Adam's Sons

Tell them the story of Adam’s two sons, when they each offered a sacrifice. One was accepted, the other was not. The rejected one said, “I will kill you!” The other replied, “Allah accepts only from the righteous.”

“Even if you raise your hand to kill me, I will not raise mine against you. I fear Allah, the Lord of all worlds.”

“I would rather you bear the burden of my sin and your own, and become one of the people of the Fire. That is the fate of the wrongdoers.”

His soul urged him to kill his brother, and so he did, becoming one of the doomed.

Then Allah sent a raven scratching the earth, showing him how to bury his brother’s body. He cried, “Woe to me! Am I so helpless that I could not do as this bird?” And he became full of regret.