Tafsir of Al-Ma'idah 5:27

They are the two sons of Adam from his loins: Qabil (Cain) and Habil (Abel). Allah revealed to Adam that he should marry each of them to the other’s twin sister. Qabil’s twin was the more beautiful, and her name was Iqlima. He envied his brother for her and became resentful.

Adam said to them, "Both of you offer a sacrifice; whoever’s sacrifice is accepted shall marry her." Habil’s sacrifice was accepted when a fire descended and consumed it. Qabil’s envy and resentment increased, and he threatened him with death. It is also said they were two men from the Children of Israel.

"In truth" A recitation accompanied by truth and correctness. Or, "Recite to them the news" in a way that is truthful and consistent with what is in the books of the ancients. Or, with the correct purpose, which is to condemn envy, for the polytheists and the People of the Book all envied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and sought to harm him. Or, "Recite to them while you are truthful and sincere."

"When they offered a sacrifice" The phrase is in the accusative case governed by "the news," meaning their story and account at that time. It may also be a substitute for "the news," meaning: recite to them the news—the news of that time—assuming the omission of the genitive.

A qurban (sacrifice) is the name for anything by which one draws near to Allah, whether an offering or charity, just as hulwan is the name for what is given to sweeten (bribe). It is said "he offered (qarraba) charity" and "he drew near (taqarraba) with it," for taqarraba is the reflexive of qarraba. Al-Asma'i said: "They drew near (taqarrabu) with the sacrifice of the qam' (a small vessel)," so it is made transitive with ba to mean qarraba.

If you ask: How was his saying, "Allah only accepts from the righteous," a response to his saying, "I will surely kill you"? I say: Since the envy toward his brother over the acceptance of his sacrifice was what drove him to threaten him with murder, he said to him: "You have been brought to this by your own self, due to its stripping away the garment of righteousness, not by me. So why do you kill me? Why do you not reproach your own self and urge it toward the righteousness of Allah, which is the cause of acceptance?" He answered him with wise, concise words that encompass many meanings.

It is evidence that Allah Almighty does not accept obedience except from a believer who is righteous. How lamentable this is for most of those who perform deeds! It is narrated that 'Amir ibn 'Abdullah wept when death approached him. It was said to him, "What makes you weep, when you were such and such?" He said, "I hear Allah saying: 'Allah only accepts from the righteous.'"

"I will not stretch out my hand to you to kill you" It is said he was stronger than the killer and more capable, but he refrained from killing his brother and submitted to him out of fear of Allah, because self-defense was not permitted at that time. Mujahid and others said this.

"I want you to bear my sin and your sin" Meaning: that you should bear the sin of my killing you—if I were to kill you—and the sin of your killing me. If you ask: How can he bear the sin of killing him, when "no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another"? I say: The intent of "like my sin" is an expansion in speech, as when you say, "I read the recitation of so-and-so" or "I wrote his writing," intending the likeness. This is a widespread, common usage. Similar to this is the saying of the Prophet (ﷺ): "The two who insult each other—what they say is upon the initiator, as long as the oppressed does not transgress." This means the initiator bears the sin of his own insult and the likeness of the sin of his companion's insult because he was the cause of it, unless the sin is lifted from the companion and pardoned because he was merely reciprocating and defending his honor. Do you not see the phrase "as long as the oppressed does not transgress"? Because if he exceeds the limit of retaliation and transgresses, he is not safe.

If you ask: Since Habil refrained from killing his brother and submitted, and refrained from what was forbidden in his law—namely, self-defense—where is the sin that his brother would bear, such that two sins would gather upon him? I say: It is hypothetical. He bears the likeness of the hypothetical sin, as if he said: "I want you to bear the likeness of my sin, had I stretched out my hand to you."

It is also said "my sin" means the sin of killing me, and "your sin" is that for which your sacrifice was not accepted. If you ask: How was it permissible for him to desire his brother's misery and torment in the Fire? I say: He was an oppressor, and the recompense of the oppressor is good and permissible to be desired. Do you not see the Almighty's saying: "And that is the recompense of the wrongdoers"? If it is permissible for Allah to desire it, it is permissible for the servant, for he only desires what is good. The "sin" refers to the consequence of murder and the punishment it entails.

"But his soul permitted him to kill his brother" It made it easy and facilitated it for him. It is said "his soul permitted him" (tawwa'at)—meaning it did not resist. It is said he was twenty years old when he killed him, at the mountain pass of Hira. Others say it was in Basra, at the site of the Great Mosque.

"Then Allah sent a crow" It is narrated that he was the first person killed on the face of the earth from the sons of Adam. When he killed him, he left him in the open, not knowing what to do with him. He feared the beasts would get him, so he carried him in a pouch on his back for a year until he began to smell and the beasts gathered around him. Then Allah sent two crows that fought; one killed the other, then dug a hole for it with its beak and feet and threw it in.

"He said, 'Woe to me! Have I failed to be like this crow?'" It is narrated that when he killed him, his body turned black, though he was white. Adam asked him about his brother, and he said, "I was not a guardian over him." Adam said, "Nay, you killed him, and that is why your body has turned black." It is narrated that Adam did not laugh for a hundred years after the killing, and that he lamented him with poetry, but this is pure falsehood; poetry is only forged and grammatically incorrect. It is established that the Prophets (peace be upon them) are protected from poetry.

"To show him" Either Allah showed him, or the crow showed him—meaning to teach him. Since the crow was the cause of his learning, it is as if it intended to teach him, by way of metaphor.

"The shame of his brother" His brother's private parts, or what is not permitted to be exposed of his body. Saw'ah (shame) is a scandal because of its ugliness.

"Then I will bury" In the accusative case as a response to the implied question. It is also read with a vowelled ending, or with a sukun for lightness.

"Of the regretful" Regretful for killing him, due to the exhaustion of carrying him, his confusion, his realization of his own helplessness, his apprenticeship to a crow, the blackening of his color, and his father's anger. He did not regret with the repentance of the truly penitent.

"Because of that" For that reason and its cause. It is said it originates from ajala (to commit a crime). "Because of that" refers to the aforementioned murder—that the writing of the law and its consequence stemmed from that crime.

"We ordained for the Children of Israel" "From" (min) indicates the starting point; the decree originated and arose because of that.

"Without a soul" Without the killing of a soul, not by way of legal retaliation.

"Or corruption" Coordinated with "soul," meaning "or without corruption in the land," which is polytheism or highway robbery.

"And whoever saves one" Whoever rescues one from the causes of destruction—killing, drowning, burning, collapse, or otherwise. If you ask: How is the individual likened to the whole, and his judgment made like theirs? I say: Because every human being possesses the same dignity before Allah and the same established sanctity. If one is killed, that which is honored by Allah is insulted, and its sanctity is violated. Conversely, there is no difference between the one and the many in that regard. If you ask: What is the benefit of mentioning this? I say: To magnify the killing of a soul and the saving of it in the hearts, so that people may recoil from daring to do it and desire to protect its sanctity. For one who contemplates killing a soul, if he imagines it as the killing of all people, it becomes a grave matter, which deters him—and likewise for one who intends to save it.

Mujahid said: The killer of a soul, his recompense is Hell, the wrath of Allah, and a great punishment. Even if he had killed all of humanity, it would not exceed that. Al-Hasan said: "O son of Adam, do you see? If you killed all of humanity, would you hope that you have a deed that would balance that so you would be forgiven? No, it is something your soul and Satan have made attractive to you. Likewise, if you kill one."

"After that" After We ordained it for them and after the messengers came with the signs.

"Are indeed transgressors" Meaning in killing, not caring about its gravity.