Can someone clarify 16:59 for me regarding bees eating fruits?

format_quote Originally Posted by peace800

"Then, eat from all the fruits, and go along the pathways of your Lord made easy for you.. From their bellies comes out a drink of various colors in which there is cure for people. Surely, in that there is a sign for a people who ponder" 16:69

We know that honey has healing properties soemthing that may have already be known in the Prophet's time but Bees do not eat fruits, that is a fact but why does it say in the Quran that bees eat from all fruits?

please explain this one?

Bees don't eat fruits? All I can say is you never had a fig, persimmon or date tree.

It is true that domesticated European honey bees only eat nectar and sugar water. But given a chance and the opportunity you will find bees and wasps and hornets eating soft fruits and some over ripe fruits such as over ripe pears and plums.

Here is a close up of a honey bee eating a mango.



If you ever have had any experience with wild African Honey Bees (Killer bees) you will find they not only eat fruit, but also carrion. The European Honey bee that you are familiar with is only one species of bee and is not found on the Arabian Peninsula or in Africa.

format_quote Originally Posted by peace800

Thanks brother. But surely Allah would has said this to mean all bees no matter which area they are in? it cant just apply to arabian bees?

Good point. Now to further clarify keep in mind the Qur'an is not a science text book. The words used are in the common usage and not the scientific. The word used for bee is نَّحْلِ (Nahl) which is Arabic and to be specific is the word used for the bees common in Arabia. It is not a scientific term for the family apia which refers to all bees. Although today it is used as a translation for all bees, but it is specific for the bees found in Arabia.

To carry even further the domestic honey be when in the natural wild state was a fruit eater.

Again here the words used are ثُمَّ كُلِي مِنْ كُلِّ Thumma kuli min kulli, kuli does not translate as "Eat of all the fruits". although fruit could be used. It more specifically means produce or more exact "food from plants" in this context a better translation is:

Then to eat of all the produce (of the earth)

BTW: It is not 16::59. What you quoted is from Surah 16 but it is in Ayyat 69 not 59. Also the translation you are using does not seem to be a very good one. I would suggest using the Yusuf Ali translation. Pickthal had a tendency to use somewhat Elizabethian metaphors in his translation.

Your Welcome. It was a very interesting quetion. I am glad you asked it.