Divine Nutrition: The Foods Allah Blessed in Surah An-Nahl
How the Quran guides us to the finest natural foods—dates, grapes, honey, and milk—and reveals scientific miracles that modern research is only beginning to understand
I’m not going to tell you about the hundreds of studies that discuss how milk is beneficial for your body. Instead, I’ll speak to you from the Book of Allah in Surah An-Nahl (The Bees)—the chapter I love to describe as the surah where Allah mentioned the most beautiful and healthiest sugars He created for us, such as the sugar extracted from dates and grapes.
Then there’s honey—the divine miracle. And finally, the elixir of strength: milk. The Quranic miracle is even more profound because Allah mentioned all the livestock with their milk, and you choose what suits you best.
If you are healthy, drink cow’s milk. If you have a weak liver—fatty liver or cirrhosis—then camel’s milk is for you. And if you cannot digest cow’s milk, Allah has blessed you with goat’s milk: easy to digest, low in fat, and causes minimal bloating and cramping.
The important thing is that you and your children should not be weak—so drink milk and choose what suits you and your digestive system.
Surah An-Nahl: The Chapter of Divine Blessings
Surah An-Nahl is often called “The Chapter of Blessings” because Allah enumerates His countless favors upon humanity. Among these blessings are four exceptional foods: dates, grapes, honey, and milk. These aren’t random mentions—each of these foods represents a category of nutrition that modern science has confirmed as essential for human health.
What makes this chapter remarkable is that Allah doesn’t just mention these foods in passing. He draws our attention to the processes by which they are created, the diversity within them, and the wisdom in their design. This is divine nutrition guidance—1,400 years before the advent of modern nutritional science.
The Four Divine Foods
“And from the fruits of date palms and grapes, you derive intoxicants and wholesome provision. Indeed, in that is a sign for a people who reason.”
— Surah An-Nahl (16:67)
“Then eat from all the fruits and follow the ways of your Lord laid down [for you]. There emerges from their bellies a drink, varying in colors, in which there is healing for people. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought.”
— Surah An-Nahl (16:69)
Notice the precise language in verse 16:69: “There emerges from their bellies…” In Arabic, the pronouns and verb forms are feminine. Allah is addressing the bees using feminine grammar.
For centuries, people didn’t know which bees made honey. It was only with the invention of the microscope and detailed observation that scientists discovered: only female worker bees produce honey. Male bees (drones) do not participate in honey production—their only function is reproduction.
The Quran stated this fact 1,400 years ago by using feminine pronouns. The verse addresses the female bees specifically: “كُلِي” (eat—feminine command), “فَاسْلُكِي” (follow—feminine command), and “بُطُونِهَا” (their bellies—feminine plural).
This isn’t just a grammatical detail—it’s a scientific statement. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was unlettered and lived in 7th-century Arabia where beekeeping knowledge was rudimentary. Yet the Quran he recited contains precise biological information that wouldn’t be confirmed until modern entomology. This is one of many signs that the Quran is indeed divine revelation, not human invention.
“And indeed, for you in livestock is a lesson. We give you drink from what is in their bellies—between excretion and blood—pure milk, palatable to drinkers.”
— Surah An-Nahl (16:66)
Look at the precision of the verse: “from what is in their bellies—between excretion and blood—pure milk”
This verse describes the exact biological process of milk production with stunning accuracy:
1. Digestion: The animal eats grass and plants. In the digestive system, food is broken down in the stomach and intestines, creating a mixture (فرث – farth, meaning partially digested food/excretion).
2. Nutrient Absorption: Nutrients from this digested material pass through the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream.
3. Milk Synthesis: The mammary glands extract specific nutrients—proteins, sugars, fats, minerals—from the blood and synthesize them into milk.
4. Pure Product: The result is “pure milk” (لبناً خالصاً)—despite coming from the digestive tract and blood, the milk contains no waste products, no blood, no impurities. It’s completely pure and palatable.
This verse describes mammary gland function, nutrient extraction from blood, and the filtration process—concepts that wouldn’t be understood until modern physiology. The Quran states that milk comes “from between” (مِن بَيْنِ) excretion and blood—a perfect description of how nutrients are extracted from digested food via the bloodstream to produce milk, without any contamination from either source. This is not the language of ancient folklore; this is the language of the Creator describing His creation.
The Divine Prescription: Which Milk for You?
The Quran mentions “livestock” (الأنعام – al-an’am) in the plural, referring to all milk-producing animals. This isn’t random—it’s divine wisdom. Different people have different needs, and Allah has provided variety.
Best for: Healthy individuals with no digestive issues
Benefits: Highest in calcium and vitamin D, excellent for bone health, muscle building, and general nutrition. Most widely available and affordable.
Characteristics: Rich, creamy, high in protein and fat (can choose low-fat versions), contains lactose.
Best for: Those with liver problems (fatty liver, cirrhosis), diabetes, autoimmune conditions
Benefits: Lower in fat and cholesterol than cow’s milk, higher in vitamin C and iron, contains insulin-like proteins that may help regulate blood sugar, rich in protective proteins that support liver function.
Characteristics: Slightly salty taste, easier to digest than cow’s milk, contains different proteins that may be tolerated by some with cow’s milk allergies.
Best for: Those who cannot digest cow’s milk, people with sensitive stomachs, infants (when breast milk isn’t available)
Benefits: Smaller fat globules make it easier to digest, lower in lactose, less likely to cause bloating and cramping, rich in medium-chain fatty acids that are easier to metabolize, naturally homogenized (fat doesn’t separate).
Characteristics: Slightly tangy flavor, naturally easier on the digestive system, less inflammatory than cow’s milk for many people.
Allah didn’t just create one type of milk. He created a range of options to suit different bodies, different digestive systems, and different health conditions. This is the mercy of the Creator—providing for every need, accounting for every variation in human biology. The Quran doesn’t just tell us to drink milk; it tells us there are different types from different livestock, inviting us to find what works best for our individual bodies.
The Message of Surah An-Nahl
Surah An-Nahl is called “The Chapter of Blessings” because it catalogs the countless gifts Allah has bestowed upon humanity. But it’s more than a list—it’s an invitation to reflect, to reason, to give thought.
Notice how each food mention ends with a call to contemplation:
• After dates and grapes: “Indeed in that is a sign for a people who reason” (يعقلون – ya’qiloon)
• After honey: “Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought” (يتفكرون – yatafakkaroon)
• After milk: “And indeed, for you in livestock is a lesson” (لعبرة – la’ibrah)
These aren’t just foods. They are signs (آيات – ayat)—evidence of divine design, invitations to wonder, proofs of a Creator who knows exactly what His creation needs.
When you drink milk, you’re witnessing a miracle: how a cow transforms grass into a nutrient-rich liquid extracted from between digestion and blood, emerging pure and wholesome. When you taste honey, you’re experiencing the collective labor of thousands of female bees following divine programming. When you eat a date or grape, you’re consuming concentrated nutrition packaged in nature’s perfect form.
The next time you reach for one of these foods, remember: you’re not just eating. You’re engaging with divine wisdom, consuming what the Creator Himself highlighted as worthy of reflection, and nourishing your body with what Allah designed specifically for human health.
This is the beauty of the Quran—it’s not just a book of worship rituals. It’s a comprehensive guide to life, down to the very food we eat, reminding us that everything in creation is a sign pointing back to the One who created it all.
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