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Al-Ma'idah 31

Ayah 31 of 120 · Medinan

فَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ غُرَابٗا يَبۡحَثُ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ لِيُرِيَهُۥ كَيۡفَ يُوَٰرِي سَوۡءَةَ أَخِيهِۚ قَالَ يَٰوَيۡلَتَىٰٓ أَعَجَزۡتُ أَنۡ أَكُونَ مِثۡلَ هَٰذَا ٱلۡغُرَابِ فَأُوَٰرِيَ سَوۡءَةَ أَخِيۖ فَأَصۡبَحَ مِنَ ٱلنَّٰدِمِينَ ٣١

Then Allāh sent a crow searching [i.e., scratching] in the ground to show him how to hide the disgrace1 of his brother. He said, "O woe to me! Have I failed to be like this crow and hide the disgrace [i.e., body] of my brother?" And he became of the regretful.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 Referring to the dead body, evidence of his shameful deed.

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. فَبَعَثَThen (was) sentfabaʿatha
  2. ٱللَّهُ(by) Allahl-lahu
  3. غُرَابٗاa crowghurāban
  4. يَبۡحَثُit (was) scratchingyabḥathu
  5. فِيinfī
  6. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe earthl-arḍi
  7. لِيُرِيَهُۥto show himliyuriyahu
  8. كَيۡفَhowkayfa
  9. يُوَٰرِيto hideyuwārī
  10. سَوۡءَةَ(the) dead bodysawata
  11. أَخِيهِۚ(of) his brotherakhīhi
  12. قَالَHe saidqāla
  13. يَٰوَيۡلَتَىٰٓWoe to meyāwaylatā
  14. أَعَجَزۡتُAm I unableaʿajaztu
  15. أَنۡthatan
  16. أَكُونَI can beakūna
  17. مِثۡلَlikemith'la
  18. هَٰذَاthishādhā
  19. ٱلۡغُرَابِ[the] crowl-ghurābi
  20. فَأُوَٰرِيَand hidefa-uwāriya
  21. سَوۡءَةَ(the) dead bodysawata
  22. أَخِيۖ(of) my brotherakhī
  23. فَأَصۡبَحَThen he becamefa-aṣbaḥa
  24. مِنَofmina
  25. ٱلنَّٰدِمِينَthe regretfull-nādimīna

Tafsir

Allah sent a crow to dig the earth in front of him to bury another dead crow and teach him how to cover his brother’s body. He then became regretful. Regret is the end result of those who commit sins.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran