What does Quran 38:42 mean?

Quran 38:42 (Surah Saad, Ayah 42) translates to: "[So he was told], "Strike [the ground] with your foot; this is a [spring for] a cool bath and drink.""

Which Surah and Juz is Quran 38:42 from?

This ayah is from Surah Saad (The letter Saad), the 38th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 23.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 38:42?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Sunan Ibn Majah, Sunan an-Nasa'i, Sahih Muslim.

What tafsir is available for Quran 38:42?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Kathir, Al-Jalalayn — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

What topics does Quran 38:42 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Divine Mercy, Miracles, Divine Command, Hope, Creation.

Ayah 41

وَٱذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَآ أَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ...

38:42Saad

Ayah 43

وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ أَهْلَهُۥ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ...

ٱرْكُضْ بِرِجْلِكَ ۖ هَٰذَا مُغْتَسَلٌۢ بَارِدٌۭ وَشَرَابٌۭ

Urkud birijlika haaza mughtasalum baaridunw wa sharaab

[So he was told], "Strike [the ground] with your foot; this is a [spring for] a cool bath and drink."

Themes in this ayah

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Lessons from past peoples81

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Lessons from past peoples

38:42Ayah 188

24 ayahs in Saad are strongly about lessons from past peoples. This is one of them.

← Previous on Lessons from past peoples38:41And remember Our servant Job, when he called to his Lord, "Indeed, Satan has touched me with hardship and torment."Next on Lessons from past peoples →38:43And We granted him his family and a like [number] with them as mercy from Us and a reminder for those of understanding.

Tafsir

Scholars offer complementary perspectives

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 38:42→

And it was said to him ‘Stamp your foot on the ground — and he stamped it and a spring of water gushed forth and it was said This is a cool bath cool water for you to wash with and a drink’ for you to drink of. So he washed himself and drank from it whereat every ailment that had affected him internally and externally disappeared.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Cool it down with water,” and he said: “It is from the heat of Hell-fire.”

Sunan an-Nasa'i #330It was narrated from Anas that a Bedouin urinated in the Masjid, and some of the people went after him, but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:Sahih

"Do not restrain him." When he had finished he called from a bucket (of water) and poured over it.

Sahih Muslim #571This hadith has also been narrated from al-Zuhri with the same chain of narrators. (but for the words):Sahih

" He (the Holy Prophet) sent for water and sprinkled it over."

Sahih Muslim #5837Thauban reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying:Sahih

I would be pushing back from my Cistern the crowd of people. I would strike away from it (the Cistern) with my staff the people of Yemen until the water (of the Haud) would spout forth upon them. He was asked about its breadth. He said: From this place of mine to 'Amman, and he was asked about the drink and he said: It is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. There would spout into it two streamlets having their sources in Paradise. the one is from gold and the other is from silver. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Hisham with the same chain of transmitters and the words are:" I would be on the Day of Resurrection near the bank of the Cistern."

Sahih Muslim #723This hadith is narrated by Shaqiq with the same chain of transmitters but with the alteration of these words:Sahih

He (the Holy Prophet) struck hands upon the earth, and then shook them and then wiped his face and palm.