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Al-Qamar Section 1: The Moon Rent Asunder

  • The Approach Of The Day Of Judgment

  • The Moon Rent Asunder

  • How Those In Graves Shall Be Raised, Responding To The Call For The Final Judgment

  • The Punishment Given To The Disbelievers In The Past Referred To

  • Qur’an Has Been Rendered Easy For The Understanding Of Everyone And Remembering It And Getting Admonished

Al-Qamar Verses 1- 22

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the name of God the Beneficent the Merciful

اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ

“Nigh hath come the Hour (of Reckoning) and hath been rent asunder the Moon1“ (54:1)

وَإِنْ يَرَوْا آيَةً يُعْرِضُوا وَيَقُولُوا سِحْرٌ مُسْتَمِرٌّ

“And if they see a sign, turn they away and say (that it is) sorcery continued2“ (54:2)

وَكَذَّبُوا وَاتَّبَعُوا أَهْوَاءَهُمْ وَكُلُّ أَمْرٍ مُسْتَقِرٌّ

“And they belie (it), and follow they their vain inclinations3and every affair is unalterably fixed4“ (54:3)

وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ مِنَ الْأَنْبَاءِ مَا فِيهِ مُزْدَجَرٌ

“And indeed, hath come unto them some of the tidings wherein is restraint (from evil)” (54:4)

حِكْمَةٌ بَالِغَةٌ فَمَا تُغْنِ النُّذُرُ

“Consummate wisdom, but (they) availed not (of) the warnings5“ (54:5)

فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ ۘ يَوْمَ يَدْعُ الدَّاعِ إِلَىٰ شَيْءٍ نُكُرٍ

“So withdraw from them thyself (O Our Apostle Muhammad!) On the day when the Caller shall call them unto the hard task (of Reckoning)6“ (54:6)

خُشَّعًا أَبْصَارُهُمْ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ كَأَنَّهُمْ جَرَادٌ مُنْتَشِرٌ

“With their eyes cast down, they shall go forth from their graves as if they were locusts scattered7“ (54:7)

مُهْطِعِينَ إِلَى الدَّاعِ يَقُولُ الْكَافِرُونَ هَٰذَا يَوْمٌ عَسِرٌ

“Hastening unto the Caller; Shall say the disbelievers: ‘This is a hard day!’” (54:8)

كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ فَكَذَّبُوا عَبْدَنَا وَقَالُوا مَجْنُونٌ وَازْدُجِرَ

“Belied before them the people of Noah (their apostles), so they belied Our servant and said they (he was) “Mad8“ and he was driven out9“ (54:9)

فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَغْلُوبٌ فَانْتَصِرْ

“So he called upon his Lord (saying): ‘Verily, I am overcome (by these people), so give help’” (54:10)

فَفَتَحْنَا أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَاءٍ مُنْهَمِرٍ

“So opened We the gates of heaven with water pouring down” (54:11)

وَفَجَّرْنَا الْأَرْضَ عُيُونًا فَالْتَقَى الْمَاءُ عَلَىٰ أَمْرٍ قَدْ قُدِرَ

“And We caused the earth to break forth like springs and water from the heavens and the earth met together for the purpose verily destined” (54:12)

وَحَمَلْنَاهُ عَلَىٰ ذَاتِ أَلْوَاحٍ وَدُسُرٍ

“And We bore him on a thing10made of planks and nails” (54:13)

تَجْرِي بِأَعْيُنِنَا جَزَاءً لِمَنْ كَانَ كُفِرَ

“It floated on, before Our eyes, a recompense for those who had been rejected11(by the infidels)” (54:14)

وَلَقَدْ تَرَكْنَاهَا آيَةً فَهَلْ مِنْ مُدَّكِرٍ

“And indeed, We have left it (the Ark) as a sign, but is there one to remember (it)12?” (54:15)

فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ

“How (great) was then My chastisement and My warning!” (54:16)

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِنْ مُدَّكِرٍ

“And indeed, have We made Qur’an easy (for remembrance13), but is there one to remember (it)?” (54:17)

كَذَّبَتْ عَادٌ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ

“Belied (the truth) (the people of) ‘Ad, then how (great) was My chastisement and My warning!14“ (54:18)

إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحًا صَرْصَرًا فِي يَوْمِ نَحْسٍ مُسْتَمِرٍّ

“(Lo!) Verily sent We on them a violent wind, on a Day of constant ill-luck15“ (54:19)

تَنْزِعُ النَّاسَ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ مُنْقَعِرٍ

“Flinging the people away, as if they were palm-trunks uprooted” (54:20)

“How (great) was then My chastisement and My warning!16“ (54:21)

“And indeed, have We made Qur’an easy (to remember), but is there one to remember17(it)?18“ (54:22)

Commentary

Verse 1

The miraculous event of moon getting rent asunder as mentioned in this verse has been vouched by many reliable authorities from among the companions of the Holy Prophet viz., Ibn Mas’ood, Anas Ibn Malik, Huzaifa al-Yamani, Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, Jabir Ibn Mat’am. The evidence vouching the incident is strong and so abundant that even the Ahmadi commentator (M.A.) who habitually interprets every miracle into a metaphorical expression has accepted the incident to have taken place (M.A.).

Besides the large number of the witnesses to the incident, there are the holy Ahl Al-Bayt whose evidence is always unquestionable.

Since commentators say that the prophetic past tense used is to mean the incident to happen in the future before the Day of Judgment, the interpretation is not only opposed to the grammatical aspect of the expression in the perfect past tense used, but it cannot answer the question that if the incident had not taken place where was the need for the disbelievers to call it a transient sorcery or enchantment.

The remarks of the people about the incident death establishes it to have taken place and the people having witnessed it and struck with wonder. The question from the critics that if the incident has ever taken place, would it not have been witnessed in the other parts of the world? Firstly, such a question would be merely for the sake of questioning and not to establish any fact against the claim for the following reasons:

1. The incident happened at night. It is not necessary that in all the other parts of the world to be the same night time.

2. People usually do not look up in the night intentionally to watch the usual routine in the sky. The incident was of a very short duration, just to answer the challenge of the disbelievers. It could not necessarily be noted by others who could not be expected to have a watchful gaze at the sky, when there is also the possibility of the sky been cloudy.

3. The miraculous effect was caused to show to challenging disbelievers at a certain place (Mecca) and not for the whole world.

The heathens of Mecca, (according to some, Abu Jahl and some Jews) came to the Holy Prophet and said: “O’ Muhammad, if thou in fact be an apostle of God, cause the moon to get rent asunder.” The Holy Prophet prayed to the Lord and with God’s help, he pointed to the moon with his finger and the moon was seen split into two parts, and Ibn Mas’ood says that he saw the peak of the Mount Hira interposing between the two pans (M.A.). Then the people wanted the two parts to be joined together and it was done. The Jew convinced of the great miracle embraced Islam but Abu Jahl remained the same saying that it was a transient sorcery.

The Christians in particular can never doubt such an incident as long as they have the 12th and 13th verse in the Book 10, of Joshua:

12. “Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. Joshua 10/12

13. “And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the hook of Joshua? So, the sun stood still in the midst of heaven and hasted not to go down about a whole day.” Joshua 10/13.

If the Sun and the Moon could be made to halt at one place and then regain the distance later by running faster than usual, how could this miracle be doubted?

Verse 2

In spite of the people witnessing the great incident they turned away and did not embrace the truth. Ibn Abbas solemnly affirms that he saw the Mount Hira interposing between the two parts of the split Moon.

The second verse clearly asserts that the Splitting of the Moon, had taken place as a Sign which the disbelievers interpreted as continued sorcery. For the denial of this and the apostleship they will be punished as said in Verses 9-15. (A.P.)

Verse 3

Everything has an end, similarly the rule of evil, and the persecution of the truthful shall also one day end, and the matter against the evil shall be settled for ever,

Verse 4

The warning given in the past through the preceding apostles of God is hinted.

The recounting of the sins of past generations, having been punished with exemplary punishments, when they belied the messengers sent to them with the message of Allah, should open the eyes of the disbelievers and check them in their obstinate belying and sinning. For a time, godlessness seems to triumph, but this triumph is short-lived.

Verse 6

The call for the great Day of Reckoning which will be a terrible affair for the disbelievers and the evil doers. For the caller to the Day of Judgment19.

for the callers who will summon all created beings on the day of reckoning and direct them to the presence of the Lord of the worlds. It will be terrible day for the disbelievers.

Five of the stories of the sins of past generations are referred to in the verses 9 to 42 of this surah.

Verses 7 - 8

It is the most appropriate illustration of the people stunned, rising up in swarms from their graves and getting scattered saying ‘Woe unto us’.

Verses 9 - 16

Who has raised us, why have we been resurrected20. They shall hasten on to the Lord. See also Verses 6:74, 78:18, 39:68, 50:20.

For the people of Nuh refer to Verses 7:59 to 7:64; 11:25 to 11:48; 23:23 to 23: 25 to 23:48; 26:105 to 26:122.

Verse 17

Unlike any other sacred scripture, the Holy Qur’an is not only abundant with the highest

philosophy governing the life secular as well as spiritual, but also full of illustration of the fate of the disbelievers and those who rebelled against the laws prescribed by the Lord. It contains warnings against disbelief, and the evil ways of life and is a perfect code of the laws essential, to discipline the human life in this world.

With all these beautiful and wonderful qualities, it is simple, plain and easy to understand. Thus, there remains no excuse for any one with the com non sense, not to avail of the admonition.

Verses 18 - 22

The reference is to the violent stormy wind which lasted for seven nights and eight days21.

For the people of Ad see Verses 7: 65 to 7:72; 11:50 to 11:60; 44: 15 and 44:16.

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