An-Nahl (The Bee)

68. “And your Lord revealed to the Bee (an instinctive revelation) to build cells in the mountains and in the trees and in what they (men) build.”

The Arabic term /wahy/ signifies allusion and rapid and secret transfer that besides the Divine revelation to the prophets, includes both instincts, like this verse, and the divine inspiration, like Surah Al-Qasas, No. 28, verse 7 which says:

“And We revealed to Moses’ mother…”

It also includes satanical temptations, as in the verse which says:

“…and verily the Satans inspire unto their friends…”1

The Qur’anic tune alters amazingly in this verse. While continuing previous discussions regarding the various Divine blessings and the statement of the secrets of creation, the Qur’an switches the discussion to ‘bees’ and later to the issue of ‘honey’ in the final analysis. However, it is named as /wahy/ (revelation) which implies a form of Divine mission and a form of ‘mysterious revelation’.

At first, it says:

“And your Lord revealed to the Bee (an instinctive revelation) to build cells in the mountains and in the trees and in what they (men) build.”

The Qur’anic term /wahy/ here denotes that same instinctive command and motives and that unconscious revelation which Allah has created in different animals and living objects.

The first mission of the bees, in this verse, is concerned with building hives. The reason for this is probably the fact that having a proper residence is the first condition for living, following which other activities are being made possible.

Incidentally, according to Tafsir-i-’Atyab-ul-Bayan, there are explicit allusions in the Qur’an as to the fact that all beings, including the inanimate objects, plants and animals have got a certain understanding of His Divinity, the prophetic mission of the Prophet (S) and the mastership ‘Wilayat’ of the immaculate and infallible Imams such as:

“The seven heavens and the earth and every being therein celebrate His glory…”2

and like the verse which says:

“…O mountains sing praises with him, and the birds…”3

and so on and so forth. We have it in certain Islamic narrations that ‘Wilayat’ of the Imams has been offered to the mountains, waters, trees, and animals.

There is sequential news as to the fact that numerous animals have petitioned their grievances with them. Therefore, it is not astounding that the ‘bees’ receive revelations and be commissioned for completing certain missions.

Moreover, it is astonishing that the houses of the bees, that is: ‘beehives’, are built in hexagonal form on top of each other without having any angels, which case has astonished all architectural engineers despite being set upon lofty mountainous regions and high-altitude trees, high places and roofs.

Certainly, this struggle by bees and the movement of animals for the selection of the houses, especially of bees, is based on their instinct embedded in their nature by Allah.

Incidentally, the best kind of honey is the one that is made by bees in the mountains that they feed on flowers therein and not those which are fed by artificial sugary substances.