Tafsir Ibn Abbas: Al-Maaida, Ayah 31

Al-Maaida · Ayah 31 · View Ayah
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
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.

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Ibn Abbas Commentary

(Then Allah sent a raven scratching up the ground) turning up the ground to bury a dead raven, (to show him) Cain (how to hide his brother's naked corpse) in the ground. (He said: Woe unto me! Am I not able to be as this raven) in his ability (and so hide my brother's naked corpse) in the ground? (And he became repentant) he was repentant at not being able to cover his brother's naked corpse, but not repentant for having killed him.

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Tafsir

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Scholars offer complementary perspectives

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.

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