Session Twenty-Nine, Verse 60, The Five Parts of the Verse, Part One

Session Twenty-Nine

Verse 60 – The Five Parts of the Verse – Part One: “And [Recall] When Moses Prayed for Water for His People” – Point One – Conclusion – Point Two: Did the Prayer for Water Occur Once or Several Times? – Part Two: “So We Said: Strike the Stone with Your Staff” – Point One: The Staff – Point Two: The Stone

April 13, 2025

Summary of the Previous Session

We noted that verse 60 of Surat al-Baqarah comprises several parts, each containing points that must be addressed. The first part was this passage of the verse: “And [recall] when Moses prayed for water for his people” («وَإِذِ اسْتَسْقَى مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ»). Regarding this part, the most important point to consider is at what occasion the prayer of Moses for his people, and the subsequent striking of the staff and the bursting forth of water, took place. We set forth three possibilities, and noted that one possibility is to be ruled out and rejected. Two possibilities remain, each of which has its proponents. Most exegetes, however, have put forward one possibility — namely, that the prayer for water, the splitting of the stone, and the bursting forth of water from the stone occurred in the wilderness, prior to their entry into the town; “town” here referring to that very town in which they settled temporarily on their way to entering Jerusalem. For the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, was alive and struck the staff, and water gushed forth; whereas, apparently, when the Children of Israel entered Jerusalem, the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, was no longer alive. The matter thus turns on whether the prayer for water occurred in the wilderness, during the days of their wandering and prior to their entry into the town and their temporary settlement there, or after their entry into the town. Most exegetes hold that this event occurred prior to their entry into the town, during those very days when they were wandering in the wilderness. The rare and uncommon view is that this event relates to a time after their entry into the town; al-Razi, in al-Tafsir al-Kabir, transmits this view from Abu Muslim.

We noted that indications exist for each of these two possibilities; perhaps it is not of great importance to determine precisely at what occasion this occurred, but, in any case, in response to the question we raised, the matter must ultimately be resolved.

The Conclusion of Point One

We noted that there are two possibilities, each with its own evidence; the evidence for each of these two possibilities may also have certain considerations both favoring and disfavoring it. To say categorically that this could not possibly have occurred within the town, as the majority of exegetes have held, is not particularly defensible; we have responded to the principal argument of those who say that this could not have occurred within the town. As for their dismissal of the possibility that water was requested within a town (which ordinarily has water), we have rejected this, noting that when a large population — which, according to certain accounts, numbered six hundred thousand — enters even a developed town, they would still face shortages; they would have need both of water and of food. Hence, the request for water on the part of a large population after entering a region, even a developed and fertile one, is not without reasonable basis; God, Blessed and Exalted, responded to the people’s request to the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, in this manner, and made up for this shortage on their behalf.

In any case, contrary to the view of the majority of exegetes, the possibility that this request occurred within the town itself, and that this matter was realized there, is not at all far-fetched; indeed, some of our own esteemed teachers, as well as certain contemporary exegetes, have not regarded this possibility as lacking basis.

Point Two: Did the Prayer for Water Occur Once or Several Times?

The second point, which relates both to the first part and to the second and third parts, is whether the people’s prayer for water occurred only once, or whether this matter occurred repeatedly. The apparent sense of the verse is that the people made this request of Moses on a single occasion; “And [recall] when Moses prayed for water for his people” apparently indicates that this matter occurred once, and that they requested water from Moses, and Moses then presented this to God Almighty; God then said: “So We said: Strike the stone with your staff” («فَقُلْنَا اضْرِبْ بِعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ»). If we take this to be a single, specific event — which the apparent sense of the verse likewise conveys — the flow of water, too, in the manner described in this verse, did not cease; this is similar to the gushing forth of the water now known as Zamzam — in the episode of Hagar, peace be upon her, and her son Ishmael, peace be upon him, the water began to gush forth and continues to this day. The same was true in the episode of the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him: the people had need of water and requested it of the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him; and then, in the manner we shall describe, twelve drinking places arose from that stone, from which twelve groups benefited; hence this continued in this manner, and the inhabitants continued to benefit from that water. Hence, the claim made by some, that this matter occurred repeatedly, and that the strike of the staff was upon a portable stone that they carried with them, such that, whenever they had need, striking it with the staff would cause water to flow from it, does not appear particularly acceptable. After all, when water begins to flow, it is not merely for drinking at that moment; there is a need for drinking, a need for washing the body and clothing, and a need for irrigating fields and lands — there are numerous needs here. If we say that the prayer for water occurred within the town, and that the town’s water was insufficient to meet the need of that large population, then naturally, once this water began to gush forth, it would have continued within that very town, and, for as long as they remained settled there, they would have benefited from that water for their various needs.

Hence, the prayer for water itself, apparently, occurred once, in a single specific event; the subsequent events — namely, the striking of the staff and the bursting forth of water — likewise occurred on that single occasion, but the flow of water continued thereafter.

Part Two: “So We Said: Strike the Stone with Your Staff”

The Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, prayed for water on behalf of his people and requested water; “so We said: Strike the stone with your staff” («فَقُلْنَا اضْرِبْ بِعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ»). In this passage of the verse, God states: We told Moses to strike his staff upon the stone. This part contains no more than two points, relating to two words that require explanation: one is the staff (‘asa), and the other is the stone (hajar). The meaning of “striking” is clear; We told Moses to strike his staff upon the stone.

Point One: The Staff

First point: this staff was the same staff that had previously been in the possession of Moses; it was this very staff that had transformed into a serpent and swallowed the serpents of the sorcerers. Certain discussions have taken place regarding this staff which are not particularly capable of proof; we need not, and there is no necessity to, discuss them. For instance, the question of how long this staff was; some have said its length was ten cubits, equal to the height of the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, himself. Or, it has been said that this was a staff fashioned from a particular kind of tree, and that, moreover, it had two branches. Some have also said that the length of this staff was such that the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, could only lean upon it; naturally, if it were intended for use as a support to lean on, it would not have been ten cubits long.

Second point: a further point is whether this staff was fashioned from the trees of this world, or from the trees of Paradise. Both views have their proponents; some hold that the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, fashioned this staff himself, from the trees of this world. Others hold that it was fashioned from a particular tree in Paradise, and placed at the disposal of the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him.

The fact of the matter is that none of these claims can be proven; how long the staff was, and from where the material and wood from which this staff was fashioned originated — this is neither of particular importance, nor can we prove it. As to the very existence of this staff, which is explicitly affirmed in two particular instances, there is no doubt; one is in the episode of the Prophet Moses’ confrontation with the sorcerers, and the other is in this very episode — in both of these occasions, a miracle was witnessed through this staff.

Point Two: The Stone

A further matter that must be attended to in this part concerns “hajar” (the stone) — what stone this was. Regarding this very stone, there is disagreement as to whether “al-hajar” refers to a specific, particular stone — that is, a known stone — or whether what is intended is the genus of “stone” in general; that is, God, Blessed and Exalted, spoke in a general sense, without intending any particular stone.

A further point of disagreement is whether this stone was portable, or whether it was heavy and fixed, possessing the capacity to serve as the source for twelve drinking places. The fact of the matter is: how could a small, portable stone (which, according to certain accounts, was the size of a human head) possibly have twelve drinking places capable of satisfying a population of six hundred thousand people? Hence, it appears unlikely that this stone was portable, or that it was a specific stone of that particular size.

On both of these questions, each side has its proponents; some say that the stone was a specific one, while others say it was not a specific stone. Some say that this stone was small and portable, which is particularly consistent with its being a specific stone. Others say that this stone was fixed and large. However, just as we noted with regard to the staff, these disagreements are not particularly important; the same holds true with regard to the stone. In any case, the miraculous aspect here remains firmly in place — namely, that, with the striking of the staff upon the stone, this event occurred.