وَأَوْحَىٰ رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلنَّحْلِ أَنِ ٱتَّخِذِى مِنَ ٱلْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا وَمِنَ ٱلشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ 68
Translations
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.
Transliteration
Wa awha rabbuka ila an-nahl an ittakhidhi min al-jibal buyutan wa min ash-shajar wa mimma ya'rishun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah has inspired the bee to build its dwellings in mountains, trees, and human structures (trellises), revealing divine guidance embedded within creation itself. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this ayah demonstrates Allah's perfect wisdom in instilling natural knowledge and architectural skill into the bee without explicit teaching, exemplifying the innate divine guidance (hidayah) granted to all creatures. The word 'awha' (inspired/revealed) indicates that this ability is a divinely-granted instinct, not learned behavior, showcasing the Creator's profound knowledge of His creation.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah An-Nahl (The Bee), a Meccan surah that extensively discusses signs of Allah's creation and wisdom. The surah takes its name from this ayah and serves as a comprehensive exposition on the bee's miraculous nature as evidence of divine design and creation. The context emphasizes how even small creatures are guided by Allah, reinforcing monotheistic belief among the Meccan audience.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'In the bee is a lesson for you' (though this is paraphrased wisdom rather than a formally transmitted hadith). Related is the hadith in Sunan Ibn Majah about the Prophet's regard for beneficial creatures and the prohibition against harming them unnecessarily.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that divine wisdom and guidance permeate all of creation, even the smallest creatures, encouraging us to observe nature as a source of spiritual reflection and recognition of Allah's perfect design. It teaches us to respect and appreciate the intricate systems Allah has placed in creation and to recognize that true knowledge and skill ultimately derive from divine inspiration.
Related Ayahs
هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً ۖ لَّكُم مِّنْهُ شَرَابٌ وَمِنْهُ شَجَرٌ فِيهِ تُسِيمُونَ
It is He who sends down rain from the sky; from it is drink and from it is foliage in which you pasture [animals].
وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ لَعِبْرَةً ۖ نُّسْقِيكُم مِّمَّا فِى بُطُونِهِۦ مِنۢ بَيْنِ فَرْثٍ وَدَمٍ لَّبَنًا خَالِصًا سَآئِغًا لِّلشَّـٰرِبِينَ
And indeed, for you in grazing livestock is a lesson. We give you drink from what is in their bellies - between excretion and blood - pure milk, palatable to drinkers.
شَاكِرًا لِّأَنْعُمِهِ ۚ ٱجْتَبَىٰهُ وَهَدَىٰهُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
[He was] grateful for His favors. He [i.e., Allāh] chose him and guided him to a straight path.
جَنَّـٰتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۖ لَهُمْ فِيهَا مَا يَشَآءُونَ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَجْزِى ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
Gardens of perpetual residence, which they will enter, beneath which rivers flow. They will have therein whatever they wish. Thus does Allāh reward the righteous -