Sūrat an-Naḥl
Section 4 of 17 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Cattle, Fruit and the Sūrah of Bounties
These are the few verses beginning at verse 66:
وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ لَعِبْرَةً ۖ نُّسْقِيكُم مِّمَّا فِى بُطُونِهِۦ مِنۢ بَيْنِ فَرْثٍ وَدَمٍ لَّبَنًا خَالِصًا سَآئِغًا لِّلشَّـٰرِبِينَ
“Surely there is a lesson for you in the cattle. We provide you, out of what lies in their bellies between feces and blood, the (drink of) milk, pure and pleasant for those who drink.” (16:66)
You may take a lesson from the cattle also. We give you to drink of what is in their bellies, which comes from between the impure part where the dirt gathers and the place of the blood; and from between the two We provide you milk, which is among the most remarkable drinks in the world.
وَمِن ثَمَرَٰتِ ٱلنَّخِيلِ وَٱلْأَعْنَـٰبِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِنْهُ سَكَرًا وَرِزْقًا حَسَنًا ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
“And from the fruits of date palms and grape vines, you obtain intoxicants, and good provision. Surely, in that there is a sign for a people who understand.” (16:67)
And then it speaks of fruits and flowers: wa min thamarāti al-nakhīli wa-l-aʿnāb. You take from them what you need; and in that too is a sign for people who think. And then Allah (swt) speaks of the honeybee.
This sūrah, Sūrat an-Naḥl, has another name: Sūrat an-Niʿam, the plural of niʿmah. It has several verses upon niʿmah in particular, and upon all the niʿam, the bounties, which Allah (swt) enumerates here — the honeybee among them, and the fruits, and the animals, the cattle, the milk. Even milk is mentioned here, labanan; milk is mentioned here.