While we strive to read the book of the universe, sometimes we look to the heavens, sometimes into the depths of the earth. Yet often the greatest lessons are hidden in the smallest creatures. The truth contained in a drop of honey may serve as a source of contemplation deeper than an entire library. When one looks closely at the bee, it is not merely an insect but appears as a teacher, an engineer, a doctor, an economist, a sociologist, a historian, and beyond all these, a sage.

The Qur’an presents this reality in the most eloquent way. In Surah al-Nahl it is stated:

“And your Lord inspired the bees: ‘Make homes in the mountains, the trees, and in what people construct. Then eat from all the fruits and follow the ways your Lord has made easy [for you].’ From their bellies emerges a liquid of varying colors, in which there is healing for mankind. Surely in this is a sign for people who reflect.” (al-Nahl, 16:68–69)

These two verses carry not only biological insights about the bee, but also signs of cosmic order, the interconnectedness of sciences, and humanity’s journey of learning. The final emphasis in the verse is no coincidence: “Indeed in this is a sign for a people who reflect.” This message is not only for biologists, but also for those engaged in different branches of knowledge, for all who produce ideas and endure the pains of thought.

Qur’anic, Biblical, and Torahic Perspectives

It is remarkable that the Qur’an singles out the bee. Surah al-Nahl is the 16th chapter in the Qur’an, and intriguingly, the honeybee’s chromosome number is also 16 (Çapan & Yılmaz, 2013). The verbs addressing the bee in the verse are in the feminine form, indicating that the work of producing honey, constructing the comb, and maintaining the hive is carried out by female worker bees—a fact fully confirmed by modern zoology (Çapan & Yılmaz, 2013).

The words the Qur’an uses for the bee are not merely descriptive of biology but carry a metaphysical message. The phrase “your Lord inspired the bee” refers not to prophetic revelation but to divine inspiration. The bee’s capacity for navigation, building combs, producing honey, and organizing its social life are all guided by an innate program instilled by God. In modern biology we call this instinct, but the Qur’an described it centuries ago with the more profound word wahy, which is the Arabic for both “revelation” (divine words revealed to Prophets as scripture) and “inspiration” (of a person or animal guided to do something) (Çapan & Yılmaz, 2013).

The verse also mentions: “From their bellies emerges a drink of varying colors.” This refers not only to honey’s diversity but also to the bee’s production of wax, propolis, royal jelly, and venom (Çapan & Yılmaz, 2013). Modern research has confirmed that each of these products contains unique healing properties for human health: honey’s antibacterial and antioxidant activity, propolis’ immune-strengthening effects, royal jelly’s role in hormonal and metabolic regulation, wax’s antiseptic qualities, and bee venom’s use in treating rheumatic diseases all testify to the miraculous depth of this Qur’anic statement (Bogdanov, 2017).

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also emphasized honey as a healing source: “Hold fast to these two remedies: honey and the Qur’an” (Ibn Majah, Medicine, 3452). Thus, honey is cited as nourishment for the body while the Qur’an is guidance for the soul.

In the Biblical and Torahic traditions, honey is likewise recognized as a source of nourishment and healing. The Book of Proverbs describes honey as both bodily and spiritual medicine: “Eat honey, my child, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste” (Prov. 24:13). Jewish exegetes note that this verse links the physical sweetness of honey with the strengthening of the heart and mind. Another verse states, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and healing to the bones” (Prov. 16:24), further connecting honey with restoration and well-being. Across these scriptures, honey functions as both remedy and symbol, its sweetness reflecting divine kindness and its healing properties pointing to the Creator’s wisdom woven into nature.

The Qur’an’s reference to the bee offers not only a biological reality but also a methodology for learning across disciplines. Through the bee, we can open the doors of anatomy, physiology, ecology, engineering, chemistry, sociology, economics, history, and more. The phrase “a sign for a people who reflect” points precisely to this multidimensionality.

In its smallness, the bee carries the vastness of the universe. A biologist sees its indispensable role in ecosystems. An engineer marvels at the geometric perfection of the comb. A doctor discovers the healing potential of honey and other products. An economist studies the hive’s efficiency model. A sociologist admires its flawless division of labor. A historian explores how civilizations used honey. A teacher presents the bee’s diligence and sacrifice as a moral example. Each discipline finds in this tiny creature profound lessons about life and creation.

Bees and honey through different professions

1. The biologist’s perspective: Anatomy of creation

To a biologist, the bee is more than an insect; it is the heartbeat of ecosystems. Bees are responsible for up to 80% of pollination. Without them, biodiversity, food production, and the survival of countless plants and animals would collapse.

The bee’s anatomy is astonishing. Its body is divided into head, thorax, and abdomen. The abdomen, made of eight segments, functions like a factory line producing honey, wax, royal jelly, propolis, and venom. Its wings, four when resting, hook together like Velcro to form two during flight, enabling remarkable aerodynamic efficiency. Bees not only make honey, but they also build combs, regulate hive temperature, process pollen, and feed their young.

Fossil evidence shows that bees have existed for about 103 million years (Engel, 2011). Surviving climate changes and mass extinctions, they are living witnesses of Earth’s history. For the biologist, bees represent both the evolutionary stability and the ecological balance of a perfectly created organism.

2. The doctor’s perspective: A source of healing

To physicians, bee products are nature’s pharmacy. The Qur’an’s words “in which there is healing for mankind” (16:69) are affirmed by modern medicine.

Honey’s antibacterial properties have gained significance in an age of antibiotic resistance (Mandal & Mandal, 2011). Honey accelerates wound healing and combats resistant hospital infections. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions boost immunity. It is used in managing wounds, gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular and neurological diseases, cancer, and diabetes.

Propolis offers antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial protection (Sforcin & Bankova, 2011). Royal jelly supports hormonal balance, and bee venom has shown promise in treating rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis (Wehbe et al., 2019).

The concept of “medical-grade honey” is now firmly established in modern medicine. FDA (Food and Drug Administration in the US) and CE (Conformité Européenne) have recognized it as a wound-healing medical device since 2008, and it has been patented in various formulations (Molamohammadi et al., 2019). Recently, international research collaborations have refined its standards further (Peters et al., 2025; Ozturk et al.).

With its low glycemic index, honey can be a safe sweetener for diabetics (Erejuwa et al., 2012). Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) and the biblical emphasis on honey’s healing aligns with modern clinical findings, affirming bees as biological and medical miracles.

3. The economist’s perspective: Efficiency and sustainability

For economists, bees embody an ideal production model. When collecting nectar, they always choose the most efficient source; if a flower’s sugar content falls below 17%, they no longer visit it. The hive produces multiple products—honey, wax, pollen, royal jelly, propolis, venom—without polluting, indeed enriching, the environment.

One kilogram of wax requires 8–10 kilograms of honey to produce, yet bees manage this with extraordinary efficiency, constructing hexagonal combs that maximize storage with minimal material. For humanity, the lesson is clear: true economics is not about producing more at any cost but about maximizing benefit from minimal resources.

4. The engineer’s perspective: Geometry and technology

Bees are among nature’s most ingenious engineers. The hexagonal comb, the most efficient geometric shape, has been constructed flawlessly for millions of years (Pirk et al., 2004).

Hive climate control is equally remarkable: bees fan their wings to ventilate, heat, or cool the hive as needed. Their wing-hooking mechanism has inspired aeronautical engineers. Bees also navigate using polarized sunlight and Earth’s magnetic field (Rossel & Wehner, 1984). Wax production itself is a marvel of energy efficiency: with only 40 grams of wax, bees build combs capable of storing 2 kilograms of honey.

5. The sociologist’s perspective: Social order in the hive

Bees form a “superorganism.” The individual exists for the community. Their division of labor—nurse bees, cleaners, guards, foragers, ventilators, attendants to the queen—is flawless.

When swarming, they display remarkable collective decision-making. Scout bees investigate locations, report by dancing, and the colony follows the majority choice—a model of natural democracy (Seeley, 2010). Hive boundaries are also strictly enforced: bees serve their own hive, rejecting outsiders to protect health and security.

6. The historian’s perspective: From remedy to civilization

Throughout history, honey and wax have been indispensable. In ancient Egypt honey was used in mummification; in Greece and Rome for medicine; in China and India as a remedy.

For millennia, honey was primarily a medicine. Only with the domestication of beekeeping did it become common on household tables. Early on, honey could only be “hunted,” making it rare and precious. The Egyptians (and others) called it the “Nectar of the Gods.” Indeed, honey is one of the few substances used medicinally across all known civilizations.

Hippocrates, Galen, and Avicenna all prescribed honey-based remedies (Crane, 1999). In every era, honey has been sought not just for taste, but for healing.

7. The geographer’s perspective: Mapping the world

Bees read the Earth like a map. They navigate using polarized light and Earth’s magnetic field (Towne & Gould, 1988). They have shaped vegetation worldwide; without them, most flowering plants could not reproduce, and human and animal survival would be at risk. For geographers, bees are invisible agents of biosphere sustainability.

8. The teacher’s perspective: Diligence and learning

For teachers, bees embody lessons in diligence, sacrifice, and cooperation. Each bee fulfills its duty with precision. Young bees learn tasks from elders. Duties—nursing, cleaning, ventilation, guarding, foraging—are distributed and executed with discipline.

Their dance language, conveying direction and distance of food sources, is a masterpiece of natural communication and instruction (von Frisch, 1967).

9. The psychologist’s perspective: Serenity of the soul

Beekeeping offers therapy. Studies show it reduces stress and strengthens bonds with nature. It has even been used effectively for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans (Jordan et al., 2011). The hive’s hum, the fragrance of honey, and immersion in nature bring profound peace—a “Zen effect” for the soul.

Bee-honey-cosmos Connection

The bee, in its tiny body, reflects the order of the cosmos. Hive building, foraging, honey-making are not just biological acts; they are reflections of the universal laws. A colony functions as a superorganism: each member fulfills its role, sustaining the whole.

The Qur’an’s statement “your Lord inspired the bee” (16:68) underscores that all creatures act within divinely guided programs. Migrating birds, web-weaving spiders, navigating fish—all testify to this inspiration. The bee, then, symbolizes not only its own order but the harmony of the cosmos itself.

Reflection: Doors of knowledge

The Qur’an’s closing phrase, “a sign for a people who reflect,” indicates that the bee is a laboratory for all sciences. Biologists study its anatomy, engineers its geometry, economists its efficiency, doctors its healing, sociologists its social order, historians its cultural role, geographers its ecological impact, teachers its lessons in diligence, psychologists its calming therapy.

Strikingly, as science advances, Qur’anic insights about bees become more evident. Their use of polarized light, their hive climate control, the efficiency of wax—all align with modern discoveries. The Qur’an’s message does not fade with time but renews itself as knowledge grows.

Conclusion: Great lessons from a small creature

Reflecting on bees and honey leads beyond biology to the meaning of existence. Honey is healing for the body, bees are lessons for the soul. For thousands of years, honey was used first as medicine, only later as food. Today modern medicine formally recognizes “medical-grade honey,” echoing the Qur’an’s declaration that “in it is healing for mankind.”

The bee, a small creature, humbles humankind by revealing both our greatness and fragility. We build telescopes and microscopes to unlock the universe’s secrets, yet often overlook the truths embodied in a tiny insect. In the bee we see diligence, sacrifice, order, healing, efficiency, knowledge, and wisdom.

Thus, bees and honey remind humanity not only of nature but of the Creator of the cosmos. The verses in Surah al-Nahl are an invitation to interdisciplinary reflection. Our duty is to heed that call, to think deeply, and to learn.

So, why not look at these two verses through the lens of your own profession, and set sail into the ocean of contemplation?

References

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