Habil (Abel)

Habil (Abel) was a son of Prophet Adam AS and is known in Islamic tradition as the first person to die in human history and the first martyr. The Quran narrates his story in Surah al-Maidah (5:27-31) as a parable for all of humanity. Both Habil and his brother Qabil (Cain) made offerings to Allah. Habil's offering — livestock, as he was a shepherd — was accepted. Qabil's offering — crops — was not accepted, which Islamic scholars explain was due to the lack of sincere intention. Qabil's jealousy and arrogance led him to threaten his brother with death. Habil's response is one of the most dignified passages in the Quran: 'If you stretch your hand to kill me, I will not stretch my hand to kill you. I fear Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.' He refused to fight back even in self-defense, placing his trust entirely in Allah. Qabil killed him, making Habil the first human victim of murder and the first martyr. Allah then sent a crow to show Qabil how to bury his brother, as Qabil did not know what to do with the body. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'No soul is killed unjustly except that the firstborn son of Adam bears a portion of its sin, because he was the first to establish the practice of killing.' Habil's story is a timeless example of piety, peace, and acceptance of divine decree in the face of injustice.