Habil and Qabil 

Adam AS, the first Prophet of Allah, was responsible for teaching his wife and offspring how to worship Allah and seek His forgiveness. Adam AS established the laws of Allah and set about trying to support his family and learning to subdue and care for the earth. His task was to perpetuate, cultivate, construct and populate; he was to raise children who would live according to Allah’s instructions and care for and improve the earth.

Adam’s First Four Children
Adam and Eve’s first children, Qabil and his sister, were twins; Habil and his sister, another set of twins, soon followed. Adam AS and his family lived in peace and harmony. Qabil ploughed the earth while Habil raised livestock. Time passed and the occasion came for the sons of Adam AS to marry. A group of the companions RA of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ including Ibn Abbas RA and Ibn Masud RA related that inter-marriage of the male of one pregnancy with the female of another had been the practice among Adam AS’s children. Therefore we know that Allah’s plan to fill the earth included each of Adam AS’s sons marrying the twin sister of the other.

It seems that beauty has played a part in the attraction of men and women since the beginning. Qabil was not pleased with the partner chosen for him. Qabil thus began to envy his brother and refused to obey the command of his father and, in doing so, he disobeyed Allah. Allah created man with both good and bad tendencies, and the struggle to overcome our vile instincts is part of His test for us.

Allah commanded that each son was to offer a sacrifice. Allah`s judgement would favour the son whose offer was the most acceptable. Qabil offered his worst grain, but Habil offered his best livestock. Allah accepted Habil’s sacrifice, so Qabil became enraged, threatening to kill his brother.

وَٱتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ٱبْنَىْ ءَادَمَ بِٱلْحَقِّ إِذْ قَرَّبَا قُرْبَانًا فَتُقُبِّلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمَا وَلَمْ يُتَقَبَّلْ مِنَ ٱلْـَٔاخَرِ قَالَ لَأَقْتُلَنَّكَ ۖ
“And (O Muhammad) recite to them (the Jews) the story of the two sons of Adam (Abel [Habil] and Cain [Qabil]) in truth; when each offered a sacrifice to Allah, it was accepted from the one but not from the other. The latter said to the former; ‘I will surely kill you.’” [Al Maida 5: 27]

Habil advised his brother that Allah would accept good deeds from those that fear and serve Him, but reject the good deeds of those who are arrogant, selfish and disobedient towards Allah.

قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
“The former said: ‘Verily Allah accepts only from those who are pious. [Al Maida 5: 27]

Habil also made it clear that he had no intention of killing his own brother.
لَئِنۢ بَسَطتَ إِلَىَّ يَدَكَ لِتَقْتُلَنِى مَآ أَنَا۠ بِبَاسِطٍ يَدِىَ إِلَيْكَ لِأَقْتُلَكَ ۖ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ ٱللَّهَ رَبَّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
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 mankind, jinn, and all that exists.’” [Al Maida 5: 28]

The First Murder
فَطَوَّعَتْ لَهُۥ نَفْسُهُۥ قَتْلَ أَخِيهِ فَقَتَلَهُۥ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ
“So the self (base desires) of the other (Qabil) encouraged him and made it fair seeming to him the murder of his brother (Habil); he murdered him and became one of the losers.” [Al Maida 5: 30]

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is narrated to have said that Qabil became angry and hit his brother over the head with a piece of iron. It is also said in another narration that Qabil hit Habil over the head while he was sleeping.

فَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ غُرَابًا يَبْحَثُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُۥ كَيْفَ يُوَٰرِى سَوْءَةَ أَخِيهِ ۚ قَالَ يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰٓ أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَـٰذَا ٱلْغُرَابِ فَأُوَٰرِىَ سَوْءَةَ أَخِى ۖ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ ٱلنَّـٰدِمِينَ
“Allah sent a crow who scratched the ground to show him how to hide the dead body of his brother. He (the murderer) said: ‘Woe to me! Am I not even able to be as this crow and to hide the dead body of my brother?’ Then he became one of those who regretted.” [Al Maida 5: 31].

Adam AS was devastated; he had lost both his first and second born sons. One had been murdered; the other was won over by mankind’s greatest enemy – Shaytan. Patiently, Adam prayed for his son, and continued to care for the earth. He taught his many children and grandchildren about Allah. He told them of his own encounter with the devil and advised them to beware of Shaytan’s tricks and schemes. Years and years passed, and Adam grew old and his children spread out across the earth.

Lesson to Learn:
Jealousy is what made Qabil kill his brother Habil. It is this very same jealousy that today has split many families apart.