Surah 16. An-Nahl

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Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-21 [2], 22-25 [3], 26-34 [4], 35-40 [5], 41-50 [6], 51-60 [7], 61-65 [8], 66-70 [9], 71-76 [10], 77-83 [11], 84-89 [12], 90-100 [13], 101-110 [14], 111-119 [15], 120-128 [16]

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Quran Text of Verse 66-70وَ اِنَّAnd indeedلَكُمْfor youفِیinالْاَنْعَامِthe cattleلَعِبْرَةً ؕ(is) a lessonنُسْقِیْكُمْWe give you to drinkمِّمَّاfrom whatفِیْ(is) inبُطُوْنِهٖtheir belliesمِنْۢfromبَیْنِbetweenفَرْثٍbowelsوَّ دَمٍand bloodلَّبَنًاmilkخَالِصًاpureسَآىِٕغًاpalatableلِّلشّٰرِبِیْنَ to the drinkers وَ مِنْAnd fromثَمَرٰتِfruitsالنَّخِیْلِthe date-palmوَ الْاَعْنَابِand the grapesتَتَّخِذُوْنَyou takeمِنْهُfrom itسَكَرًاintoxicantوَّ رِزْقًاand a provisionحَسَنًا ؕgoodاِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیَةً(is) surely a Signلِّقَوْمٍfor a peopleیَّعْقِلُوْنَ who use reason وَ اَوْحٰیAnd inspiredرَبُّكَyour Lordاِلَیtoالنَّحْلِthe beeاَنِ[that]اتَّخِذِیْTakeمِنَamongالْجِبَالِthe mountainsبُیُوْتًاhousesوَّ مِنَand amongالشَّجَرِthe treesوَ مِمَّاand in whatیَعْرِشُوْنَۙthey construct ثُمَّThenكُلِیْeatمِنْfromكُلِّallالثَّمَرٰتِthe fruitsفَاسْلُكِیْand followسُبُلَ(the) waysرَبِّكِ(of) your Lordذُلُلًا ؕmade smoothیَخْرُجُComes forthمِنْۢfromبُطُوْنِهَاtheir belliesشَرَابٌa drinkمُّخْتَلِفٌ(of) varyingاَلْوَانُهٗcolorsفِیْهِin itشِفَآءٌ(is) a healingلِّلنَّاسِ ؕfor the mankindاِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیَةً(is) surely a Signلِّقَوْمٍfor a peopleیَّتَفَكَّرُوْنَ who reflect وَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahخَلَقَكُمْcreated youثُمَّthenیَتَوَفّٰىكُمْ ۙ۫will cause you to dieوَ مِنْكُمْAnd among youمَّنْ(is one) whoیُّرَدُّis sent backاِلٰۤیtoاَرْذَلِthe worstالْعُمُرِ(of) the ageلِكَیْso thatلَاnotیَعْلَمَhe will knowبَعْدَafterعِلْمٍknowledgeشَیْـًٔا ؕa thingاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahعَلِیْمٌ(is) All-Knowingقَدِیْرٌ۠All-Powerful

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Translation of Verse 66-70

(16:66) Surely there is a lesson for you in the cattle: We provide you to drink out of that which is in their bellies between the faeces and the blood - pure milk⁵⁴ - which is a palatable drink for those who take it.

(16:67) And out of the fruits of date-palms and grapes you derive intoxicants as well as wholesome sustenance.⁵⁵ Surely there is a sign for those who use reason.

(16:68) Your Lord inspired the bee,⁵⁶ saying: "Set up hives in the mountains and in the trees and in the trellises that people put up,

(16:69) then suck the juice of every kind of fruit and keep treading the ways of your Lord⁵⁷ which have been made easy." There comes forth from their bellies a drink varied in colours, wherein there is healing for men.⁵⁸ Verily there is a sign in this for those who reflect.⁵⁹

(16:70) Allah has created you, and then He causes you to die.⁶⁰ Some of you have your lives prolonged to an abject old age, when one loses all knowledge after having acquired it.⁶¹ Allah is All-Knowing, All-Powerful.

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Commentary

54, By mentioning what is in the cattle’s bellies between the filth and the blood, the Qur’an emphasizes the point that what animals eat is transformed, on the one hand, into blood, and on the other, into faces. At the same time, she-cattle produce milk which differs from both in its properties, color, smell as well as in its uses and purpose. They produce milk in such large quantities that it not only suffices the nutritional needs of their young ones, but also provides a palatable nutrition for human beings.

55. Implicit in the above verse is the fact that the juice provided by date-palms and grapes serves as wholesome sustenance. Additionally, however, the same juice can be fermented so as to produce alcohol. Now it depends on man whether he prefers to derive a nutritional drink from these fruits, or whether he prefers to make wine out of them which then makes him lose his senses. It should also be noted that the verse quite subtly suggests that wine does not constitute ‘wholesome sustenance’. This is a hint of its unlawfulness.

56. The Qur’anic term wahy literally means making a veiled or subtle suggestion which is comprehended only by the concerned party. It is for this reason that the term was also used to convey the concepts of ilqa’, ‘putting something in someone’s heart’, and ilham or inspiration (i.e. teaching something under the veil of secrecy). Now God does not impart His message to His creatures in tangible forms. The message is conveyed, instead, in subtle modes so that the actual transmission of the message eludes people’s observation. Hence. the process of the revelation of the Qur’an has been variously. expressed by. terms such as ilqa’, ilham and wahy. These terms, however, subsequently developed technical connotations. As a result, the term wahy began to be used to denote the message communicated to Prophets and ilham to denote the inspiration made to saints and other spiritually exalted beings. As for ilqa’, it has come to denote the ideas and feelings which God puts into the hearts and minds of ordinary people.

The Qur’an, however, does not make any such distinction. Hence, it mentions the wahy made to the heavens according to which the heavens are administered. ‘To teach heaven He made wahy of its duty’ (Ha Mim 41: 12).

Likewise, the earth also receives the revelation (wahy) which makes it narrate its record: ‘On that Day will it declare its tidings: for your Lord will have made the wahy’ (al-Zalzalah 99: 4-5). Angels are also bestowed with wahy and they function accordingly. ‘And recall when your Lord made wahy to the angels: “I am with you!” (al-Anfal 8: 12).

Significantly, wahy is also made to the bee to set up hives in the mountains and in the trees and in the trellises that people put up. However, this kind of inspiration (wahy) is not confined to the bee alone. Such divine inspiration teaches fish to swim, birds to fly, and new-born to suckle. Also, whenever man hits upon sound opinion or the right way to help him out of a situation without resort to the normal processes of reflection and investigation, this also constitutes a form of wahy. It is in this sense that the mother of Moses received.

wahy: ‘So We sent wahy to the mother of Moses to suckle him’ (al-Qasas 28: 7).

In this sense no one is deprived of wahy. All major achievements of rulers and statesmen and all significant discoveries and inventions reflect this kind of wahy. Many ordinary human beings also encounter experiences which show that they received direct guidance from on high. Sometimes a person suddenly finds that some idea has made an inroad into his heart, or he intuitively feels inclined to take a certain step, or receives a suggestion in his dream and subsequently discovers that all that was instrumental in providing him with right guidance come to him from an unidentifiable source.

Of the many forms of wahy, one special form is the revelation which is specifically communicated to Prophets. This form of wahy radically differs from other forms. In this kind of wahy, one to whom it is communicated is fully cognizant of the fact that guidance is from God. The recipient is fully convinced that it is from God. This kind of wahy consists of guidance embodying beliefs, injunctions and directives with the help of which Prophets are able to guide mankind.

57. ‘To keep treading the ways of the Lord which have been made easy’ refers to the entire system and procedure followed by a group of bees. The design of their hives, the organization of their groups, the astonishing division of labor among them, their constant and well-regulated movements to produce, carry and store honey represent the ways which have been made easy for them by God. They have been so well prepared to undertake this task that they do not even have to reflect for a moment about the acts in which they engage. There is a well-known, thoroughly regulated procedure which they have been following down the ages to keep these innumerable small honey-making factories in operation so as to produce a sweet source of sustenance.

58. Honey is too useful and tasty an item of food to need any. explicit mention. However, the healing properties of honey are relatively less known.

This aspect, therefore, was brought to light. Honey is inherently useful in the treatment of certain diseases for it preserves the juice and glucose of flowers and fruits in its best form for a long time.

Additionally, honey has certain properties which prevent it from rotting. It also serves as a preservative and keeps other things fresh for a long time. It is for this reason that it has been used for centuries in the pharmaceutical industry in place of alcohol. If bees have their hives at a place where there is an abundance of a particular herb, honey will contain the essence of that herb. The honey so produced will therefore be useful for the treatment of those ailments for which that herb is used. If bees are systematically employed for pharmaceutical purposes and the honey containing the essence of different herbs is preserved, it will possibly be much more useful than the medicines produced in laboratories.

59. The present discourse aims at corroborating the second part of the Prophet’s call. The unbelievers and polytheists opposed the Prophet (peace be on him) on two grounds. First, he preached the doctrine of Life-after-Death which calls for moral transformation. Second, he emphasized that God alone is worthy of worship and obedience, that He alone has the power to remove their distress and heed their complaints. This strikes at the very roots of the way of life founded on polytheism and atheism.

Attention is drawn here to the natural phenomena which bear testimony to the truth behind both aspects of the Prophet’s teachings. The above discourse invites man to reflect over the signs around him. People should seriously think whether they lend support to the truth of the Prophet’s statement regarding God’s unity and After-life or whether they lend support to the superstitions and fancies of the polytheists. The Prophet (peace be on him) vociferously states that after his death man will be resurrected. The unbelievers contemptuously dismiss this as utterly impossible. However, as soon as the first drops of rain fall on the earth, it is fully established that resurrection is not only logically possible, but is also a recurrent phenomenon. The Prophet (peace be on him) also forcefully states that the universe has a God Who created it and holds sway over it. This is denied by atheists as a claim unsupported by any evidence.

One has only to consider the design and function of cattle, of dates and grapes, and bees and it would be quite evident that all has been created by the All-Wise and All-Merciful Lord. Had it not been so, how would it have been possible for the cattle, the trees and the bees to join hands in producing such a fine, delicious and nutritious thing for man with such unfailing regularity? The Prophet (peace be on him) also emphatically states that it is God Whom they should worship, upon Whom they should lavish all praise, and Whom they should always thank. This is resented by the polytheists who insist on making offerings to their numerous deities. However, can one truly say that anyone other than God provided them with milk, dates, grapes and honey, which furnish them with the best kind of nourishment? Is it true that it is not the One True God but rather gods, goddesses and saints who made the elaborate arrangements for man’s subsistence that we observe?

60. Not only are the arrangements for man’s sustenance and growth entirely in God’s Hand, but God alone also has total control over man’s life and death.

No one else has the power to grant life, nor to cause death.

61. Manis proud of his knowledge, and his knowledge indeed distinguishes him from other creatures. It must be remembered that even knowledge is bestowed upon man by none other than God. It is a common sight — and yet highly instructive — that in old age even the wisest person who, in his younger days imparted wisdom to others, is reduced to a mere lump of flesh. Gone is all his sharpness. His senses become dull, rendering him incapable of even looking after his ordinary affairs.