۞ (Muhammad) tell them the true story of the two sons of Adam (Abel and Cain). Each one of them offered a sacrifice. God accepted the sacrifice of one of them (Abel) but not that of the other (Cain) who then said to his brother, "I shall certainly kill you." (Abel) replied, "God only accepts the offerings of the pious ones. 27 If you stretch your hand to kill me, I shall not stretch mine to kill you; for I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. 28 I am willing, indeed, for thee to bear [the burden of] all the sins ever done by me as well as of the sin done by thee: [but] then thou wouldst be destined for the fire, since that is the requital of evildoers!" 29 So his soul incited him to kill his brother – he therefore killed him, and was therefore ruined. 30 Then Allah sent a raven scratching in the earth to show him in what wise he might cover the corpse of his brother. He said: woe unto me, I was incapable of being like unto this raven so that I might cover the corpse of my brother! And he became of the remorseful. 31 For that cause We decreed for the Children of Israel that whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind. Our messengers came unto them of old with clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty), but afterwards lo! many of them became prodigals in the earth. 32 Those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and go about the earth spreading mischief -indeed their recompense is that they either be done to death, or be crucified, or have their hands and feet cut off from the opposite sides or be banished from the land. Such shall be their degradation in this world; and a mighty chastisement lies in store for them in the World to Come 33 Except those who repent before you have them in your power; so know that Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. 34