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Honey

A drink of many colours

عَسَلʿasal, honey

Surah An-Nahl, “The Bee”, tells of bees inspired to build their homes and eat from all the fruits, and of the drink that comes from them.

A chunk of golden honeycomb with honey dripping from its edge

In the Quran

ثُمَّ كُلِى مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ فَٱسْلُكِى سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلًۭا ۚ يَخْرُجُ مِنۢ بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌۭ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ فِيهِ شِفَآءٌۭ لِّلنَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَةًۭ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ۝٦٩

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 on quran.com (opens in a new tab)

وَأَوْحَىٰ رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلنَّحْلِ أَنِ ٱتَّخِذِى مِنَ ٱلْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًۭا وَمِنَ ٱلشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ ۝٦٨

And your Lord inspired to the bee, "Take for yourself among the mountains, houses, and among the trees and [in] that which they construct.

Surah An-Nahl 16:68 on quran.com (opens in a new tab)

مَّثَلُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ٱلَّتِى وُعِدَ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ ۖ فِيهَآ أَنْهَٰرٌۭ مِّن مَّآءٍ غَيْرِ ءَاسِنٍۢ وَأَنْهَٰرٌۭ مِّن لَّبَنٍۢ لَّمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُهُۥ وَأَنْهَٰرٌۭ مِّنْ خَمْرٍۢ لَّذَّةٍۢ لِّلشَّٰرِبِينَ وَأَنْهَٰرٌۭ مِّنْ عَسَلٍۢ مُّصَفًّۭى ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ وَمَغْفِرَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ كَمَنْ هُوَ خَٰلِدٌۭ فِى ٱلنَّارِ وَسُقُوا۟ مَآءً حَمِيمًۭا فَقَطَّعَ أَمْعَآءَهُمْ ۝١٥

Is the description of Paradise, which the righteous are promised, wherein are rivers of water unaltered, rivers of milk the taste of which never changes, rivers of wine delicious to those who drink, and rivers of purified honey, in which they will have from all [kinds of] fruits and forgiveness from their Lord, like [that of] those who abide eternally in the Fire and are given to drink scalding water that will sever their intestines?

Surah Muhammad 47:15 on quran.com (opens in a new tab)

Notes

  • In the commentaries

    The verse does not use the word honey; it speaks of “a drink, varying in colors”. Ibn Kathir explains that drink as honey.

  • In the commentaries

    Most classical commentators, Ibn Kathir among them, take “in which there is healing for people” to refer to honey; some read it as referring to the Quran. It is not medical advice, and this site gives none.

  • In the Quran

    The word ʿasal itself appears once, in 47:15, among the rivers of Paradise: “rivers of purified honey”.

What’s in it

Nutrition per 100 g, from USDA FoodData Central entry 169640
Per 100 gAmount
Energy304 kcal
Carbohydrate82 g
Total sugars82 g
Fibre0.2 g
Protein0.3 g
Fat0 g

Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, “Honey” (FDC 169640) (opens in a new tab). Bars compare each value with the highest among the foods on this site. General information, not dietary or medical advice.