Key takeaway
Quran 16:68–69 says Allah inspired the bee to build homes in mountains, trees and human structures, to "eat from all the fruits," and that "there emerges from their bellies a drink, varying in colors, in which there is healing for people." The commands addressed to the bee use feminine verb forms. The bees that build combs, forage and make honey are female worker bees, and modern research confirms honey's antibacterial and wound-healing properties.
The verses
وَأَوْحَىٰ رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلنَّحْلِ أَنِ ٱتَّخِذِى مِنَ ٱلْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا وَمِنَ ٱلشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ ٦٨ ثُمَّ كُلِى مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ فَٱسْلُكِى سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلًا ۚ يَخْرُجُ مِنۢ بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ فِيهِ شِفَآءٌ لِّلنَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ٦٩
68 And your Lord inspired to the bee, "Take for yourself among the mountains, houses [i.e., hives], and among the trees and [in] that which they construct. 69 Then eat from all the fruits and follow the ways of your Lord laid down [for you]." There emerges from their bellies a drink, varying in colors, in which there is healing for people. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought.
Key Arabic terms
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ٱتَّخِذِى | ittakhidhī | "take [for yourself]": feminine singular imperative |
| كُلِى | kulī | "eat": feminine singular imperative |
| فَٱسْلُكِى | fa-slukī | "and follow": feminine singular imperative |
| شِفَآءٌ لِّلنَّاسِ | shifāʾun li-l-nās | healing for people |
Feminine verbs
The bee is addressed with feminine imperatives: ittakhidhī, kulī, uslukī. In a honeybee colony the workers are all female: they build the comb, collect nectar and make honey. The drones are male and do none of this work. That the colony was led by a "king" was a common belief until the 17th century, when Jan Swammerdam showed by dissection that the large bee was female.
A grammatical note: the Arabic naḥl is a collective noun, and such nouns are often treated as grammatically feminine. So the feminine forms are linguistically ordinary. We find the correspondence meaningful, but it should not be presented as proof.
Honey of varying colors, with healing
Honey ranges from almost colorless to dark brown depending on the flowers visited. Research has documented antibacterial activity through high sugar concentration, low water activity, acidity, enzymatically produced hydrogen peroxide, and in Manuka honey methylglyoxal. Medical-grade honey is used in wound dressings. Honey has been used medicinally since antiquity, including in ancient Egypt.
Balanced assessment
Moderate A reasonable, accurate correspondence; the words have other valid meanings or the fact was partly known before.
The verses are accurate on every point: female workers, honey from the bee's body, varied colors and healing properties. The feminine grammar is consistent with biology but also grammatically normal. Honey's medicinal value was known in antiquity, so the emphasis here is the accuracy and richness of the description.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the Quran use feminine verbs for the bee?
Quran 16:68–69 addresses the bee with feminine imperatives. The worker bees that build hives and make honey are female. The Arabic collective noun naḥl can also be treated as feminine grammatically.
Does honey have healing properties?
Yes. Research shows honey has antibacterial properties and medical-grade honey is used in wound care. Quran 16:69 says it contains "healing for people."
References
Quran
- Quran 16:68–69, Saheeh International translation (Quran.com)
Science & history
Classical exegesis is summarized from the standard commentaries (e.g. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Qurṭubī). See our methodology.
Cite this page
Quran Scientific Miracles. “The Bee & Healing Honey.” https://quranscientificmiracles.com/topics/honey-bee/ (reviewed 2026-10-20).