Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 66

(Ayah66) ➊ {وَ اِنَّ لَكُمْ فِي الْاَنْعَامِ لَعِبْرَةً …:’’ الْاَنْعَامِ ‘‘} is singular in wording; the 'af'al' pattern here is not for plural, rather it is a collective noun, like {’’رَهْطٌ‘‘، ’’قَوْمٌ‘‘} and {’’بَقْرٌ‘‘}, etc. Here, in consideration of the word, the singular masculine pronoun {’’ بُطُوْنِهٖ ‘‘} is used for it; in Surah Al-Mu’minun (21), the feminine pronoun is used in consideration of the plural meaning {’’ نُسْقِيْكُمْ مِّمَّا فِيْ بُطُوْنِهَا ‘‘}. { ’’الْاَنْعَامِ‘‘} originally refers to camels, because they are a very great blessing; along with them, cows and sheep/goats are also called {’’ الْاَنْعَامِ ‘‘}. Their detailed mention is present in Surah Al-An’am (143, 144). In { ’’ لَعِبْرَةً ‘‘ }, the tanween is for magnification, a very great lesson; the meaning is to cross, to reach from one place to another, to derive such a lesson from one thing that is useful elsewhere. In the Qur’an, both {’’نُسْقِيْكُمْ ‘‘}, {’’سَقٰي‘‘}, and {’’أَسْقٰي‘‘ } words have come; most people make them mean the same, whereas there is a difference: {’’سَقٰي يَسْقِيْ‘‘} means to make drink, and {’’أَسْقٰي يُسْقِيْ‘‘} means to give to drink, i.e., We give you to drink so that you may drink yourself or give someone else to drink. {’’فَرْثٍ ‘‘} is the digested food of cattle as long as it remains in the stomach; when it comes out, it is called {’’رَوْثٌ‘‘}. {’’ لَبَنًا خَالِصًا ‘‘}—pure, white, and delicious milk, free from the smell and color of dung and the redness of blood—is such a great sign of Allah’s power; is there anyone who can extract pure milk from dung and blood? {’’ سَآىِٕغًا لِّلشّٰرِبِيْنَ ‘‘ ’’سَاغَ يَسُوْغُ‘‘}—which easily passes down the throat. Milk is a complete food; that is why milk alone is sufficient for the complete nourishment of a child. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), mentioning the Mi’raj, said: Then a vessel of wine, a vessel of milk, and a vessel of honey were brought to me, so I chose the milk. So Jibril (peace be upon him) said: This is the natural disposition (fitrah); you are upon it, and so is your ummah. [ بخاری، الأشربۃ، باب شرب اللبن… : ۵۶۱۰، عن أنس بن مالک رضی اللہ عنہ ] The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ ثَلَاثٌ لَا تُرَدُّ الْوَسَائِدُ وَالدُّهْنُ وَاللَّبَنُ ] [ ترمذی الأدب، باب ما جاء في کراھیۃ رد الطیب : ۲۷۹۰، عن ابن عمر رضی اللہ عنھما۔ سلسلۃ الأحادیث الصحیحۃ : ۲ /۱۱۸، ح : ۶۱۹ ] “Three things are not to be refused: a cushion, oil (perfume), and milk.”

➋ Allah Almighty, as evidence for His being the only deity and for resurrecting the creation, mentioned one thing from among the cattle: see, the grass and fodder that animals eat is produced from water and soil. Turning soil and water into grass and fodder, then turning it into blood in the animal’s belly, then turning it into milk—how much of a lesson is it that Allah Almighty is fully capable of changing all things from one state to whatever state He wills.

66. 1 By اَنْعَام (quadrupeds) are meant camel, cow, goat (and sheep, ram).

66. 2 These cattle whatever they eat, it goes into the stomach, and from this same food, milk, blood, dung, and urine are produced. Blood goes into the veins and milk into the udders; similarly, dung and urine are transferred to their respective outlets, and neither the color of blood mixes with the milk nor the smell of dung or urine. White and transparent milk comes out, which very easily passes down the throat.

And surely, there is a lesson for you in livestock: We give you to drink pure milk from what is in their bellies, between excretions [63] and blood, milk that is pure and pleasant for those who drink it.

[63]
Allah’s Powers in the Creation of Milk:

The term “farth” applies only to that type of dung or excrement which is present in the stomach or abdomen, and when it exits in the form of dung, etc., through the anus, it is no longer called “farth” but rather “rowth.” In this verse, after water, Allah Almighty has mentioned the second great drinkable blessing: milk. The creation of milk takes place in a wondrous manner inside the belly of the female. Attention is drawn to this in the verse. One aspect of Allah’s power is that whether they are male or female of the same species, both eat the same food. From this food, the useful part, which sustains human life, becomes blood. The remaining waste is expelled through the anus, etc. But in the female, from this same food, a third thing—milk—is also produced, and it is produced only in the female, not in the male. What is even more astonishing is that from two impure and forbidden things like blood and dung, a third thing—milk—is obtained, which is lawful, extremely white, pleasant in color, pure, delightful, and tasty. Furthermore, it is not just a drink, but serves as a complete food for the nourishment of the human body. It not only quenches thirst but also satisfies hunger. And the initial nourishment of the young of lactating animals is based solely on this milk. Then, such an abundance of milk is produced in the bellies of livestock that after nourishing their young, the owners of the livestock also obtain a considerable amount of milk. In the body of the lactating female, the organs that produce milk appear at the time of her maturity, commonly known as udders. And the most astonishing thing about the production of milk is that this machinery for producing milk in the female’s udders only begins to function when the female becomes pregnant. Before this, although the udders are present, they do not function. When pregnancy occurs, this machinery begins its natural work. So much so that by the time the offspring is born, the female’s blood is converted into milk, and Allah Almighty provides timely nourishment for the newborn and even teaches the baby how to suckle. And all these processes occur in such a manner that a person is compelled to acknowledge the boundless powers, wisdoms, and purposes of Allah Almighty.