The incident of the splitting of the moon is narrated in the Qur’an in the opening verses of Surah Al-Qamar (54). It is stated: Iqtarabat al-sā‘ah wa anshaqqa al-qamar wa in yaraw āyatan (The hour which they are being warned of is about to arrive and the moon is cleft asunder and whatever sign they see, they will only evade it).
2. It is clear from this that the Qur’an has described this event as an āyah (sign).
3. Āyah is a well-known word in the Arabic language. Its meaning is sign or symbol.
4. When this word is used in relation to Allah Almighty, it refers to the signs in the universe and within ourselves that direct attention towards His various attributes.
5. When the Qur’an intends to draw human attention to the attributes of Allah, it presents these very signs as evidence, thereby providing them with reminders and encouragement, as well as warnings and admonishment.
6. In this terminological sense, this word has been used in the Qur’an for four different applications:
i. For the Divine Signs that appear in the inner self and the universe according to the usual natural order—those that are evident and manifest in the realms of the soul and the universe, and are related to the regular workings of Allah’s power. Examples of such signs include Allah’s creation of the human being from clay, His subjecting the sun and the moon to fixed laws, and His sending down rain from the sky to revive the dead earth with life.
ii. For the Divine Signs that appear in the inner self and the universe in a manner contrary to the usual order—that is, signs which transcend natural norms and occur through the direct command of Allah or through the agency of the forces of divine decree. Examples include the descent of mann and salwa upon the Israelites during the time of Prophet Moses (PBUH), the continuous shade of clouds over them in the wilderness of Sinai, the birth of Prophet Jesus (PBUH) without a father, and his speaking from the cradle.
iii. For those Divine Signs that, contrary to the usual order, appear in the inner self and the universe and are manifested through the Prophets by the command of Allah. In religious terminology, these are referred to as miracles. Examples include the staff of Prophet Moses (PBUH) turning into a serpent, the gushing forth of twelve springs from the rock upon his striking it, Prophet Jesus (PBUH) raising the dead, and the revelation of the Divine Word upon the blessed tongue of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (PBUH).
iv. For the Qur’anic verses that describe the Divine signs appearing in the inner self and the universe, whether according to or contrary to the usual order—these are the verses recorded between the two covers of the Qur’an and recited in structured units as part of its chapters.
7. The question now is, in Surah Al-Qamar, which of the aforementioned applications does the word āyah fit? In response, if we wish to interpret it in the sense of a verse or a sentence from the Qur’an, there is no room for this interpretation, because here the word is used not for a sentence, but for an event. Similarly, if we apply it to the signs that commonly appear in the universe and the inner self, it would also be incorrect, because this is not an ordinary occurrence. This event occurred only once in recorded human history. As for the signs that appear as miracles and extraordinary events through prophets, this event also does not fall under that category. The reason is that in this event, the mediation of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was not employed. That is, neither did he pronounce any words from his mouth, nor did he command the moon to split with a gesture of his blessed hand, nor did he throw anything towards it. Had such a condition existed, undoubtedly, this event would have been counted among those signs that manifest through prophets by the permission of Allah. Now, the only remaining scenario is to regard it as a type of Divine Sign that is extraordinary but manifested directly by Allah.
8. Therefore, the correct interpretation is that this event is an extraordinary sign that manifested from the direct command of Allah, without involving the intermediation of the Prophet (PBUH). In other words, it is to be classified among those signs that were shown during the times of the prophets of the Israelites, without being initiated by the prophets themselves. Examples of these include the descent of mann and salwa, the casting of shade by clouds, the suspension of Mount Sinai, and the creation of Jesus (PBUH) without a father.
9. It is evident from the Qur’an that Allah, the Exalted, decided to show similar signs in the era of the final Prophet (PBUH). This decision is expressed in Surah As-Sajdah in these words: [Rest assured O Prophet! and they should also be warned that] soon We shall also show them Our signs in the world around them and within them as well until it will become evident to them that this Qur’an is the absolute truth. (53)
10. It is also clear from the Qur’an that the sign of the splitting of the moon was for the disbelievers among the Quraysh, and its purpose was to warn them about al-sā‘ah or the Hour of Resurrection. For the deniers of the Prophet, this Hour of Resurrection begins with the punishment that befalls them in this world as a result of their insistence on denial, and the completion of this Hour will occur when the trumpet is blown and the Day of Resurrection takes place.
11. The event of the splitting of the moon is originally mentioned in the Qur’an. It has clarified the background of such signs, as well as the specific nature and purpose of this event, with complete clarity. Therefore, the explanation and details of this event are fundamentally based on its content.
12. However, it has also been mentioned by numerous companions of the Prophet (PBUH). Among them, notable figures include Ali, Abdullah ibn Masud, Jubair ibn Mut‘im, Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Umar, Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, and Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with them all). Some of them were direct witnesses, while others narrated it based on the testimony of others.
13. The overall meaning of the narratives is that this event occurred approximately 5 years before the migration during the Prophet’s era. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and his companions were present in Mina. The moon was in the form of a full moon and was clearly visible. Suddenly, it split and became two separate pieces. One piece moved to one side of the mountain and the other to the opposite side. This astonishing scene lasted for a moment, and then the two pieces joined back together. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) addressed the people, saying that they should be witnesses to this event. The disbelievers witnessed this scene directly, but they couldn’t believe their eyes. Therefore, they tried to dismiss it by saying it was magic. Some of them suggested to wait for people who had been on travel to return before forming a final opinion. Their observation would be decisive because, unlike the current residents, their eyes could not have been enchanted since they were absent. This suggestion was accepted. When the travelers returned, it turned out that they had also witnessed the splitting of the moon exactly as described. Thus, it became impossible for the disbelievers to deny the event. However, despite this, they did not believe and remained resolute in denying and rejecting the warnings of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).
14. Scholars and hadith experts agree on the validity of this overall interpretation.
15. In some versions associated with Anas (RA), there is an addition to the agreed-upon understanding that this incident occurred twice during the lifetime of the Prophet (PBUH) and emerged in response to the demand for a sign by the Quraysh. Some hadith scholars and commentators have accepted this addition, while others have rejected it, considering it the result of narrators’ error. The precedents of the Qur’an, the verses of Surah Al-Qamar, and the collection of all narrations on the topic of the splitting of the moon indicate that this particular addition is not authentic.
16. There is also a difference of opinion among scholars regarding the miraculous nature of the splitting of the moon. Most of the scholars of hadith and exegesis include it among the miracles of the Prophethood and attribute its occurrence to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Some other scholars consider it one of the signs of Allah, but do not apply the well-known terminology of ‘miracle’ to it. According to them, including it among the miracles of the Prophethood is not correct from a scholarly and terminological perspective. Two eminent contemporary scholars, Maulana Syed Abul A‘la Maududi and Maulana Amin Ahsan Islahi, adhere to this latter viewpoint.
17. Javed Ahmed Ghamidi concurs with the overall opinion of Maulana Maududi and Maulana Islahi on all aspects of the discussion regarding the splitting of the moon and presents it as his own stance.
18. The position of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi regarding the splitting of the moon can be expressed in the following points:
As for the usage of the term ‘miracle’ concerning this, he does not consider it correct. In this matter, he understands the position of Maulana Maududi and Maulana Islahi to be in accordance with the Qur’an and hadith, and he does not regard the traditional stance of the scholars to be aligned with the intent of the Qur’an and Hadith.
According to him, the key aspect in this matter lies in the meaning and applicability of the word āyah. The reason for this is that the Qur’an has chosen this very word for the aforementioned incident.
vii. He believes that if the meaning of this word is determined in light of the examples from the Qur’an, it would be counted among those signs that manifested by the direct command of Allah and in which the intercession of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was not employed.
However, he accepts all the miracles and extraordinary events of the Messenger (PBUH) as true, which are mentioned in the Qur’an or are transmitted through authentic traditions of hadith and seerah.