|
THE
MIRACLE OF THE SPLITTING OF THE MOON
In
the name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
The
Hour has approached, and the moon
split. But whenever they see a sign,
they turn away and say, ‘This is
evident magic.’
The
miracle of the splitting of the moon was
demonstrated before a certain gathering
who persisted in denial of Muhammad’s
Prophethood. As was related by ‘Adbullah
ibn Mas‘ud, while they were in Mina’
one night, the Prophet split the moon
into two by a gesture of his index
finger. The halves of the moon appeared
one behind the mountain and the other in
front of it. Then, the Prophet turned to
us and said: ‘Be witnesses!’1
The
Qur’an refers to this miracle in the
following verses:
The
Hour has approached, and the moon
split. But whenever they see a sign,
they turn away and say, ‘This is
evident magic’. (al-Qamar,
54.1-2)
Materialist
philosophers and their unreasoning
imitators, who want to cast a shadow
with their vicious delusions over such a
bright miracle of the Prophet Muhammad,
upon him be peace and blessings, as the
splitting of the moon, say: ‘If the
splitting of the moon had taken place,
it would have been known to the whole
world and related in all subsequent
books of human history’.
Answer:
The splitting of the moon was
demonstrated before a certain gathering
who contradicted the Prophet Muhammad,
upon him be peace and blessings, in his
cause as an evidence of his Prophethood.
It happened momentarily at a time of
night when people were all asleep. Also,
there were obstacles which prevented the
others from seeing it, such as mist,
clouds and time-differences between
different parts of the world. Besides,
at that time science and civilization
were not yet well advanced and not
widespread, and, therefore, the
observation of the sky was very limited.
Last but not least, there was nothing to
necessitate that it should have been
seen all over the world. It is because
of these reasons that the splitting of
the moon was not witnessed in the whole
world and related in the history books
of other nations.
In
order to remove such clouds of delusions
concerning the miracle of the splitting
of the moon, heed the following Five
Points:
First
point
The
extreme stubborness of the unbelievers
in the Hijaz at that time is well-known
and is recorded in history. When the Qur’an,
however, announced this incident to the
whole world through its verse, The moon
split, not any of those unbelievers, who
denied the Qur’an, dared to contradict
it in this announcement. If this
incident had not occurred before their
eyes, they would certainly have taken
this verse as a pretext to attack the
Prophet more formidably in his cause.
However, neither the biographies of the
Prophet, nor the books of history report
anything to suggest that they denied the
occurrence of this incident. What was
reported concerning their reaction is as
the verse records: They say, ‘This is
evident magic’. The unbelievers
declared the event to be magic, and they
added further that if the caravans in
other places had seen it, it truly
happened, otherwise the Prophet
bewitched them. When, however, the
caravans coming the following morning
from the Yemen and other places
announced that they had witnessed the
event, the unbelievers showed their
usual reaction, saying,-God forbid!-‘The
magic of Abu Talib’s orphan has
affected even the heavens!’
Second
point
The
majority of the foremost scholars of
meticulous research such as Sa’d
al-Din al-Taftazani concluded that like
the flowing of water from the fingers of
the Prophet, upon him be peace, and his
satisfying the thirst of a whole army
with that water, and the grieving of the
dry wooden pole-against which the
Prophet used to lean while delivering
sermons-because of its separation from
him, and its being heard by a whole
congregation, the splitting of the moon,
too, is mutawatir, that is, it
has been transmitted by one truthful
group at each period to another, forming
such a vast community that their
agreement on a lie is inconceivable. It
is as certain as a famous comet-named
Haley-having appeared a thousand years
ago, or as the existence of an island
which we have not seen but exists.
Therefore, it is unreasonable to foster
baseless doubts about such certain,
witnessed matters. In fact, it is
sufficient for their acceptability that
they are not impossible. As for the
splitting of the moon, it is quite as
possible as a mountain’s being split
by a volcanic eruption.
Third
point
Prophets
work miracles to prove their claim of
Prophethood and to convince deniers, not
to compel belief. Therefore, every
miracle had to be, and was, manifested
to convince those who heard the claim of
Prophethood. So, if they had been
demonstrated in a way that could be seen
by the whole world or would compel
everyone to believe, this would have
been contrary both to the wisdom of the
All-Wise and the Divine purpose for
creating man with free will, and sending
religion, which entails that the ground
be prepared for the mind’s acceptance
without the power of choice being
annulled. If, then, the All-Wise Creator
had, because materialist philosophers
fancy it so, left the moon split for one
or two hours in order that it would be
seen by the whole world and recorded in
all books of human history, then it
would have been no more than other
astronomical events, without having been
special to the Messengership of
Muhammad, upon him be peace and
blessings, and an evidence of his
Prophethood. Or, it would have been such
an obvious miracle that everyone would
have felt compelled to believe for there
would have been left for the will no way
but to accept belief in him. This, in
turn, would have resulted in that
someone with a coal-like spirit like Abu
Jahl would have remained at the same
level as someone with a diamond-like
spirit like Abu Bakr the Truthful, which
means that the purpose of the creation
of man with a special function and
responsibility and the purpose of
sending revelation would have been
negated. That is why the miracle of the
splitting of the moon was not shown to
the whole world to be recorded in all
books of human history.
Fourth
point
Some
unreasoning opponents argue that if that
incident had taken place, in would have
been mentioned in the histories of such
nations as the Chinese, the Japanese and
Americans. How could they have witnessed
it, given that, when this event
happened, in addition to other
obstacles, it was barely sunset in such
European countries as Spain, France and
England, which were then enveloped in
mists of ignorance, daytime in America
and morning in China and Japan. A
thousand curses on such toadies and
sycophants of Europe!
(In
some books there is an additional record
that the moon fell to earth after it
split into two parts. This was rejected
by veracious scholars on account of its
being added by a hypocrite who intended
to reduce to nothing the value of this
evident miracle.)
Fifth
point
The
splitting of the moon is not an ordinary
incident which happened either due to
particular causes or randoming so that
it should be criticized from the
viewpoint of the law of cause and
effect. Rather, the All-Wise Creator of
the sun and the moon made it happen as
an extraordinary event in order to
confirm the Prophethood of His Messenger
and to support him in his claim.
Therefore, it was shown as a convincing
proof to certain people specified by
Divine Wisdom because, as stated above,
the nature of Divine guidance and human
responsibility, and the purpose for
raising a Messenger required it to be
so. If it had not been concealed from
the eyes of those who were not intended
to see it and who had not yet heard the
Prophethood of Muhammad due to some
obstacles such as fog, clouds and
time-differences, and if had occurred
according to the law of cause and
effect, then it would have been an
ordinary astrological event, not a
miracle peculiar to and connected with
the Messengership of Muhammad, upon him
be peace and blessings.
In
conclusion, these arguments must be
enough for any mind to be convinced of
the possibility that the splitting of
the moon occurred; now out of many
evidences of its occurrence, we shall
mention only six which have the strength
of a six-fold consensus:
The
Companions of the Prophet, who were all
men of justice and truthfulness,
concurred upon its occurrence.
All
of the exacting interpreters of the Qur’an
have agreed that the verse, The moon
split indicates to the splitting of
the moon with a gesture of Muhammad’s
fingers, upon him be peace and
blessings.
All
the truthful Traditionists narrated
this incident through various
authentic channels of transmission.
All
the men of truth and sainthood, men of
inspiration and spiritual discovery have
borne testimony to the occurrence of
this incident.
All
the foremost theologians whose way
differ greatly from each other and all
the learned scholars have nevertheless
agreed in their confirmation of this
event.
The
Community of Muhammad, upon him be peace
and blessings, who, as established by an
authentic Prophetic tradition, never
agree on an error, have accepted on its
occurrence.
These
six evidences are as clear as the sun to
prove the splitting of the moon.
Conclusion:
What we have put forward hitherto on
this matter has been to establish the
splitting of the moon by way of refuting
the objections to the possibility of it.
In a few concluding sentences we will
now speak in the name of the truth and
for the sake of belief. Now it is the
turn of the truth to speak:
The
Seal of the Prophets, upon him be peace
and blessings, who is the luminous moon
of the heaven of Messengership, proved
his sainthood through his Ascension,
which is the greatest miracle of his
sainthood achieved through the quality
of his worship-so elevated as to make
him the beloved of God. In other words,
by making Muhammad, an earthly being,
travel through the heavens, God showed
to the dwellers of the heavens and of
the highest realms his superiority to
them and his being His beloved.
Similarly, through the splitting of the
moon, which is set in the sky and bound
to the earth, upon the gesture of the
same earthly being, another great
miracle was demonstrated for the
inhabitants of the earth as an evidence
of the Messengership of that earthly
being. Thus, the Prophet Muhammad, upon
him be peace and blessings, flew to the
summit of perfections on the two
brilliant wings of Messengership and
sainthood-like the two bright halves of
the moon split into two; he ascended so
near as to the distance of two
bowstrings-that is, to the highest rank,
the nearest station to God-and so became
the cause of pride of both the beings of
the heavens and the inhabitants of the
earth.
Upon
him and upon his family be blessings
and peace such as to fill the earth
and heavens.
Glory
be unto You! We have no knowledge
save that which You have taught us;
indeed, Your are the All-Knowing,
All-Wise.
1.
Bukhari, Manaqib, 27; Muslim, Kitab
Sifat al-Munafiqin wa ahkamihim, 44.
|
|
