Quran Universe
2:60

۞وَإِذِ ٱسۡتَسۡقَىٰ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوۡمِهِۦ فَقُلۡنَا ٱضۡرِب بِّعَصَاكَ ٱلۡحَجَرَۖ فَٱنفَجَرَتۡ مِنۡهُ ٱثۡنَتَا عَشۡرَةَ عَيۡنٗاۖ قَدۡ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٖ مَّشۡرَبَهُمۡۖ كُلُواْ وَٱشۡرَبُواْ مِن رِّزۡقِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا تَعۡثَوۡاْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مُفۡسِدِينَ

Waithi istasqa moosa liqawmihi faqulna idrib biAAasaka alhajara fainfajarat minhu ithnata AAashrata AAaynan qad AAalima kullu onasin mashrabahum kuloo waishraboo min rizqi Allahi wala taAAthaw fee alardi mufsideena

And [recall] when Moses prayed for water for his people, so We said, "Strike with your staff the stone." And there gushed forth from it twelve springs, and every people knew its watering place. "Eat and drink from the provision of Allah, and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption."

Word by word
  1. ۞وَإِذِAnd when
  2. ٱسۡتَسۡقَىٰasked (for) water
  3. مُوسَىٰMusa
  4. لِقَوۡمِهِۦfor his people
  5. فَقُلۡنَا[so] We said
  6. ٱضۡرِبStrike
  7. بِّعَصَاكَwith your staff
  8. ٱلۡحَجَرَۖthe stone
  9. فَٱنفَجَرَتۡThen gushed forth
  10. مِنۡهُfrom it
  11. ٱثۡنَتَا(of)
  12. عَشۡرَةَtwelve
  13. عَيۡنٗاۖsprings
  14. قَدۡIndeed
  15. عَلِمَknew
  16. كُلُّall
  17. أُنَاسٖ(the) people
  18. مَّشۡرَبَهُمۡۖtheir drinking place
  19. كُلُواْEat
  20. وَٱشۡرَبُواْand drink
  21. مِنfrom
  22. رِّزۡقِ(the) provision (of)
  23. ٱللَّهِAllah
  24. وَلَاand (do) not
  25. تَعۡثَوۡاْact wickedly
  26. فِيin
  27. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe earth
  28. مُفۡسِدِينَspreading corruption
Al-Baqarah · 2:60Madinah

Twelve springs from one stone, and a warning not to spoil it.

An answered prayer for water

The answer
Musa praysfor water
strike
the stone
out flow
12springs, one for each
How favors disappear
blessings just staythey are mine now
sin makes them vanishdo not spread corruption

Allah answered Musa's prayer for water: twelve springs gushed from a stone, one for each tribe, with food and drink without effort. Ibn Kathir explains the warning: do not return the favor with disobedience that makes favors disappear.

Your health, your marriage, the job you prayed for. Each was an answered prayer once. Then the late nights, the neglect, the small sins start draining them. The verse says: enjoy it, and do not spoil it.

Once Allah gives me something, it is mine to keep however I live.

Blessings stay through gratitude and can drain away through sin.

Try this

Name one answered prayer in your life. Do one thing today to protect it.

Related7:160
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And (remember) when Musa asked for water for his people, We said: "Strike the stone with your stick." Then gushed forth therefrom twelve springs. Each (group of) people knew its own place for water. "Eat and drink of that which Allah has provided and do not act corruptly, making mischief on the earth. (60)

Twelve Springs gush forth

Allah said, "Remember My favor on you when I answered the supplication of your Prophet, Musa, when he asked Me to provide you with water. I made the water available for you, making it gush out through a stone. Twelve springs burst out of that stone, a designated spring for each of your tribes. You eat from the manna and the quails and drink from the water that I provided for you, without any effort or hardship for you. So worship the One Who did this for you.

وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ

(And do not act corruptly, making mischief on the earth) meaning, "Do not return the favor by committing acts of disobedience that cause favors to disappear."

Ibn 'Abbas said that the Children of Israel, "Had a square stone that Musa was commanded to strike with his staff and, as a result, twelve springs burst out of that stone, three on each side. Each tribe was, therefore, designated a certain spring, and they used to drink from their springs. They never had to travel from their area, they would find the same bounty in the same manner they had in the first area."This narration is part of the long Hadith that An-Nasa'i, Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim recorded about the trials.

This story is similar to the story in Surat Al-'Araf (Chapter 7) although the latter was revealed in Makkah. In Surat Al-A'raf, Allah used the third person when He mentioned the Children of Israel to the Prophet ﷺ and narrated what He favored them with. In this Surat Al-Baqarah, which was revealed in Al-Madinah, Allah directed His Speech at the Children of Israel. Further, Allah said in Surat Al-A'raf,

فَانبَجَسَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًا

(And there gushed forth out of it twelve springs)(7:160), describing what first occurred when the water begins to gush out. In the Ayah in Surat Al-Baqarah, Allah described what happened later on, meaning when the water burst out in full force. Allah knows best.