2. Al-Baqara "The Cow" — Ayah 74
ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِىَ كَٱلْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةًۭ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنَ ٱلْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ ٱلْمَآءُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder. For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth, and there are some of them that split open and water comes out, and there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.
Question

What stones split so that water comes out?

Answer

The Quranic verse 2:74 mentions stones that split and water flows from them, contrasting them with the hardened hearts of the Children of Israel.

Ibn Kathir explains that these are general types of stones found in nature (Source 2). The tafsir highlights that even inanimate objects like stones can exhibit characteristics of humility and responsiveness, unlike the unyielding hearts of some people. This is not necessarily a metaphor, as Allah creates such characteristics in them (Source 3).

The verse differentiates between stones from which rivers **تفجر** (burst forth) and those that **يشقق** (split open) for water to emerge. The former implies a more forceful gushing, while the latter suggests a splitting to release water. This distinction emphasizes the varying ways water can manifest from stones.

This phenomenon is also seen in the miracle of Prophet Musa (Moses), where twelve springs **انبجست** (gushed forth) from a stone (7:160, 2:60), providing water for the Children of Israel (Source 9, 10). These examples illustrate Allah's power to cause water to flow from stones in various ways, demonstrating a responsiveness that the hardened hearts of the disobedient lack.

📚 Sources: Classical tafsir (multi-source)

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