Verses 65–72
16. An-Nahl · The Bee
Makkan128 verses
وَٱللَّهُ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۭ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَآ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَةًۭ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَسْمَعُونَ
16:65Allah sends down water from the sky with which He revives the earth after its death. There is indeed a sign in that for a people who listen.
وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ لَعِبْرَةًۭ ۖ نُّسْقِيكُم مِّمَّا فِى بُطُونِهِۦ مِنۢ بَيْنِ فَرْثٍۢ وَدَمٍۢ لَّبَنًا خَالِصًۭا سَآئِغًۭا لِّلشَّٰرِبِينَ
16:66There is indeed a lesson for you in the cattle: We give you a drink pleasant to those who drink, pure milk, which is in their bellies, between [intestinal] waste and blood.1
وَمِن ثَمَرَٰتِ ٱلنَّخِيلِ وَٱلْأَعْنَٰبِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِنْهُ سَكَرًۭا وَرِزْقًا حَسَنًا ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَةًۭ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَعْقِلُونَ
16:67From the fruits of date palms and vines you draw wine and goodly provision. There are indeed signs in that for people who exercise their reason.2
وَأَوْحَىٰ رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلنَّحْلِ أَنِ ٱتَّخِذِى مِنَ ٱلْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًۭا وَمِنَ ٱلشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ
16:68And your Lord inspired the bee [saying]: ‘Make your home in the mountains, and on the trees and the trellises that they erect.
ثُمَّ كُلِى مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ فَٱسْلُكِى سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلًۭا ۚ يَخْرُجُ مِنۢ بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌۭ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ فِيهِ شِفَآءٌۭ لِّلنَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَةًۭ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
16:69Then eat from every [kind of] fruit and follow meekly the ways of your Lord.’ There issues from its belly a juice of diverse hues, in which there is a cure for the people. There is indeed a sign in that for a people who reflect.3
وَٱللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَفَّىٰكُمْ ۚ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰٓ أَرْذَلِ ٱلْعُمُرِ لِكَىْ لَا يَعْلَمَ بَعْدَ عِلْمٍۢ شَيْـًٔا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌۭ قَدِيرٌۭ
16:70Allah has created you, then He takes you away, and there are some among you who are relegated to the nethermost age so that he knows nothing after [having possessed] some knowledge. Indeed Allah is all-knowing, all-powerful.
وَٱللَّهُ فَضَّلَ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ فِى ٱلرِّزْقِ ۚ فَمَا ٱلَّذِينَ فُضِّلُوا۟ بِرَآدِّى رِزْقِهِمْ عَلَىٰ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَهُمْ فِيهِ سَوَآءٌ ۚ أَفَبِنِعْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ
16:71Allah has granted some of you an advantage over others in [respect of] provision. Those who have been granted an advantage do not give over their provision to their slaves so that they become equal in its respect. What, do they deny the blessing of Allah?
وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًۭا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَزْوَٰجِكُم بَنِينَ وَحَفَدَةًۭ وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ ۚ أَفَبِٱلْبَٰطِلِ يُؤْمِنُونَ وَبِنِعْمَتِ ٱللَّهِ هُمْ يَكْفُرُونَ
16:72Allah made for you mates from your own selves and appointed for you children and grandchildren from your mates, and We provided you with all the good things. What, do they believe in falsehood while they deny the blessing of Allah?
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 68
1.This is the greatest sign of nature otherwise to change food into milk or make barren land fertile by a few drops of water is not an ordinary thing. This is a sign of natural tendency of bee which makes its house in three different places and collects the nectar from different places and completes the arrangement for its safety and in the last, according to the natures law completes her work and prepare honey in it. This is also a good example for the pious people who follow the right path according to Allah’s commands that these people obtain the provisions of healing, otherwise they would deviate from this way and change honey into poison but never collect it.
Verse 71
2.When people never allow their servants in their excellence how can Allah allow people to participate in His work? Why don’t these polytheist understand it?
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
The fact about milk is that one part of the food consumed by the animals becomes dung and is expelled from its body and another part becomes blood. When this blood reaches the udders it gets converted into milk. Then is it not the sign of divine power that it made milk from the same ingredients that produce dung?
- 2
This points towards human actions that man produces wine from this extract or he can produce wholesome food from it. This problem has no connection with haraam and halaal, that, which food is haraam, and which is halaal.
- 3
It should be clear that the Holy Quran has pointed as a sign for those who can hear the enlivening of the land by water. and for those with intellects, there is a sign in the obtaining of food from the juice and for those who ponder, is a sign in the production of food from juice requires intellect and the process of the creation of honey from flowers is in need of a complete way of thinking. Only after that can he realize the whole power of the Almighty. Apart from this, the existence of the honeybee and its action for future growth of flowtrs. Without which it is possible that flowers may become extinct.