THE STORY OF HABIL (ABEL) AND QABIL (CAIN)

EPISODE 2

Analyzing Suratul Maidah, Quran Chapter 5 verse 27-31

لَيِن بَسَطتَ إِلَيَّ يَدَكَ لِتَقْتُلَنِي مَا أَنَاْ بِبَاسِطٍ يَدِيَ إِلَيْكَ لَاَقْتُلَكَ
(If you do stretch your hand against me to kill me, I shall never stretch my hand against you to kill you), I will not commit the same evil act that you threaten to commit, so that I will not earn the same sin as you,
إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ
(for I fear Allah; the Lord of the all that exists), and, as a result, I will not commit the error that you threaten to commit. Rather, I will observe patience and endurance.

Abdullah bin `Amr said,

“By Allah! Habil was the stronger of the two men. But, fear of Allah restricted his hand.”

The Prophet said in a Hadith recorded in the Two Sahihs,

إِذَا تَوَاجَهَ الْمُسْلِمَانِ بِسَيْفَيهِمَا فَالْقَاتِلُ وَالْمَقْتُولُ فِي النَّار

When two Muslims fight (meet) each other with their swords, both the murderer as well as the murdered will go to the Hellfire.

They said, “O Allah’s Messenger! It is all right for the murderer, but what about the victim?”

Allah’s Messenger replied,

إِنَّه كَانَ حَرِيصًا عَلى قَتْلِ صَاحِبِه

He surely had the intention to kill his comrade.

Imam Ahmad recorded that, at the beginning of the calamity that Uthman suffered from, Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas said,

“I bear witness that the Messenger of Allah said,

إِنَّهَا سَتَكُونُ فِتْنَةٌ القَاعِدُ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْقَايِمِ وَالْقَايِمُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْمَاشِي وَالْمَاشِي خَيْرٌ مِنَ السَّاعِي

There will be a Fitnah, and he who sits idle during it is better than he who stands up, and he who stands up in it is better than he who walks, and he who walks is better than he who is walking at a fast pace.

When he was asked, `What if someone enters my home and stretched his hand to kill me?’

He said,

كُنْ كَابْنِ ادَم

Be just like (the pious) son of Adam.”

At-Tirmidhi also recorded it this way, and said, “This Hadith is Hasan, and similar is reported on this subject from Abu Hurayrah, Khabbab bin Al-Aratt, Abu Bakr, Ibn Mas`ud, Abu Waqid and Abu Musa.”

The Qur’an continues,

إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَن تَبُوءَ بِإِثْمِي وَإِثْمِكَ فَتَكُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ وَذَلِكَ جَزَاء الظَّالِمِينَ

“Verily, I intend to let you draw my sin on yourself as well as yours, then you will be one of the dwellers of the Fire, and that is the recompense of the wrongdoers.”

Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi and Qatadah said that,
إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَن تَبُوءَ بِإِثْمِي وَإِثْمِكَ
(“Verily, I intend to let you draw my sin on yourself as well as yours…”),

means, the sin of murdering me, in addition to your previous sins. Ibn Jarir recorded this.

Allah’s statement,

فَطَوَّعَتْ لَهُ نَفْسُهُ قَتْلَ أَخِيهِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

So the soul of the other encouraged him and made fair-seeming to him the murder of his brother; he murdered him and became one of the losers.

means, his conscience encouraged him to kill his brother by making it seem like a sensible thing to do, so he killed him, even after his brother admonished him.

Ibn Jarir said,

“When he wanted to kill his brother, he started to twist his neck. So (Shaytan) took an animal and placed its head on a rock, then he took another rock, then he took another rock, and smashed its head with it until he killed it while the son of Adam was looking. So he did the same thing to his brother.”

Ibn Abi Hatim also recorded this.

Abdullah bin Wahb said that Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said that his father said,

“Qabil held Habil by the head to kill him, so Habil laid down for him and Qabil started twisting Habil’s head, not knowing how to kill him. (Shaytan) came to Qabil and said, `Do you want to kill him?’

He said, `Yes.’
(Shaytan) said, `Take that stone and throw it on his head.’

So Qabil took the stone and threw it at his brother’s head and smashed his head.
Shaytan then went to Hawwa in a hurry and said to her, `O Hawwa! Qabil killed Habil.’

She asked him, Woe to you! What does kill mean?

He said, `He will no longer eat, drink or move.’

She said, And that is death.’

He said, Yes it is.

So she started to weep until Adam came to her while she was weeping and said, What is the matter with you?

She did not answer him.

He asked her two more times, but she did not answer him. So he said, `You and your daughters will inherit the practice of weeping, while I and my sons are free of it.”‘

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded it.

Allah’s statement,
فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
(And became one of the losers),

in this life and the Hereafter, and which loss is worse than this.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abdullah bin Mas`ud said that the Messenger of Allah said,

لَاا تُقْتَلُ نَفْسٌ ظُلْمًا إِلاَّ كَانَ عَلَى ابْنِ ادَمَ الاْاَوَّلِ كِفْلٌ مِنْ دَمِهَا لاِاَنَّهُ كَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ سَنَّ الْقَتْل

Any soul that is unjustly killed, then the first son of Adam will carry a burden of its shedding, for he was the first to practice the crime of murder.

The Group, with the exception of Abu Dawud, also recorded this Hadith.

Ibn Jarir recorded that Abdullah bin `Amr used to say,

“The son of Adam, who killed his brother, will be the most miserable among men. There is no blood shed on earth since he killed his brother, until the Day of Resurrection, but he will carry a burden from it, for he was the first person to establish murder.”

Allah said,

فَبَعَثَ اللّهُ غُرَابًا يَبْحَثُ فِي الَارْضِ لِيُرِيَهُ كَيْفَ يُوَارِي سَوْءةَ أَخِيهِ قَالَ يَا وَيْلَتَا أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَـذَا الْغُرَابِ فَأُوَارِيَ سَوْءةَ أَخِي فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ النَّادِمِينَ

Then Allah sent a crow who scratched the ground to show him how to hide the dead body of his brother. He (the murderer) said, “Woe to me! Am I not even able to be as this crow and to hide the dead body of my brother!” Then he became one of those who regretted.

As-Suddi said that the Companions said,

“When his brother died, Qabil left him on the bare ground and did not know how to bury him. Allah sent two crows, which fought with each other until one of them killed the other. So it dug a hole and threw sand over the dead corpse (which it placed in the hole). When Qabil saw that, he said,
يَا وَيْلَتَا أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَـذَا الْغُرَابِ فَأُوَارِيَ سَوْءةَ أَخِي
(“Woe to me! Am I not even able to be as this crow and to hide the dead body of my brother!”).

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said,

“A crow came to the dead corpse of another crow and threw sand over it, until it hid it in the ground. He who killed his brother said,
يَا وَيْلَتَا أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَـذَا الْغُرَابِ فَأُوَارِيَ سَوْءةَ أَخِي
(Woe to me! Am I not even able to be as this crow and to hide the dead body of my brother!).”

Al-Hasan Al-Basri commented on the statement,
فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ النَّادِمِينَ
(Then he became one of those who regretted).

“Allah made him feel sorrow after the loss that he earned.”
The Swift Punishment for Transgression and Cutting the Relations of the Womb

A Hadith states that the Prophet said,

مَا مِنْ ذَنْبٍ أَجْدَرُ أَنْ يُعَجِّلَ اللهُ عُقُوبَتَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعَ مَا يَدَّخِرُ لِصَاحِبهِ فِي الاْاخِرَةِ مِنَ الْبَغْيِ وَقَطِيعَةِ الرَّحِم

There is no sin that is more worthy of Allah hastening its punishment in this life, in addition to what He has in store for its offender in the Hereafter, more than transgression and cutting the relations of the womb.

The act of Qabil (Cain) included both of these.

We are Allah’s and to Him is our return

Bashir Habeebullah @knowislam.com.ng

THE STORY OF HABIL (ABEL) AND QABIL (CAIN)

EPISODE 1

Analyzing Suratul Maidah, Quran Chapter 5 verses 27-31

Allah describes the evil end and consequence of transgression, envy and injustice in the story of two sons of Adam, Habil and Qabil.

One of them fought against the other and killed him out of envy and transgression, because of the bounty that Allah gave his brother and the sacrifice that he sincerely offered to Allah was accepted. The murdered brother earned forgiveness for his sins and was admitted into Paradise, while the murderer failed and earned a losing deal in both the lives.

Allah said,

وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ابْنَيْ ادَمَ بِالْحَقِّ

And recite to them the story of the two sons of Adam in truth;

meaning, tell these envious, unjust people, the brothers of swine and apes from the Jews and their likes among mankind, the story of the two sons of Adam, Habil and Qabil, as many scholars among the Salaf and later generations said.

Allah’s statement,
بِالْحَقِّ
(in truth),

means, clearly and without ambiguity, alteration, confusion, change, addition or deletion.

إِذْ قَرَّبَا قُرْبَانًا فَتُقُبِّلَ مِن أَحَدِهِمَا وَلَمْ يُتَقَبَّلْ مِنَ الاخَرِ قَالَ لَاَقْتُلَنَّكَ قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ

When each offered a sacrifice, it was accepted from the one but not from the other. The latter said to the former:”I will surely, kill you.” The former said:”Verily, Allah accepts only from those who have “Taqwa”.

Several scholars among the Salaf and the later generations said that Allah allowed Adam to marry his daughters to his sons because of the necessity of such action.

They also said that in every pregnancy, Adam was given a twin, a male and a female, and he used to give the female of one twin, to the male of the other twin, in marriage.

Habil’s sister was not beautiful while Qabil’s sister was beautiful, resulting in Qabil wanting her for himself, instead of his brother. Adam refused unless they both offer a sacrifice, and he whose sacrifice was accepted, would marry Qabil’s sister.

Habil’s sacrifice was accepted, while Qabil’s sacrifice was rejected, and thus what Allah told us about them occurred.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn Abbas said — that during the time of Adam — “The woman was not allowed in marriage for her male twin, but Adam was commanded to marry her to any of her other brothers. In each pregnancy, Adam was given a twin, a male and a female. A beautiful daughter was once born for Adam and another one that was not beautiful. So the twin brother of the ugly daughter said, `Marry your sister to me and I will marry my sister to you.’

He said, `No, for I have more right to my sister.’

So they both offered a sacrifice. The sacrifice of the one who offered the sheep was accepted while the sacrifice of the other (the twin brother of the beautiful daughter), which consisted of some produce, was not accepted. So the latter killed his brother.”

This story has a better than good chain of narration.

The statement,

إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ

Verily, Allah accepts only from those who have “Taqwa” (who fear Allah in their actions).

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Ad-Darda’ said,

“If I become certain that Allah has accepted even one prayer from me, it will be better for me than this life and all that in it. This is because Allah says,

إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ
(Verily, Allah accepts only from the those who have (Taqwa)

The statement,

لَيِن بَسَطتَ إِلَيَّ يَدَكَ لِتَقْتُلَنِي مَا أَنَاْ بِبَاسِطٍ يَدِيَ إِلَيْكَ لَاَقْتُلَكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ

“If you do stretch your hand against me to kill me, I shall never stretch my hand against you to kill you, for I fear Allah; the Lord of all that exists.”

Qabil’s brother, the pious man whose sacrifice was accepted because of his piety, said to his brother, who threatened to kill him without justification… To be continue

Bashir Habeeb @knowislam.com.ng

ONE PERSON DEAD AS DRIVER RAMS CAR INTO FRENCH PIZZERIA

Deliberate car ramming by man in a town east of Paris killed one adolescent girl and injured at least 13 other people.
Police said the man’s actions were deliberate but not thought to be “terrorism-related” [Benoit Tessier/Reuters] A man believed to be under the influence of drugs – and possibly suicidal – deliberately rammed his car into a pizzeria east of Paris on Monday night, killing an adolescent girl and injuring her younger brother and 12 other people, authorities said.

The driver was immediately arrested in what was the latest of several attacks in France and elsewhere using a vehicle as a weapon. The local prosecutor said the man’s actions in the dinnertime attack in the town of Sept-Sorts were clearly deliberate, but not “terrorism-related”.

The girl and her brother were among restaurant patrons eating on the outdoor terrace of Pizzeria Cesena when a man in a BMW accelerated toward them, an official with the national gendarme service told The Associated Press.

Some officials said the girl was 13, while the prosecutor said she was 12.

The girl died immediately, and her brother’s injuries were considered life-threatening, according to a gendarme official, who was not authorised to be quoted by name.

Deputy regional prosecutor Eric de Valroger said a three-year-old boy was flown by helicopter to France’s premier children’s hospital in Paris and 12 other people were also hospitalised, four in serious condition.

Speaking to reporters near the attack site, de Valroger said he had opened a homicide investigation. At this stage, he said, “I rule out a terrorist motive.”

He called it “highly probable” that the driver was under the influence of drugs and that he left the road and deliberately aimed his car at restaurant-goers. De Valroger identified the attacker as a 31-year-old from the nearby town of La Ferte-sous-Jouarre.

The suspect is believed to have tried to kill himself last week, French Interior Ministry Pierre-Henry Brandet said on BFM television. Brandet said the man was not known to intelligence or police.

Explosives experts combed the area and found no weapon other than the car itself, according to the prosecutor.

A police official said authorities were not searching for accomplices, and a security official said there was no evidence of a political motive.

The targeted pizzeria is in a shopping zone in the town of Sept-Sorts about 65 kilometres east of Paris near Champagne country. Police cordoned off a large perimeter of the area.

The incident reignited fears in France after a string of attacks in which a vehicle was the weapon of choice.

An Algerian man drove his car into a group of French soldiers last week, and a truck attack in the French city of Nice left 86 people dead a little more than a year ago.

Credit: Al-jazeera news

SIX EXTREME CHRISTIAN GROUPS THAT HAVE SHOWN THEIR CAPACITY FOR VIOLENCE

1. The Army of God
A network of violent Christianists that has been active since the early 1980s, the Army of God openly promotes killing abortion provider and the long list of terrorists who have been active in that organization has included Paul Jennings Hill (who was executed by lethal injection in 2003 for the 1994 killings of abortion doctor John Britton and his bodyguard James Barrett), John C. Salvi (who killed two receptionists when he attacked a Planned Parenthood clinic in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1994) and Eric Rudolph, who is serving life in prison for his role in the Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta in 1996 and other terrorist acts. Rudolph, in fact, has often been exalted as a Christian hero on the Army of God’s website , as have fellow Army of God members such as Scott Roeder (who is serving life without parole for murdering Wichita, Kansas-based abortion doctor George Tiller in 2009), Shelley Shannon (who attempted to kill Tiller in 2003) and Michael Frederick Griffin (who is serving a life sentence for the 1993 killing of Dr. David Gunn, an OB-GYN, in Pensacola, Florida).
Although primarily an anti-abortion organization, the Army of God also has a history of promoting violence against gays . And one of the terrorist acts that Rudolph confessed to was bombing a lesbian bar in Atlanta in 1997.

2. Eastern Lightning, a.k.a. the Church of the Almighty God

Founded in Henan Province, China in 1990, Eastern Lightning (also known as the Church of the Almighty God or the Church of the Gospel’s Kingdom) is a Christianist cult with an end-time/apocalypse focus: Eastern Lightning believes that the world is coming to an end, and in the meantime, its duty is to slay as many demons as possible. While most Christianists have an extremely patriarchal viewpoint (much like their Islamist counterparts) and consider women inferior to men, Eastern Lightning believe that Jesus Christ will return to Earth in the form of a Chinese woman. But they are quite capable of violence against women: in May 2014, for example, members of the cult beat a 37-year-old woman named Wu Shuoyan to death in a McDonalds in Zhaoyuan, China when she refused to give them her phone number. Eastern Lightning members Zhang Lidong and his daughter, Zhang Fan, were convicted of murder for the crime and executed in February . In a 2014 interview in prison, Lidong expressed no remorse when he said of Shuoyan, “I beat her with all my might and stamped on her too. She was a demon. We had to destroy her.”
Eastern Lightning’s other acts of violence have ranged from the killing of a grammar school student in 2010 (in retaliation, police believe, for one of the child’s relatives wanting to leave the cult) to cult member Min Yongjun using a knife to attack an elderly woman and a group of schoolchildren in Chenpeng in 2012. Christian groups are not exempt from Eastern Lightning’s fanaticism: in 2002, cult members kidnapped 34 members of a Christian group called the China Gospel Fellowship and held them captive for two months in the hope of forcing them to join their cult. Although mainly active in the communist People’s Republic of China, Eastern Lighting has been trying to expand its membership in Hong Kong .

The rest are

3.The Lord Resistance Army (LRA)

4.National Liberation front of Tripura

5.The Phineas Priesthood

6.The concerned Christian

Bashir Habeebullah @knowislam.com.ng

On the day of my birth
My audience were in mirth
Awaiting my performance worth
And I cried out my worse

Like I rehearsed
Verses about my death
That succumbed my tears
Flowing out my fears
About the illusion of this earth

I came knowing why
I cried
Now I deny
How can I deny I lied?

The reality is not a show
But a vow
That whatever I sow
Shall surely show

When I crept on earth
Days after my birth
A day came I began to walk on earth
The earth preached, ‘be humble’
Length of your shoulder is my girth

Reality preaches
The scriptures keep preaching
How many will hearken?
Everyone is beseeching
For an illusion that can’t assuage our mission

I am a sinner
So I judge myself
To be a winner
I repent and never pretend to threaten myself

So I came with nothing
And will surely leave with something
Seeds of my deeds that never dies
When everything material, is of no need to me

Remembering death is not a sign of weakness, but it is a sign of reality, even the populous weak will meet

Credit: I.M Saani the Poet

Nafysah @ Knowislam.com.ng.