Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nahl Verse 66

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Surely there is a lesson for you in the cattle. We provide you, out of what lies in their bellies between feces and blood, the (drink of) milk, pure and pleasant for those who drink.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And there is certainly a lesson for you in cattle: We give you to drink of what is in their bellies, from between digested food and blood: pure milk, pleasant to drink.[[ lit., pleasant for those who drink. ]]

Ruwwad Translation Center

And there is surely a lesson for you in livestock. We give you drink from what is in their bellies – produced between excretion and blood – pure and pleasant milk for those who drink.

A. J. Arberry

And surely in the cattle there is a lesson for you; We give you to drink of what is in their bellies, between filth and blood, pure milk, sweet to drinkers.

Abdul Haleem

In livestock, too, you have a lesson- We give you a drink from the contents of their bellies, between waste matter and blood, pure milk, sweet to the drinker.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And verily there is for you in the cattle a lesson: We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, from betwixt the dung and the blood: milk Pure and pleasant to swallow for the drinkers.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And verily in cattle (too) will ye find an instructive sign. From what is within their bodies between excretions and blood, We produce, for your drink, milk, pure and agreeable to those who drink it.

Abul Ala Maududi

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 milk - which is a palatable drink for those who take it.

Ahmed Ali

And surely in cattle there is a lesson for you: We give you a drink from the extract of food in their bellies and blood-purest milk so delicious to drink;

Ahmed Raza Khan

And indeed in cattle is a lesson for you; We provide you drink from what is in their bellies – pure milk from between the excretion and the blood, palatable for the drinkers.

Ali Quli Qarai

There is indeed a lesson for you in the cattle: We give you a drink pleasant to those who drink, pure milk, which is in their bellies, between [intestinal] waste and blood.

Ali Ünal

And surely in the cattle (feeding on the pastures of the revived earth) there is a lesson for you: We give you from that which is within their bodies, (marvelously distinguished from) between the waste and blood, milk that is pure and palatable to those who drink.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And most surely, you have an evidence in the cattle (also, which should lead you from ignorance to knowledge). We feed you with pure milk which lies in their bellies; betwixt the faeces and the blood, (which is) agreeable and sweet for those who drink (it).

English Literal

And that for you in the camels/livestock (is) an example (E) , We make you drink from what (is) in its bellies/insides, clear/pure milk pleasant tasting to the drinking, from between fully and partially digested food/feces and blood.

Faridul Haque

And indeed in cattle is a lesson for you; We provide you drink from what is in their bellies - pure milk from between the excretion and the blood, palatable for the drinkers.

Hamid S. Aziz

Verily, you have in cattle a lesson; We give you to drink from that which is in their belly, betwixt excretions and blood, pure milk, agreeable for drinkers.

Hilali & Khan

And verily! In the cattle, there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, from between excretions and blood, pure milk; palatable to the drinkers.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And Allah sends down water from above, and therewith gives life to the earth after its death. Surely there is a sign in this for a people who listen.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And most surely there is a lesson for you in the cattle; We give you to drink of what is in their bellies-- from betwixt the feces and the blood-- pure milk, easy and agreeable to swallow for those who drink.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And lo! in the cattle there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, from betwixt the refuse and the blood, pure milk palatable to the drinkers.

Muhammad Sarwar

There is a lesson for you to learn concerning cattle. We provide pleasant milk for you to drink within the delicate system of their veins and arteries.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Indeed, in the cattle there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, between the filth (bowels) and blood, pure milk, which is sweet to those who drink.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And there is indeed a lesson for you in the An'am (cattle). We have made a drink for you out of what is in its belly, from between excretions and blood, pure milk; palatable to the drinkers.

Wahiduddin Khan

There is also a lesson for you in cattle. From the contents of their bellies, from between the dung and blood, We give you pure milk to drink, pleasant for those who drink it.

Talal Itani

And there is a lesson for you in cattle: We give you a drink from their bellies, from between waste and blood, pure milk, refreshing to the drinkers.

Tafsir jalalayn

And truly for you there is in the cattle a lesson, an example to learn from. We give you to drink -- [this introduces] the explanation of the `lesson' -- of that which is in their bellies, the cattle's [bellies], from (min indicates a new subject and is semantically connected to nusqkum, `We give you to drink') between the refuse, the intestinal waste, and the blood, pure milk, uncontaminated by either the refuse or the blood, neither in its taste, odour or colour, even though it [the milk] is [situated] between the two, palatable to drinkers, easily passing down their throats, not causing any choking.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

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