Musa and the Bee Who Built a Mosque

Musa was watching a bee. The bee was busy. VERY busy. It flew from a yellow flower to a pink flower to a blue flower, dancing in the air, humming a little buzzy song. Musa, who was eight, was supposed to be doing his homework. But the bee was much more interesting.

'Why do bees work so hard?' Musa asked his baba. His baba sat down beside him. 'Because Allah taught them to. There's a whole chapter in the Quran called An-Nahl — the Bee. Allah says He inspired the bee to take its home in the mountains, in the trees, and in what people build. And from her comes a drink of many colors, in which there is healing for people.'

Musa's eyes went wide. 'Allah talks about bees?' 'A whole chapter,' said his baba. 'Bees build the most amazing little houses — six-sided rooms, perfectly fitted together. They make honey, which is medicine. They help every flower in the garden bloom. They never complain. They just do their work.'

Musa watched the bee again. It seemed less buzzy and more… holy, somehow. Like a tiny worshipper with wings. He whispered, 'You're amazing, little bee.' The bee, of course, did not answer (bees mostly don't), but it did land on his finger for one whole second before flying off, which Musa decided counted.

That night Musa told his little sister, 'Bees have a chapter in the Quran. You should be nicer to them.' His sister, who had been screaming at every bee in the garden for years, looked thoughtful. The next morning, when a bee flew past her at breakfast, she didn't scream. She just whispered, very quietly, 'salaam.' Musa was so proud he almost burst.