Tafsir Surah Al-Qamar ayah 1 | Learn Quran Tafsir

Tafsir of Surah Al-Qamar

The Hour draws near; the cleaving of the Moon

Allah informs,

اقۡتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الۡقَمَرُ

The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder.

Allah informs about the approach of the Last Hour and the imminent end and demise of the world,

أَتَى أَمۡرُ اللَّهِ فَلَ تَسۡتَعۡجِلُوهُ

The Event ordained by Allah will come to pass, so seek not to hasten it. (16:1),

اقۡتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَـبُهُمۡ وَهُمۡ فِى غَفۡلَةٍ مُّعۡرِضُونَ

Draws near for mankind their reckoning, while they turn away in heedlessness. (21:1)

Hadiths about the Last Hour

There are several Hadiths with this meaning.

Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Bazzar recorded that Anas said that one day, when the sun was about to set, the Messenger of Allah gave a speech to his Companions, saying,

وَالَّذِي نَفۡسِي بِيَدِهِ مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ الدُّنۡيَا فِيمَا مَضَى مِنۡهَا إِلاَّ كَمَا بَقِيَ مِنۡ يَوۡمِكُمۡ هذَا فِيمَا مَضَى مِنۡه

By He in Whose Hand is my soul! Not much of this world is left compared to what has already passed of it, except as much as what is left in this day of yours compared to what has already passed of it.

Anas said, We could only see a small part of the setting sun at the time.

Another Hadith that supports and explains the above Hadith is recorded by Imam Ahmad that Abdullah bin Umar said,

We were sitting with the Prophet while the sun was rising above Qu`ayqa`an, after `Asr. He said,

مَا أَعۡمَارُكُمۡ فِي أَعۡمَارِ مَنۡ مَضَى إِلاَّ كَمَا بَقِيَ مِنَ النَّهَارِ فِيمَا مَضَى

What remains of your time, compared to what has passed, is as long as what remains of this day compared to what has passed of it.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Sahl bin Sa`d said that he heard the Messenger of Allah say,

بُعِثۡتُ أَنَا وَالسَّاعَةُ هكَذَا

I was sent like this with the Last Hour.

and he pointed with his middle and index finger.

The Two Sahihs also recorded this Hadith.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Wahb As-Suwa'i said that the Messenger of Allah said,

بُعِثۡتُ أَنَا وَالسَّاعَةُ كَهذِهِ مِنۡ هذِهِ إِنۡ كَادَتۡ لَتَسۡبِقُنِي

I was sent just before the Last Hour, like the distance between this and this; the latter almost overtook the former.

Al-A`mash joined between his index and middle fingers while narrating this Hadith.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Al-Awzai said that Ismail bin Ubaydullah said,

Anas bin Malik went to Al-Walid bin Abdul-Malik who asked him about what he heard from the Messenger of Allah about the Last Hour.

Anas said, `I heard the Messenger of Allah say,

أَنۡتُمۡ وَالسَّاعَةُ كَهَاتَيۡن

You and the Last Hour are as close as these two (fingers).'

Only Imam Ahmad collected this Hadith.

There is proof to support these Hadiths in the Sahih listing, Al-Hashir (literally the Gatherer), among the names of the Messenger of Allah; he is the first to be gathered, and all people will be gathered thereafter (for the Day of Judgement).

Allah's statement,

وَانشَقَّ الۡقَمَرُ

and the moon has been cleft asunder.

It occurred during the time of Allah's Messenger, according to the authentic Mutawatir Hadiths the scholars agree that the moon was cleft asunder during the lifetime of the Prophet, and it was among the clear miracles that Allah gave him. Hadiths mentioning that the Moon was split

The Narration of Anas bin Malik

Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas bin Malik said,

The people of Makkah asked the Prophet for a miracle and the moon was split into two parts in Makkah.

Allah said,

اقۡتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الۡقَمَرُ

The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder.

Muslim also collected this Hadith.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Anas bin Malik said,

The people of Makkah asked the Messenger of Allah to produce a miracle, and he showed them the splitting of the moon into two parts, until they ﷺ (the mount of) Hira' between them.

This Hadith is recorded in the Two Sahihs with various chains of narration.

The Narration of Jubayr bin Mut`im

Imam Ahmad recorded that Jubayr bin Mut`im said,

The moon was split into two pieces during the time of Allah's Prophet; a part of the moon was over one mountain and another part over another mountain. So they said, `Muhammad has taken us by his magic.'

They then said, `If he was able to take us by magic, he will not be able to do so with all people.'

Only Imam Ahmad recorded this Hadith with this chain of narration.

Al-Bayhaqi used another chain of narration in a similar Hadith he collected in Ad-Dala'il.

The Narration of `Abdullah bin `Abbas

Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn Abbas said,

The moon was split during the time of the Prophet.

Al-Bukhari and Muslim collected this Hadith.

Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn Abbas commented on Allah's saying:

اقۡتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الۡقَمَرُ

وَإِن يَرَوۡا ايَةً يُعۡرِضُوا وَيَقُولُوا سِحۡرٌ مُّسۡتَمِرٌّ

The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder. And if they see a sign, they turn away and say:This is magic, Mustamir.

This occurred before the Hijrah; the moon was split and they ﷺ it in two parts.

The Narration of `Abdullah bin `Umar Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr

Al-Bayhaqi recorded that Abdullah bin Umar commented on Allah's statement:

اقۡتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الۡقَمَرُ

The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder.

This occurred during the time of Allah's Messenger; the moon was split in two parts. A part of it was before the mount and a part on the other side.

The Prophet said,

اللۡهُمَّ اشۡهَد

O Allah! Be witness.

This is the narration that Muslim and At-Tirmidhi collected.

At-Tirmidhi said, Hasan Sahih.

The Narration of `Abdullah bin Mas`ud

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn Mas`ud said,

The moon was split in two parts during the time of Allah's Messenger, and they ﷺ its two parts. Allah's Messenger said,

اشۡهَدُوا

(Be witnesses.

Al-Bukhari and Muslim collected this Hadith.

Ibn Jarir recorded that Abdullah (Ibn Mas`ud) said,

I ﷺ the mountain between the two parts of the moon when it was split.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abdullah said,

The moon was split during the time of Allah's Messenger and I ﷺ the mount between its two parts.

The Stubbornness of the idolators

Allah said,

وَإِن يَرَوۡا ايَةً

And if they see an Ayah,

if they see proof, evidence and a sign,

يُعۡرِضُوا

they turn away,

they do not believe in it. Rather, they turn away from it, abandoning it behind their backs,

وَيَقُولُوا سِحۡرٌ مُّسۡتَمِرٌّ

and say:This is magic, Mustamir.

They say, `the sign that we ﷺ was magic, which was cast on us.'

Mustamir, means, `will soon go away', according to Mujahid, Qatadah and several others.

The Quraysh said that the cleaving of the moon was false and will soon diminish and fade away

وَكَذَّبُوا وَاتَّبَعُوا أَهۡوَاءهُمۡ

They denied and followed their own lusts.,

they rejected the truth when it came to them, following the ignorance and foolishness that their lusts and desires called them to.

Allah's statement,

وَكُلُّ أَمۡرٍ مُّسۡتَقِرٌّ

And every matter will be settled.

means, the good deeds will take their doers to all that is good and righteous, and similarly evil deeds will take their doers to all that is evil, according to Qatadah, while Ibn Jurayj said, will settle according to its people.

Mujahid commented on the meaning of,

وَكُلُّ أَمۡرٍ مُّسۡتَقِرٌّ

(And every matter will be settled). by saying,

On the Day of Resurrection.

Allah's statement

وَلَقَدۡ جَاءهُم مِّنَ الاَۡنبَاء

And indeed there has come to them news;

in this Qur'an, there has come to them the news of the earlier nations that disbelieved in their Messengers and the torment, punishment and affliction that befell them,

مَا فِيهِ مُزۡدَجَرٌ

wherein there is Muzdajar,

wherein there are warnings and lessons to stop them from idolatry and persisting in denial

حِكۡمَةٌ بَالِغَةٌ

Perfect wisdom,

in that Allah guides whomever He wills and misguides whomever He wills,

فَمَا تُغۡنِ النُّذُرُ

but warners benefit them not.

but the preaching of warnings does not benefit those upon whom Allah has written misery and sealed their hearts. Who can guide such people after Allah?

This Ayah is similar to Allah's statements,

قُلۡ فَلِلَّهِ الۡحُجَّةُ الۡبَـلِغَةُ فَلَوۡ شَأءَ لَهَدَاكُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ

Say:With Allah is the perfect proof and argument; had He so willed, He would indeed have guided you all. (6:149)

and,

وَمَا تُغۡنِى الايَـتُ وَالنُّذُرُ عَن قَوۡمٍ لاَّ يُوۡمِنُونَ

But neither Ayat nor warners benefit those who believe not. (10:101)

The terrible End the Disbelievers will meet on the Day of Resurrection

Allah the Exalted says,

فَتَوَلَّ عَنۡهُمۡ

So withdraw from them.

Allah the Exalted says, `O Muhammad, turn away from these people who, when they witness a miracle, they deny it and say that this is continuous magic.' Turn away from them and wait until,

يَوۡمَ يَدۡعُ الدَّاعِ إِلَى شَيۡءٍ نُّكُرٍ

The Day that the caller will call (them) to a terrible thing.

to the Recompense and the afflictions, horrors and tremendous hardships that it brings forth

خُشَّعًا أَبۡصَارُهُمۡ

with humbled eyes,

their eyes will be covered with disgrace,

يَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ الاَۡجۡدَاثِ كَأَنَّهُمۡ جَرَادٌ مُّنتَشِرٌ

they will come forth from (their) graves as if they were locusts spread abroad.

They will gather towards the area of Reckoning in such haste and crowds, in response to the caller, as if they were crowds of locusts spreading all about.

Allah said

مُّهۡطِعِينَ

Hastening, (meaing hurriedly),

إِلَى الدَّاعِ

towards the caller.

without being able to hesitate or slow down,

يَقُولُ الۡكَافِرُونَ هَذَا يَوۡمٌ عَسِرٌ

The disbelievers will say:This is a hard Day.,

meaing, `this is a hard, terrible, horrifying and distressful Day,'

فَذَلِكَ يَوۡمَيِذٍ يَوۡمٌ عَسِيرٌ

عَلَى الۡكَـفِرِينَ غَيۡرُ يَسِيرٍ

Truly, that Day will be a Hard Day -- far from easy for the disbelievers. (74:9-10)

Al-Qamar: 1

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Al-Qamar: 1