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wa-ʾidhi stasqā mūsā li-qawmihī fa-qulnā ḍrib bi-ʿaṣāka l-ḥajara fa-nfajarat minhu thnatā ʿashrata ʿaynan qad ʿalima kullu ʾunāsin mashrabahum kulū wa-shrabū min rizqi llāhi wa-lā taʿthaw fī l-ʾarḍi mufsidīna
And when Moses prayed for water for his people, We said, ‘Strike the rock with your staff.’ Thereat twelve fountains gushed forth from it; every tribe came to know its drinking-place. ‘Eat and drink of Allah’s provision, and do not act wickedly on the earth, causing corruption.’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 60
And (remember) when Moses sought water for his people, so We said: ‘Strike the rock with your staff.’ Then there gushed forth from it twelve springs. Each (group of) people knew their (respective) drinking-place. ‘Eat and drink of Allah’s provision, and commit you not evil in the earth, doing corruption’ (2:60)
The Miracle of Water Gushing Forth in The Desert!
Again, in this verse, Allah has pointed out one of the important favours bestowed upon the Children of Israel, saying:
And remember) when Moses sought water for his people... (2:60)
When Moses (‘a) prayed for water, Allah accepted his plea as the Qur’an says:
...so We said: ‘Strike the rock with your staff.’ Then there gushed forth from it twelve springs… (2:60)
Each of those springs flowed for a definite tribe so that among all of the tribes of Israelites:
…Each (group of) people knew their (respective) drinking place… (2:60)
There are a variety of ideas about what kind of stone that rock was and how Moses (‘a) was supposed to strike that rock, and in what form the flow of water appeared from it. What the Qur’an says is not more than that Moses (‘a) struck the rock with his staff and then twelve springs gushed forth therefrom. This incident is referred to in Exodus 17/1-6, with the only difference being that the number of twelve springs that gushed forth from the rock is not mentioned. However, the Lord, on one hand, sent ‘Manna’ and ‘Salwa’ (quails) for them, and, on the other hand, provided them enough water, easily available, and told them:
… eat and drink of Allah’s provision, and commit you not evil in the earth, doing corruption. (2:60)
In fact, the Lord advises them, as a showing of gratitude for these great bounties, that at least they should lay stubbornness and obstinacy aside and stop hurting prophets (‘a).