Surah Al-Ma'idah (المائدة) • The Table Spread

Quran 5:31

5:31

فَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ غُرَابًا يَبْحَثُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُۥ كَيْفَ يُوَٰرِى سَوْءَةَ أَخِيهِ ۚ قَالَ يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰٓ أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَـٰذَا ٱلْغُرَابِ فَأُوَٰرِىَ سَوْءَةَ أَخِى ۖ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ ٱلنَّـٰدِمِينَ

fabaʿatha l-lahu ghurāban yabḥathu fī l-arḍi liyuriyahu kayfa yuwārī sawata akhīhi qāla yāwaylatā aʿajaztu an akūna mith'la hādhā l-ghurābi fa-uwāriya sawata akhī fa-aṣbaḥa mina l-nādimīna

Then Allāh sent a crow searching [i.e., scratching] in the ground to show him how to hide the disgrace 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.

— Saheeh International

God sent a raven to scratch up the ground and show him how to cover his brother’s corpse and he said, ‘Woe is me! Could I not have been like this raven and covered up my brother’s body?’ He became remorseful.

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

Then Allâh 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 Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 6Page 112medinan

Word by Word

فَبَعَثَfabaʿathaThen (was) sent
ٱللَّهُl-lahu(by) Allah
غُرَابًۭاghurābana crow
يَبْحَثُyabḥathuit (was) scratching
فِىfīin
ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe earth
لِيُرِيَهُۥliyuriyahuto show him
كَيْفَkayfahow
يُوَٰرِىyuwārīto hide
سَوْءَةَsawata(the) dead body
أَخِيهِۚakhīhi(of) his brother
قَالَqālaHe said
يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰٓyāwaylatāWoe to me
أَعَجَزْتُaʿajaztuAm I unable
أَنْanthat
أَكُونَakūnaI can be
مِثْلَmith'lalike
هَـٰذَاhādhāthis
ٱلْغُرَابِl-ghurābi[the] crow
فَأُوَٰرِىَfa-uwāriyaand hide
سَوْءَةَsawata(the) dead body
أَخِىۖakhī(of) my brother
فَأَصْبَحَfa-aṣbaḥaThen he became
مِنَminaof
ٱلنَّـٰدِمِينَl-nādimīnathe regretful