يا قَومِ ادخُلُوا الأَرضَ المُقَدَّسَةَ الَّتي كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُم وَلا تَرتَدّوا عَلىٰ أَدبارِكُم فَتَنقَلِبوا خاسِرينَ

“O my people, enter the Holy Land that God assigned to you, and don’t retreat, lest you become losers.”

قالوا يا موسىٰ إِنَّ فيها قَومًا جَبّارينَ وَإِنّا لَن نَدخُلَها حَتّىٰ يَخرُجوا مِنها فَإِن يَخرُجوا مِنها فَإِنّا داخِلونَ

They responded, “O Moses, inside it is a people of great strength. We won’t enter it until they come out of it. If they leave it, then we will enter.”

قالَ رَجُلانِ مِنَ الَّذينَ يَخافونَ أَنعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيهِمَا ادخُلوا عَلَيهِمُ البابَ فَإِذا دَخَلتُموهُ فَإِنَّكُم غالِبونَ ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَتَوَكَّلوا إِن كُنتُم مُؤمِنينَ

Two men who were fearful, upon whom God had bestowed favor, said, “Enter upon them through the door; once you do, you will be victorious. And put your trust in God, if you are believers.”

قالوا يا موسىٰ إِنّا لَن نَدخُلَها أَبَدًا ما داموا فيها ۖ فَاذهَب أَنتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقاتِلا إِنّا هاهُنا قاعِدونَ

They said, “O Moses, we will never enter it as long as they are in it. Go, you and your Lord, and fight. We will be staying here.”

قالَ رَبِّ إِنّي لا أَملِكُ إِلّا نَفسي وَأَخي ۖ فَافرُق بَينَنا وَبَينَ القَومِ الفاسِقينَ

He lamented, “My Lord, I have control only over myself and my brother, so separate us from the disobedient people.”

وَاتلُ عَلَيهِم نَبَأَ ابنَي آدَمَ بِالحَقِّ إِذ قَرَّبا قُربانًا فَتُقُبِّلَ مِن أَحَدِهِما وَلَم يُتَقَبَّل مِنَ الآخَرِ قالَ لَأَقتُلَنَّكَ ۖ قالَ إِنَّما يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مِنَ المُتَّقينَ

And narrate to them the true story of the two sons of Adam: when each presented an offering, it was accepted from one but not from the other. The latter said, “I will surely kill you.” The former responded, “God accepts only from the righteous.”

لَئِن بَسَطتَ إِلَيَّ يَدَكَ لِتَقتُلَني ما أَنا بِباسِطٍ يَدِيَ إِلَيكَ لِأَقتُلَكَ ۖ إِنّي أَخافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ العالَمينَ

“Even if you stretch your hand to kill me, I won’t stretch my hand to kill you, for I fear God, the Lord of the worlds.

إِنّي أُريدُ أَن تَبوءَ بِإِثمي وَإِثمِكَ فَتَكونَ مِن أَصحابِ النّارِ ۚ وَذٰلِكَ جَزاءُ الظّالِمينَ

I would rather you bear my sin and your sin, and you will become of the dwellers of Fire. That’s the recompense for the wrongdoers.”

فَطَوَّعَت لَهُ نَفسُهُ قَتلَ أَخيهِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَأَصبَحَ مِنَ الخاسِرينَ

His soul facilitated the killing of his brother, and he killed him, and thus he became one of the losers.

فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ غُرابًا يَبحَثُ فِي الأَرضِ لِيُرِيَهُ كَيفَ يُواري سَوءَةَ أَخيهِ ۚ قالَ يا وَيلَتىٰ أَعَجَزتُ أَن أَكونَ مِثلَ هـٰذَا الغُرابِ فَأُوارِيَ سَوءَةَ أَخي ۖ فَأَصبَحَ مِنَ النّادِمينَ

Then, God sent a raven, which was scratching the ground, to show him how to cover his brother’s body. He cried out, “Woe to me! I couldn’t be like this raven and bury my brother’s body.” And he became full of regret.