![]() ![]() Then although there came to them Our apostles with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land,” (Quran, Surah 5:32) ![]() “On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. The Quran goes on, in the very next verse, to draw a specific application from the story of Cain and Abel. The parallels in this Quranic passage, however, don’t stop there. This fact alone is strong evidence that the Quran is not the word of God dictated to Muhammad by an angel but instead is a human document that borrowed from existing oral traditions. Confusion of mythical material with history makes sense if a mere man wrote the Quran, but obviously, an all-knowing God would know the difference between biblical history and legendary Jewish fables. This legend about the raven and the body of Abel is a perfect example, and it is interesting that we find this Midrash fable in the Quran. They are exactly the kind of stories we would expect a man of Muhammad’s day to hear among the Jews of his time. Such stories are legends that developed over time, particularly in the early centuries after Christ. Illustrative stories that expand on biblical narratives are common throughout the Jewish Midrash literature. Eliezer (The Bloch Publishing Company, 1916) 156 Adam said ‘Like this raven will I act.’ He took the corpse of Abel and dug in the earth and buried it.” 2 Gerald Fiedlander, Pirḳe de-R. (The raven) said, ‘I will teach this man what to do.’ It took its fellow and dug in the earth, hid it and buried it before them. A raven (came), one of its fellow birds was dead (at its side). Adam and his helpmate were sitting and weeping and mourning for him, and they did not know what to do (with Abel), for they were unaccustomed to burial. “The dog which was guarding Abel’s flock also guarded his corpse from all the beasts of the field and all the fowl of the heavens. Berman, Midrash Tanhuma-Yelammedenu (KTAV Publishing House, 1996) 31-32Īnd in Pirḳe de-R. ![]() It is because of this that birds are privileged to cover their blood.” 1 Samuel A. The surviving bird dug the earth with its talons and buried its victim. ![]() Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be he, selected two clean birds and caused one of them to kill the other. “After Cain slew Abel, the body laid outstretched upon the earth, since Cain did not know how to dispose of it. Where did this extrabiblical addition to the story of Cain and Abel come from? It is an old Jewish legend an oral story that was written down in a variety of forms in different Jewish sources. ‘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,” (Quran, Surah 5:31). “Then Allah sent a raven, who scratched the ground, to show him how to hide the shame of his brother. The Quran recounts the story of Cain and Abel but ends with a detail not found in the Bible. ![]()
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