Cain and Abel

In the biblical Book of Genesis, Cain^[a] and Abel^[b] are the first two sons of Adam and Eve.^[1] Cain, the firstborn, was a farmer, and his brother Abel was a shepherd. The brothers made sacrifices, each from his own fields, to God. God had regard for Abel's offering, but had no regard^[2] for Cain's. Cain killed Abel and God cursed Cain, sentencing him to a life of transience. Cain then dwelt in the land of Nod (נוֹד, 'wandering'), where he built a city and fathered the line of descendants beginning with Enoch.

In the Qur'an, Cain and Abel are known as Qābīl (Arabic: قابيل) and Hābīl (هابيل), respectively. The events of the story in the Qur'an are virtually the same as the Hebrew Bible narrative. Both brothers offered individual sacrifices to God; God accepted Abel's sacrifice and rejected Cain's; out of jealousy, Cain slew Abel – the first case of murder committed upon the Earth. In Islam, the story of Cain and Abel serves as an admonition against murder, and promotes the sanctity of human life.

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