The Quran

سورة المَائدة

Surah Al-Mâ’idah 5:31

The Table Spread of Food · Verse 31 of 120

فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ غُرَابًا يَبْحَثُ فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُ كَيْفَ يُوَارِي سَوْءَةَ أَخِيهِ ۚ قَالَ يَا وَيْلَتَا أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَٰذَا الْغُرَابِ فَأُوَارِيَ سَوْءَةَ أَخِي ۖ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ النَّادِمِينَ

Abdul Mannan Omar

Then Allâh sent a raven which scratched into the earth so as to show him how he might cover his brother´s dead body. He said, `Woe is me! Am I unable to be even like this raven so that I may cover the dead body of my brother?´ And he became one of the remorseful.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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-

Ahmed Ali

Then God sent a raven which scratched the ground in order to show him how to hide the nakedness of his brother. "Alas, the woe," said he, "that I could not be even like the raven and hide the nakedness of my brother," and was filled with remorse.

12 more translations

Ali Unal

(He did not know what to do with the dead body of his brother.) Then God sent forth a raven, scratching in the earth, to show him how he might cover the corpse of his brother. (So seeing) he cried: "Oh, alas for me! Am I then unable even to be like this raven, and so find a way to cover the corpse of my brother?" And he became distraught with remorse.

Daryabadi

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 was incapable of being like unto this raven so that I might cover the corpse of my brother! And he became of the remorseful.

Faridul Haque

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.

Maulana Muhammad Ali

Then Allah sent a crow scratching the ground to show him how to cover the dead body of his brother. He said: Woe is me! Am I not able to be as this crow and cover the dead body of my brother? So he became of those who regret.

Maulvi Sher Ali

Then ALLAH sent a raven which scratched in the ground, that HE might show him how to hide the corpse of his brother. He said, `Woe is me ! Am I not able to be even like this raven so that I may hide the corpse of my brother?' And then he became remorseful.

Muhammad Asad

Thereupon God sent forth a raven which scratched the earth, to show him how he might conceal the nakedness of his brother's body. [And Cain] cried out: "Oh, woe is me! Am I then too weak to do what this raven did, and to conceal the nakedness of my brother's body?" - and was thereupon smitten with remorse.

Muhammad Musin Khan

Then Allah 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.

Muhammad Pickthall

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.

Muhammad Sarwar

God sent down a raven which started to dig up the earth to show the killer how to bury the corpse of his brother. On seeing the raven, (Cain) said, "Woe to me! Am I less able than a raven to bury the corpse of my brother?" He became greatly remorseful.

Muhammed ali Shakir

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.

Rashad Khalifa

GOD then sent a raven to scratch the soil, to teach him how to bury his brother's corpse. He said, "Woe to me; I failed to be as intelligent as this raven, and bury my brother's corpse." He became ridden with remorse.

Shabbir Ahmed

God then sent a raven scratching up the soil, to show him that he might have concealed and ignored the imperfections of his brother. He said, “Oh, I failed even to be like this raven to conceal my brother’s imperfections, (and hide his naked body)!” Then he became full of regrets.