Surah An Nahl Tafseer

Lessons and Blessings in Cattle and the Fruit of the Date-palm and Grapevine

Allah says,

وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ

there is for you (- O mankind -)

فِي الَانْعَامِ

in the cattle,

meaning camels, cows and sheep,

لَعِبْرَةً

a lesson,

meaning a sign and an evidence of the wisdom, power, mercy and kindness of the Creator.

نُّسْقِيكُم مِّمَّا فِي بُطُونِهِ

We have made a drink for you out of what is in its belly,

meaning its singular forms refers to one cattle, or it could refer to the whole species. For cattle are the creatures which provide a drink from what is in their bellies and in another Ayah it is `in their bellies.' Either way is plausible.

He said,

مِن بَيْنِ فَرْثٍ وَدَمٍ لَّبَنًا خَالِصًا

from between excretions and blood, pure milk;

meaning it is free of blood, and is pure in its whiteness, taste and sweetness.

It is between excrement and blood in the belly of the animal, but each of them goes its own way after the food has been fully digested in its stomach. The blood goes to the veins, the milk goes to the udder, the urine goes to the bladder and the feces goes to the anus. None of them gets mixed with another after separating, and none of them is affected by the other.

لَّبَنًا خَالِصًا

سَأيِغًا لِلشَّارِبِينَ

pure milk; palatable to the drinkers.

meaning nothing to cause one to choke on it.

When Allah mentions milk and how He has made it a palatable drink for mankind, He follows this with a reference to the drinks that people make from the fruits of the date palm and grapevine, and what they used to do with intoxicating Nabidh (drink made from dates) before it was forbidden.

Thus He reminds them of His blessings, and says