The Story of Cain and Abel

(According to the Qur’an)

The Sons of Adam

After Adam and Eve were sent to live on Earth, they had children. Among their children were two sons. The Qur’an does not mention their names directly, but Islamic tradition calls them Qabil (Cain) and Habil (Abel).

Allah tells Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:

“Recite to them the true story of the two sons of Adam.”
(Qur’an 5:27)

This shows that this story is true and important, and that Allah wants people to learn from it.

The Test: An Offering to Allah

Allah tested the two sons. Each of them was asked to give an offering (sacrifice) to Allah.

The Qur’an says:

“When they both offered a sacrifice, it was accepted from one of them and not accepted from the other.”
(Qur’an 5:27)

Abel gave his offering sincerely, with a pure heart, wanting to please Allah. Cain gave his offering without sincerity and with a bad intention.

Allah accepted Abel’s sacrifice, but did not accept Cain’s.

This teaches us an important lesson:

l Allah looks at hearts and intentions, not just actions.

 Jealousy Enters the Heart

Instead of correcting himself, Cain became jealous and angry. His heart filled with hatred toward his brother.

Cain said:

“I will surely kill you.”
(Qur’an 5:27)

Jealousy is a very dangerous feeling. It can destroy good deeds and lead to terrible sins.

Abel’s Gentle Response

Abel was a righteous and peaceful person. He did not respond with anger or threats.

He said:

“Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous.”
(Qur’an 5:27)

Abel reminded his brother that the problem was not Allah or himself, but Cain’s lack of righteousness.

Abel also said:

“If you raise your hand to kill me, I will not raise my hand to kill you. Indeed, I fear Allah, Lord of the worlds.”
(Qur’an 5:28)

This shows Abel’s strong faith. He refused to commit violence even to defend himself.

A Warning from Abel

Abel warned his brother about the serious consequences of murder. He said:

“I want you to carry my sin and your sin and become among the people of the Fire.”
(Qur’an 5:29)

Abel was not wishing harm upon his brother. He was warning him that killing an innocent person leads to great punishment from Allah.

The First Murder

Cain did not listen. His jealousy and anger became stronger.

The Qur’an says:

“His soul encouraged him to kill his brother, so he killed him and became among the losers.”
(Qur’an 5:30)

This was the first murder in human history. Cain killed his own brother, not because of self-defense, but because of jealousy and pride.

Allah calls Cain “one of the losers”, showing that murder brings loss in this life and the next.

Confusion and Regret

After killing his brother, Cain did not know what to do with the body. He felt shame and confusion.

Allah sent a sign:

“Then Allah sent a crow scratching the ground to show him how to hide the body of his brother.”
(Qur’an 5:31)

When Cain saw this, he said:

“Woe to me! Am I unable to be like this crow and hide the body of my brother?”
(Qur’an 5:31)

Then the Qur’an says:

“So he became full of regret.”
(Qur’an 5:31)

But regret after committing a major sin does not remove the crime unless there is true repentance, which Cain did not clearly show.

The Serious Warning About Killing

Because of this first murder, Allah gave a strong warning to humanity:

“Whoever kills a soul without right… it is as if he has killed all of mankind.”
(Qur’an 5:32)

And:

“Whoever saves a life, it is as if he has saved all of mankind.”
(Qur’an 5:32)

This shows how serious human life is in Islam. Killing one innocent person is a crime against all humanity.