Tafsir of Al-Ma'idah 5:30

Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:30)

فَطَوَّعَتْ لَهُ نَفْسُهُ قَتْلَ أَخِيهِ (Then his soul made it seem pleasing to him to kill his brother.)

The commentators explain that this means his soul made the killing of his brother easy for him, or it encouraged him to do so.

The deeper meaning: When a person contemplates intentional aggression like murder, recognizing it as one of the gravest sins, this belief should act as a deterrent. Normally, such an act would feel like a rebellious, disobedient thing that the self would never consent to. However, when the nafs (soul) introduces various temptations and whispers, this act becomes easy for it. Thus, the soul, through its strange persuasions, made this act seem obedient and acceptable, whereas previously it was seen as rebellious. This is the meaning of "Then his soul made it seem pleasing to him to kill his brother."

The Mu'tazila Objection: The Mu'tazila argued: If Allah Almighty were the Creator of everything, then this beautification and making-it-pleasing (tazyeen and tatwee') should be attributed to Allah, not to the soul.

The Reply: Actions are attributed to the motives (dawā'i) that drive them. Since Allah is the Creator of those motives, He is ultimately the Creator of all actions.

فَقَتَلَهَا فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ (So he killed him, and became one of the losers.)

It is narrated that Qabil did not know how to kill Habil. Iblis (Satan) appeared to him, took a bird, struck its head with a stone, and Qabil learned this method. Later, he found Habil sleeping one day, struck his head with a stone, and killed him.

It is narrated from Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: "No soul is unjustly killed except that the first son of Adam bears a share of its blood," because he was the first one to establish the practice of killing.

Meaning of "So he became one of the losers": Ibn Abbas said: He lost both his worldly life and his Hereafter.

• In this world: He incurred the displeasure of his parents and remained condemned until the Day of Judgment.
• In the Hereafter: He faces the great punishment.

It is said that after killing his brother, Qabil fled to 'Adan in the land of Yemen. Iblis came to him and said: "The fire only consumed Habil's offering because he served and worshipped the fire. If you also worship the fire, your objective will be achieved." So, Qabil built a fire-temple, becoming the first to worship fire.

It is reported that Habil was killed at the age of twenty, near the mountain pass of Hira. Another account places the killing in Basra, at the site of the Great Mosque. It is narrated that after the killing, Qabil’s body turned black, whereas it had been white. When Adam asked him about his brother, Qabil replied, "I was not a guardian over him." Adam said, "Rather, you killed him, and that is why your body turned black." Adam did not laugh for a hundred years after that.

The author of Al-Kashshaf mentioned that a poem is narrated as Adam’s lament. The author of this commentary states that this poem is pure falsehood; poetry is often fabricated and corrupted, and Prophets are protected from composing poetry. The author of Al-Kashshaf is correct in his assessment, as that poetry is extremely weak, unfit even for the most ignorant teachers, let alone someone whose knowledge Allah made a proof over the angels.

Then Allah Almighty said:

فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ غُرَابًا يَبْحَثُ فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُ كَيْفَ يُوَارِي سَوْءَةَ أَخِيهِ قَالَ يَا وَيْلَتَا أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَذَا الْغُرَابِ فَأُوَارِيَ سَوْءَةَ أَخِي فَأُصْبِحَ مِنَ النَّادِمِينَ (Then Allah sent a crow scratching the ground to show him how to bury the dead body of his brother. He said, "Woe is me! Am I unable to be like this crow and bury the dead body of my brother?" And he became one of those who regret.)