Bee like the bee (edition 2nd)

BE LIKE THE BEE
Muhammad Nabeel Musharraf
AUSTRALIAN ISLAMIC LIBRARY
www.australianislamiclibrary.org

No Copyright Restrictions, April 2016
This material can be used for educational and Dawah
purposes. However, it is highly desired for this to be
distributed free of cost.
Book is also available for download from Australian Islamic
Library.
www.australianislamiclibrary.org
Be Like the Bee (2nd Ed.) by Muhammad Nabeel
Musharraf is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International License.
BEE LIKE THE BEE (2nd Ed.)
ISBN: 978-1-365-08119-4
Acknowledgements:
This book is mainly inspired by a Friday Khutbah from
Ustadh Noman Ali Khan in which he explained the verses of
Surah An-Nahl dealing with Honey Bee and how we can
take heed from what it does. All readers are encouraged to
watch this video (available on Australian Islamic Library
website) in addition to reading this book.
May Allah accept this effort and reward all those who
contributed to presenting this book.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
SYNOPSIS:...........................................................................................................6
Compelling Need to Contemplate:..................................................................7
An-Nahl:..............................................................................................................9
Quran highlighting the important role of female bees:..............................11
The Liquid Emerging from their bellies: ......................................................13
Varying colours of honey:...............................................................................14
Healing for People: ..........................................................................................14
How to “Be like the Bee”:................................................................................15
Understanding the Purpose of Life:...........................................................16
Eating from Pure Sources ............................................................................16
Mind what comes out of our mouths: .......................................................17
Mind Our relationships:...............................................................................18
Not cutting in from other’s rizk:.................................................................20
Pains-taking: ..................................................................................................21
Leaving the Ego:............................................................................................22
Having a role to play:...................................................................................22
Team Work.....................................................................................................23
Not letting anyone fall:.................................................................................24
Group Productivity:......................................................................................24
Humility and humbleness:..........................................................................25
No good deed is too small:..........................................................................26
Loyalty to Just ruler and government:.......................................................26
Living within one’s means: .........................................................................27
Understanding the times and environment we are living in:................28
Honest Communication:..............................................................................28
Consultation:..................................................................................................29

Ability to rise up from ashes:......................................................................30
Learning from our experiences and history .............................................30
Conclusion:........................................................................................................31

SYNOPSIS:
In this book, we have presented the ayahs from Surah An-Nahl where
Allah explains how it orders the female bees to take homes in
mountains, trees and what humans make for them. We then elaborate
the blessings from bees dwelling in what humans prepare for them to be
taken as home and how it gives rise to the field of bee-farming.
Following that is the explanation of Quranic miracle by calling female
bees to do these tasks, the fact that was not proven by science till recent
times after the invention of microscopes. It is a clear sign of any person
with an open heart to accept the beautiful message of Islam.
We then present some benefits of honey as mentioned in the ayah and
the fact that it is available in different colors.
This explanation is followed by a hadith from our beloved Prophet
Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ in which he advised believers to be like a bee. We then
present an analysis of some key behaviours from bees and relate to how
believers can be like a bee.
May Allah accept this effort and make it trigger valuable changes in the
life of its author and those who read it.
Ameen.

Compelling Need to Contemplate:
The way a true believer thinks is distinctly different from all other
beings. The reason for this is the book of Allah which invites
people to think and ponder. Allah presents numerous facts and
important points in the glorious Quran and invites humanity to
ponder and reflect.
On the day of judgement, there would be a group of people who
would be fed into the hell-fire and when asked about the reason
for this fate,
“___
And they shall say: Had we but listened or pondered, we should not have
been among the inmates of the burning fire.
___”
(Quran 67:10)
We, therefore, have time at our hands now to stop and think.
There are actually two paths which we can take. And either of
these will lead to our Lord and save us from the hellfire. Allah
tells us about both of these paths through the words of inmates
of Hell. You see their crime was not only their refusal to make
Him their Rabb. Their crime was not only their denying that He
would send down revelation. Their crime was also their failure to
take either of these two paths. Both of these paths were in front
of them. Both of these paths were available for them. But they
chose not to take either of them. They chose instead to feed their
own egos and their own greed and their own lusts.
„Listening‟ in above verse can have two connotations. One, not
listening to the right things at all and keeping ourselves
immersed in the matters meant for short-term joys only ignoring
the never-ending after-life. The other form of not listening can be

when the right words do reach our ears but cannot make their
way beyond that. We do listen to khutbahs, speeches, and advice
from elder etc. but do not act upon that. So, in effect, we are not
listening to what they are saying.
But the other point that we have to keep in mind is the reason
why “or” was used in above ayah. Muslim is not only supposed to
listen to good stuff but also to ponder, reflect and think
constantly. There are plenty of reasons to contemplate even when
we are not sitting and listening to a sheikh or watching a
religious program.
If we glance through the Quran we will find that it abounds with
passages dealing with the phenomena of nature and man is
repeatedly exhorted to penetrate into its mysteries, to understand
them and appreciate the Glory of God. The Quran says that God
did not create the Heavens and the Earth and all that is between
them but with truth. The World is not an illusion, nor without
purpose. It points out that:
“___
Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of
night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding.
___”
(Quran 3:190)
Nearly one-eighth of the Holy Quran urges readers to study
nature, history, the Quran itself and humanity at large. The text
employs a range of expressions in its appeal to those who listen
(‫,)یسمعون‬ those who think (‫,)یتفکرون‬ those who reflect (‫,)یتدبرون‬ those
who observe (‫,)ینظرون‬ those who exercise their intellect (‫,)یعقلون‬
those who take heed and remember (‫,)یتذکرون‬ those who ask
questions (‫,)یسئلون‬ those who develop an insight (‫)یفقھون‬ and those
who know (‫یعلمون‬).

An-Nahl:
An-Nahl1 in Arabic refers to honey bee and this is what we are
going to discuss in this booklet in the light of Quran and hadith.
Allah SWT says in the Quran:
“___
And your Lord inspired to the bee, “Prepare for thyself dwellings in mountains
and in trees, and in what [men] may build [for thee by way of hives]
___”
“___
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.
___”
The lexical meaning of the Arabic word ('wahi‟ from which
is derived) is a secret inspiration. The Qur'an has used this word
both for the instinctive inspiration by Allah to His creation in
1
Quran’s Chapter 16 is called An-Nahl. There are many mathematical facts attached to this surah as well as the
number 16 when we analyze various aspects of this surah. Number of chromosomes in male honey bee are 16.
In female, it is 16x2 = 32. The number of verses in this surah are 16 x 8 = 128. Verses 68 and 69 of this Surah
mention the honey-bees. The first verse, 68 has 13 words. If we count the words from the beginning of this
surah up to the word honey-bee (Nahl) in that verse, we come up with 884 letters. Let us see if this number
has any meaning. This number is equal to the product of the verse number 68 (68X13=884).

general and for the Revelation towards His Prophets in particular.
In this Ayah, Allah SWT mentions that He sends wahi to the bee
and inspires it with faculties to perform the whole of its
wonderful work instinctively. The same is true of the bird that
learns to fly, the fish that learns to swim and the newly born
child that learns to suck milk etc. However, out of all the
animals, Allah has chosen to mentioned „Bee‟, something usually
considered insignificant, as a special example. This demands
from us a reflection and thinking on „why‟.
In above Ayah, Allah has used the word “ ”which means
direct command. The command is to make or erect homes in
mountains, trees and what people make for them to do the
farming.
First of all, Allah made the point to mention that He commands
the bee in the form of Wahi and communicates where it should
build its home, essentially allowing all the bee farming to happen.
As a matter of fact, bee farming is not just about honey. Most of
the farming relies on pollination through bees. For example,
California has some of the biggest and oldest farms in the world
producing half of the US supply of fruits, nuts, and vegetables at
an annual value of $16.45 billion, and exporting $6.5 billion of
food and agricultural commodities abroad.
“In the United States, over 100 crops are bee-pollinated, and 15–
30% of the average American diet is comprised of bee-pollinated
foods. Thus, bee-pollinated crops make up an important
component of human dietary stability and diversity. Some of the
fruits and vegetables requiring bee pollination include alfalfa,
almond, apple, avocado, cantaloupe, cucumber, kiwi, plum,
squash, sunflower, watermelon, and selected cultivars of apricot,
citrus, peach, and strawberry.”i
Allah Azawajal revealed to bee that it can make its home in the
mountains, and it can make its home in the trees. But had Allah
SWT not mentioned “‫یعرشون‬ ‫مما‬ ‫,”و‬ we would have only found honey

bees working in trees and mountains and would have never been
able to farm them. But Allah made things easy for us so that we
can ponder on His blessings and become thankful.
So you and I enjoy the supply of the honey bees because of Allah
giving it permission. It makes us reflect on the fact that all of
what we enjoy from Allah‟s creation is because Allah explicitly
commands its creation, in this particular case, the bee to be at
our service. Allah SWT tells bees that when people build for you a
home, use it and dwell in there.
Quran highlighting the important role of female bees:
In order to understand this point, I would briefly highlight the
way verbs are used in the Arabic language.
The words in the Arabic language are divided into two categories
in terms of gender: the words that are used for female beings are
called muannath (feminine) and the words that are used for male
beings are called mudhakkar (masculine).
In Arabic language, things are either muannath (feminine) or
mudhakkar (masculine) whether they are animals, plants; objects
or verbs. When the doer of the sentence is male, the verb is
conjugated as masculine and when the doer of the sentence is
female, the verb is conjugated as feminine. That is, there is
coherence between the verb and doer in terms of gender. Even if
there is one male in the group, the masculine verb is used.
In the above-mentioned ayahs, Allah SWT talks about An-Nahl.
In Arabic, the bee is written as "Nahl" in the same way both for
male and female. This word has no feminine form. However, the
Qur'an uses the feminine form of the verb when it gives
information about the inspiration which is given to the bee and
what the bee does. As we have mentioned before, verbs in the
Arabic language are conjugated in different ways according to the
gender.

We will now present the next ayah as well
This is also valid in many other languages of the world.
Important points to note here are:
- In the verse, in order to express the meaning "make
habitation", the word ‫ِي‬‫ذ‬َ‫خ‬َّ‫ت‬ِ‫ا‬, (ittakhadhi) which is used
(feminine verb explaining that decision to take place as the
home is made by the female bees). It is now scientifically
proven that this work of identifying a suitable home is done
by scout bees who are females. The feminine verb is
preferred here instead of ْ‫َذ‬‫خ‬َّ‫ت‬ِ‫ا‬, (ittakhadh) which could have
been used had there been any male in the group. It is also
scientifically proven that male bee has no role in identifying
the home, building it or doing any other form of work. There
only role is to mate with queen bee after which they almost
immediately die. Surviving male bees are also thrown out of
the bee hive in winters in order to preserve food. They
shortly die afterwards.
- Similarly, feminine verb is used in order to express the
meaning "eat of all fruits" - the word of ًِ‫ل‬ُ‫ك‬, (kulliy). It is
preferred over ْ‫ل‬ُ‫ك‬, (kul) which is used for the masculine. We
know now that this work is also done ONLY be female bees.
- The female verb is also used to express the meaning "follow
the ways of your Lord" - the word of ًِ‫ك‬ُ‫ل‬‫س‬ُ‫ا‬, (uslukiy) which is
used for the feminine, is preferred instead of ْ‫ك‬ُ‫ل‬‫س‬ُ‫ا‬, (usluk)
which is used for the masculine. There is a whole science
attached to how the female bees follow a certain path,
acquire their raw material and come back to their place of
dwelling.
- The pronoun "their" in the sentence "There comes forth from
their bellies" is expressed with the word ‫َا‬‫ه‬, (ha) which refers
to the feminine instead of the word ُْ‫ه‬, (hu) which refers to
the masculine. It is also scientifically proven that honey is
prepared in the bellies of female bees only.

It is clearly a matter for us to reflect and contemplate. The
information about the dominant role of female bees in this affair
was given to us more than 1400 hundred years ago. It was
impossible for the people to know the division of labour in the
honeycomb at the time of the revelation of the Qur'an. The people
of that time did neither know that the worker bees were female
nor that the works of building the comb and producing honey
were performed by female worker bees. However, the Qur'an
informed us about this provoking the thought process for all the
people to come. Is there any other better way to respond to this
other than accepting the Glorious Qur'an as the final revelation
from God and follow it?
The Liquid Emerging from their bellies:
Let us know look at that part of Ayah again which talks about
honey emerging from the bellies:
“___
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.”
___”
It was not known until not too long ago, that honey bees collect
nectar from various sources and stores them in the honey
stomach (their bellies) where it gets processed and gets converted
to honey.
Figure: Parts of body – Honey Bee

Flower nectars, containing a number of beneficial substances
from humans, are processed in the bellies of honey bees through
following two important processes:
- Enzymes get mixed with nectar and change its chemical
composition
- Moisture gets evaporated, leaving only about 18-percent
water in honey.
The effect is to make honey a very stable food. It naturally resists
molds, fungi, and other bacteria, allowing it to last for years
without refrigeration.
Varying colours of honey:
Unlike cane sugar, which tastes the same wherever it is grown,
the colour and flavour of honey are very specific to the nectar of
the flower from which it is drawn, and the region where the
flower grows. Eucalyptus honey from California, for example, can
taste and look different from Australian eucalyptus honey.
The colour and flavour of honey differs depending on the nectar
source, the blossoms visited by the honey bees. Honey colour
ranges from nearly colourless to dark brown, and its flavour
varies from delectably mild to distinctively bold.
Healing for People:
The beloved Prophet ‫ﷺ‬ said,
“___
"Make use of the two remedies: honey and the Quran."
___”
(Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Baihaqi)

If we understand Quran, it will heal our inner illnesses and
honey is a cure for many of bodily illnesses.
Research studies have testified to the fact mentioned in Quran
and Sunnah about the healing effects of honey by coming up
with a number of medical benefits of its consumptions including
its benefit as a cure for cancer and being an antioxidant, its
antibacterial nature, its vitamin contents, its ability to fight
allergies, its role as immunity enhancer, its impact in reducing
muscle fatigue, its role as sleep aid when mixed with milk, its
ability to suppress to GERD (a digestive disease in which
stomach content comes to oesophagus causing burning) and a
number of other health and healing benefits. We are not
dependent on science, however, to believe in the timeless facts
mentioning in Quran and Sunnah. Most of these facts were
unknown and even unbelievable to people a few centuries before
us. Also, there were many facts which were understood in a
different way in which they are understood today. It is an open
invitation for all to ponder upon this and all the other facts
communicated to humanity in the age when there were no
telescopes or microscopes available to identify these glorious
timeless facts.
How to “Be like the Bee”:
The concept of being like a bee comes to us from the Hadith of
our beloved prophet Muhammad‫:ﷺ‬
“___
By the One in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, the believer is like a bee
which eats that which is pure and wholesome and lays that which is pure
and wholesome. When it lands on something it does not break or ruin it.
___”
(Ahmad)

Now let us mention some of the characteristics of bees and how
to be like them:
Understanding the Purpose of Life:
Bees understand the purpose of their being and live their
whole life to achieve it. They know that they may not be able
to eat all that they are gathering, but they continue to do so
and give it back to their community. So should be the case
of a believer. We should not just be concerned about
ourselves only and should not spend our whole life to better
our dunya. We need to see the bigger purpose of life and act
accordingly. How useful would be a worker whose master
lays down his purpose in front of him and his actions are
exactly the opposite.
“___
On the authority of Ibn „Umar, radiyallahu „anhuma, who said: The
Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu „Alayhi wasallam, took me by the
shoulder and said:
“Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a
traveler/wayfarer.” Ibn „Umar used to say:
“When evening comes, do not expect (to live till) morning, and when
morning comes, do not expect (to live till) evening. Take from your health
(a preparation) for your illness, and from your life for your death.”
__”
[Al-Bukhari]
Eating from Pure Sources
The bee only eats from flowers which are „tayyib‟ (pure and
wholesome). It is not attracted to repulsive things, unlike
some other insects. Likewise, the believer should only eat
that which is pure and wholesome and should not be
attracted to the undesirable. It is not only about the food
that we eat, but also about the manners in which we earn it.
“___

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)
said:
O People! Allah is al-Tayyib (Pure), and He only accepts that which is
pure! Allah has commanded the believers what He has commanded the
Messengers, for He said, 'O Messengers! Eat from the pure foods, and
do right,' and He said, 'O you who believe! Eat from the pure and good
foods We have given you.‟
___”
“___
Hazrat Abu Saeed [radhiallaahu anhu] says that Nabi [ ‫صلى‬ْ‫هللا‬ْ‫علٌه‬ْ‫وسلم‬ ]
said: "Whosoever maintained himself on legitimate earning, followed the
prophets traditions and refrained from doing mischief, deserves Jannat
and would be admitted to it."
___”
Mind what comes out of our mouths:
What comes out of bee‟s mouth is a purified liquid, honey,
which gives a cure to humanity from illnesses (as explained
in the previous section). So should be what comes out from
believer's mouth – his words. Our words should be clean
and beautiful and targeted to benefit humanity. Honey
doesn‟t come out of bee‟s mouth immediately rather it is
processed and purely treated before coming out. So should
be the case with what we choose to say. It should be well-
thought-out and reflected upon rather than a spontaneous
unthoughtful response.
“___
The Messenger (S.A.W.) warned us about the seriousness of speaking.
The prophet said, in an authentic hadith reported by Imams At-Tirmidhi
and Ibn-Majah, that, “A person may say a word that is pleasing to
Allah (S.W.T.) and he may not think much of it, but Allah (S.W.T.) will,
(because of that word), bestow his pleasure upon him on the Day of
Judgment, and a person may say a word that is displeasing to Allah
(S.W.T.), and he may not think much of it, but Allah will have, (because
of that word) put his wrath and anger on him on the Day of Judgment.”
___”

“___
And be moderate in your pace and lower your voice; indeed, the most
disagreeable of sounds is the voice of donkeys… But of the people is he
who disputes about Allah without knowledge or guidance or an
enlightening Book.” (Qur‟an, 31:19-20)
___”
“___
The Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ (peace be upon him) said: “He who gave up
disputing while he is right, a palace of high rank in Paradise will be
built for him. He who gave up disputing while he is a fabricator, a
palace in the center of Paradise will be built for him.” (al-Tirmidhi who
declared it as Hasan)
___”
“___
The Messenger of Allah ‫ﷺ‬ said, “Kind speech and feeding (the hungry)
guarantee you Paradise.” (al-Tabarani)
___”
Mind Our relationships:
The bee respects what eats from and does not break or
destroy the flowers upon which it lands and eat from.
Likewise, the believer should be gentle in his dealings with
the creation of Allah should not harm them in any capacity
or by any unlawful ways. Bees even go further in the
treatment of the place they earn from.
“___
Allah SWT says:
Do no mischief on the earth, after it has been set in order, but call on
Him with fear and longing (in your hearts): for the Mercy of Allah is
(always) near to those who do good things.
(al-A‟raf 7:56)
___”

In the process of gathering nectar, a bee gives back more to
the flower; it transfers pollen grains from one flower to
another and hence pollinates the flower resulting in its
future growth. In our relationships, with where we earn
from and those who come in contact with us, we should try
and give more just like the bee does. Islam wants us to be
generous with our love, attention, affection, mercy and time.
This also gives us a message of mercy and love towards our
friends, spouses, and children who deserve to be treated
with extra special kindness and consideration. If our
demands from them are never-ending and we continue to be
hard and tough on them, they can ultimately break –
something that a honey bee never does to what it comes in
contact with. It keeps on fluttering its wings while picking
nectar to ensure that the delicate part of the flower it is
drawing from never breaks.
“___
Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace, and
blessings be upon him, said, “Those who are merciful will be shown
mercy by the Merciful. Be merciful to those on the earth and the One
above the heavens will have mercy upon you. The womb is derived from
the Merciful, so whoever keeps relations with his family then Allah will
keep relations with him, and whoever abandons his family then Allah
will abandon him.” (Tirmidhi)
___”
“___
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When you smile to your
brother's face, it is charity." (Tirmidhi)
___”
“___
Abd Allah b. al-Hârith R.A. said: "I have never seen anyone more in the
habit of smiling than Allah's Messenger." (Tirmidhi)
___”

“___
Our beloved prophet Muhammad (‫ﷺ‬) also said:
“it is only the evil one who abuses them (women) and the honored one
is he who honors them”
___”
“___
"God is Kind and likes kindness in all things."
___”
(Bukhari/ Muslim)
Not cutting in from other’s rizk:
When another bee from a different hive passes by a flower
and it smells and observes if a flower has already got a
relationship with another hive. If it does, it leaves the flower
alone. Believers should also exhibit this quality and should
never try to cut from rizk for other believers. Allah‟s rizq is
vast. True believer doesn't have to take the food out of other
believer‟s plate and put into theirs.
“___
"None of you will have faith till he wishes
for his brother what he likes for himself." (Bukhari)
___”
“___
"Do not rejoice over the troubles of your brother, lest God might have
mercy on him and involve you in this trouble."
___”
“___
Beloved Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ said:
“I swear by the Holy Being in whose power my life is, any one of you
cannot be a true believer unless he desires for his fellow-brother what
he desires for himself.”
___”

“___
“A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim, so he should not oppress
him, forsake him, or despise him.”
___”
“___
“It is sufficient evil for a Muslim that he should look down upon his
brother. The life, wealth, and honor of a Muslim are inviolable by
another Muslim.” [Sahih Muslim]
___”
“___
„Abdullah ibn „Amr(Radiyallahu Anhu) said, “A man asked the
Prophet(Peace be upon him), „Which aspect of Islam is best?„ He said,
„FEEDING PEOPLE and greeting those you know and those you do not
know.‟” (Bukhari)
___”
“___
Ibn „Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him reported that the Prophet,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “He who eats to
satisfaction while his neighbour is hungry is not a mumin.” (Al-Hakim)
___”
Pains-taking:
We have all heard the saying „Busy as a bee‟ and it really
does sum up their lives. Honey bees may collectively travel
55,000 miles and visit two million flowers to gather enough
nectar to make just a pound of honey! Let‟s take inspiration
from them and whatever actions we do, let‟s work hard to
achieve the best results.
“___
The Messenger of Allah, (saw) said, “Verily, Allah loves that when
anyone of you does a job he should perfect it” (Al-Bayhaqi).
___”

In serving our community, we may have to take extra-
ordinary toil and pain. But we should be determined to bear
it for the sake of greater benefit of the Ummah.
Leaving the Ego:
Ego is not a feature of honeybees: their first duty is to the
colony and bees will sacrifice themselves without hesitation
if they perceive a threat to the colony. True believers also
sacrifice all their possession and ego when it comes down to
their religion – their true identity.
“___
Prophet ‫ﷺ‬ said:
Shall I not tell you about the companions of Paradise? They are every
humble person considered weak, but if they gave an oath by Allah it
would be fulfilled. Shall I not tell you about the companions of Hellfire?
They are every harsh, haughty, and arrogant person.
___” (Bukhari)
Having a role to play:
Bees live together in well-organized hives and every bee has
a role to play in its community. The queen bee lays the eggs;
worker bees clean the hive, keep the hive temperature cool;
Nurse bees take care of the young ones; some bees collect
nectar and bring it to the hive; security bees protect from
intruders. Likewise, believers should also contribute to their
community in some way or capacity. We all have a
responsibility towards our religion, our community and our
people. Whatever we are good at, we should pay back to our
religion and community with those special skills.
“___
Abdullah ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace, and
blessings be upon him, said, “Everyone of you is a shepherd and is
responsible for his flock. The leader of people is a guardian and is
responsible for his subjects. A man is the guardian of his family and he
is responsible for them. A woman is the guardian of her husband‟s
home and his children and she is responsible for them. The servant of a
man is a guardian of the property of his master and he is responsible

for it. Surely, every one of you is a shepherd and responsible for his
flock.”
___”
Source: Sahih Bukhari
Team Work
Bees recognize the fact that when we benefit someone else,
we are all benefiting. A bee cannot build a hive by itself. All
bees have to contribute and do well. When our faith
becomes weak, we forget this important principle of sharing
our success. When someone is doing well we get jealous.
And if we are doing well, we do not tell other the reasons for
this success so that they might copy and also become
successful. Such an attitude can clearly break communities.
Also, a bee cannot survive or make honey on its own, it has
to co-operate with its fellow bees. True believers are exactly
the same. They take care of their relationships well and
work with others to create harmonious and productive
societies where each person feels valuable and important.
Honeybees achieve extraordinary things by working
together. Fifty thousand workers can shift a lot of stuff. Co-
operation is the key to their success: tens of thousands of
individuals behaving as a single organism.
“___
“The Believers are but a single Brotherhood.” [Al-Hujurat 49:10]
___”
“___
“The Believers, men, and women, are protectors one of another: they
enjoin the ma`roof (all of the Islam), and forbid the munkar (all that is
evil; kufr): they observe regular prayers, pay Zakat, and obey Allah and
His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His mercy: for Allah is Exalted
in power, Wise.” [9:71]
___”

Not letting anyone fall:
Bees work together in large groups and if an individual or a
part of the group fails, other members make up of for it.
That‟s why productivity never suffers. As believers, we
should be willing to assist members of our community who
are in need of a hand or those who are not able to fulfil their
roles, physically or financially.
“___
“Whosoever relieves from a believer some grief pertaining to this world,
Allah will relieve from him some grief pertaining to the Hereafter.
Whosoever alleviates the difficulties of a needy person who cannot pay
his debt, Allah will alleviate his difficulties in both this world and the
Hereafter. Whosoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal
his faults in this world and the Hereafter. Allah will aid a servant (of
His) so long as the servant aids his brother. Whosoever follows a path
to seek knowledge therein, Allah will make easy for him a path to
Paradise.” (Muslim)
___”
“___
The Prophet said, “A faithful believer to a faithful believer is like the
bricks of a wall, enforcing each other.” While (saying that) the Prophet
clasped his hands, by interlacing his fingers.
___”
Group Productivity:
Bees stick to tasks assigned to them and complete them to
the best of their abilities. There is a defined hierarchy.
Similarly, when working in groups e.g. a volunteer
organization, we should also stick to our roles and do not
try to interfere in tasks assigned to other in an unhealthy
manner as it can pull down the productivity of the whole
group.

Humility and humbleness:
In the ayah quoted above, Allah SWT mentions the attitude
of the bee as “ ” showing its humility and humbleness
in doing its task. It doesn‟t start considering itself
something special and remains a humble member of
community continuing to offer the best it can. It doesn‟t
become arrogant on what is does. On the contrary, those
who are weak in their faith, become disrespectful and
arrogant when they are busy or are able to achieve
something. True believers are always humble and deal with
people with humility and respect.
“___
The servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth in
humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say words of
peace.
___”
Surah Al-Furqan 25:63
“___
The Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi wassallam) said: “Al-Kibr (proud and
arrogance) is the rejecting of the truth and looking down upon people.”
[Muslim, At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud]
___”
“___
The Prophet (SAWS) said, “He who is humble for the sake of Allah by a
degree, Allah will elevate him one degree, until he reaches the highest
degrees and he who is arrogant toward Allah, Allah will lower him one
degree until he reaches the lowest of low degrees.”
[Hasan Hadith; Narrated by Abu-Said Al-Khudri on the authority of
Ibnu-Hijr Al-Asqalani, number, 89.]
___”
“___
The Prophet (SAWS) said, “Allah revealed to me that we should be
humble amongst ourselves and none should show arrogance toward
others.”

[Authentic hadith reported by Muslim in al-Sahih al-Jami‟, book 040,
number 6856. Narrated by Ayad ibn-Hammar]
___”
“___
The Prophet (SAWS), said: “He who has in his heart the weight of a
mustard seed of arrogance shall not enter paradise.”
[Sahih Hadith: Al-Albany, 2894]
___”
No good deed is too small:
Despite producing a small amount of honey during its
lifetime (1/12th teaspoon), the honeybee doesn‟t give up its
work. As believers, we shouldn‟t consider a deed too small
or give up on doing the little good that we do. We should
remain content and continue struggling throughout our life
to do good: we may see little benefit in the dunya but our
main aim is the akhirah.
“___
Messenger of Allah (salAllahu Alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Do not disdain a good deed, (no matter how small it may seem) even if
it is your meeting with your (Muslim) brother with a cheerful face.''
[Muslim]
___”
“___
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Do (good) deeds
according to your capacity…God does not grow tired of giving rewards
unless you tire of doing good…The (good) deeds most loved by God are
those that are done regularly, even if they are small.”
(Fiqh-us-Sunnah)
___”
Loyalty to Just ruler and government:
Honey bees are highly committed to the queen bee and do
their best to fulfil its needs. So should be the loyalty of true
believers to righteous rulers and Emirs of their groups.

“___
Allah SWT says:
Woe to those that deal in fraud,
those who when they have to receive by measure from men, exact full
measure.
But when they have to give by measure or weight to men give less than
due (Quran 83:1-7)
___”
“___
Prophet Mohammed ‫ﷺ‬ said: “ Whoever cheats us is not of us” (Muslim,
Tirmidhi, Abi Dawood)
___”
Queen bee in the bee hives, in return, is not only there to
rule. Rather it serves the community throughout its life and
playing its role in the sustainability of hive. Just Muslim
rulers should be the same too and contribute to the good of
Ummah rather than just sitting there and eating from what
others have gathered for them.
“___
Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) said:
“One who exercise his authority and power unjust way will not enter
Paradise”
(Ahmed , Ibn Majah, Tirmidhi)
___”
Living within one’s means:
Honeybees live within their means. There are no banks,
loans or credit cards in the bees' world; only the resources
they themselves gather and store. Like us, bees need to eat
every day, and they do everything in their power to ensure a
constant food supply by storing it – not so much for
themselves, but for bees yet to be born. There is a clear
lesson for believers in this.
“___
"Allah will deprive usury of all blessing, but will give increase for deeds
of charity" (Quran 2: 276).
___”

“___
Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah: Allah's Messenger cursed the accepter of
interest and its payer, and one who records it, and the two witnesses;
and he said: They are all equal (Muslim).
___”
“___
Abu Huraira related that the Prophet said: On the night of the Miraj I
came upon a group of people whose bellies were like houses. They were
full of snakes which could be seen from outside their bellies. I asked
Gabriel who they were, and he told me that they were the people who
had practiced Riba (Interest). (Ahmad, Ibn Maja)
___”
“___
Abdullah ibn Hanjalah related that the Prophet said: A dirham of Riba
(interest) knowingly taken by a man is a sin worse than committing
Zina (fornication) 36 times (Ahmad, Daraqutni).
___”
Understanding the times and environment we are living in:
Honey bees analyse the environment they are living in and
accordingly protect themselves from its harms. They know
that this is the only effective survival strategy. They also fill
up any gaps using propolis2, which varies according to local
conditions, and can protect them against localized
pathogens. Similarly, believers should protect themselves,
their families and brotherhood in faith from the harms of
the society they are living in. Inclination towards the
immoral, addictions, violence and other harmful effects
should be tackled through appropriate means and as
jama‟ah (group).
Honest Communication:
Honeybees understand that honest communication is at the
heart of the community. Bees are great communicators and
2
Propolis or bee glue is a resinous mixture that honey bees collect from tree buds, sap flows, or other
botanical sources. It is used as a sealant for unwanted open spaces in the hive.

use vibrations and pheromones to pass complex messages
around their colony. They keep the entire group in the loop;
any vital tips like where vast amounts of pollen can be
found are relayed to other members. True believers should
also open in their communication to their community and
refrain from hiding information that can be beneficial to
their brotherhood in humanity and Islam. We should also
utilize the most effective communication techniques and
style to ensure that the message gets across as it is
supposed to be.
“___
Abdullah b. Mas'ud raḍyAllāhu 'anhu (may Allāh be pleased with him)
reported: The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings
of Allāh be upon him) said, “Truthfulness leads to righteousness and
righteousness leads to Paradise. A man will keep speaking the truth
and striving to speak the truth until he will be recorded with Allāh as a
siddeeq (speaker of the truth). Lying leads to wickedness and
wickedness leads to Hellfire. A man will keep telling lies and striving to
tell lies until he is recorded with Allāh as a liar.” [Agreed upon].
___”
Consultation:
Bees also demonstrate a system of shura (consultation)
where they get a consensus of key members of the
community while deciding the location of a new beehive. So
should be the attitude of believers. Rather than imposing
our decisions, we should prefer community engagement and
consultation.
“___
“And those who answer the call of their Lord, and perform As-Salat,
and who (conduct) their affairs by mutual consultation, and who spend
of what We have bestowed on them;”
(Quran 42: 38)
___”

“___
Abu Huraira reported: I never saw anyone consult his companions more
often than the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.
___”
(Musnad Ahmad)
Ability to rise up from ashes:
Bees are ever-evolving. There have been natural disasters
and climate changes, but bees have kept on growing,
evolving and working throughout the history. Believers
should also be the same. Whatever calamities we face and
whatever destruction comes to us, we should be prepared to
assemble ourselves back again and stand-up united to build
the brighter future for our Ummah.
Learning from our experiences and history
Bees are exposed to a number of tasks and condition to
enhance their vision and decision making. They also learn
from each other to do the tasks better. So should be the
case of a believer who should help each other in learning
new skills and raising their proficiency through learning and
development. Bees never stop learning and use natural
forces to direct their actions in terms of finding food and
monitoring the environment. They continue to visit the types
of flowers that consistently offer them rewards, noting their
colour and odour. Believers should also learn from their
experiences and from their history and plan their future
accordingly. We should not be ditched by the same
deception again.
“___
Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ said:
A believer is not bitten from the same hole twice
___”
(Bukhari/ Muslim)

Conclusion:
If a person is willing to take guidance, even an insect is good
enough to teach us volumes of lessons. May Allah make us
among those who reflect on Allah‟s signs and learn from his
ayats.
“___
“The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in
their hearts and when His Verses (this Quran) are recited unto them, they (i.e.
the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone);
Who perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and spend out of that We have
provided them.
It is they who are the believers in truth. For them are grades of dignity with
their Lord, and Forgiveness and a generous provision (Paradise).”
___”
(Quran Anfal: 2-4)
i
Kremen, Claire, et al. "Native bees, native plants and crop pollination in California." Fremontia 30.3-4
(2002): 41-49.

Bee like the bee (edition 2nd)

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