Allah says in His Glorious Book: "Then Allah sent a crow searching in the ground to show him how to hide the disgrace of his brother." Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:31)
This signifies the ugly state of his brother after death. He would become a fetid corpse or food for predators. Cain would hate this for him.
This Ayah clarifies that Cain was naïve and inexperienced. He had no on-the-ground experience. There were no other educational means to teach him how to react. Some interpreters suggest Abel was the first to die. This small community was not acquainted with such an incident. It deprived Cain of the ability to know how to deal with his brother’s death. Allah sent down a crow to make a hole in the ground. It buried the dead crow and then refilled the hole. All this took place while Cain was watching.
Other interpreters said Allah sent down two crows. One was dead and the other was alive. Or they were both alive but fought until one killed the other. The living one dug a hole and buried the dead one.
It is narrated that Imam Ja’afar As-Sadiq (a.s.) said Cain did not know what to do with the body. He carried him in a bag on his back. Allah sent two crows who fought. One killed the other. The killer dug a hole and buried the dead one. It then covered the hole with dirt. If this tradition is authentic, it signifies Divine intervention. Allah inspired the crow to do what birds are not used to. This is backed by Allah’s saying: "He said, 'O woe to me! Have I failed to be like this crow and hide the disgrace of my brother?'" Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:31)
However, some interpretation books mention that crows have a habit of burying what they hunt. It might have been digging for seeds or worms. It may not have been to bury its fellow. Allah knows best.
Whatever the scenario, Cain figured out from the crow’s experience. He learned how to dig up the earth and fill the hole back. This exposed him to the idea of burial. He could keep his brother’s corpse away from predators. He could prevent it from becoming a fetid cadaver.
He said: "O woe to me!" This expresses his deepest shame or distress. "Have I failed to be like this crow?" That tiny crow was familiar with what he was not. It knew how to act with full knowledge and expertise. He stood there watching, unable to do this simple act. "And hide the disgrace of my brother?" Bury him in the ground to protect him.
"And he became of the regretful." Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:31) He regretted committing the crime. He detached himself from the impulsive ambience of envy. This envy intrigued him to kill his own brother unjustly. He realized the negative outcomes for this world and the Hereafter. Perhaps he feared his parents might know.
Thus, Cain learned how to bury a body from the crow’s practical experience. This embodies a methodology to acquire knowledge using the senses. One can watch what other creatures do. One can learn through hearing, touching, smelling, or tasting. This is a way to acquire knowledge for the movement of awareness. Man uses such acquired knowledge to fulfill his vital needs. The senses play an important role in the scientific search. They provide the intellect with the raw material for the thinking process.
This is confirmed by the Quranic methodology of knowledge. It is not restricted to the mental process of meditation and deduction. It includes the experimental scientific process driven by the senses. Man acquires what he sees, hears, touches, smells, and tastes. He employs this, through the mind, to come up with a general idea.
The human reality has two ways of thinking. The first is purely theoretical and abstract. It produces ideas that have nothing to do with the senses. The second is the experimental way. It produces ideas that the senses process through the mind. Those who deny the role of the mind are mistaken. So are those who deny the role of experience.
This short story exemplifies the vital image of man’s evil and good characters. It attaches us to the idea of good and keeps us away from evil. It reveals the atrocious stand of one person compared to the sublime stand of the other. The crime had no just justifications. It was the outcome of an unhealthy psychological state plagued with envy. The victim did not commit any fault.
The first parts of the story are related in the previous Ayahs: "And recite to them the story of Adam's two sons in truth. When they both offered a sacrifice, it was accepted from one of them but was not accepted from the other. He said, 'I will surely kill you.' He said, 'Allah only accepts from the righteous. If you raise your hand to kill me, I will not raise my hand to kill you. Indeed, I fear Allah, Lord of the worlds. Indeed, I want you to bear my sin and your own sin so you will be among the companions of the Fire. 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." Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:27-30)
The victim did not boast that his offering was accepted. His morals were far from such an attitude.
The value of this story lies in the psychological detest it infuses in the soul. It creates detest for the crime and the murderer. It creates spiritual compassion for the victim. This leaves an impact on general human behavior.
We can benefit from this story in two aspects:
1. The Educational Aspect: The story is a vibrant means for exemplification. It can be turned into a play or used for instruction. It is useful as an educational religious story. We can teach it to our children and youth. This should be done with methods that suit their mental abilities. It can be through words, pictures, or acting.
2. Addressing Crime: This story can be used to address the issue of crime and its perpetrator. This applies to any type of crime: murder, theft, adultery, oppression. The Quranic method sets the foundations for an educational methodology. We should adopt this in our course of following what exists. We can make inspirations or innovations. This guarantees that Islamic educational work continues to live in the ambiences of the Quran. It should do so in both idea and method. We must inspire from the Quran its ideas and methods. We must project them on our own ideas and methods.
Source: [(Interpretations) inspired from the Quran]