Fathima is not feeling very well today. She has caught a cold and she coughs. Mummy tells her: “What you need is a nice hot drink with honey. Let's go and buy some honey, and you'll see your cough will get better Insha Allah."

Fathima and her mother go out to the supermarket. They stop in front of a shelf where the honey is.

“Oh, Mummy, there are all sorts of different colours!" Fathima says excitedly. “Look, this honey is almost white, and this one is golden, and that one over there is brownish."

“Yes, Fathima", her mum answers. “They are different sorts of honey. There's clover honey, lavender honey, eucalyptus honey... and mixed wildflower honey."

“But then, does honey come from flowers?" Fathima asks.

“Come on, you know it doesn't!" her Mum answers. “You know bees make honey. The bees fly from flower to flower to collect a fine powder called pollen and liquid called nectar. And then they make the honey with their bodies. Since there are different sorts of flowers with different colours and smells, this produces different sorts of honey. If the bees have been only on clover flowers, they make clover honey, which is almost white, like the one in this jar. If the bees have been on lavender, as in the South of France, you get this nice golden colour. And if the bees go about on all sorts of wild flowers, they produce mixed wildflower honey."

Fathima asks: “And what colour is mixed wildflower honey?"

“Well, it depends on the flowers!" Mummy answers. “Look, the honey in this jar is yellow, this one is brownish, and yet they're both mixed wildflower honey."

Fathima thinks for a while and then she asks: “But who has taught the bees how to make honey?"

“Allah has taught them, darling", Mummy explains. “When the bees make honey, they obey Allah. Do you know Allah tells us about bees in the Quran? Listen to what He says."

And Mum recites for little Fathima the verses from Ŝurat an-Nahl, “The bees":  “And thy Lord taught the Bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and in (men's) habitations. Then to eat of all the produce (of the earth), and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord: there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colours, wherein is healing for men: verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought"( Ŝurat an-Nahl, The bees, verses 68-69).

“You see," Mum concludes, “Allah has created the world. He has placed in it all the plants, animals and human beings, and He has told every one of them what they should do. And all around us, He has placed blessings for us!"

“Subhanallah!" says Fathima.

Mummy chooses a jar of lavender honey and goes to pay for it. The honey jar costs two dollars; Mummy gives the cashier five dollars. How much change will she get back?

When they get home, Mummy makes a nice hot drink for Fathima with honey. Fathima drinks after saying bismillah. How nice it tastes! She is already feeling much better, al-hamdulillah.