S.5 A.29-32 ~
For thou wilt be among The Companions of the Fire, And that is the reward Of those who do wrong. ,,733 30. The (selfish) soul of the other Led him to the murder Of his brother: he murdered Him, and became (himself) One of the lost ones. 734 31. Then Allah sent a raven, Who scratched the ground, To show him how to hide The naked body of his brother. 735 "Woe is me!" said he; "Was I not even able To be as this raven, And to hide the naked body Of my brother?" Then he became Full of regrets-7.16 On that account: We ordained For the Children of Israel
733. Abel's speech is full of meaning. He is innocent and God-fearing. To the threat of death held out by the other. he returns a calm reply, aimed at reforming the other. "Surely," he pleads, "if your sacrifice was not accepted. there was something wrong in you, for Allah is just and accepts the sacrifice of the righteous. If this docs not deter you. I am not going to retaliate. though there is as much power in me against you as you have against me. I fe'lT my Maker. for I know He cherishes all His Creation. Let mc warn you that you arc doing wrong. I do not intend even to resist. but do you know what the consequences will be to you? You will he in torment." 734. The innocent unselfish pleading of the younger brother had no effect. for the soul of the other was full of pride. selfishness and jealousy. lie committed the murder. hUI in doing so. ruined his own self.
735. Sall路at may mean "corpse". with a suggestion of nakedness and shame in two senses: (I) the sense of being exposed without burial. and (2) the sense of being insulted by being violently deprived by the unwarranted murder. of the soul which inh'lbited it,the soul, too. of a brother. 736. The thought at last came home to the murderer. It was dreadful indeed to slay anyone-the more so as he was a brother, and an innocent righleous brother! But worse still. the murderer had not even the decency to bury the corpse. and of this simple duty he was reminded by a raven-a black bird usually held in contempt! His regret was on that account. That was no true repentance.
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