Verse 5:31 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

27 ۞ وَٱتۡلُ عَلَیۡهِمۡ نَبَأَ ٱبۡنَیۡ ءَادَمَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ إِذۡ قَرَّبَا قُرۡبَانࣰا فَتُقُبِّلَ مِنۡ أَحَدِهِمَا وَلَمۡ یُتَقَبَّلۡ مِنَ ٱلۡءَاخَرِ قَالَ لَأَقۡتُلَنَّكَۖ قَالَ إِنَّمَا یَتَقَبَّلُ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُتَّقِینَ ۝٢٧ wa-ut'lu ʿalayhim naba-a ib'nay ādama bil-ḥaqi idh qarrabā qur'bānan fatuqubbila min aḥadihimā walam yutaqabbal mina l-ākhari qāla la-aqtulannaka qāla innamā yataqabbalu l-lahu mina l-mutaqīn [Prophet], tell them the truth about the story of Adam’s two sons: each of them offered a sacrifice, and it was accepted from one and not the other. One said, ‘I will kill you,’ but the other said, ‘God only accepts the sacrifice of those who are mindful of Him 28 لَىِٕنۢ بَسَطتَ إِلَیَّ یَدَكَ لِتَقۡتُلَنِی مَاۤ أَنَا۠ بِبَاسِطࣲ یَدِیَ إِلَیۡكَ لِأَقۡتُلَكَۖ إِنِّیۤ أَخَافُ ٱللَّهَ رَبَّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِینَ ۝٢٨ la-in basaṭta ilayya yadaka litaqtulanī mā anā bibāsiṭin yadiya ilayka li-aqtulaka innī akhāfu l-laha rabba l-ʿālamīn If you raise your hand to kill me, I will not raise mine to kill you. I fear God, the Lord of all worlds 29 إِنِّیۤ أُرِیدُ أَن تَبُوۤأَ بِإِثۡمِی وَإِثۡمِكَ فَتَكُونَ مِنۡ أَصۡحَـٰبِ ٱلنَّارِۚ وَذَ ٰلِكَ جَزَ ٰۤؤُا۟ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِینَ ۝٢٩ innī urīdu an tabūa bi-ith'mī wa-ith'mika fatakūna min aṣḥābi l-nāri wadhālika jazāu l-ẓālimīn and I would rather you were burdened with my sins as well as yours and became an inhabitant of the Fire: such is the evildoers’ reward.’ 30 فَطَوَّعَتۡ لَهُۥ نَفۡسُهُۥ قَتۡلَ أَخِیهِ فَقَتَلَهُۥ فَأَصۡبَحَ مِنَ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرِینَ ۝٣٠ faṭawwaʿat lahu nafsuhu qatla akhīhi faqatalahu fa-aṣbaḥa mina l-khāsirīn But his soul prompted him to kill his brother: he killed him and became one of the losers

31 فَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ غُرَابࣰا یَبۡحَثُ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ لِیُرِیَهُۥ كَیۡفَ یُوَ ٰرِی سَوۡءَةَ أَخِیهِۚ قَالَ یَـٰوَیۡلَتَىٰۤ أَعَجَزۡتُ أَنۡ أَكُونَ مِثۡلَ هَـٰذَا ٱلۡغُرَابِ فَأُوَ ٰرِیَ سَوۡءَةَ أَخِیۖ فَأَصۡبَحَ مِنَ ٱلنَّـٰدِمِینَ ۝٣١ fabaʿatha l-lahu ghurāban yabḥathu fī l-arḍi liyuriyahu kayfa yuwārī sawata akhīhi qāla yāwaylatā aʿajaztu an akūna mith'la hādhā l-ghurābi fa-uwāriya sawata akhī fa-aṣbaḥa mina l-nādimīn God sent a raven to scratch up the ground and show him how to cover his brother’s corpse and he said, ‘Woe is me! Could I not have been like this raven and covered up my brother’s body?’ He became remorseful

32 مِنۡ أَجۡلِ ذَ ٰلِكَ كَتَبۡنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِیۤ إِسۡرَ ٰۤءِیلَ أَنَّهُۥ مَن قَتَلَ نَفۡسَۢا بِغَیۡرِ نَفۡسٍ أَوۡ فَسَادࣲ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِیعࣰا وَمَنۡ أَحۡیَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَاۤ أَحۡیَا ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِیعࣰاۚ وَلَقَدۡ جَاۤءَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُنَا بِٱلۡبَیِّنَـٰتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِیرࣰا مِّنۡهُم بَعۡدَ ذَ ٰلِكَ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ لَمُسۡرِفُونَ ۝٣٢ min ajli dhālika katabnā ʿalā banī is'rāīla annahu man qatala nafsan bighayri nafsin aw fasādin fī l-arḍi faka-annamā qatala l-nāsa jamīʿan waman aḥyāhā faka-annamā aḥyā l-nāsa jamīʿan walaqad jāathum rusulunā bil-bayināti thumma inna kathīran min'hum baʿda dhālika fī l-arḍi lamus'rifūn On account of [his deed], We decreed to the Children of Israel that if anyone kills a person- unless in retribution for murder or spreading corruption in the land- it is as if he kills all mankind, while if any saves a life it is as if he saves the lives of all mankind. Our messengers came to them with clear signs, but many of them continued to commit excesses in the land 33 إِنَّمَا جَزَ ٰۤؤُا۟ ٱلَّذِینَ یُحَارِبُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَیَسۡعَوۡنَ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَسَادًا أَن یُقَتَّلُوۤا۟ أَوۡ یُصَلَّبُوۤا۟ أَوۡ تُقَطَّعَ أَیۡدِیهِمۡ وَأَرۡجُلُهُم مِّنۡ خِلَـٰفٍ أَوۡ یُنفَوۡا۟ مِنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ ذَ ٰلِكَ لَهُمۡ خِزۡیࣱ فِی ٱلدُّنۡیَاۖ وَلَهُمۡ فِی ٱلۡءَاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِیمٌ ۝٣٣ innamā jazāu alladhīna yuḥāribūna l-laha warasūlahu wayasʿawna fī l-arḍi fasādan an yuqattalū aw yuṣallabū aw tuqaṭṭaʿa aydīhim wa-arjuluhum min khilāfin aw yunfaw mina l-arḍi dhālika lahum khiz'yun fī l-dun'yā walahum fī l-ākhirati ʿadhābun ʿaẓīmu Those who wage war against God and His Messenger and strive to spread corruption in the land should be punished by death, crucifixion, the amputation of an alternate hand and foot, or banishment from the land: a disgrace for them in this world, and then a terrible punishment in the Hereafter 34 إِلَّا ٱلَّذِینَ تَابُوا۟ مِن قَبۡلِ أَن تَقۡدِرُوا۟ عَلَیۡهِمۡۖ فَٱعۡلَمُوۤا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِیمࣱ ۝٣٤ illā alladhīna tābū min qabli an taqdirū ʿalayhim fa-iʿ'lamū anna l-laha ghafūrun raḥīmu unless they repent before you overpower them- in that case bear in mind that God is forgiving and merciful 35 یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱبۡتَغُوۤا۟ إِلَیۡهِ ٱلۡوَسِیلَةَ وَجَـٰهِدُوا۟ فِی سَبِیلِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ ۝٣٥ yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū ittaqū l-laha wa-ib'taghū ilayhi l-wasīlata wajāhidū fī sabīlihi laʿallakum tuf'liḥūn You who believe, be mindful of God, seek ways to come closer to Him and strive for His cause, so that you may prosper