Parables of the Qur’an

Episode Three

Amr Khaled

Qabeel and Habeel – Part II

Allah (SWT)[1] says, what can be translated as, “And recite to them the story of Adam's two sons, in truth, when they both offered a sacrifice [to Allah ], and it was accepted from one of them but was not accepted from the other. Said [the latter], "I will surely kill you." Said [the former], "Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous [who fear Him].  If you should raise your hand against me to kill me - I shall not raise my hand against you to kill you. Indeed, I fear Allah , Lord of the worlds.  Indeed I want you to obtain [thereby] my sin and your sin so you will be among the companions of the Fire. And that is the recompense of wrongdoers."  And his soul permitted to him the murder of his brother, so he killed him and became among the losers.  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.” (TMQ, 5:27-31)[2].

Try to picture with us the feelings of Adam (AS)[3] and Hawa' (Eve) when they lost both their sons.  Qabeel had run away and did not repent.  They were in the process of preparing the marriage of Qabeel to Habeel's sister and vice versa.  There is no bigger tragedy than a son's death.  Hawa' was the first mother in history to lose a son. 

What were Adam's feelings?

There is a story in the seerah[4], which took place in al-israa, and al-mi’raj[5] where the Prophet (SAWS)[6] was ascended to the first sky.  The Prophet (SAWS) saw a man who had countless people to his right, and countless to his left, and whenever he looks onto those to his right he laughs, and onto those to his left he weeps.  The Prophet (SAWS) then asked Jibril (AS) who the man was, and Jibril replied that the man was Adam (AS), and that whenever he looks to his right he sees those of his children who obeyed him and so he laughs, and whenever he looks to his left he sees those who lost their way and he weeps.  I can feel the pain Adam suffered because of his son's misdeeds.

What have Habeel done?  “…Surely Allah (graciously) accepts only of the pious" (TMQ, 5:27).

When Habeel said to Qabeel, "Surely Allah accepts only of the pious," Qabeel, as most of our nation, did not understand his words.  This is the divine rule that maintains that if you want to know whether Allah accepts your deeds or not then look at yourself and see whether you fear Allah or not.  For instance, if you want to find out whether Allah accepted Ramadan from you or not, find out whether you quitted smoking or not?  Did you abstain from hurting your wife?  Did you stop disobeying you parents?  Did you refrain from earning ill-begotten money?  Have you been fearing Allah so He would save you from hell?

Ali Ibn-Abu-Taleb (RA)[7] narrated that they used to work hard in Ramadan, and when it was all over, they worried whether their efforts have been accepted or not.  “…Surely Allah (graciously) accepts only of the pious" (TMQ, 5:27).  Piety is the objective of Ramadan.  Allah (SWT) says, what can be translated as, "O you who have believed, prescribed for you is the Fast, as it was prescribed for (the ones) who were before you, that possibly you would be pious" (TMQ, 2:183).

What does piety do?

1-     Piety leads to the forgiveness of sins.  Allah says, what can be translated as, "O you who have believed, in case you are pious to Allah, He will set for you an all-distinctive Criterion, (i.e., He will make for you an all-distinctive Criterion “between right and wrong”) and expiate for you your odious (deeds), and forgive you; and Allah is The Owner of the magnificent Grace" (TMQ, 8:29).

2-     Piety leads you to jannah (Paradise).  Allah says, what can be translated as, "That is the Garden which We cause the ones of Our bondmen who were pious, to inherit" (TMQ, 19:63).

3-     Piety makes life easier.  Allah says, what can be translated as, "…and whoever is pious to Allah, He will make for him, of His Command, easiness" (TMQ, 65:4).

4-     Piety dispels worries and grieves, and expands your livelihood.  Allah says, what can be translated as, "… And whoever is pious to Allah, He will make for him (a way) of going out" (TMQ, 65:2).

5-     Piety leads to the endowment of poor countries with blessings.  Allah says, what can be translated as, "And if the population of the towns had believed and been pious, We indeed would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth" (TMQ, 7:96).

Is humanity nowadays Qabeel-oriented or Habeel-oriented?

Why is murder the first crime to be documented by the Qur'an?  Why not adultery or drinking alcohol?  The angels feared murder, as is evident in the ayah[8] in which Allah says, what can be translated as, "... They said, “Will You make therein one who will corrupt in it and shed blood…" (TMQ, 2:30).

Are we closer now to Qabeel or Habeel after the advancement of civilization that we reached?  If so, then beware of teaching your child that aggression is the means to power.  You could be the underlying cause of your child's aggressive behavior without you being aware of it.  Beware of beating your children and wives.

I have a friend who is the father of a 13-year-old.  One night, his son, along with a friend, found the club's swimming pool doors open.  They took all the towels and threw them in the pool.  Later on, the father asked the son what was wrong, and the son denied there was anything.  Being an attentive father, he insisted something was wrong.  The son said he would tell his father what had happened if the father will not punish him.  After hearing what had happened the father weighed his options, and decided that violence would not be of any help.  He therefore took his son back to the club to collect the towels from the water.  However, on their way back, the father did not speak to the son, who wept a lot.  This approach is way more effective than any of the cruel approaches and punishments.

Those of you who raise their children using cruelty, and those of you who spread violent movies, fear Allah!  "Indeed, in case you stretch out your hand against me to kill me, in no way will I be stretching out my hand against you to kill you.  Surely I fear Allah, The Lord of the worlds" (TMQ, 5:28).  I am dedicating this ayah to our brothers in Iraq, Palestine, and Lebanon.  

I want to ask those of you who beat their wives or servants, "Is Habeel considered passive?" Of course not!  Is Habeel going to let his brother kill him?  Yes, he will, and that is what had happened!  However, the Prophet (SAWS) once mentioned that those who are murdered in protection of their money, their religion, their selves, or their families are considered martyrs.  Yet, murder must not take place among relatives nor at the times of strife. 

I am calling out at the top of my voice, "Do not shed blood!"  This is to the people of Darfur, people of Iraq and people of Lebanon.  This is to the Arab world.  If we get ourselves involved in more strife than the ones we are already involved in, there is no hope for a revival!

The Prophets (SAWS) pointed out that at the time of strife those who are sitting are better than those who are standing; and those who are standing are better than those who are walking; and those who are walking are better than those who are striving.  When someone asked him (SAWS) what to do when attacked at home, the Prophet (SAWS) replied with the ayah, which can be translated as, "… Indeed, in case you stretch out your hand against me to kill me, in no way will I be stretching out my hand against you to kill you" (TMQ, 5:28).  He (SAWS) also called for those who have livestock to attend to it, and those who have land to attend to it.  This is not to encourage passivity, but rather to encourage attendance to work to pave the way for the revival.

Do you know who is the Habeel of the Muslims?

Othman Ibn-Affan: The Habeel of the Prophet's companions

During the time Othman Ibn-Affan, whom the Prophet (SAWS) described as the man whom the angels are shy of, there was a strife.

Othman sent a message to all the towns stating that he will do them whatever they need as long as there is nothing out of the line of obedience to Allah.  He got no reply.  He then sent them again stating that all those who have any complaints should come forward and justice would take place.  He also stated that the cost of the complainant's traveling would be compensated, and that they should not fear any enmity as it is not one of his characteristics.  He got no reply.

Madinah was then surrounded by 3000.  Othman was advised by Ali Ibn-Abu-Taleb, Zubayr and Talha either to wear ihram[9] clothes so that he would not be murdered, leave Madinah to the Levant or to declare war against them.  Othman responded by saying that ihram would be ineffective because they would not hesitate to kill him once he is spotted.  Leaving to the Levant was not an option for him either, because he

would never run away and leave the city of the Prophet (SAWS) behind.  (Do you see that he was neither weak nor passive)  He also refused to fight in the city of the Prophet (SAWS) and declared that the strife was underway, and blessed was Othman if he died without stirring it.  He would rather have himself killed than have blood shed in Madinah.

Then came in Abu-Huraira with his sword and announced that he will support Othman.  However, Othman ordered him to put away his sword, for surely Abu-Huraira would not like to shed blood in the city of the Prophet (SAWS).  Othman, then reminded him that to kill one soul is equivalent to killing everyone.  When Abu-Huraira asked him what would happen to him [Othman], Othman resorted to the ayah, which can be translated as, "… Indeed, in case you stretch out your hand against me to kill me, in no way will I be stretching out my hand against you to kill you" (TMQ, 5:28).  Othman then told Abu-Huraira that the Prophet (SAWS) once told him that he would be rewarded with Jannah for a calamity he would face, and therefore he is being patient.

Those who wanted to stir strife had surrounded Othman's house.  Before his assassination, Othman saw a vision while asleep.  He saw the Prophet (SAWS) asking him whether they [the besiegers] made him go hungry, and he replied with a yes.  He (SAWS) asked whether they made him go thirsty, and he replied with a yes.  He (SAWS) asked him whether they surrounded him, and he once more replied with a yes.  He (SAWS) then asked him if he would be patient for the night, fast the following day, spend the following night with the Prophet (SAWS) and have breakfast with him (SAWS), Abu-Bakr and Omar Ibnul-Khattab?  Once more, Othman replied with a yes.  The following day Othman woke up smiling, and demanded that his servant pull his ears as he once did to him, arguing that this world's retribution is less severe than the hereafter's.

When Othman's attackers were about to break into his house, his wife suggested that she takes off her hijab (veil) so that they would feel ashamed when they see her bare hear and leave.  However, Othman refused and told her that he would rather be cut into pieces than have her uncover even one lock of hair.  They stormed into his house and tore him apart with their swords while he was reading the ayah, which can be translated as, "… so Allah will soon suffice you for them" (TMQ, 2:137).

The moment of murder

"Then his self persuaded him to the killing of his brother, so he killed him, then he became among the losers" (TMQ, 5:30).  How was he able to bring himself to kill his own brother?  The prophet (SAWS) once explained that temptation is presented to the heart like a straw mat, one straw at a time.  The heart that accepts it is specked with a black speck, and that that turns away from it is specked with a white speck.  This continues until the heart is either white, and in this case will always be able to turn away from temptations, or black, in which case it knows no good and turns away from no temptation.

How did the idea of murder occur to Qabeel?  It occurred from hunting and watching the animals kill.  However, animals do not kill one of their own species.  For example, no lion kills another lion.  Satan went to Qabeel with an animal and a stone, and kept hitting the stone against the animal's head until it died, in order to teach him how to kill.  Qabeel took a stone and kept hitting Habeel's head with it until he bled and died.  Qabeel regretted what he did when his brother died.

According to statistics, murderers feel regret right after the act of killing and seeing the victim bleed.  At that instance satan laughs at the murderer and says, as illustrated in the ayah which can be translated as, "…“Surely I am quit of you; Surely I fear Allah, The Lord of the worlds”" (TMQ, 59:16).

Qabeel thereby lost the Hereafter.  All those who are wrongly murdered are going to be partly blamed on Qabeel because he was the first to murder in humanity.  Can you imagine that he carries the blame for all those who were unduly murdered even in wars!  Those who enact immoral and corrupt practices will incur the vices of all those who follow them.  Do not be the first woman to cheat on her husband.  Do not be the first in your family to perform the orfi[10] marriage.  The Prophet (SAWS) once explained that all those who are wrongly murdered are partly blamed on Adam's first son, and that is because he is the first who enacted the practice.

Qabeel lost his brother, the hand that assisted him, lost his father, lost his marriage and lost the security.  I once visited a great mansion in the USA.  It had 600 rooms.  I have learnt that its owner was living in the USA at the time of the civil war, and that her husband was selling weapons to both sides.  That led to her feeling of great insecurity.  As a result, she slept each night in a different room out of fear of the spirits of the victims, believing that they might come after her for revenge.  She finally died on her bed, but she had lived insecurely.

Allah created this world for you

Allah (SWT) says, what can be translated as, "… Surely I know whatever you do not know" (TMQ, 2:30).  Just like there are murderers and those who are corrupt, there are also those who are similar to Habeel, Ibrahim (AS) (Abraham), Musa (AS) (Moses), Isa (AS) (Jesus) and Mohammad (SAWS), and there are those who are reformers.  If you happen to be one of the reformers, then you are one of those Allah created the Earth for.

Qabeel killed Habeel and had no idea what to do with the body.  The concept of burial did not yet exist at the time, and he had the first dead body in humanity on his hands.  The body started to smell, and the animals and vultures started circling the area.  Did you know that the disintegration of the dead body and the resulting smell are of Allah's mercies?  Had that not been the case, then people would have kept their dead's bodies with them, without burying them, and life would have been very depressing.  Through the raven, Allah taught us how to bury our dead so we can forget and go on with our lives and meet our dead in Jannah if Allah wills.

Allah says, what can be translated as, "Then Allah sent forth a raven (Or: crow) searching into the earth to show him how he should overlay the shameful parts (i.e. the vile body) of his brother.  He said, “Oh woe to me!  Am I unable to be like this raven, (and) so overlay the shameful parts of my brother?”  So he became among the remorseful" (TMQ, 5:31).  He became remorseful, but his remorse was not that of repentance, but that of helplessness because he did not know how he will end up.  He killed his brother and did not know what to do with the body.  Never undertake any action without clearly understanding its consequences.

Qabeel ran away, and Adam and Hawa' lost both their sons.  If you want to know how they felt, ask an Iraqi mother who had lost a son at the hands of his Iraqi brother, or a Palestinian mother who had lost a son at the hands of his Palestinian brother, not at those of an enemy.  Let us go to Syria, the cradle of civilization, and visit Mt. Kasyon where Habeel's burial site is most probably located.  That is the burial site of well-doing, of the one who held on to kinship ties and cherished honesty and reformation, not injustice and corruption.  Nevertheless, the ending is a happy one not a sad one.  Let us raise our spirits.  This incidence produced the first martyr in humanity, Habeel. 

Moreover, Allah compensated Adam and Hawa' with another son, Sheith (Seth), whose offspring is the rest of humanity.  Sheith became a prophet.  Moreover, of Adam's offspring came Idris (AS) (Enoch).  Thus, Allah endowed Adam with a martyr and two prophets.  Allah says, what can be translated as, "And mention in the Book Idris; surely he was most sincere, a Prophet.  And We raised him to a most exalted place.  Those are they whom Allah has favored among the Prophets of the offspring of Adam" (TMQ, 19:56-58).

Allah also says, what can be translated as, "On that account We prescribed for the Seeds (Or: sons) of Israel that whoever kills a self-other than for (killing another) self or (Literally: nor) for corruption in the earth-then it will be as if he had killed mankind altogether; and whoever gives life to it, (i.e., a self) then it will be as if he had given life to mankind altogether" (TMQ, 5:32).  This Qur'anic rule is to protect mankind and its dignity.  I dedicate this to the people of Iraq and Lebanon, to prevent chaos in these areas.  Allah addresses those who want strife, violence, and killings and tells them that you can always object but do so in a positive manner, not in a chaotic one and end up with killings.

Today's Message

1-     “…Surely Allah (graciously) accepts only of the pious" (TMQ, 5:27).  Could you promise that you will become pious this Ramadan so we would be totally saved from hellfire?

2-     A message to the people of Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, and Darfur.
This message might reach even one person and we would then be blessed with the reward of preventing him from killing his brother.  I am pleading you; follow the course of Habeel not Qabeel.  "… Indeed, in case you stretch out your hand against me to kill me, in no way will I be stretching out my hand against you to kill you" (TMQ, 5:28).  I am pleading you not to become of those who seek corruption and strife in our nation.  Remember the Prophet's saying that at the time of strife those who are sitting are better than those who are standing; and those who are standing are better than those are who are walking; and those who are walking are better than those who are striving.  Follow Habeel's example.

See you all tomorrow insha’ Allah and may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.