The story began with Adam (PBUH) and his wife, who gave birth to two sets of twins, each consisting of a boy and a girl. They lived peacefully with their parents until they grew older.
To ensure the continuation of Adam’s (PBUH) lineage, Allah Almighty decreed that the children should marry in a specific manner—each son would wed the sister of the other. When Adam (PBUH) conveyed this command to his sons, Cain became displeased, feeling that his assigned spouse was less beautiful than his brother’s.
Noticing Cain’s discontent, Adam (PBUH) instructed his sons to present an offering to Allah Almighty. Abel, a shepherd, selected his finest livestock to sacrifice with sincerity and devotion. Cain, a farmer, offered his worst crop of wheat, lacking the same sincerity. As a result, Allah accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s.
Allah recounts this moment in the Quran:
*”Relate to them in truth ˹O Prophet˺ the story of Adam’s two sons—how each offered a sacrifice: Abel’s offering was accepted while Cain’s was not. So Cain threatened, ‘I will kill you!’ His brother replied, ‘Allah only accepts ˹the offering˺ of the sincerely devout.'”* [Al-Ma’idah 5:27]
Overcome with envy, Cain allowed Satan’s whispers to take hold of his heart and resolved to kill his brother.
However, after carrying out the terrible deed and seeing his brother lifeless before him, he was overwhelmed with guilt and remorse. He did not know what to do with the body. In His mercy, Allah sent two crows to teach him. The crows fought, and one killed the other. Then, the surviving crow dug a hole in the ground, placed the dead crow inside, and covered it with soil.
Seeing this, Cain understood that this was the proper way to bury the dead. Thus, the first crime on earth was committed, marking the beginning of human transgression.