| Answer:
The reason for which Cain killed Abel is mentioned in
the Qur’an in the following words:
وَاتْلُ
عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ابْنَیْ آدَمَ بِالْحَقِّ إِذْ قَرَّبَا
قُرْبَانًا فَتُقُبِّلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمَا وَلَمْ يُتَقَبَّلْ
مِنَ الآخَرِ قَالَ لَأَقْتُلَنَّكَ قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ
اللّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِيْنَ.
Recite to them the anecdote of the two sons of Adam when they
offered an offering and it was accepted from one of them and
was not accepted from the other. That one said: “I will surely
kill you.” [The other] replied: “The Almighty only accepts the
offering of His pious people.” (5:27)
In other words, Cain got infuriated when his offering was not
accepted by God while that of his brother was accepted by Him.
His jealousy ultimately induced him to murder his innocent
brother, as is mentioned later in 5:30. It is evident from the
words of Abel that the reason that Cain’s offering was not
accepted by the Almighty was that it was offered by an impious
person. This is all what the Qur’an says.
The Old Testament also mentions this incident. Though it does
not explicitly state the reason for the murder yet the context
strongly reinforces what the Qur’an says:
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course
of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an
offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some
of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favour on
Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not
look with favour. So Cain was very angry, and his face was
downcast.
Then the Lord said to Cain: ‘Why are you angry? Why is your
face downcast? If you do what is right will you not be
accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching
at your door; it desires you have you; but you must master
it.’ Now Cain said to his brother Abel: ‘Let’s go out to the
field.’ And while they were in the field Cain attacked his
brother Abel and killed him (Genesis, 4:3-8)
Certain historical reports mention another account of the
episode. The Jewish Encyclopedia has summarized the contents
of Rabbinical literature on this issue in the following
words:
Woman was at the bottom of the strife between the first
brothers. Each of the sons of Adam had a twin sister whom he
was to marry. As Abel’s twin sister was the more beautiful,
Cain wished to have her for his wife and sought to get rid of
Abel.
It is evident that the above quoted account is in direct
contradiction with the Qur’an and with the Old Testament as
well. According to this account, the reason Cain murdered Abel
was dispute between the two as regards marriage. On the other
hand, both Divine books state Cain got incensed when he saw
that his offering had not been accepted by God while that of
his brother had been. Consequently, this report cannot be
accepted.
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