Ramadan Lecture Series 1445 A.H.
Presented by Al-Sayyid Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi
Lecture Eighteen
Monday, 22 Ramadan 1445 A.H. (1 April 2024 A.D.)
The Story of Adam’s Two Sons
(Part One)
Lessons and Insights
I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth, and that Muhammad, our master, is His servant, Messenger, and Last Prophet.
O Allah! Confer Your salat and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You conferred Your salat and blessings upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad's good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahidin.
O Allah! Guide us and grant us acceptance, for You are the Hearing, the Knowing; accept our repentance, for You are the Relenting and the Merciful.
Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
In the Holy Quran, Allah presents us with a story of a heartbreaking incident that occurred in the very first generation of the children of Adam (PBUH) during the early stages of human existence. This tragic event involved the shedding of blood, an act of murder committed out of aggression and injustice. The story, as conveyed by Allah in the Quran, is rich with profound lessons and insights that we can learn from.
An introduction
Before diving into the details, let's take a moment to recall that Adam and Hawwa (Peace be upon them), after being expelled from the garden they once inhabited due to their disobedience in eating from the forbidden tree, began their life journey on the earth. They embraced the challenges of this new life, working tirelessly to provide for all their essential needs—food, medicine, clothing, basic necessities, shelter, and so on. Imagine their delight as they started to build a family—the very first human family descended from Adam. We can imagine their happiness when Hawwa became pregnant for the first time—she would, according to narrations, carry twins (a boy and a girl). One can imagine their delight with each new birth, as more children arrived, the family grew, and the number of their offspring increased. They watched their children grow and flourish under their care.
Adam (PBUH) cared for his children both as a father and as a prophet. He learned a profound lesson and moral from what happened to him in that garden as a result of disobeying the command not to eat from the tree. Certainly, he was determined to raise his children in a righteous manner, worried about them from being influenced by Satan's schemes, whispers, and temptations. This was especially important given that an open war had been declared between him and Satan. In fact, Satan had declared war and enmity not only against Adam and Hawwa but also against all of Adam’s descendants. Therefore, Adam was keen to raise his children in a righteous manner based on faith, piety, and divine teachings from Allah, the Almighty.
As they grew older, they began to spread out. At that time, they were still few in number—just one family, the very first family of human society, living on this vast, expansive earth. Accordingly, as narrations tell us, they started settling in different regions; some moving one way and others another, given the great breadth of the earth.
In those early days, when they were still limited in number as a single family spread across a wide land, they had ample space to expand and go about their lives without friction among themselves. There was no overcrowding or competition over the land, its resources, its blessings, or the necessities of life. Considering their limited number and the vast expanse of the earth, each one could settle wherever he wished and start building his own family or arrange his affairs as he saw fit. Therefore, the conditions of that time—the resources and the vast opportunities available—were not factors that could spark conflicts among them over territories, farms, material interests, or anything of that nature.
In reality, human beings are social creatures. While there are aspects of our lives that pertain solely to our private and personal affairs, these are very limited. Much of our lives unfold through our interactions and relationships with others. In these relationships, we can experience warmth, companionship, understanding, cooperation, and a positive atmosphere. On the other hand, interactions can also be marked by complexities, conflicts, and disputes—there can be enmity, disagreements, and other problems.
Allah’s instructions focus on what improves our social relationships.
An important aspect of the instructions of Allah (Glory be to Him) and His blessed guidance focuses first on purifying the individual, helping us develop a positive approach towards others. Then, Allah provides us with fair and blessed principles that help shape our lives, relationships, and dealings on a sound basis. In other words, some of His guidance and instructions focus on the human soul to purify it, nurture its will for goodness, and cleanse it of the elements of evil that might negatively influence its interactions and dealings.
Moreover, Allah's instructions also focus on regulating our dealings and relationships. They clearly define what is permissible and what is forbidden, setting boundaries that prohibit certain behaviours in our interactions. This framework is designed to cultivate and organise relationships between people on a sound basis, starting from the family environment where we learn to interact with our parents, siblings, and close relatives and extending to our dealings with neighbours, the broader community, and ultimately the Ummah of which we are a part.
أعلى النموذج
أسفل النموذج
The instructional program, too, plays a crucial role, as it helps purify, refine, and reform the soul: It helps free it from harmful impulses and negative influences so that the human soul becomes pure. In doing so, a person embarks on life as a positive force, driven by a sincere desire to do good for others.
Then come the obligations, responsibilities, and tests. Beyond simply following instructions, the very circumstances of life encourage individuals to engage positively with their family environments and, eventually, with broader communities. After all, our personal interests, the extensive good we can achieve, the challenges, difficulties, and risks inherent in life, and the unique talents, energies, and abilities Allah has distributed among us all contribute to our interdependence, mutual need, and social cohesion. In short, the realities, challenges, and demands of life—not to mention one's own interests, divine guidance, and faith-based upbringing—encourage a person to deal positively and according to Allah's instructions in his dealings, starting from the family and extending to members of his community and Muslim world. So taking into account all considerations—including personal, social, and religious considerations and those related to one's interests and the challenges and dangers of this life—a person has every reason to be like this.
Exploring the story and its heartbreaking events!
Let us now turn to the story as mentioned by Allah (Glory be to Him) in the Holy Quran. He says, {'Recite to them in truth the story of Adam’s two sons: When both of them offered a sacrifice, it was accepted from one of them, and was not accepted from the other. He said, "I will kill you." The other replied, "Allah only accepts from those who are pious"'}. {'Recite to them'} because your recitation of this story to them contains very important lessons and evidence of the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F), even in the eyes of the People of the Book—who are already familiar with this account from their own scriptures. The story offers significant insights that relate to the general condition of humanity, beginning with our family and social realities, and it also sheds light on the aggressive tendencies of the Children of Israel, which will be elaborated upon at the conclusion of the story.
{'Recite to them in truth the story of Adam’s two sons'}: The story goes back to that first generation of the children of Adam, particularly Adam's direct children, prior to the emergence of later descendants. The incident involves two of the sons of Adam (PBUH) from the first generation. {'In truth'}—indeed, the Holy Quran presents a true, factual story, free from any distortions or inaccurate additions. As we mentioned earlier about the features of Quranic stories, the Holy Quran also provides insight into the psychological backdrop of the events. There is also a need to understand such a story, and it is conveyed with its authentic essence intact, devoid of any extraneous details. This is a crucial point in any narrative—be it a story, a news report, or a historical account—to ensure that the true, realistic account is told without the inclusion of false elements.
{'When both of them offered a sacrifice, it was accepted from one of them but was not accepted from the other.'} The scene of the story begins with them offering sacrifices to Allah (Glory be to Him): {'when both of them offered a sacrifice'}. This was part of their worship and what Allah had ordained for the children of Adam in the early stages and generations. One can draw closer to Allah (Glory be to Him) through sacrifices, righteous deeds, and all the means that Allah has prescribed for us to draw close to Him as part of our actions and rituals. Each of them offered his sacrifice to Allah (Glory be to Him), presenting something to draw closer to Him.
In some narrations, it is mentioned that one of them sought to draw closer to Allah by offering a sacrifice made from the best sheep he had available. The Quran does not focus on the specific details of what they offered; the essential point is that each of them sought closeness to Allah (the Almighty) through an offering.
{'It was accepted from one of them but was not accepted from the other.'} In that early stage of human history, in the first generation and perhaps even in later generations, the acceptance of a person's offering was demonstrated in a clear and tangible way. As the Quranic verse in Surah Ali 'Imran states, {'an offering that fire consumes'}, this used to happen in the ancient generations of that time. If a person’s offering was accepted by Allah, it signified that his good deeds were likewise accepted, reflecting his piety and faith. Consequently, a fire would appear, either as descending flames or as a scorching bolt, with variations noted in different narrations. What is important is that fire would consume the accepted offering, as stated in the Holy Quran: {'an offering that fire consumes'}. This would serve as a clear sign of its acceptance. It became evident to them that Allah (Glory be to Him) accepted the sacrifice of one of them but did not accept the sacrifice of the other, which was because of the person himself.
Qabil’s heart burns with envy, so how did his brother respond?
Suddenly, in that atmosphere of worship, as they were in a state of worship and offering sacrifices to Allah (Glory be to Him), the situation changed. The state shifted from one of worship and drawing close to Allah to a completely different state for the one whose sacrifice was not accepted by Allah. Indeed, his reaction towards his brother (whose sacrifice was accepted by Allah) was strange, astonishing, and surprising. {'He said, "I will kill you."'} The one whose sacrifice was not accepted was consumed by envy, and this envy surged within him to the worst level one could imagine. He went too far in his reaction as to threaten to kill his brother, whose sacrifice was accepted by Allah. This all happened all of a sudden. There had been no previous incidents of murder or intense disputes among the children of Adam in the first generation; thus, it was an extremely strange incident. {'He said, "I will kill you."'} This was a sudden leap into the worst kind of crime, to the worst level of malevolence and ill feelings.
What was the response of his pious, believing brother, whose sacrifice was accepted by Allah? Even though it is bothersome and provoking for a person to receive a death threat, {'he replied, "Allah only accepts from those who are pious."'} His reply was calm, reflecting his piety and the purity of his soul and heart, as he was guiding him on what could lead to the acceptance of deeds. It was not his problem, and he was not responsible for what happened to his brother: his offering not being accepted by Allah. It was not any of his problem. He pointed out to his brother the reason why Allah had not accepted his offering and also guided him on how to have his sacrifice accepted. He told him that the problem was his lack of piety, which was the reason that Allah had not accepted his deed and offering. He advised his brother to be mindful of Allah so that He would accept his sacrifice. Actually, piety is the foundation for the acceptance of good deeds.
{'If you raise your hand towards me to kill me, I will not raise my hand towards you to kill you. Indeed, I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds'}. In the words of this pious believer among the children of Adam, we find feelings of faith, brotherhood, piety, and purity of soul; he was free from ill feelings and malevolence. He addressed his brother with a language that would have affected him if he still had had any trace of piety, purity of soul, or goodness. In fact, these are very emotional words. He told his brother that he had no malevolence towards him whatsoever, nor did he have any intention of killing him despite his threat to kill him and the malevolence that he showed towards him and that his brother's threat or attempt of killing would not drive him or make him intend to kill him. Indeed, this does not mean that he would not defend himself or try to prevent his brother from killing him, but it means that he would not resort to that kind of action.
For example, in real life, some people may respond with death threats if someone threatens to kill them, especially if they notice that he is seriously intent on it. Some might even engage in a confrontation and killing. But he strove with all his effort to convince his brother, advise him, influence him, and try to dissuade him from committing that crime. And even when Allah accepted his offering, he did nothing to provoke his brother: He did not show off, boast over him, or provoke him in any way whatsoever. He did not adopt a showy manner, boasting over his brother and provoking him, rebuking him, belittling him, or harming him in any way. In contrast, envy took hold of his brother: {'He said, "I will kill you,"'} as if he felt envious that his brother had attained a higher and more significant status with Allah than him, and he probably felt humiliated by that. Thus, the complex of envy stirred up within him
Envy is an extremely dangerous state. That is when you resent someone because Allah has granted him a particular blessing (whether spiritual or material) and you wish that blessing would disappear or seek to even remove or diminish that blessing. You begin to harbour ill will towards such a person due to your hatred and envy towards him. You envy them because Allah has granted them that blessing or they attained something either at the spiritual or material level. Envy is a very perilous state: {'And from the mischief of the envious one as he practices envy’} .
{'If you raise your hand towards me to kill me'}—he was telling him that he had no intention to kill him, even if he attacked him with the intention of killing him. He was completely free from that malice. And, as we mentioned before, this doesn’t mean he would stand by passively and allow his brother to kill him without resistance—instead, he would do everything he can to stop him without seeking to kill him.
{'I will not raise my hand towards you to kill you. Indeed, I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds'}. Here we find the roots of piety and its foundation which is the fear of sin and its consequences, the fear of disobeying Allah's commands and what can result from that: divine punishment and severe consequences. {'Indeed, I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds.'} This shows us the importance of being spiritually raised on fearing Allah's punishment and the severe consequences of disobeying Allah's commands—we see how that can positively shape one's actions.
{'I would rather let you bear my sin and your sin, and then become one of the people of the Fire. That is the recompense of wrongdoers'}. He said to him, 'If you persist in killing me, you will bear the burden of sin for killing me—on top of all your other sins that have distanced you from piety, the very reason Allah did not accept your offering and your deeds. You will only compound your sins, piling crime upon crime and sin upon sin, until your final destination is Jahannam.' So advised him, warned him, and reminded him of the serious consequences, including the punishment of Jahannam, for committing such a heinous crime. {'And that is the recompense of wrongdoers'}—he told them that this would be his destiny because unjustly assaulting and killing him would make him one of the wrongdoers.
Despite all this persuasive reasoning—laden with admonitions, stark reminders of the dreadful consequences of that including Jahannam, and sincere—despite the brotherly advice that had no provocative word whatsoever to inflame his brother’s envy or anger, {'But his soul prompted him to kill his brother'}.
Qabil finds himself torn between feelings of envy and brotherly love, ultimately succumbing to envy!
Afterwards, they surely left the place where they had offered their sacrifices. That brother, the one whose offering was not accepted, kept thinking about that matter. On one hand, he was boiling with envy and hatred, while on the other, he must have experienced feelings of brotherhood and the nagging voice of conscience, which normally reprimands a person for contemplating a sin, a crime. However, as he contemplated, his soul began to make that crime appealing to him, so he became ready to go through with it. His conscience withered, and those countervailing feelings—be they of brotherly love or religious duty—faded within him. His soul prompted him to commit that by making that transgression appealing to him in his misguided, negative thoughts, emboldening him to commit that crime!
Sometimes, right before a person is about to commit a crime or sin, his conscience starts to reproach and admonish him. Yet, he might overcome that inner criticism, quieting his conscience with negative thoughts that align with his impulses, desires, and mental state—whether that state is envy, anger, greed, or something else. It is a very dangerous state that starts before a person engages in a criminal and sinful act. It starts when an internal decision is made; if the person refuses to listen to the voice of conscience, then he will, for sure, move towards action: {'But his soul prompted him to kill his brother.'} Therefore, it is a critical juncture where it is essential for a person to regain control over himself before committing crime or sin. As a person reflects on the matter, his conscience keeps reproaching him on the one hand, while his desires and emotions, which align with their inclinations, also stir on the other. In that moment, a person has the opportunity to rein himself in and prevent himself from descending into crime or sin.
{'But his soul prompted him to kill his brother, so he killed him'}. He committed that heinous, atrocious crime. In fact, narrations vary regarding how he killed him. Some narrations say that he assassinated him while he was sleeping, throwing a large rock at his head and killing him by treachery. He committed that heinous crime out of aggression and injustice, without any prior action committed by his brother that could justify it. His brother neither wronged nor mistreated him, neither assaulted him nor took anything from him unlawfully. The reason that drove him to commit such a crime was envy. That is because Allah had not accepted his offering, as he had done to the offering of his brother. This was the first crime in human reality, and unfortunately, it occurred early. That crime took place early and within the first generation—that same act that troubled the angels of Allah regarding humans on the earth: {'Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood …?'}. We can imagine the deep grief of Adam and Hawwa (Peace be upon them), along with that of their remaining sons, as Adam had many children. How deep their sorrow must have been over this tragic incident and tribble crime that brought sadness, sorrow, and hardship to that family at the beginning of human existence!
The dreadful cost of this heinous crime!
{'So he killed him and became among the losers'}. After murdering his brother, he became a loser, and that benefited him nothing! How could killing his brother solve his problem? The problem he had was that Allah had not accepted his offering and his deeds because he was not mindful of Allah and instead had sins that nullified his good deeds. What good would killing his brother do to him? There is no way that could solve his problem; rather, it merely added heavy and grave sin to his burden, distancing himself even further from Allah’s mercy and the opportunity to attain piety. Therefore, his loss was immense:
- He lost his future with Allah (Glory be to Him), and his destiny was now perilously set on a path to Jahannam (We seek refuge with Allah).
- He also ruined his relationship with his family. The relationships with Adam, Hawwa, and all his siblings would change completely. He lost his brother, who was, like any brother, supposed to be a great source of support for him. Therefore, he lost his human worth and dignity. His loss was great: {'… and became among the losers'}.
According to some narrations, he therefore remained in hiding for a long time from his father Adam (PBUH) until Adam passed away. Also, according to narrations—which we benefit from when we find them to be consistent with the Quranic text and what is clearly known about human nature—Adam (PBUH) grieved deeply. His sorrow was multiplied due to the fact that such a crime was committed among the first generation of his children. It was a heinous crime that brought joy to Satan (Iblis). While Adam mourned the occurrence of such a forbidden act, crime, and significant disobedience in the first generation of his children, he grieved for the assault committed by one of his sons against another son in that way without any justification. That is why it was indeed a sorrowful matter. As for that killer, he {'became among the losers'}.
Stricken with regret and confusion, how can he conceal his brother's body?
After committing the crime, as his brother lay lifeless, a wronged martyr, he found himself facing a situation he had never experienced before. He had never dealt with death or the aftermath of a killing, nor had he ever had to manage a corpse. So there was a problem, since the body would naturally begin to decay, and there was the risk of scavengers, wild animals, and birds being attracted to it. In that situation, he did not know how to deal with his brother's body, as he had never experienced a prior case of death or murder that involved handling a corpse. Thus, he remained confused, not knowing what to do.
{'Then Allah sent a crow searching in the ground to show him how to hide the disgrace of his brother'}. In his bewilderment, lacking any prior knowledge on how to deal with such a situation where his brother's body was at the risk of decay and decomposition and could be attacked by animals, Allah chose a crow—of all birds, not even one of the most graceful or admirable—to teach him what to do, as a crow was what he deserved.
{'Then Allah sent a crow searching in the ground to show him how to hide the disgrace of his brother.'} According to some related narrations, it is mentioned that the crow came with a dead crow, carrying it, and it began to dig a hole in the ground and then buried it. The murderer was watching the entire scene. It was Allah (Glory be to Him) who sent that crow {‘to show him’} so that he could know how to handle the situation and how to bury his brother's body.
{‘To show him how to hide the disgrace of his brother'}—that is because the human body, after death and killing, begins to decompose and decay. Therefore, it is a kind of honour for his brother, as well as the children of Adam in general, that Allah guided them to this method of concealing bodies after death. The grave is one of the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon mankind as a means of honouring them: When their bodies are buried in the earth in the manner that Allah has prescribed for His servants in order to cover the human body, this is a means of honouring human beings.
For this reason, Allah reminds people of this favour in other verses: {'Then He causes him to die and be buried'}. In the context of enumerating the blessings upon humans, Allah also says: {'Have We not made the earth a container of the living and the dead?'}. Allah, (Glory be to Him) has honoured humans and did a favour to them by guiding them to make graves for the dead ones and bury their bodies in the earth, allowing their bodies to be covered in the earth. This matter is taken very seriously, and even in Allah's law, the sanctity of graves is highly revered. There are divine injunctions and teachings regarding this sanctity, how to deal with it, and so on.
{'He said, "Woe to me! Have I failed to be like this crow and hide the disgrace of my brother?"'}. In that state of failure and loss, he realised his ignorance and powerlessness and felt that he had lost his human value; he did not even have the level of understanding that the crow possessed. Therefore, he rebuked himself with these words: {'He said, "Woe to me! Have I failed to be like this crow and hide the disgrace of my brother?"'} After committing the crime, he felt that he had sinned and that he had committed a crime, an offence, and an injustice against his brother. Nonetheless, such a feeling never drove him to truly repent and turn back to Allah. {'And he became of the regretful'}. He carried this regret for the rest of his life, as he felt that he had committed such a terrible crime and assault, with his conscience troubling him, so he could not enjoy his life any more.
Some important lessons and insights in brief!
We will speak briefly about some lessons and insights. The story clearly manifests the great importance of piety in the acceptance of good deeds. For your prayers, fasting, and other deeds to be accepted, you must have piety: to avoid sins and transgressions. That is because if a person commits wrongdoings, crimes, and grave sins while also performing some good deeds, those good deeds will not be accepted from him, as he persists in committing major sins and transgressions. This is why Allah says, {'Allah only accepts from those who are pious.'} So good deeds are neither accepted nor do they have any effect in purifying the soul or in fostering faith-related feelings.
We can clearly see how dangerous envy is. Envy is one of the worst afflictions, leading to countless crimes, sins, and transgressions. Its impacts on people's lives (in terms of crimes, injustices, tensions in their relationships, and mistreatments among them) are extremely serious. Therefore, Allah says, {'And from the mischief of the envious one as he practices envy'}.
We can also see how dangerous holding grudges and following the ill feelings and desires of the soul is. {'And his soul permitted to him the murder of his brother'}: When a person allows himself to be influenced by grudges, his soul may adorn for him to commit heinous acts, grave crimes, and dreadful deeds, which are extremely dangerous to his faith, religion, and future with Allah. Another thing is the danger of a hostile attitude. One must strive to rid himself of grudges. If grudges accumulate within a person, they will drive him to things unimaginable even to him.
One must strive within himself to be free from aggressive impulses towards others. Do not be aggressive, harbouring evil within yourself, ready to escalate any minor issue into a problem with others. If this is so, you are close to doing evil and having a hostile attitude towards others for the slightest and simplest reasons.
In the reality of the family (how a person interacts with his family and with his children, how a brother treats his siblings, and how relatives relate to one another), righteous upbringing is essential. This upbringing should take into consideration strengthening familial ties and bonds, kinship, and the teachings of divine religion that focus on reinforcing these ties and relationships. One should also strive to purify his soul and keep away from accumulating negative traits, such as envy, greed, and ill feelings. Otherwise, many are the injustices and tragedies that have occurred and continue to occur within families, including injustices by a brother against his brother, a brother against his sister to take away some of her rights and inheritance, as well as injustices against orphans for their inheritance. Many injustices and tragedies happened within family members, despite the fact that Islam and divine law offer what purifies and frees a person from selfishness, which is one of the most dangerous things. If a person is raised on selfishness, he only looks after his own interests, even if that comes at the expense of others' interests and rights or means practising oppression and aggression against others. Therefore, selfishness is extremely dangerous, and so is envy—this leads to injustice.
The absence of piety contributes to the growth of evil and flaws in a person. When a person does not stick to piety, the elements of evil directly begin to grow within him, along with all the negative traits, such as greed, envy, and other vices. This makes a person aggressive, hard-hearted, and abusive, and he becomes bold and hasty in offending other people. That is, the bad nature manifests itself in him: He becomes a bad, hard-hearted person who is quick to lash out and bold in offending others. He is more prone to causing harm than to doing good. Acts of kindness are difficult and burdensome for him, while he remains active, eager, swift, and ready to harm others. This is an extremely dangerous state!
It is also a very serious state for a person to be reckless, bold, and impulsive, acting impulsively without thinking. We also see the severity of the criminal act of unjustly killing others. {'Whoever kills a believer deliberately, his reward is Jahannam where he shall remain forever. And Allah shall be angry with him and shall curse him, and He has prepared for him a mighty punishment'}. What do you want more than this threat?
Some people, over the slightest provocation—or sometimes without any genuine reason—resort to killing or threatening to kill. Threatening to kill is a crime in itself. Some rash to acts that can sometimes lead to actual murder. Some individuals immediately resort to fighting over the most trivial issue, intending to strike someone, only for the situation to escalate into murder! Others might begin with petty squabbles or abusive language—what starts as mere words can quickly spiral into something far worse and more provocative, eventually culminating in murder. For even the slightest disagreement or conflict, some are quick to threaten murder or directly commit it! Murder is an extraordinarily serious crime. A person should realise that it is a very serious crime, a sin and a burden of immense gravity that is strongly warned against.
There are consequences and impacts linked to the crime, as it can lead to strife and negative repercussions. When a person kills unjustly and aggressively, he inflicts deep, lasting wounds on the people of the fallen victim, including his family, offspring (if any), and his wife, as well as his wider circle of relatives and community. Sometimes such an act triggers further consequences. For example, when someone unjustly and aggressively kills a person from another tribe, region, or community, it often sparks additional conflict, opening the door to further hostilities. Numerous internal hostilities were triggered by murders unjustly and aggressively committed without justification. Not everything can justify killing, be it disputes or problems. However, some people respond to such issues with threats of murder or by resorting to killing. Allah says, {'It is certainly We Who give life to the dead and record that which they have put forth and that which they have left behind. Everything is recorded by Us in a clear book'}. Allah (Glory be to Him) records everything in a clear book, and He keeps account of what each person does. Sometimes, the consequences are greater than the action itself. According to a narration of the Prophet, 'No life is taken unjustly without a portion of its blood being laid at the door of Adam’s first son because he was the first to introduce murder.' This shows the profound loss incurred by Adam's son who killed his own brother. He was the first person to establish the wrongful practice of murder driven by injustice, tyranny, and aggression. As a result, he became responsible for every subsequent murder until the end of days. It is an enormous burden!
Actually, the source of problems, oppression, and aggression is the wicked individuals whose souls are tainted with envy, malevolence, greed, and serious flaws. These individuals create tragedies, and no sermon, reminder, or brotherly advice can be effective in deterring their evil. As we see in the story of the son of Adam and his brother, he reminded him, spoke to him in a brotherly manner, advised him, and warned him about Jahannam. He treated him kindly, but none of that was effective: {'But his soul prompted him to kill his brother, so he killed him.'}
Allah has set deterrents to protect human society from this type of person—the aggressive one who harbours a will for evil and is impervious to admonitions, reminders, or any of that sort. If such individuals had been left unchecked, they would become bold and indifferent, and this phenomenon would widely spread among humanity, paving the way for the emergence of many people like the very first son of Adam—the one who killed his brother without any just cause—exhibiting pure evil, aggression, a violent tendency, and a blatant disregard for human life. That is why Allah (Glory be to Him) has set deterrents to protect human society from them:
- Allah has decreed retribution as a deterrent against anyone who kills another person with aggression, tyranny, and injustice. As He states, {'And there is life for you in retaliation, O people of understanding'}. The knowledge that one will face death for committing such an unjust, aggressive act serves as a powerful deterrent, especially when witnessing Allah’s decree of retribution being carried out against those who have engaged in such crimes.
- Allah also prescribed jihad to repel the evil of wrongdoers and prevent further harm. If left unchecked, these individuals would continue to desecrate human life in every respect, so there must be deterrents. Moreover, Allah (Glory be to Him) has provided many instructions designed to safeguard the right to life and also help purify souls and steer them away from committing such crimes.
- Allah further underscores the gravity of this crime. After telling that story, He (the Almighty) states, {'Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption on the earth, it is as if he had slain mankind entirely'}.
It is to this extent!
Allah has made the crime of murder—when it is committed out of arrogance, aggression, and injustice—exceedingly grave for the Children of Israel. He decreed that if someone kills even one person under these conditions, it is as if they have slain all of mankind (an immense and dreadful burden), including prophets, the righteous, children, women, the elderly, and the young. This is to demonstrate that such a murder is nothing less than an assault on the very sanctity of life.
Nevertheless, this has not worked with the Children of Israel, about whom Allah said, {'Our messengers had certainly come to them with clear proofs, but, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses on the earth'}. We see their actions in Gaza: their transgression, their violation of human life, and their killing of people with ease, with astounding boldness and audacity. They boast about killing children and women, the elderly and the young! They carry out all forms of killing, including mass murder and genocidal massacres, in the streets and public places. There are tragic scenes of the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza. For this reason, Allah has decreed jihad, to stop them and to prevent the wicked from committing such crimes. Jihad is different; it is a form of deterrence, a means of prevention, and a shield that protects the rest of society from these wrongdoers who show utter disregard for human life.
That is enough for today.
We ask Allah (Glory be to Him) to grant us success in seeking what pleases Him. O Allah! Have mercy on our virtuous martyrs, heal the wounded among us, set free our captives, and grant us victory. You are the Hearer of Prayer!
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.