Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread): (31) Then Allah sent a raven...

Issues Discussed:

It is narrated that after Cain killed Abel, he left the body, not knowing what to do with it. He then feared wild beasts would devour it, so he carried it on his back in a sack for a year until it decomposed. Then Allah sent a raven. There are several interpretations regarding the raven's action:

1. First View: Allah sent two ravens that fought. One killed the other. The surviving raven then dug a hole with its beak and feet and cast the dead one into the grave, teaching Cain this method.
2. Second View (Al-Asamm): When Cain left the body, Allah sent a raven to scratch the earth over the slain person. When the killer saw how Allah honored the deceased even after death, he regretted his action and said, "Woe is me!"
3. Third View (Abu Muslim): It is the habit of ravens to bury things. A raven came and buried something, and Cain learned from it.

There are two interpretations:

1. To show him (Cain) what Allah intended, or to show him (Cain) through the raven. This means to teach him, as the raven became the means of his learning, so it is metaphorically attributed to the raven as the teacher.

1. It means the 'awrah (private parts/shame) of his brother, which should not be exposed. The word saw'ah (shame/indecency) is used because of its ugliness.
2. It is also said to mean the corpse (jīfah) of his brother.

Then Allah said: {He said, "Oh, woe is me! Am I unable to be like this raven and bury the private parts of my brother?" And he became one of the regretful.}

Issues Discussed:

There are two possibilities regarding why Cain uttered this lament:

1. First Possibility: Cain did not know how to bury the slain. When he learned this from the raven, he realized the raven possessed greater knowledge than him. He understood that his act of murder stemmed from his ignorance and lack of knowledge, leading him to regret, lament, and feel distressed over his deed.
2. Second Possibility: Cain did know how to bury the body (as it is unlikely a human would lack such basic knowledge). However, after killing his brother, he left the body exposed out of contempt. When he saw the raven burying the other raven, his heart softened. He realized that Allah had honored Abel during his life by accepting his offering, and honored him after death by sending a raven to bury him. This made Cain realize Abel's high status with Allah. He then lamented, realizing he could only honor his brother now by burying him, leading him to say, "Woe is me! Am I unable to be like this raven?"

This phrase is an admission of deserving punishment. It is a word used upon the occurrence of a great calamity. The form is that of a call (like Yā), as if Woe (al-Wayl) is absent and he calls upon it to attend, meaning: "O Woe, be present, for this is the time for your arrival." The inclusion of Yā is for added emphasis, similar to the verse {O woe to me! Shall I be brought forth...} (Hud: 72). And Allah knows best.

The word nadm (regret) implies persistence or adherence; hence, a companion at a gathering is called nadīm because he adheres to the session.

A Question Arises: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Regret is repentance (tawbah)." If Cain was among the regretful, why was his repentance not accepted?

Answers Provided (Several Views):

1. Since he only learned burial from the raven, his regret was for having carried the body for a year, not necessarily for the sin itself.
2. His regret was for killing his brother because he gained nothing from it; rather, his father and brothers became displeased with him due to the murder. Thus, his regret was for these worldly consequences, not for the act being a sin against God.
3. His regret was because he left the body exposed out of contempt after the killing. When he saw the raven bury its slain counterpart, he regretted his own hardness of heart, thinking: "This is my brother, my kin; his flesh is mixed with my flesh, and his blood with my blood. If compassion is shown by a raven toward a raven, but not by me toward my brother, then I am inferior to the raven in mercy and noble character." Therefore, his regret was for these reasons, not stemming from the fear of Allah Almighty, and thus that regret did not benefit him.