Tafheem ul Quran
Surah 16 An-Nahl, Ayat 65-67
وَاللّٰهُ اَنۡزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَاَحۡيَا بِهِ الۡاَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَاؕ اِنَّ فِىۡ ذٰ لِكَ لَاٰيَةً لِّقَوۡمٍ يَّسۡمَعُوۡنَ
﴿16:65﴾
وَاِنَّ لَـكُمۡ فِىۡ الۡاَنۡعَامِ لَعِبۡرَةً ؕ نُّسۡقِيۡكُمۡ مِّمَّا فِىۡ بُطُوۡنِهٖ مِنۡۢ بَيۡنِ فَرۡثٍ وَّدَمٍ لَّبَنًا خَالِصًا سَآئِغًا لِّلشّٰرِبِيۡنَ
﴿16:66﴾
وَمِنۡ ثَمَرٰتِ النَّخِيۡلِ وَالۡاَعۡنَابِ تَتَّخِذُوۡنَ مِنۡهُ سَكَرًا وَّرِزۡقًا حَسَنًا ؕ اِنَّ فِىۡ ذٰ لِكَ لَاٰيَةً لِّقَوۡمٍ يَّعۡقِلُوۡنَ
﴿16:67﴾
(16:65) Allah sends down water from the heaven, and thereby He instantly
revives the earth after it lay dead. Verily there is a sign in it for those
who have ears. (16:66) Surely there is a lesson for you in the cattle: We provide you to
drink out of that which is in their bellies between the faeces and the blood
- pure milk54 - which is a palatable drink for those who take it.
(16:67) And out of the fruits of date-palms and grapes you derive intoxicants
as well as wholesome sustenance.55 Surely there is a sign for those
who use reason.
Notes
54. “Between excretions and the blood”. This refers to the most wonderful
process of the formation of pure milk in the bellies of the cattle. For, the
fodder they eat turns into blood, filth and pure milk, which is altogether different
from the first two in its nature, color and usefulness. Some cattle produce
milk in such abundance that after suckling their young ones a large quantity
of it is left to make excellent human food.
55. Incidentally it implies that the juice of the fruits of date palms and
vines contains two things. One is that which is pure and wholesome food for
man and the other is that which turns into alcohol after it becomes rotten.
But it has been left to the choice of man to obtain pure healthy food from this
providence or to drink it as intoxicant wine to excite him and make him lose
his self control. This also contains a hint as to the prohibition of wine.