Among the miracles of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) that are related to the breaking of natural laws is the miracle of the splitting of the moon.
The Qurʾān refers to this miracle, as Allah, the Exalted, says: {The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split [into two]. * Yet if they see a sign, they turn away and say, ‘Same old sorcery!’ * And they denied and followed their desires, and every matter will be settled} [1]
What indicates that the verses are referring to the miracle of the splitting of the moon and not an event related to the signs of the Hour are two matter:
The First Matter: The past tense form "wa-inshaqq al-qamar" (and the moon has split [into two]) clearly indicates that the splitting has occurred.
Shaykh al-Ṭūsī said: “Whoever denies the splitting of the moon and claims that it will occur later—such as al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī and others, as well as al-Balkhī who opined this—has abandoned the apparent meaning of the Qurʾān. The term ‘inshaqq’ (split) signifies the past tense, and interpreting it as referring to the future is to say that it is metaphorical.” [2]
The Second Matter: Allah, the Exalted, says: {Yet if they see a sign, they turn away and say, ‘Same old sorcery!’} after mentioning the splitting of the moon. This indicates that the splitting was one of the signs that the polytheists turned away from and described as magic. The conditional form of the sentence shows that this rejection and description as magic was their usual habit. This aligns with the connection of the verse to the miracles of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny).
al-Ṭāhir Ibn ʿĀshūr said: “{Yet if they see a sign, they turn away and say, ‘Same old sorcery!’} may be an additional comment following the mention of the splitting of the moon, with the word {sign} in this context referring to the moon. It has been reported in some narrations that when the polytheists saw the moon split, they said, “This is the magic of Muḥammad b. Abī Kabsha.” In another narration, they said, “Muḥammad has placed the moon under a spell.” It is also possible that this phrase is a new statement about their habitual rejection and obstinacy.
In either case, the occurrence of ‘āya’ (sign)—being an indefinite noun (nakira)—in the context of the conditional form implies generality, and the use of the conditional expression was done to signify that this was their consistent and persistent behaviour.
The pronoun in ‘yaraw’ (they see) refers to those not explicitly mentioned in the sentence but indicated by the context, namely the polytheists, as is common in many places in the Qurʾān. The story of the splitting of the moon and their rejection of it is well-known, and its companions were well-known at that time. They continued in their denial whenever they saw a sign confirming the truth of the Messenger (peace be upon him and his progeny).” [3]
There is no implication in the verse {The Hour has drawn near} that links the incident to the signs of the Hour, as the appearance of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) is connected with the nearness of the Hour. Allah, the Exalted, says: {Then do they await except that the Hour should come upon them unexpectedly? Its signs are already here, but once the Hour has actually arrived, what use will it be then to take heed?} [4]
Once the connection of the noble verse to the incident of the splitting of the moon is established, the occurrence of the incident can be proven with the following explanation:
- The Qurʾān has been proven to be transmitted in a way that ensures its authenticity.
- The Qurʾān reports the incident of the splitting of the moon.
- If the incident of the splitting of the moon had not occurred in reality, there would have been objections to the Qurʾān for reporting this incident.
- No objections have been reported regarding the Qurʾān’s narration of the incident.
- The absence of any objections serves as evidence that no objections were raised, as if there had been, they would have been clearly evident.
As for the fact that the elements of the principle “if it had happened, it would have been known” are established, this is clear. An objection of this nature would be a serious matter, leading to the denial of the Prophethood of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny). Objections of this kind are likely to spread, and there are no obstacles to their dissemination, yet no such objection has been circulated.
This is sufficient to prove the occurrence of the incident. However, it can also be supported by the narrations that indicate the event took place. The incident of the splitting of the moon has been narrated by many Muslims, including: Ḥudhayfa b. al-Yamān [5], ʿAbdullah b. Masʿūd [6], ʿAbdullah Ibn ʿAbbās [7], ʿAbdullah b. ʿUmar [8], Anas b. Mālik [9], and Jubayr b. Muṭʿim. [10]
It has also been narrated through the Ahl al-Bayt (upon them be peace), including from the Commander of the Faithful (upon him be peace) [11], Imām al-Ṣādiq (upon him be peace) [12], and the third ambassador, al-Ḥusayn b. Rūḥ [13].
It is not far-fetched that the Qurʾān’s narration of the incident has made the need for a larger transmission redundant. Despite this, the narration has been considered one of the mutawātir (mass-transmitted) reports.
Ibn Ḥajar said: “The groaning of the tree trunk and the splitting of the moon have both been transmitted in a widespread manner, which provides certainty for those who are familiar with the chains of transmission from the scholars of hadith, but not for those who are have no experience in that.” [14]
As for the objection that if the incident had occurred, it would have been known in multiple places, it can be answered by what Shaykh al-Ṭūsī said in al-Tibyān, where he stated: “Whoever criticises the splitting of the moon by claiming that if it had happened, it would not have been hidden from the people of the cities has strayed. For it is possible that Allah could have concealed it from them with clouds. Furthermore, it occurred at night, and it is possible that people were asleep and unaware of it, as it did not last for a long time but quickly came back together, thus completing the miracle.” [15]
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[1] al-Qamar: 1-3.
[2] Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Vol. 9, pg. 443.
[3] Muḥammad Ṭāhir Ibn ʿĀshūr, al-Tahrīr wa-l-Tanwīr, Vol. 27, pg. 166-167.
[4] Muḥammad: 18.
[5] See: ʿAbd al-Razzāq b. Hammām al-Ṣanʿānī, al-Muṣannaf, Hadith 5285; Nuʿaym b. Ḥammād, al-Fitan, Hadith 1684; Abū Bakr ʿAbdullah b. Muḥammad b. Abī Shayba al-ʿAbsī, al-Kitāb al-Muṣannaf fī-l-Aḥādīth wa-l-Āthār, Hadith 5205 and 34798; Ibn Abī al-Dunyā, al-Zuhd, Hadith 219; Muḥammad b. Jarīr al-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān fī Ta’wīl Āy al-Qurʾān, Vol. 22, pg. 107-108; al-Ḥākim Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullah al-Naysābūrī, al-Mustadrak ʿalā al-Ṣaḥīḥayn, Hadith 8800.
[6] It has been narrated from Ibn Masʿūd through multiple chains:
(1) The chain of Abī Maʿmar. See: ʿAbd al-Razzāq b. Hammām al-Ṣanʿānī, al-Tafsīr, Hadith 3059; Nuʿaym b. Ḥammād, al-Fitan, Hadith 1683 and 1686; Abū Bakr ʿAbdullah b. Muḥammad b. Abī Shayba al-ʿAbsī, al-Musnad, Hadith 225; Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, al-Musnad, Hadith 3583, 4270, and 4360; Muḥammad b. Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī, al-Jāmiʿ al-Musnad al-Ṣaḥīḥ, Hadith 3636, 3869, 3871, and 4864; Muslim b. al-Ḥajjāj al-Naysābūrī, al-Musnad al-Ṣaḥīḥ al-Mukhtaṣar, Hadith 2800; Abū ʿĪsā al-Tirmidhī, al-Sunan, Hadith 3285 and 3287; Abū Bakr al-Bazzār, al-Musnad, Vol. 5, pg. 202-203; Aḥmad b. Shuʿayb al-Nasāʾī, al-Sunan al-Kubrā, Hadith 11488 and 11489; Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Salāma al-Ṭaḥāwī, Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār, Hadith 698, 699, 702, and 703; Abū Saʿīd al-Haytham b. Khlayb al-Shāshī, al-Musnad, Hadith 754-757.
(2) The chain of al-Aswad b. Yazīd. See: ʿAbd al-Razzāq b. Hammām al-Ṣanʿānī, al-Tafsīr, Hadith 3058; Abū Dāwūd al-Ṭayālisī, al-Musnad, Hadith 278; Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, al-Musnad, Hadith 3924; Abū Bakr al-Bazzār, al-Musnad, Vol. 4, Hadith 345, and Vol. 5, pg. 62; Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Salāma al-Ṭaḥāwī, Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār, Hadith 701.
(3) The chain of ʿAlqama. See: Sulaymān b. Aḥmad al-Ṭabarānī, al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr, Hadith 9996 and 10009.
(4) The chain of Masrūq b. al-Ajdaʿ. See: Abū Dāwūd al-Ṭayālisī, al-Musnad, Hadith 293; Muḥammad b. Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī, al-Jāmiʿ al-Musnad al-Ṣaḥīḥ, Hadith 3869; Abū Bakr al-Bazzār, al-Musnad, Vol. 5, pg. 344; Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Salāma al-Ṭaḥāwī, Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār, Hadith 697; Abū Saʿīd al-Haytham b. Khlayb al-Shāshī, al-Musnad, Hadith 404.
The narration of Masrūq is distinguished by an important addition; al-Shāshī narrated in his Musnad, Hadith 404: ʿAlī b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz narrated to us, [who] said: Ibrāhīm b. ʿAbdullah al-Hawrī narrated to me, [who] said: Ḥishām reported to us, al-Mughīra narrated to us, from Abū al-Ḍuḥā, from Masrūq, from ʿAbdullah, [who] said: “The moon split while we were in Mecca. The disbelievers of Quraysh said: ‘This is the magic of the son of Abī Kabsha.’ They said: ‘Look at the travelers coming to you, if they tell you they saw what you saw, then it is true; otherwise, you have lied.’ Then no-one came from any direction except that they told them they saw the same thing.”
(5) The chain of al-Kalbī. See: ʿAbd al-Razzāq b. Hammām al-Ṣanʿānī, al-Tafsīr, Hadith 3056.
[7] It has been narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās through multiple chains:
(1) The chain of ʿUbaydullah b. ʿAbdullah b. ʿUtba b. Masʿūd. See: Muḥammad b. Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī, al-Jāmiʿ al-Musnad al-Ṣaḥīḥ, Hadith 3638, 3870, and 4866; Muslim b. al-Ḥajjāj al-Naysābūrī, al-Musnad al-Ṣaḥīḥ al-Mukhtaṣar, ḥadīth 2803; Sulaymān b. Aḥmad al-Ṭabarānī, al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr, Hadith 10734; Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Salāma al-Ṭaḥāwī, Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār, Hadith 704 and 705.
(2) The chain of ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭalḥa. See: Muḥammad b. Jarīr al-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān fī Ta’wīl Āy al-Qurʾān, Vol. 22, pg. 109-110; Aḥmad b. ʿAlī Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, al-Maṭālib al-ʿĀliya bi-Zāʾid al-Masānīd al-Thamāniya, Hadith 3736.
(3) The chain of ʿIkrimah, the slave of Ibn ʿAbbās. See: Sulaymān b. Aḥmad al-Ṭabarānī, al-Muʿjam al-Awsat, ḥadīth 8315; al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr, Hadith 11642 and 11643.
(4) The chain of ʿAtāʾ. See: Abū Naʿīm al-Iṣfahānī, Dalā'il al-Nubuwwa, Hadith 209.
(5) The chain of al-Ḍaḥḥāk b. Muzāḥim. See: Abū Naʿīm al-Iṣfahānī, Dalā'il al-Nubuwwa, Hadith 209 and 210.
[8] See: Abū Dāwūd al-Ṭayālisī, al-Musnad, ḥadīth 2003; Muslim b. al-Ḥajjāj al-Naysābūrī, al-Musnad al-Ṣaḥīḥ al-Mukhtaṣar, Hadith 2801; Abū ʿĪsā al-Tirmidhī, al-Sunan, Hadith 2182 and 3288; Abū Saʿīd Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Ziyād b. al-Aʿrābī, al-Muʿjam, Hadith 1818; Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Salāma al-Ṭaḥāwī, Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār, Hadith 700; ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn ʿAlī b. Bilbān al-Fārsī, al-Iḥsān bi-Tartīb Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān, Hadith 6496; Sulaymān b. Aḥmad al-Ṭabarānī, al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr, Hadith 13473; Abū Naʿīm al-Iṣfahānī, Dalā'il al-Nubuwwa, Hadith 208.
[9] See: ʿAbd al-Razzāq b. Hammām al-Ṣanʿānī, al-Tafsīr, Hadith 3057; Abū Dāwūd al-Ṭayālisī, al-Musnad, Hadith 2072; Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, al-Musnad, Hadith 12688, 13154, 13303, 13918, 13919, and 13958; ʿAbd b. Ḥamīd al-Kūsī, al-Muntakhab min Musnad ʿAbd b. Ḥumayd, Hadith 1184; Muḥammad b. Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī, al-Jāmiʿ al-Musnad al-Ṣaḥīḥ, Hadith 3637, 3868, 4867, and 4868; Muslim b. al-Ḥajjāj al-Naysābūrī, al-Musnad al-Ṣaḥīḥ al-Mukhtaṣar, Hadith 2802; Abū ʿĪsā al-Tirmidhī, al-Sunan, Hadith 3286; Aḥmad b. Shuʿayb al-Nasāʾī, al-Sunan al-Kubrā, Hadith 11490; Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Salāmah al-Ṭaḥāwī, Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār, Hadith 708; Sulaymān b. Aḥmad al-Ṭabarānī, Musnad al-Shāmīyīn, Hadith 2581.
[10] See: Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, al-Musnad, Hadith 16750; Abū ʿĪsā al-Tirmidhī, al-Sunan, Hadith 3289; Abū Bakr al-Bazzār, al-Musnad, Vol. 8, pg. 357-358; ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn ʿAlī b. Bilbān al-Fārsī, al-Iḥsān bi-Tartīb Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān, Hadith 6497; Sulaymān b. Aḥmad al-Ṭabarānī, al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr, Hadith 1559-1561.
[11] Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-Ṭūsī, al-Amālī, Assembly 12, Hadith 37.
[12] Tafsīr al-Qummī, Vol. 2, pg. 340.
[13] Muḥammad b. ʿAlī Ibn Bābawayh al-Qummī, ‘Ilal al-Sharā’iʿ, Vol. 1, pg. 241, Chapter 177,
Hadith 1.
[14] Aḥmad b. ʿAlī Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, Fatḥ al-Bārī bi-Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 6, pg. 592.
[15] Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Vol. 9, pg. 443.
