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Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread)

Verse 31of 120

فَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ غُرَابًۭا يَبْحَثُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُۥ كَيْفَ يُوَٰرِى سَوْءَةَ أَخِيهِ ۚ قَالَ يَٰوَيْلَتَىٰٓ أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَٰذَا ٱلْغُرَابِ فَأُوَٰرِىَ سَوْءَةَ أَخِى ۖ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ ٱلنَّٰدِمِينَ﴿٣١

Translation (Sahih International)

Then Allah sent a crow searching in the ground to show him how to hide the disgrace of his brother. He said, "O woe to me! Have I failed to be like this crow and hide the body of my brother?" And he became of the regretful.

Word-by-word meaning

فَبَعَثَfabaʿathaThen (was) sent
ٱللَّهُl-lahu(by) Allah
غُرَابًۭاghurābana crow
يَبْحَثُyabḥathuit (was) scratching
فِىin
ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe earth
لِيُرِيَهُۥliyuriyahuto show him
كَيْفَkayfahow
يُوَٰرِىyuwārīto hide
سَوْءَةَsawata(the) dead body
أَخِيهِ ۚakhīhi(of) his brother
قَالَqālaHe said
يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰٓyāwaylatāWoe to me
أَعَجَزْتُaʿajaztuAm I unable
أَنْanthat
أَكُونَakūnaI can be
مِثْلَmith'lalike
هَـٰذَاhādhāthis
ٱلْغُرَابِl-ghurābi[the] crow
فَأُوَٰرِىَfa-uwāriyaand hide
سَوْءَةَsawata(the) dead body
أَخِى ۖakhī(of) my brother
فَأَصْبَحَfa-aṣbaḥaThen he became
مِنَminaof
ٱلنَّـٰدِمِينَl-nādimīnathe regretful

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Story of Habil (Abel) and Qabil (Cain)Allah describes the evil end and consequence of transgression, envy and injustice in the story of the two sons of Adam, Habil and Qabil. One of them fought against the other and killed him out of envy and transgression, because of the bounty that Allah gave his brother and because the sacrifice that he sincerely offered to Allah was accepted.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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