These verses talk about a Quranic story that tells a general fact, and definitely it is identical to the truth, this story is not like the human stories that depend on characters, events, time and place. The Quranic stories describe events and personalities in the correct form that came in history, and all revolve around the belief, the faith functions and the peoples that were stubborn to extract the everlasting lessons that Allah (swt) wants:
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ الْقَصَصُ الْحَقُّ
(Indeed, this is the true narration.) (Ali-Imran: 62)
The true narration that are in complete conformity with reality. Indeed, all the archaeological discoveries so far have come and proved the accuracy and correctness of everything that was mentioned in the Book of Allah (swt) about the precedents. Here we deal with the story of the first creation, the two sons of Adam (PBUH):
(… وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ ) (And recite to them …): The word recitation refers to read slowly and clearly to comprehend the facts within. This is the difference between reciting and reading.
(… نَبَأَ ابْنَيْ آدَمَ بِالْحَقِّ …) (…the news of Adam’s two sons, in truth,…): The news refer to a very important event, as Allah (swt) says:
عَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ (1) عَنِ النَّبَإِ الْعَظِيمِ (2) الَّذِي هُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ
(About what are they asking one another? (2) About the great news – (3) That over which they are in disagreement.)
(An-Naba: 1-3)
This speech is directed to the Prophet (saws), to tell the absolute truth about the two sons of Adam (PBUH):
(… إِذْ قَرَّبَا قُرْبَانًا فَتُقُبِّلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمَا وَلَمْ يُتَقَبَّلْ مِنَ الْآخَرِ …) (…when they both offered a sacrifice [to Allah], and it was accepted from one of them but was not accepted from the other…): The two sons were Cain and Abel. One day, Cain brought some of the bad crops which he had grown, and presented them to Allah (swt) as an offering. Abel also brought an offering: the best of his sheep. But whilst Allah (swt) was pleased with Abel’s gift, he is less than pleased with Cain’s. Cain grows angry and said to Abel:
( قَالَ لَأَقْتُلَنَّكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ … ) (… Said, “I will surely kill you.” Said [the former], “Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous [who fear Him]…): This was the first crime in history, where Cain killed his brother Abel, and the cause of it was envy, hatred and grudges which are the basic reasons of all hostilities and the killings. The Prophet (saws) said:
‘Whoever introduces a good practice that is followed after him, will have a reward for that and the equivalent of their reward, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest. Whoever introduces an evil practice that is followed after him, will bear the burden of sin for that and the equivalent of their burden of sin, without that detracting from their burden in the slightest.'”[1]
And said as well:
“No soul is wrongfully taken except that some of the burden of its blood is upon the son of Adam, because he was the first to institute murder.”[2]
The reason is the envy and the evil eye, but does the evil eye really exist? The answer is: Yes, the Prophet (saws) said:
” “The effect of an evil eye is a fact.”[3]
However, there is a difference between the envy and the evil eye. A person may envy another one whom Allah (swt) has given a blessing even if he is not present in front of him, whereas in case of the evil eye the envied person is present in front of the envier. The matter is mentally reasonable, and also scientifically, as it is definitively fixed, and most people believe that the evil eye does exist. Verify, the Holy Quran states that there is a harm caused by the envier, Allah (swt) says:
وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ
(And from the evil of an envier when he envies.”) (Al-Falaq: 5)
On the other hand, Envy is a deadly disease, and it is a wish for the blessing to pass away from others even if this blessing will not pass to you. For example: You envy a rich person so that he becomes poor even if you do not become rich by that. There are people who envy people for their health, for their authority…etc. And envy may occur between the members of the family, among neighbors and even among brothers, and between countries. Its treatment is by reading the two Surahs (Al-Falaq) and (An-Naas). And by thanking Allah (swt) for his favours, as for the evil eye, the envied must be in front of the envier so his eye affects him. From a scientific point of view, there may be a certain magnetic field, electrons, or radiation coming out of the eye, which leads to harming the envied, and it is said: There is a type of snake that should not be looked at because if you look at it, your eyesight is gone. The eye that is hit by radiation is harmed, and this is not scientifically or mentally impossible, like a knife if a person hits another person with it. Likewise, envy and the evil eye are means, and they cause harm, but nothing can harm or benefit except by the will of Allah (swt).
Back to the story of the verse, it is the first case on earth that led to bloodshed and was caused by envy. Allah (swt) accepted from Abel and did not accept from Cain; because Abel was a pious man, he offered the best ram he had as an offering to satisfy Allah (swt). As for Cain, he offered the worst of what he had, and Allah (swt) did not accept it, so he became angry at his brother and threatened him with death but his brother Abel told him:
( إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ… ) (“Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous [who fear Him]): Indeed, if man does not fear Allah (swt), Allah (swt) will not accept his deeds. The Prophet (saws) said:
“The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions…”[4]
[1] Sunan ad-Darmi: Chapter of: The One Who introduces a good practice, Hadith No. 512.
[2] Sunan at-Tirmidhi: Book of Knowledge, Chapter of: ‘The One Who Leads To Good Is Like The One Who Does It, Hadith No. 2673.
[3] Sahih al-Bukhari: Book of Medicine, Chapter of: The Effect of the Envy Eye is a fact, Hadith No. 5408.
[4] Sahih al-Bukhari: Book of Revelation, Chapter: How the Divine Revelation started being revealed to Allah’s Messenger, Hadith No. 1.