The two sons of Adam

A warning between brothers

The Qur'an tells the Prophet to recite the account of Adam's two sons truthfully (Qur'an 5:27). Each presented an offering; one was accepted and the other's was not. The latter threatened his brother. His brother answered that Allah accepts from those who are mindful of Him, and refused to answer a threat with murder (5:27-28).

The aggressor's own soul made killing his brother seem acceptable, and he killed him. The Qur'an calls this a loss (5:29-30). It does not give the brothers' names, so this article does not add names from outside the cited text.

A burial learned from a bird

Allah sent a crow scratching in the earth to show the killer how to cover his brother's body. He regretted that he had not been able to do what the crow did (5:31). Even after the killing, the account does not glamorize violence; it shows its loss and the dead person's dignity.

The sanctity of human life

The next verse says that Allah prescribed for the Children of Israel that killing a soul unjustly is like killing all humanity, while saving a life is like saving all humanity (5:32). The verse states this as a prescription given to the Children of Israel; it does not say that this wording was revealed specifically to Adam's sons. It reinforces the Qur'anic warning not to treat human life lightly.

The Qur'an does not tell us the exact location, date, or further family details of this event. What it does give is enough for its warning: envy and aggression can lead to grave harm, and human life must not be treated lightly.

Source: Qur'an 5:27-32.