Author: Abdul Hai Lay'yan
The Divine Education Model in the Family of the Prophets (Part 17)
The Inner Struggle of the Oppressive Brother: A Battle Between Goodness and Temptation
The oppressive and resentful brother (Qabil) was caught in an intense and bitter psychological struggle. He wrestled within the grip of conflicting motives, thoughts, and inclinations, listening to two opposing calls:
The First Call: His Brother’s Words
This call awakened the meanings of goodness within him, urging him to refrain from committing murder. His brother was peaceful and had no intention to kill him, for he feared Allah. Why should he kill him? What was his brother’s fault? Was it merely because Allah Almighty had accepted his offering? Was it not that Allah Almighty accepts only from the righteous? That was a virtue worthy of praise, not a crime worthy of death.
The Second Call: The Whisper of Satan
This call stirred feelings of envy, resentment, and hatred within him, awakening the urge to murder his righteous brother. Satan persistently and insistently incited him to kill his brother, taming him for the act, making it seem easy and beautiful to him, and encouraging him to carry it out. This is always Satan’s way with weak souls that are far from the path of Allah Almighty. Allah, the Exalted, says: “فَلَوْلا إِذْ جَاءهُمْ بَأْسُنَا تَضَرَّعُواْ وَلَكِن قَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ” [1]” Translation: “Why did they not humble themselves when Our punishment came upon them? But their hearts became hardened, and Satan adorned for them what they used to do.”
And He also says: “وَإِذْ زَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ وَقَالَ لاَ غَالِبَ لَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَإِنِّي جَارٌ لَّكُمْ فَلَمَّا تَرَاءتِ الْفِئَتَانِ نَكَصَ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ وَقَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِّنكُمْ إِنِّي أَرَى مَا لاَ تَرَوْنَ إِنِّيَ أَخَافُ اللّهَ وَاللّهُ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ” [2]” Translation: “(And remember) when Satan made their deeds pleasing to them and said: ‘No one among mankind can overcome you today, and indeed, I am your ally.’ But when the two armies came in sight of each other, he turned on his heels and said: ‘Indeed, I am innocent of you. I see what you do not see; indeed, I fear Allah, and Allah is severe in punishment.’”
And again He says: “تَاللّهِ لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَى أُمَمٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُمُ الْيَوْمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ [3]” Translation: “By Allah! We certainly sent messengers to nations before you, but Satan made their deeds seem fair to them. So he is their ally today, and they will have a painful punishment.”
His brother’s words and counsel on one side, and Satan’s whisper and urging to commit murder on the other, left him torn between action and restraint. Each wise word from his brother presented a deterrent to the crime, reinforcing the restraints of reason, kinship, and awe that were inherent in his nature. But Satan’s whisper, along with the envy planted in his heart and evil-commanding soul, overcame every deterrent in his self-reproaching soul. The two forces wrestled until envy finally prevailed, leading him to obey its call.
The Triumph of Envy and the Occurrence of the Tragedy
Resisting the deterrents of nature and counsel in the face of envy’s call was exactly the yielding that Allah Almighty mentioned [4].
Thus, Qabil disobeyed his Lord and killed Habil through Satan’s whisper and the dominance of envy over his soul. Allah, the Exalted, says: “فَطَوَّعَتْ لَهُ نَفْسُهُ قَتْلَ أَخِيهِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ” [5]” Translation: “So his soul facilitated for him the murder of his brother; he killed him and became among the losers.”
After all the reminders, counsel, peacemaking, and warnings Habil had given Qabil, Qabil’s wicked soul still drove him toward committing the crime. The murder took place when his soul had removed every obstacle before him. His soul tamed him for the act, and who did he kill? His own brother — thus fulfilling the warning against him. “فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ” [7] — Translation: “And he became among the losers.”
Lesson Six: The Qur’an’s Emphasis on the Consequences of the Crime, Not Its Details
In the story of Qabil killing Habil, the Qur’an, instead of dwelling on the details of the event, focuses particularly on its consequences and outcomes. This approach is summed up in one brief statement: “فَقَتَلَهُ” — “So he killed him” — followed immediately by the outcome: “فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ” — “and he became among the losers.” This brevity, and the shift to the result, carries multiple divine wisdoms:
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Avoiding the Graphic Scene of Murder
The Qur’an does not wish to describe in detail the horrifying scene of fratricide. This scene is neither worthy of elaborate mention nor deserving of extended focus; the crime has occurred, and there is no need to recount its specifics. The aim is to avoid imprinting such a gruesome image on the listener’s mind, which could inadvertently lead to acceptance or imitation of the criminal. Instead, the Qur’an encourages moving past the scene to focus on the consequences and losses, removing any sense of admiration or desire to emulate the act.
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Avoiding Isra’iliyat and Fabrications
Another wisdom behind this brevity is the Qur’an’s call to suffice with the divine account of the killing and adhere to its concise wording. This teaches us to avoid any elaborate tales about the killing process that exegetes may have drawn from Isra’iliyat (narratives of Jewish origin). It is impermissible to interpret the divine word through myths, legends, or falsehoods — qualities that often dominate such Isra’iliyat accounts [8].
This Qur’anic approach underscores the importance of the outcomes and consequences of human actions, especially crimes, and warns us against becoming absorbed in unnecessary details that could lead to unintentional approval or imitation of evil deeds.
Continues…
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References:
[1[. An’am/43.
[2]. Anfal/48
[3]. Al-Nahl/63.
[4]. Mohammad, Rashid Reza, Tafsir al-Manar, vol. 6, p. 345.
[5]. Al-Maida/30.
[6[. Mohammad, Seyyed Qutb, Faizalal Al-Qur’an, Vol. 2, p. 876.
[7]. Al-Maida/30
[8] . Salah, Al-Khalidi, with al-Qasas al-Aqeeeen fi al-Qur’an al-Karim, Studies in Faith and Da’wah and Jihad, vol. 3, p. 107.
