۞ And recite thou to them the story of the two sons of Adam truthfully, when they offered a sacrifice, and it was accepted of one of them, and not accepted of the other. 'I will surely slay thee,' said one. 'God accepts only of the godfearing,' said the other. 27 'Yet if thou stretchest out thy hand against me, to slay me, I will not stretch out my hand against thee, to slay thee; I fear God, the Lord of all Being. 28 I would rather you suffered the punishment for sinning against me, and for your own sin, and became an inmate of Hell. And that is the requital for the unjust." 29 The (selfish) soul of the other led him to the murder of his brother: he murdered him, and became (himself) one of the lost ones. 30 So Allah sent a crow scratching the ground, to show him how to hide his brother’s corpse; he said, “Woe to me! I was not even capable enough to be like this crow, so I would hide my brother’s corpse”; and he turned remorseful. 31 That is why We decreed for the children of Israel that whosoever kills a human being, except (as punishment) for murder or for spreading corruption in the land, it shall be like killing all humanity; and whosoever saves a life, saves the entire human race. Our apostles brought clear proofs to them; but even after that most of them committed excesses in the land. 32 The meed of those who wage war against Allah and His apostle and go about in the land corrupting is only that they shall be slain or crucified or their hands and feet be cut off on the opposite sides, or be banished from the land. Such shall be their humiliation in the world, and theirs shall be in the Hereafter a mighty torment. 33 Except those who repent before you apprehend them; so know well that Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful. 34