The Honey in Bible and Quran

One of the inherited doctrines of mankind is that the Quran is quoted or borrowed from the Bible. This Dogma is established upon studies of many prejudiced intellectuals which mischief mankind.

In this series of articles, I will try to explore this Dogma on scientific basis to show up that it is forged.

If we study any topic in Quran versus Bible, we will observe the immense dissimilarities in both. If we link such dissimilarities to the sciences, we will realize that sciences are in favor of the Noble Quran.

In the topic of Honey, one may ask this:

Is the Quran quoted from the Bible? And which book look good with sciences? The book which talks about the Purification and the healing effects of Honey or the book which talks about the lips of the strange woman that drops as a honeycomb?

Before dealing with the topic of the Honey in Quran versus Bible versus sciences, it is mandatory to give some statistical hints.

The total words in the Bible are 788,280 while total words in the Quran are 77,473. It follows that, the Bible is more than 10 times the Quran word-wise. In other words, the Bible has the potential of more than 10 times than the Quran to present its topics.

Back to the Honey, it is mentioned in the Bible 61 times and two times in the Quran.

Honey in the Bible

Honey is mentioned in the Bible 61 times

In 20 out of these 61 verses, the bible describes Canaan as a "land flowing with milk and honey" e.g.

Exodus 3:8

So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

Exodus 3:8

And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Honey and the lips of a strange woman

Proverbs 5:3

For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

One does not know the relation between the lips of a strange woman and the Honey.

Honey and the lips of spouse:

Song of Solomon 4:11

Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

Proverbs 16:24

Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

Upon asking many orthopedic doctors, they deny any relation between the pleasant words and health to the bones.

Song of Solomon 5:1

I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

In this verse, there is an invitation of friends for food that is comprised of

honeycomb, honey; wine, milk and spice and attended by his sister and his spouse

In New Testament it is interesting to know that John the Baptist wore camel's hair and subsisted on locusts and honey (Matthew 3:4)

Honey in Quran

Honey is mentioned two times in the Quran, the honey that we use is described in the Quran as a part of the bees' products while the honey that we have not yet used is described in the Quran as the PURE honey that is present in the paradise.

Honey as a part of the bees' products

This is the honey present in our life

The Quran describes the process of its formation by bees and the medical values of it and of the other bees' products.

Surah 16:68-69

"And your Lord revealed the FEMALE Honeybee; build homes in mountains, and trees, and in the hives people built for you.

16-The Honeybee, then to eat of all the produce and fruits (of the earth), and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord: there issues from within their bodies a fluid of varying colors (and tastes and characters), wherein is healing for men: verily in this is a Sign for those who are thinking".

The verses not only describe Honey but all the Bees products.

The four main products from the bees are:- Royal Jelly, Bee Pollen, Propolis and Honey.

They have been used for last few centuries by civilizations around the world to treat a wide variety of ailments and medical conditions.

They are multipurpose substances that in some forms can be applied externally to the skin and in other forms ingested as a food or supplement.

Bee Products are Mother Nature’s most incredible gift to our planet, packed with vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids, bee products may provide us with essential nutrition to help with our fast-paced lifestyles.

It follows that the Quran tells us about the healing effects and the medical values of the Bees products that include the Honey.

On the other hand, the Bible says nothing about the Bees products and about their healing effects.

Honey in the afterlife:

In Surah 47:15, Honey is mentioned as a gift to the righteous which believe in Allah.

"(Here is) a Parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised: in it are rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits; and Grace from their Lord. (Can those in such Bliss) be compared to such as shall dwell forever in the Fire, and be given, to drink, boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels (to pieces)".

This verse gives us some honorable, belief and scientific hints e.g,

1. The fate of the righteous who believe in Allah is described in short.

2. The incorruptible water and the milk of which the taste never changes indicate that there will be no bacteria in the Paradise.

3. The fate of the unbelievers will be the dwelling forever in the Fire and…

Back to the Honey, the verse tells us in an indirect way about the process of purification of Honey. Since the top kind of Honey will be in the Paradise, and that Honey is pure and clean, hence, we have to look for the methods that purify Honey in our life.

In short, the Quran tells us about the purification of Honey and about the healing effects of the Honey and the other bees' products.

On the other hand, the Bible never tells that.

Hence, one fair intellectual person has to answer this Dogmatic question:

"Does the Quran quoted or borrowed from the Bible? And which book looks good with sciences? The book which talks about the Purification and the healing effects of Honey and the Bees 'products or the book which talks about the lips of the strange woman that drop as an honeycomb?. "