Surah An-Nahl 16:69

In the Bee and its Honey there is Blessing and a Lesson

What is meant by inspiration here is guidance. The bee is guided to make its home in the mountains, in trees and in structures erected by man. The bee's home is a solid structure, with its hexagonal shapes and interlocking forms there is no looseness in its combs. Then Allah decrees that the bee will have permission to eat from all fruits and to follow the ways which Allah has made easy for it, wherever it wants to go in the vast spaces of the wilderness, valleys and high mountains. Then each bee comes back to its hive without swerving to the right or left, it comes straight back to its home where its offspring and honey are. It makes wax from its wings, and regurgitates honey from its mouth, and lays eggs from its rear, then the next morning it goes out to the fields again.

فَاسْلُكِى سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلاً

(and follow the routes of your Lord made easy (for you)) Qatadah and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said: "This means, in an obedient way", understanding it to be a description of the route of migration. Ibn Zayd said that this is like the Ayah:

وَذَلَّلْنَـهَا لَهُمْ فَمِنْهَا رَكُوبُهُمْ وَمِنْهَا يَأْكُلُونَ

(And We have subdued them for them so that some they may ride and some they may eat.) (36:72) He said: "Do you not see that they move the bees' home from one land to another, and the bees follow them" The first opinion is clearly the more likely, as it describes the routes that the bees follow, i.e., `follow these routes as they are easy for you.' This was stated by Mujahid. Ibn Jarir said that both opinions are correct.

يَخْرُجُ مِن بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ فِيهِ شِفَآءٌ لِلنَّاسِ

(There comes forth from their bellies, a drink of varying colors, wherein is healing for men.) meaning, honey, that is white, yellow, red, or of other good colors, depending on the different things that the bees eat.

فِيهِ شِفَآءٌ لِلنَّاسِ

(in which there is a cure for men.) meaning there is a cure in honey for diseases that people suffer from. Some of those who spoke about the study of Prophetic medicine said that if Allah had said, `in which there is the cure for men', then it would be the remedy for all diseases, but He said, `in which there is a cure for men', meaning that it is the right treatment for every "cold" disease, because it is "hot", and a disease should be treated with its opposite. Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded in their Sahihs from Qatadah from Abu Al-Mutawakkil `Ali bin Dawud An-Naji from Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri that a man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "My brother is suffering from diarrhea". He said,

«اسْقِهِ عَسَلًا»

(Give him honey to drink.) The man went and gave him honey, then he came back and said, "O Messenger of Allah! I gave him honey to drink, and he only got worse." The Prophet said,

«اذْهَبْ فَاسْقِهِ عَسَلًا»

(Go and give him honey to drink.) So he went and gave him honey, then he came back and said, "O Messenger of Allah! it only made him worse. " The Prophet said,

«صَدَقَ اللهُ وَكَذَبَ بَطْنُ أَخِيكَ، اذْهَبْ فَاسْقِهِ عَسَلًا»

(Allah speaks the truth and your brother's stomach is lying. Go and give him honey to drink.) So he went and gave him honey, and he recovered." It is reported in the Two Sahihs from `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to like sweet things and honey. This is the wording of Al-Bukhari, who also reported in his Sahih from Ibn `Abbas that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«الشِّفَاءُ فِي ثَلَاثَةٍ: فِي شَرْطَةِ مِحْجَمٍ، أَوْ شَرْبَةِ عَسَلٍ، أَوْ كَيَّةٍ بِنَارٍ، وَأَنْهَى أُمَّتِي عَنِ الْكَي»

(Healing is to be found in three things: the cut made by the cupper, or drinking honey, or in branding with fire (cauterizing), but I have forbidden my Ummah to use branding.)

إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

(There is indeed a sign in that for people who reflect.) meaning in the fact that Allah inspires this weak little creature to travel through the vast fields and feed from every kind of fruit, then gather it for wax and honey, which are some of the best things, in this is a sign for people who think about the might and power of the bee's Creator Who causes all of this to happen. From this they learn that He is the Initiator, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise, the All-Knowing, the Most Generous, the Most Merciful.

Allah lalu meminta perhatian para hamba-Nya agar memikirkan bagaimana Allah telah memberikan kemahiran kepada para lebah untuk mengumpulkan makanan dari berbagai macam bunga-bungaan dan meng-ubahnya menjadi madu yang tahan lama dan bergizi. Kemahiran ini diwariskan lebah secara turun-temurun.

Lebah-lebah mengisap makanan dari bunga-bungaan kemudian masuk ke dalam perutnya dan dari perutnya dikeluarkan madu yang bermacam-macam warnanya. Ada yang putih, ada yang kekuning-kuningan, dan ada pula yang kemerah-merahan, sesuai dengan jenis lebah itu dan bunga-bungaan yang ada di sekitarnya.

Di antara manfaat madu ialah untuk ketahanan tubuh dan mungkin pula sebagai obat berbagai penyakit. Hal ini dapat diterima oleh ilmu pengetahu-an, antara lain karena madu mudah dicerna dan mengandung berbagai macam vitamin.

Penjelasan tentang fungsi madu ini dapat dibaca dalam sebuah hadis:

Bahwa seseorang datang kepada Rasulullah saw seraya berkata, "Sesungguhnya saudaraku perutnya mulas." Maka Rasulullah saw bersabda, "Minumkan kepadanya madu," kemudian orang itu memberinya madu. Kemudian orang itu datang lagi kepada Rasulullah saw seraya berkata, "Ya Rasulullah saya telah memberinya madu, tetapi perutnya bertambah mulas." Rasulullah saw bersabda, "Pergilah dan minumkan (lagi) kepadanya madu." Maka orang itu pergi dan memberinya lagi madu, kemudian orang itu datang lagi kepada Rasulullah saw seraya berkata, "Ya Rasulullah, perutnya justru tambah mulas," kemudian Rasulullah bersabda, "Allah benar dan perut saudaramu berdusta. Pergilah dan beri lagi saudaramu itu madu." Lalu orang itu pergi dan memberinya lagi madu, kemudian ia pun sembuh. (Riwayat al-Bukhari dan Muslim dari Abu Sa'id al-Khudri)

Dan hadis Nabi saw:

Obat itu ada tiga macam: mengeluarkan darah dengan bekam, minum madu dan membakar kulit dengan api (besi panas), dan aku melarang umatku membakar kulit. (Riwayat al-Bukhari dan Muslim dari Ibnu 'Abbas)

Beberapa manfaat yang diberikan lebah sebagai berikut:

1.Madunya merupakan minuman yang lezat berguna bagi kesehatan. Sarangnya dapat dibuat lilin, bahan untuk membatik, dan lain-lain.

2.Lebah membantu penyerbukan bunga sehingga terjadi pembuahan.