What does « Fresh water / Generosity » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Fresh water / Generosity (معن) in the Quran, with 27 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

معن

Fresh water / Generosity

Root: م - ع - ن

Quranic language 27 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 4 min read

Definition of Fresh water / Generosity

Al-Ma'īn refers to flowing and abundant water.

The Almighty says: 'Who will bring you flowing water?' (Al-Mulk 30).

Al-mā' al-ma'īn is visible and accessible water.

Ma'ana means to flow abundantly.

Fresh water / Generosity in the Quran (27)

Meccan: 25 Medinan: 2

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-Hijr 4

Ash-Shu'ara 3

Al-A'raf 2

As-Saffat 2

Sad 2

Al-Baqara 1

Âl 'Imrân 1

Al-An'am 1

Hud 1

Yusuf 1

+ 9 more surahs

Surah Al-Baqara : 161 Medinan

﴿إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَعْنَةُ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers - upon them will be the curse of Allah and of the angels and the people, all together,

Surah Âl 'Imrân : 87 Medinan

﴿أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ جَزَآؤُهُمْ أَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ لَعْنَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

Those - their recompense will be that upon them is the curse of Allah and the angels and the people, all together,

Surah Al-An'am : 149 Meccan

﴿قُلْ فَلِلَّهِ ٱلْحُجَّةُ ٱلْبَـٰلِغَةُ ۖ فَلَوْ شَآءَ لَهَدَىٰكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

Say, "With Allah is the far-reaching argument. If He had willed, He would have guided you all."

Surah Al-A'raf : 18 Meccan

﴿قَالَ ٱخْرُجْ مِنْهَا مَذْءُومًۭا مَّدْحُورًۭا ۖ لَّمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ لَأَمْلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

[Allah] said, "Get out of Paradise, reproached and expelled. Whoever follows you among them - I will surely fill Hell with you, all together."

Surah Al-A'raf : 124 Meccan

﴿لَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُم مِّنْ خِلَـٰفٍۢ ثُمَّ لَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides; then I will surely crucify you all."

Surah Hud : 119 Meccan

﴿إِلَّا مَن رَّحِمَ رَبُّكَ ۚ وَلِذَٰلِكَ خَلَقَهُمْ ۗ وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لَأَمْلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

Except whom your Lord has given mercy, and for that He created them. But the word of your Lord is to be fulfilled that, "I will surely fill Hell with jinn and men all together."

Surah Yusuf : 93 Meccan

﴿ٱذْهَبُوا۟ بِقَمِيصِى هَـٰذَا فَأَلْقُوهُ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِ أَبِى يَأْتِ بَصِيرًۭا وَأْتُونِى بِأَهْلِكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

Take this, my shirt, and cast it over the face of my father; he will become seeing. And bring me your family, all together."

Surah Al-Hijr : 39 Meccan

﴿قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَآ أَغْوَيْتَنِى لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

[Iblees] said, "My Lord, because You have put me in error, I will surely make [disobedience] attractive to them on earth, and I will mislead them all

Surah Al-Hijr : 43 Meccan

﴿وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمَوْعِدُهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

And indeed, Hell is the promised place for them all.

Surah Al-Hijr : 59 Meccan

﴿إِلَّآ ءَالَ لُوطٍ إِنَّا لَمُنَجُّوهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

Except the family of Lot; indeed, we will save them all

Surah Al-Hijr : 92 Meccan

﴿فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْـَٔلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

So by your Lord, We will surely question them all

Surah An-Nahl : 9 Meccan

﴿وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ قَصْدُ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَمِنْهَا جَآئِرٌۭ ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ لَهَدَىٰكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

And upon Allah is the direction of the [right] way, and among the various paths are those deviating. And if He willed, He could have guided you all.

Surah Al-Anbiya : 77 Meccan

﴿وَنَصَرْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ قَوْمَ سَوْءٍۢ فَأَغْرَقْنَـٰهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

And We saved him from the people who denied Our signs. Indeed, they were a people of evil, so We drowned them, all together.

Surah Al-Mu'minun : 50 Meccan

﴿وَجَعَلْنَا ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَأُمَّهُۥٓ ءَايَةًۭ وَءَاوَيْنَـٰهُمَآ إِلَىٰ رَبْوَةٍۢ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍۢ وَمَعِينٍۢ﴾

And We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign and sheltered them within a high ground having level [areas] and flowing water.

Surah Ash-Shu'ara : 49 Meccan

﴿قَالَ ءَامَنتُمْ لَهُۥ قَبْلَ أَنْ ءَاذَنَ لَكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱلسِّحْرَ فَلَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ۚ لَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُم مِّنْ خِلَـٰفٍۢ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

[Pharaoh] said, "You believed Moses before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your leader who has taught you magic, but you are going to know. I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will surely crucify you all."

Surah Ash-Shu'ara : 65 Meccan

﴿وَأَنجَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ وَمَن مَّعَهُۥٓ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

And We saved Moses and those with him, all together.

Surah Ash-Shu'ara : 170 Meccan

﴿فَنَجَّيْنَـٰهُ وَأَهْلَهُۥٓ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

So We saved him and his family, all,

Surah An-Naml : 51 Meccan

﴿فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ مَكْرِهِمْ أَنَّا دَمَّرْنَـٰهُمْ وَقَوْمَهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

Then look how was the outcome of their plan - that We destroyed them and their people, all.

Surah As-Sajda : 13 Meccan

﴿وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَـَٔاتَيْنَا كُلَّ نَفْسٍ هُدَىٰهَا وَلَـٰكِنْ حَقَّ ٱلْقَوْلُ مِنِّى لَأَمْلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

And if We had willed, We could have given every soul its guidance, but the word from Me will come into effect [that] "I will surely fill Hell with jinn and people all together.

Surah As-Saffat : 45 Meccan

﴿يُطَافُ عَلَيْهِم بِكَأْسٍۢ مِّن مَّعِينٍۭ﴾

There will be circulated among them a cup [of wine] from a flowing spring,

Surah As-Saffat : 134 Meccan

﴿إِذْ نَجَّيْنَـٰهُ وَأَهْلَهُۥٓ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

[So mention] when We saved him and his family, all,

Surah Sad : 82 Meccan

﴿قَالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

[Iblees] said, "By your might, I will surely mislead them all

Surah Sad : 85 Meccan

﴿لَأَمْلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنكَ وَمِمَّن تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾

[That] I will surely fill Hell with you and those of them that follow you all together."