Everyday scientists discover something new in bees’ behavior, and they wonder who taught them this performance. Speaking of bees, Allah (SWT) almighty says: “And follow the ways of your Lord made easy (for you)”….
My beloved for the sake of Allah (SWT): everyday our faith in our Lord’s Book and our love for this great religion increases. A reason for this is the many scientific facts that are proven by the Quran, which scientists discover everyday. This makes us proud to be associated with Islam –the final message.
And one of the amazing things about bees is a phenomenon the scientists call the “drunk phenomenon in bees.” While traveling, some bees consume anesthesia products such as Ethanol which is a naturally occurring substance that is produced from the fermentation of some sweet fruits. When a bee licks a fraction of these products it becomes “drunk” exactly like a
human. The influence of this product may continue for 48 hours.
The symptoms that occur in bees that consumed these alcoholic products are similar to those that occur to a person after drinking. Scientists say that these drunken bees become aggressive and destructive because they ruin the honey by injecting harmful products making it toxic. However, Allah (SWT) almighty describes the honey as (Healing). He said (There comes forth from their bellies, a drink of varying color wherein is healing for men) [An-Nahl: 69]. What did Allah provide for this honey to stay safe and protected from any poisonous products?
Of course, because of Allah’s mercy and that he made honey a healing product, it is natural to find that ALLAH provides for the bees methods to protect the honey and keep it in a good and useful condition. This has caused the scientists to study this phenomenon and examine it for 30 years by observing the bees’ behavior.
After extensive observation, they noticed that in each of the bee’s cells, there are bees Allah(SWT) provided with a device similar to a “detecting alarm.” The bees can sense the smell of drunken bees and fight them, moving them away from the cell! Picture with me the wisdom that the world of bees has. Even the bee that drinks alcohol is rejected, shoved away, and even “flogged” by the rest of the defensive bees. Aren’t bees wiser than some people?
Bees that consume these alcoholic products get bad reputations. But when the influence of the drink is removed and the bee is sober, it is permitted to enter the cell immediately and only after the defensive bees make sure that the toxic effect is completely disappeared.
There are even bees that are assigned to monitoring this phenomenon which plays a role in purifying the cell from bad bees. They are called “bee bouncers.” These bees stand by, defending and guarding the cell. They observe very closely any bee that consumes numbing products, and shove them away from the cell. If the drunken bee tries to penetrate again, the “security” will break its legs to prevent it from trying to consume these risky products again!
ALLAH almighty has supplied bees with “devices” that enable them to know which bee it is that has consumed numbing products (fermentated fruit), so they distinguish it immediately and move it away from the cell so it won’t ruin the honey they made. Bees have stern rulings to penalize that bee which consumes alcohol. These punishments start with breaking the legs of the drunken bee and end with execution. Glory is to Allah, even bees reject alcohol use!!
And it comes to our mind the common question when we see such phenomenon like this: who taught the bees this certain behavior? We may find a wonderful Quranic sign that Allah almighty commanded the bees to follow a certain way and made it simple for them. Speaking of bees, Allah almighty says: (And follow the ways of your Lord made easy (for you)) [An-Nahl:69].
How the human is stunned with this perfect system! We might find an answer for those who disagree with the rulings that Islam has brought forbidding consumption of alcohol and commanding the whipping of who drinks it. If bees follow this system with entire accuracy, shouldn’t we follow the bees as a model for us?!
Video clip showing the punishment of the drunken bee
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By: Abduldaem Al-Kaheel
Source:
1- The Development of an Ethanol Model Using Social Insects I: Behavior Studies of the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.): Neurobiological, Psychosocial, and Developmental Correlates of Drinking, Charles I. Abramson, Sherril M. Stone, Richard A. Ortez, Alessandra Luccardi, Kyla L. Vann, Kate D. Hanig, Justin Rice, Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. 24(8):1153-1166, August 2000.
2- Bees and toxic chemicals, www.wikipedia.org
