Which Surah and Juz is Quran 5:31 from?

This ayah is from Surah Al-Maaida (The Table), the 5th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 6.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 5:31?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Sunan an-Nasa'i, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawud.

What tafsir is available for Quran 5:31?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Al-Jalalayn — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

What topics does Quran 5:31 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Prophet Adam, Allah, Prophethood, Repentance, Regret.

Ayah 30

فَطَوَّعَتْ لَهُۥ نَفْسُهُۥ قَتْلَ أَخِيهِ فَقَتَل...

5:31Al-Maaida

Q: What does Quran 5:31 mean?

Quran 5:31 (Surah Al-Maaida, Ayah 31) translates to: "Then Allah sent a crow searching in the ground to show him how to hide the disgrace of his brother. He said, "O woe to me! Have I failed to be like this crow and hide the body of my brother?" And he became of the regretful."

Ayah 32

مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَٰلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَ...

فَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ غُرَابًۭا يَبْحَثُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُۥ كَيْفَ يُوَٰرِى سَوْءَةَ أَخِيهِ ۚ قَالَ يَٰوَيْلَتَىٰٓ أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَٰذَا ٱلْغُرَابِ فَأُوَٰرِىَ سَوْءَةَ أَخِى ۖ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ ٱلنَّٰدِمِينَ

Faba'asal laahu ghuraabai yabhasu fil ardi liyuriyahoo kaifa yuwaaree sawata akheeh; qaala yaa wailataaa a'ajaztu an akoona misla haazal ghuraabi fa uwaariya saw ata akhee fa asbaha minan naadimeen

Then Allah sent a crow searching in the ground to show him how to hide the disgrace of his brother. He said, "O woe to me! Have I failed to be like this crow and hide the body of my brother?" And he became of the regretful.

Themes in this ayah

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Lessons from past peoples97

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Lessons from past peoples

5:31Ayah 1120

26 ayahs in Al-Maaida are strongly about lessons from past peoples. This is one of them.

← Previous on Lessons from past peoples5:30And his soul permitted to him the murder of his brother, so he killed him and became among the losers.Next on Lessons from past peoples →5:46And We sent, following in their footsteps, Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming that which came before him in the Torah; and We gave him the Gospel,

Tafsir

Scholars offer complementary perspectives

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 5:31→

Then God sent forth a raven scratching into the earth digging up the soil with its beak and with its legs and throwing it up over a dead raven next to it until it completely hid it to show him how he might hide the nakedness the carcass of his brother. He said ‘Woe to me! Am I not able to be as this raven and so hide my brother’s nakedness?’ And he became one of the remorseful for having carried him; he then dug a hole for him and covered him up.

"I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah when a man came with a string around his neck and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, this man and my brother were digging a hole, and he raised his pickax and struck his companion in the head, Killing him. 'The Prophet said: 'Forgive him,' but he refused and said: 'O Prophet of Allah, this man and my brother were digging a whole, and he raised his pickax and struck his companion in the head, killing him.' The Prophet said: 'Forgive him,' but he refused, then he stood up and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, this man and my brother were digging a hole, and he raised his pickax and struck his companion in the head, killing him.' The Prophet said: 'Forgive him,' but he refused. He (the prophet) said: 'Go, but if you kill him, you will be like him. So he took him out, and they called out to him: Didn't you hear what the Messenger of Allah said?' So he came back and he said: 'If I kill him will I be like him?' He said: 'Yes. Forgive him.' Then he went out, dragging his string, until he disappeared from our view."

Sunan an-Nasa'i #4737'Alqamah bin Wa'il narrated from his father that he was sitting with the Messenger of Allah when a man came leading another man by a string. He said:Da'if

"O Messenger of Allah, this man killed my brother." The Messenger of Allah said to him: "Did you kill him?" He said: "O Messenger of Allah even if he did not confess I would have brought proof against him." He said: "Yes, I killed him." He said: "How did you kill him?" He said: "He and I were chopping firewood from a tree and he insulted me, so I got angry and struck him with the ax on the forehead." The Messenger of Allah said: "Do you have any wealth with which you can pay the Diyah to save yourself?" He said: "O Messenger of Allah, I do not have anything but my ax and my clothes." The Messenger of Allah said to him: "Do you think your people will pay to save you?" He said: "I am too insignificant to them for that." He threw the string to the man and said: "Here, thank him." When he turned to go, the Messenger of Allah said: "If he kills him, he will be like him. "They caught up with the man, and said: "Woe to you! The Messenger of Allah said: 'If he kills him, he will be like him. "So he went back to the Messenger of Allah and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have been told that you said: 'if he kills him, he will be like him. 'But I only took him because you told me to. He said: 'Don't you want him to carry your sin and the sin of your companion (the victim)?' He said: 'Yes, if that is the case.' He said: 'And that is how it is."'

Sahih Muslim #6751Sahih

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as say- ing. When you listen to the crowing of the cock, ask Allah for His favour as it sees Angels and when you listen to the braying of the donkey, seek refuge in Allah from the Satan for it sees Satan.

Sunan Abu Dawud #4971Anas b. Malik said :Sahih

The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) used to come to visit us. I had a younger brother who was called Abu ‘Umair by Kunyah (surname). He had a sparrow with which he played, but it died. So one day the prophet (May peace be upon him) came to see him and saw him grieved. He asked: What is the matter with him? The people replied: His sparrow has died. He then said: Abu ‘Umair! What has happened to the little sparrow?

Sahih al-Bukhari #3197Narrated `Abdullah:Sahih

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whenever a person is murdered unjustly, there is a share from the burden of the crime on the first son of Adam for he was the first to start the tradition of murdering."