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Bismillahi ar-rahmani ar-rahim

It has now been several weeks since we celebrated Eid Al Adha. May Allah receive you and your family. May he bless you both here, and in the world to come. The qurban of Eid Al Adha is a big theme. We have already seen it in connection with the transgression of Adam and Hawa. Now we meet this theme again in the story of their sons. Let us continue our step-by-step search of Allah’s footprints in the history of our world.

Al Mā’ida 5:27-30

وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ابْنَيْ آدَمَ بِالْحَقِّ إِذْ قَرَّبَا قُرْبَانًا فَتُقُبِّلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمَا وَلَمْ يُتَقَبَّلْ مِنَ الْآخَرِ قَالَ لَأَقْتُلَنَّكَ قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَلَئِن بَسَطتَ إِلَيَّ يَدَكَ لِتَقْتُلَنِي مَا أَنَا بِبَاسِطٍ يَدِيَ إِلَيْكَ لِأَقْتُلَكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَإِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَن تَبُوءَ بِإِثْمِي وَإِثْمِكَ فَتَكُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ وَذَلِكَ جَزَاءُ الظَّالِمِينَفَطَوَّعَتْ لَهُ نَفْسُهُ قَتْلَ أَخِيهِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

And recite to them the story of Adam's two sons, in truth, when they both offered a sacrifice, and it was accepted from one of them but was not accepted from the other. He said, "I will surely kill you." [The other] said, "Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous (mina l-muttaqīna). If you do stretch your hand against me to kill me, I shall never stretch my hand against you to kill you, for I fear Allah; the Lord of the 'Alamin (the Universe). I would rather let you bear my sin and your sin and become one of the owners of the fire. That is the reward of evil-doers. And his soul prompted him to murder his brother, so he killed him and became among the losers.

What a sad, sad story of Adam’s first two sons. Yet Allah is to be thanked for making the story known to us. There is some very crucial information here for every person who will stand before al-Hakīm (the Judge) one day. I will be standing there, so I want to know. What about you?

Allah accepted the sacrifice of only one brother. The rejected one then killed his sibling. Why? Because he was jealous, just like Iblis was jealous of their father Adam. It seems that Iblis is taking revenge on the one, before whom Allah told him to bow, by teaching Adam’s son his own wicked ways – It is as if Iblis is turning Adam’s firstborn into his own son - a son of wickedness.

The other one, answering the threat posed by his brother, says something very important and eye-opening. An un-repenting sinner will bear his own sins and, also, the sins of the person he sinned against. Remember this!

Which of the brothers had sinned? (based on the above ayat (verses), choose one correct answer)

1. neither, they were both without sin
2. the son, whose sacrifice was not accepted
3. the son, whose sacrifice was accepted
4. both had sinned

For today, let’s leave our story by asking a few more questions.

What were the names of the first two brothers of the human race?  I believe that you know the right answer – Qābīl and Hābīl. How do we know that? How do we know that Qābīl was the firstborn?

Why exactly did Allah accept the sacrifice of Hābīl, but not that of Qābīl?

Why does Hābīl say that he had sinned, but at the same time calls himself a muttaqīn (righteous)? Why does he say that Qābīl will bear his sin?

Can the answers to these questions have consequences for us and our eternal destiny?