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Milk

Pure, and palatable to drinkers

لَبَنlaban, milk

The Quran points to milk as a lesson: a pure drink that comes from between excretion and blood.

A white jug pouring a ribbon of milk that ends in a small splash

In the Quran

وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ لَعِبْرَةًۭ ۖ نُّسْقِيكُم مِّمَّا فِى بُطُونِهِۦ مِنۢ بَيْنِ فَرْثٍۢ وَدَمٍۢ لَّبَنًا خَالِصًۭا سَآئِغًۭا لِّلشَّٰرِبِينَ ۝٦٦

And indeed, for you in grazing 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 on quran.com (opens in a new tab)

وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ لَعِبْرَةًۭ ۖ نُّسْقِيكُم مِّمَّا فِى بُطُونِهَا وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَنَٰفِعُ كَثِيرَةٌۭ وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ ۝٢١

And indeed, for you in livestock is a lesson. We give you drink from that which is in their bellies, and for you in them are numerous benefits, and from them you eat.

Surah Al-Muʾminun 23:21 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 Quran

    The verse calls it a lesson (ʿibra) in grazing livestock. 23:21 repeats the lesson and adds that people eat from them and find many benefits in them.

  • In the Quran

    In 47:15 Paradise holds “rivers of milk the taste of which never changes”.

What’s in it

Nutrition per 100 g, from USDA FoodData Central entry 171265
Per 100 gAmount
Energy61 kcal
Carbohydrate4.8 g
Total sugars5.0 g
Fibre0 g
Protein3.1 g
Fat3.3 g

Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, “Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D” (FDC 171265) (opens in a new tab). Bars compare each value with the highest among the foods on this site. Values for whole cow’s milk. USDA’s total sugars (5.05 g) sit slightly above its carbohydrate figure (4.8 g), which is calculated by difference; both are shown as published. General information, not dietary or medical advice.