| Answer: The reason for which Cain killed
Abel is mentioned in the Qur’an in the following words:
وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ابْنَيْ آدَمَ
بِالْحَقِّ إِذْ قَرَّبَا قُرْبَانًا فَتُقُبِّلَ مِنْ
أَحَدِهِـمَا وَلَـمْ يُتَقَبَّلْ مِنَ الْـآخَرِ قَالَ
لَـأَقْتُلَنَّكَ قَالَ إِنَّـمَا 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 Encyclopaedia 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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