وَمِن ثَمَرَٰتِ ٱلنَّخِيلِ وَٱلْأَعْنَـٰبِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِنْهُ سَكَرًا وَرِزْقًا حَسَنًا ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ 67
Translations
And from the fruits of the palm trees and grapevines you take intoxicant and good provision. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who reason.
Transliteration
Wa min thamarāti an-nakhīli wa-al-a'nābi tattakhidhūna minhu sakaran wa-rizqan hasanan. Inna fī dhālika la-āyatan li-qawmin ya'qilūn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah mentions the fruits of palm trees and grapevines from which people derive intoxicating beverages and wholesome sustenance, presenting this as a sign for those who use reason. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note that this verse precedes the explicit prohibition of intoxicants (5:90), and thus refers to the natural capacity of these fruits to be made into either permissible drinks (juice, vinegar) or impermissible ones (wine), highlighting Allah's wisdom in creation. The ayah emphasizes that the existence of choice and consequence itself—that the same fruit can yield good or harmful products—is a sign of divine wisdom for the intellectually discerning.
Revelation Context
Surah An-Nahl is a Meccan surah focusing on divine signs and blessings. This ayah is part of a broader passage (16:66-69) enumerating Allah's blessings in sustenance and livestock. The mention of intoxicating drinks here is discussed in the context of Allah's signs in creation before the legal prohibition came later in Medina (5:90), making it thematic rather than legislative at this stage.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari reports the Prophet (ﷺ) saying: 'Every intoxicant is khamr (wine), and every khamr is haram (forbidden).' Additionally, in Jami' at-Tirmidhi, there is a hadith about the permissibility of fresh grape juice (must) before it ferments into wine, relating to the dual potential mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Allah provides creation with inherent potential for both benefit and harm, making human moral discernment and choice central to spiritual development; recognizing these divine signs requires intellectual reflection ('aql) and a commitment to choosing what is wholesome over what corrupts.