Then Allāh sent a crow searching [i.e., scratching] in the ground to show him how to hide the disgrace257 of his brother. He said, "O woe to me! Have I failed to be like this crow and hide the disgrace [i.e., body] of my brother?" And he became of the regretful.
Notes
[257] Referring to the dead body, evidence of his shameful deed.
Verse 31 of Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:31), a Medinan surah, is in juz 6, on page 112 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.
Listen to verse 31 of Surah Al-Ma’idah
79 recitations by 73 reciters: pick one and it plays in the player.
All voices (79)
Tafsir of verse 31
Al-Mukhtasar
Allah sent a crow to dig the earth in front of him to bury another dead crow and teach him how to cover his brother’s body. He then became regretful. Regret is the end result of those who commit sins.
Then Allah sent a crow scratching the ground27 to show him how to bury the corpse of his brother. He said, “Woe to me! Have I failed even to be like this crow to bury the corpse of my brother?” And he became one of the remorseful.
Notes
[27] It is said that this raven was burying another of its kind.
Then Allâh sent a crow who scratched the ground to show him 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.
Then Allah sent a raven scratching up the ground, to show him how to hide his brother's naked corpse. He said: Woe unto me! Am I not able to be as this raven and so hide my brother's naked corpse? And he became repentant.
Then Allah sent a raven, who scratched the ground, to show him how to hide the shame of his brother. "Woe is me!" said he; "Was I not even able to be as this raven, and to hide the shame of my brother?" then he became full of regrets-
Then Allah sent a crow digging up the earth so that he might show him how he should cover the dead body of his brother. He said: Woe me! do I lack the strength that I should be like this crow and cover the dead body of my brother? So he became of those who regret.
Then Allah sent forth a raven (Or: crow) searching into the earth to show him how he should overlay the shameful parts (i.e. the vile body) of his brother. He said, "Oh woe to me! Am I unable to be like this raven, (and) so overlay the shameful parts of my brother?" So he became among the remorseful.
