Which Drink Does the Quran Call a Healing?
ما هو الشراب الذي ذكره القرآن الكريم كشراب ودواء؟
Honey.
Allah the Almighty says: (And your Lord inspired the bees: “Make ˹your˺ homes in the mountains, the trees, and in what people construct, and feed from ˹the flower of˺ any fruit ˹you please˺ and follow the ways your Lord has made easy for you.” From their bellies comes forth liquid of varying colours, in which there is healing for people. Surely in this is a sign for those who reflect.) [An-Nahl 16:68-69]
العسل.
قال تعالى: (وَأَوْحَىٰ رَبُّكَ إِلَى النَّحْلِ أَنِ اتَّخِذِي مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا وَمِنَ الشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ ثُمَّ كُلِي مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ فَاسْلُكِي سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلًا ۚ يَخْرُجُ مِن بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ فِيهِ شِفَاءٌ لِّلنَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ) [النحل 16: 68-69]
1. Your Lord Inspired the Bees | وأوحى ربك إلى النحل
And your Lord inspired the bees: make homes in the mountains, the trees and what people construct (16:68). Ibn Kathir says that revelation here means inspiration, guidance and direction given to the bees, and that their homes are built with the utmost precision in their hexagons and their close fitting, with no gap between them. Then Allah allowed them to eat from all the fruits and to follow the ways He made easy for them, wherever they wish, and each bee returns to its own place and home, not straying from it to the right or the left.
وَأَوْحَىٰ رَبُّكَ إِلَى النَّحْلِ أَنِ اتَّخِذِي مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا وَمِنَ الشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ (سورة النحل: 68)
قال ابن كثير: المراد بالوحي هاهنا: الإلهام والهداية والإرشاد إلى النحل أن تتخذ من الجبال بيوتا تأوي إليها، ومن الشجر، ومما يعرشون، ثم هي محكمة في غاية الإتقان في تسديسها ورصها، بحيث لا يكون بينها خلل، ثم أذن لها تعالى أن تأكل من كل الثمرات، وأن تسلك الطرق التي جعلها الله تعالى لها مذللة، أي: سهلة عليها حيث شاءت، ثم تعود كل واحدة منها إلى موضعها وبيتها، لا تحيد عنه يمنة ولا يسرة.
2. A Drink of Varying Colours, a Healing | شراب مختلف ألوانه فيه شفاء للناس
From their bellies comes a drink of varying colours, in which there is healing for people (16:69). Ibn Kathir explains: white, yellow, red and other fine colours, according to their pastures and what they eat; and in it, meaning in honey, is healing for people from illnesses that befall them. Mujahid said the healing meant is the Quran; Ibn Kathir calls this true in itself but not the apparent meaning here, since the verse speaks of honey, and gives as proof the hadith of Abu Sa’id: a man came to the Prophet and said: my brother has a complaint in his stomach. He said: give him honey to drink. He came a second time and he said: give him honey to drink. Then he came and said: I did. He said: Allah has spoken the truth and your brother’s stomach has lied; give him honey to drink. So he gave it to him and he recovered (Sahih al-Bukhari 5684). The Prophet also said: healing is in three things: a cut of the cupping blade, a drink of honey, or branding with fire, and I forbid my nation branding (Sahih al-Bukhari 5681).
يَخْرُجُ مِن بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ فِيهِ شِفَاءٌ لِّلنَّاسِ (سورة النحل: 69)
قال ابن كثير: (يخرج من بطونها شراب مختلف ألوانه) أي: ما بين أبيض وأصفر وأحمر وغير ذلك من الألوان الحسنة، على اختلاف مراعيها ومأكلها منها، (فيه شفاء للناس) أي: في العسل شفاء للناس من أدواء تعرض لهم، وقال مجاهد: يعني القرآن، قال ابن كثير: وهذا قول صحيح في نفسه، ولكن ليس هو الظاهر هاهنا من سياق الآية، فإن الآية إنما ذكر فيها العسل، والدليل حديث أبي سعيد أن رجلا أتى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: أخي يشتكي بطنه، فقال: "اسقه عسلا"، ثم أتى الثانية فقال: "اسقه عسلا"، ثم أتاه فقال: فعلت، فقال: "صدق الله، وكذب بطن أخيك، اسقه عسلا"، فسقاه فبرأ (صحيح البخاري 5684)، وقال صلى الله عليه وسلم: "الشفاء في ثلاثة: شرطة محجم، أو شربة عسل، أو كية بنار، وأنهى أمتي عن الكي" (صحيح البخاري 5681).
3. Rivers of Purified Honey | وأنهار من عسل مصفى
In the description of the Paradise promised to the righteous are rivers of water that never turns stale, rivers of milk whose taste never changes, rivers of wine delightful to those who drink, and rivers of purified honey (47:15). Ibn Kathir explains: honey in the utmost purity, beautiful in colour, taste and scent. Hakim ibn Mu’awiyah reported from his father that the Prophet said: in Paradise there is a sea of water, a sea of honey, a sea of milk and a sea of wine, then the rivers split off from them afterwards (Jami at-Tirmidhi 2571, graded hasan sahih by at-Tirmidhi). The other waters the Quran names are listed in how many kinds of water the Quran mentions.
وَأَنْهَارٌ مِّنْ عَسَلٍ مُّصَفًّى (سورة محمد: 15)
قال تعالى في صفة الجنة: (وأنهار من عسل مصفى) (محمد 47: 15)، قال ابن كثير: أي: وهو في غاية الصفاء، وحسن اللون والطعم والريح، وعن حكيم بن معاوية عن أبيه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: "إن في الجنة بحر الماء وبحر العسل وبحر اللبن وبحر الخمر، ثم تشقق الأنهار بعد" (جامع الترمذي 2571، وقال: حسن صحيح).
Scholarly Insight: Ibn Kathir explains that the healing in 16:69 is honey’s healing of the illnesses that befall people, and proves it with the Prophet’s words: Allah has spoken the truth and your brother’s stomach has lied (Sahih al-Bukhari 5684). Read more in the tafsir of Surah An-Nahl.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Which drink does the Quran call a healing?
Honey: from the bellies of the bees comes a drink of varying colours in which there is healing for people (16:69).
Why does honey come in different colours?
Ibn Kathir explains that its colours, white, yellow, red and others, differ according to the bees’ pastures and what they eat.
Is the healing in 16:69 honey or the Quran?
Ibn Kathir says the apparent meaning here is honey, since the verse speaks of honey; Mujahid’s view that it is the Quran is true in itself and fits other verses (17:82, 10:57).
Is honey mentioned in Paradise?
Yes. Among the rivers of Paradise are rivers of purified honey (47:15).
Prepared by Eng. Ghada Homad, founder of IslamFAQ, researched and written in consultation with qualified scholars, reviewed by Professor Khaled Jassem Al-Houli, Associate Professor of Comparative Jurisprudence and Islamic Politics, Faculty of Sharia and Islamic Studies, University of Kuwait. Read more about the authors and this project →