سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 69
ثُمَّ كُلِى مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ فَٱسْلُكِى سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلًا ۚ يَخْرُجُ مِنۢ بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ فِيهِ شِفَآءٌ لِّلنَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿69﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"Then, eat of all fruits, and follow the ways of your Lord made easy (for you)." There comes forth from their bellies, a drink of varying colour wherein is healing for men. Verily, in this is indeed a sign for people who think.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ثُمَّ
thumma
Then
كُلِى
kulī
eat
مِن
min
from
كُلِّ
kulli
all
ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ
l-thamarāti
the fruits
فَٱسْلُكِى
fa-us'lukī
and follow
سُبُلَ
subula
(the) ways
رَبِّكِ
rabbiki
(of) your Lord
ذُلُلًۭا ۚ
dhululan
made smooth
يَخْرُجُ
yakhruju
Comes forth
مِنۢ
min
from
بُطُونِهَا
buṭūnihā
their bellies
شَرَابٌۭ
sharābun
a drink
مُّخْتَلِفٌ
mukh'talifun
(of) varying
أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ
alwānuhu
colors
فِيهِ
fīhi
in it
شِفَآءٌۭ
shifāon
(is) a healing
لِّلنَّاسِ ۗ
lilnnāsi
for the mankind
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
فِى
fī
in
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
لَـَٔايَةًۭ
laāyatan
(is) surely a Sign
لِّقَوْمٍۢ
liqawmin
for a people
يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
yatafakkarūna
who reflect
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
69. 1 The honeybee first makes its hexagonal home and hive in the mountains, in the trees, and on the heights of human buildings in such a way that there remains no gap in between. Then it roams around in gardens, forests, valleys, and mountains and collects the juice of all kinds of fruits in its belly, and then returns by those same paths from wherever it has passed, and comes and sits in its hive, where from its mouth or rear comes out that honey which the Quran has described as 'sharab'. That is, a soul-refreshing drink.
69. 2 Some red, some white, some blue, and some yellow in color; the type of fruits and fields from which it obtains its food, accordingly its color and taste also differ.
69. 3 The indefiniteness in شِفَاء is for magnification. That is, in honey there is healing for many diseases. It does not mean that it is a cure for every disease absolutely. The scholars of medicine have explained that honey is certainly a healing natural drink, but for specific diseases, not for every disease. In the hadith, it is mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ liked sweet things and honey (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Ashriba, Bab Sharab al-Halwa wa al-Asal). In another narration, it is mentioned that he said there is healing in three things: in cupping, in drinking honey, and in cauterization with fire. But I forbid my ummah from cauterization. In the hadith, there is also an incident that in the disease of diarrhea, the Prophet ﷺ advised giving honey to drink, which caused more waste to be expelled, and the family thought perhaps the illness had increased, then they came to the Prophet ﷺ again. He ﷺ said for the third time, Allah is true and your brother's stomach is false. Go and give him honey to drink. Thus, on the third time, he attained complete healing.
69. 2 Some red, some white, some blue, and some yellow in color; the type of fruits and fields from which it obtains its food, accordingly its color and taste also differ.
69. 3 The indefiniteness in شِفَاء is for magnification. That is, in honey there is healing for many diseases. It does not mean that it is a cure for every disease absolutely. The scholars of medicine have explained that honey is certainly a healing natural drink, but for specific diseases, not for every disease. In the hadith, it is mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ liked sweet things and honey (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Ashriba, Bab Sharab al-Halwa wa al-Asal). In another narration, it is mentioned that he said there is healing in three things: in cupping, in drinking honey, and in cauterization with fire. But I forbid my ummah from cauterization. In the hadith, there is also an incident that in the disease of diarrhea, the Prophet ﷺ advised giving honey to drink, which caused more waste to be expelled, and the family thought perhaps the illness had increased, then they came to the Prophet ﷺ again. He ﷺ said for the third time, Allah is true and your brother's stomach is false. Go and give him honey to drink. Thus, on the third time, he attained complete healing.
