the
murderer) said: "Woe to me! Am I not even able to be as this crow and
to hide the dead body of my brother? "Then he became one of those
who regretted}.
(Al-Ma'idah, 31) Some interpreters said: "After Cain had killed
1
As for the Prophetic Hadith that was transmitted by some other narrators that reads: "The killer will bear
all sins of the slain", no one even knows its degree of validity: whether it be Authentic, Good, or even Weak.
It cannot be found in any of the Prophetic Hadith Compilations.
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his brother, he carried him on his back for a full year (not knowing what to do
with his brother's corpse!)." Others said: He carried him on his back for one
hundred years till Allah Almighty sent two crows who fought against one
another. One of them was killed. The murderer scratched the ground to hide the
body of the dead crow. Seeing him doing that, Cain said: Woe to me! Am I not
even able to do as this crow and to hide the dead body of my brother? Then, he
buried the body of his dead brother and covered it with earth.
Historians said: Adam became very sick at heart and felt great sorrow for his
dead son, Abel. Mujahid said: Cain was brought punishment very soon
afterwards. On the same day he killed his brother, Abel, his foot was tied up to
his thighbone and his face was forcibly directed up to the sun disk. His face used
to go where the sun goes as a way of punishment and penalty in return for what
he had done to his own brother. Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) said:
"There is no sin more recurring punishment (very rapidly) in the present life,
along with what awaits for its doer in the Hereafter, than transgression and
severing the ties of relationship.
"
Imam Abu J a' far mentioned in his
Tarikh "History" on the authority of some
people who had said: Eve gave birth to forty children through twenty births. Ibn
Ishaq viewed the same and he mentioned their names in detail. However,
nothing is sure of their names or numbers. Only Allah knows best and no one
else can know their exact number! Others said: there were one hundred and
twenty births, in each one a male and a female were born. The first among them
were Cain and his sister Qalimah, and the last ones were `Abdul Mughith and his
sister Ummul Mughith. Then, humans increased in number and spread into the
earth. Allah Almighty says:
{O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who
created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He
created his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], and from them both He created many
men and women; and fear Allah through Whom you demand (your
mutual rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship).
Surely, Allah is Ever an All-Watcher over you}.
(An-Nisa', 1)
Historians said: Adam did not die till he saw from among his progeny and
offspring four hundred thousand persons (400.000). Only Allah knows best!
Allah, the Almighty says:
{It is He Who has created you from a single
person (Adam), and (then) He has created from him his wife [Hawwa'
(Eve)], in order that he might enjoy the pleasure of living with her.
When he had sexual relation with her, she became pregnant and she
carried it about lightly. Then when it became heavy, they both invoked
Allah, their Lord (saying): "If You give us a Salih (good in every aspect)
child, we shall indeed be among the grateful.
" But when He gave them
a Salih (good in every aspect) child, they ascribed partners to Him
(Allah) in that which He has given to them. High be Allah, Exalted
above all that they ascribe as partners to Him}.
(Al-A'raf, 189, 190) Adam
was mentioned first to draw the attention of the reader of the Qur'an, then
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whom was mentioned second was the whole race of mankind. This is done by
way of mentioning the whole race of mankind after mentioning the forefather
thereof; Allah the Almighty says:
{And indeed We created man (Adam) out
of an extract of clay (water and earth). Thereafter We made him (the
offspring of Adam) as a Nutfah (mixed drops of the male and female
sexual discharge and lodged it) in a safe lodging (Womb of the
woman)}.
(Al-Mu'minun, 12, 13); and in: {And indeed We have adorned
the nearest heaven with lamps, and We have made such lamps (as)
missiles to drive away the Shayatin (devils)}.
(Al-Mulk, 5) Where it is wellknown
that the
"lamps as missiles" are not the same as lamps of adornment, but
He turned from a single category or person to the whole race.
Adam (Peace be upon him) was. the father of mankind. He was created by
the Hand of Allah Who breathed out of His Soul into him, Who made the Angels
prostrate themselves before him, Who taught him names of everything, and Who
made him dwell in His spacious Paradise. Narrated Ibn Hibban in his
Sahih on
the authority of Abu Dharr his saying:
"I said, 0 Allah's Messenger! How many
were the Prophets of Allah?' He (Peace be upon him) said: 'One hundred twenty
-four thousands.' I said:
'O Allah's Messenger! How many were the Messengers
among them?' He (Peace be upon him) said: 'Three hundred and thirteen, a
great number!' I said:
'O Allah's Messenger! Who was the first among them? 'He
(Peace be upon him) said: 'Adam.' I said:
'O Allah's Messenger! Was he a
Prophet sent with a Message?' He (Peace be upon him) said: 'Yes, Allah the
Almighty created him with His Hand, then, breathed into him out of His Soul,
then, He fashioned him (in a very proper manner).
"
In the Night Journey Hadith that can be found in the two
Sahihs -Al-Bukhari
and Muslim -Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
"So the gate was
opened and we went over the nearest heaven and there we saw a man sitting
with some people on his right and some on his left. When he looked towards his
right, he laughed and when he looked towards his left he wept. Then he said,
'Welcome!
0 pious Prophet and pious son!' I asked Gabriel: 'Who is he?' He
replied: 'He is Adam and the people on his right and left are the souls of his
offspring. Those on his right are the people of Paradise and those on his left are
the people of Hell and when he looks towards his right he laughs and when he
looks towards his left he weeps.
" (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Regarding the Prophetic Hadith that reads:
"Then, I passed by Yusuf
(Joseph) and I found him to be granted half of beauty.
"Some scholars explained
that it means that he was given half of the beauty Adam was granted. Indeed,
this is very suitable and convincing! That Allah, the Almighty created Adam,
fashioned him by His Hand and breathed into him out of His Soul, for all these
Allah the Almighty must have created the best of all things.
It was narrated on the authority of `Abdullah Ibn 'Umar and' Abdullah Ibn
'Amr that:
When Allah the Almighty created Paradise, the Angels said: "'Our
Lord! Make this for us for You created for mankind the present world in which
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