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wa-ʾin yaraw ʾāyatan yuʿriḍū wa-yaqūlū siḥrun mustamirrun
If they see a sign, they turn away, and say, ‘An incessant magic!’
— Ali Quli Qarai
54Al-QamarالقمرVerse 2 of 55
The Moon54. Al-Qamarالقمر
al-Qamar
The Moon
MeccanVerse 2 of 55
54Al-QamarالقمرVerse 2 of 55
The Moon
If they see a sign, they turn away, and say, ‘An incessant magic!’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah al-Qamar - Verses 1-3
1. The Hour has drawn near and the moon has been cleft asunder.
2. And if they see a miracle, they turn away, saying: "This is continuous magic."
3. They belied [Divine Verses] and followed their own desires. And every matter will have a place [for its own].
The first blessed Verse treats of two significant happenings. Firstly, mention is made of Resurrection drawing near entailing the most significant alteration in the world of creation serving as an opening to a new life in the other world, a world whose greatness and extent are indescribable and unintelligible to us, the captives of the mundane world. Resurrection is inevitable and close to us. The life of this world is so transient and man is supposed to be attentive and prepare the provision for the Hereafter. Secondly, the blessed Verse deals with the great miracle of Cleaving of the Moon bearing witness to Divine Omnipotence over all things serving as a token of the veracity of the Prophetic Call. God Almighty says that Resurrection draws near and the moon cleft asunder.
The question of the Cleaving of the Moon is recurrently mentioned in Shi‘i and Sunni tradition sources, according to which, disbelievers asked the Noble Prophet of Islam (S) to cleave the moon asunder because they imagined that magic and sorcery could not affect the heaven and if the moon happened to cleave asunder, Prophet Muhammad's (S) task could definitely be regarded as a miracle. It is worthy of note that separation of the planets of the solar system off the sun and/or meteors reflect the possibility of the moon cleaving asunder. It is interesting to note that Cleaving of the Moon occurred at night without prior proclamation as to the same while people were asleep.
The travelers proceeding toward Mecca and Syria and even Indians could witness Cleaving of the Moon.1 It is inscribed on some monuments in India that the completion date of those monuments was the time when the moon cleft asunder. According to Muslim consensus, consecutively transmitted traditions, and the testimonies of many a Prophetic Companion, people witnessed Cleaving of the Moon. According to Tabarsi, ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ud, Anas ibn Malik, Hudhayfa, Ibn ‘Abbas, Jubayr ibn Mat‘am, and ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar witnessed Cleaving of the Moon and bore witness to the same.
According to Tabarsi, it is also narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that disbelievers got together one night in full moon and asked the Noble Prophet (S):
"If your claim to Prophethood is true, command the moon to cleave asunder into two halves."
The Noble Prophet (S) inquired:
"If I do so, would you believe?"
They replied:
"Yes."
Then the Noble Prophet (S) invoked God Almighty to command the moon to cleave asunder into two halves. The Noble Prophet (S) summoned disbelievers and asked them to observe Cleaving of the Moon. It is narrated from the Noble Prophet (S) on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ud that he said:
"By Allah in Whose Hand of Might rests my soul, I witnessed the Mount of Hira through the two halves of the moon when it was cleft asunder."
According to Qur’an exegetes, transmitted traditions, and historical sources, there is no doubt as to Cleaving of the Moon which happened by Divine Will and the Noble Prophet's (S) miracle.2 Sunni exegetes and traditionists maintain that Cleaving of the Moon is consecutively transmitted3 among whom mention may be made of Suyuti quoting the same on the authority of ‘Abd al-Razzaq, Ahmad, ‘Abd ibn Humayd, Muslim, Ibn Jurayr, Ibn al-Mundhar, Tirmidhi, Ibn Murdiwayh, Bayhaqi4, and Qurtubi5.
Other sources have transmitted the same on their authorities. It is a matter of consensus and is free from doubt. The sources are not mentioned herein for the sake of brevity. The second blessed Verse is saying that when obdurate disbelievers witness the miracle proving the veracity of your Prophetic Call turn away saying that it is a magic repeated. The Arabic word mustamirr (continuous, repeated) reflects that they had repeatedly seen miracles worked by the Noble Prophet of Islam (S) such that Cleaving of the Moon was another. Although such false ascription was a pretext for their disobedience to Truth.
Alluding to their opposition and its inauspicious consequences, the blessed Verse 3 is saying that they belied and followed their concupiscent desires and
"every matter will have a place [for its own]."
The point is that their denial of the Prophetic Call, the Noble Prophet's (S) miracles, and their denial of Resurrection sprang from their following concupiscent desires, since their prejudice, obduracy, and arrogance impeded their submission to Truth. On the other hand, their lust for unconditional deriving pleasures of the flesh and their impurities stemming from committing sins and doing wrong served as obstacles in acknowledging the Call to Truth, since such acknowledgement entailed obligations. It has been always likewise and it will remain the same. The worst obstacle on the path toward Truth is following concupiscent desires.
"Every matter will have a place [for its own]"
designates that everyone will receive the Reward and Recompense of his own deeds. The good shall reap Rewards and the evil shall suffer the evil consequences of their vile deeds. The expression seemingly makes a reference to the truth that nothing shall be effaced in this world, but any good or evil act shall stay the same until man receives his Reward or Recompense of the same. It is worthy of note that the shadows of night will end in the bright of the day and Truth shall be established on its stable place.
The Holy Qur’an says elsewhere6:
"Therefore, one who does righteous good deeds equal to the weight of an atom shall see it. And one who does evil equal to the weight of an atom shall see it."
It is narrated from Imam Baqir (as):
"No servant shall be afflicted by any affliction unless he has committed sins." 7
Footnotes