How did the Splitting of the Moon Occur?
The splitting of the moon, or the event of Shakqu'l-Qamar/Inshiqāq al-Qamar, is based on the first verse of Surah Al-Qamar. There are also various narrations about this event.
Let's first examine the event from the perspective of the Quranic verses:
The Hour has come near, and the moon has split.
A- The reason past tense forms are used in the verse is because it is a Quranic style.
(Muhakkaku'l-Vukû' Ke'l-Vukû - Events that are certain to happen are as if they have already happened.) It is known that the Quran uses past tense forms for events that are certain to happen, especially when expressing what will happen in the Last Hour and the process of the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter. As an example of this, it is stated that the Last Hour is approaching and that the moon will be split.
In the context of the Last Hour, expressions such as "eyes will be dazzled, the moon will be eclipsed, the sun and moon will come together" always use past tense verbs. However, during translations, these verbs, although essentially "past tense" verbs, are presented to the reader with a future tense meaning, as in the following verses of the surah.
7.So, when the sight shall be dazed,
8.And the moon will be eclipsed,
9.And the sun and moon will be joined together
10.On that Day man will say: "Where (is the refuge) to flee?"
Both past tense and passive forms are used to emphasize the certainty of the event. Therefore, in the first verse of Surah Al-Qamar, the splitting of the moon is also described in the "past tense" to show that this will occur in the Last Hour.
B- The splitting of the moon, since it comes after the expression "the approach of the Last Hour," implies that the splitting of the moon is a part of the Last Hour and will occur at that time. The fact that the verbs يَرَوْا yeravv and يُعْرِضُوا yu'ridû in the second verse are in the "present tense" indicates that an event of the kind claimed did not occur. The expression in the second verse, "If the polytheists were to see such an event, they would turn away and say, 'This is an ongoing magic,'" does not state that the event occurred, but rather that "if such a thing had happened, their reaction would have been one of disbelief."
And if they see a sign, they turn away, and say: "This is continuous magic."
C- As can be understood from the following verse , the only and eternal miracle given to the Prophet Muhammad is the Qur'an.
50. But they say, "Why are not signs sent down to him from his Lord?"
Say, "The signs are only with Allah, and I am only a clear warner."
51. And is it not sufficient for them that We revealed to you the Book(Quran) which is recited to them? Indeed in that is a mercy and reminder for a people who believe.
D- It is understood from the following verse that Almighty Allah did not send miracles of the kind He sent to previous nations, and He stated the reason as "the previous nations' denial."
And nothing has prevented Us from sending signs except that the former peoples denied them. And We gave Thamud the she-camel as a visible sign, but they wronged her. And We send not the signs except as a warning.
E- Miracles were shown to the disbelievers, and if they did not believe, they would be destroyed en masse. However, the recipients here were not the polytheists of Mecca, but the believers who allegedly witnessed the event. If it were accepted that the recipients were polytheists, then the mass destruction of the community would be expected for their disbelief, which did not happen.
And We had already destroyed generations before you when they wronged, and their messengers had come to them with clear proofs, but they were not to believe. Thus do We recompense the criminal people.
Not a [single] city which We destroyed believed before them, so will they believe?
F- The Prophet's response to the disbelievers' demands for miracles is given in the following verse of the Quran.
90. And they say, "We will not believe you until you break open for us from the ground a spring.
91. Or [until] you have a garden of palm tress and grapes and make rivers gush forth within them in force
92. Or you make the heaven fall upon us in fragments as you have claimed or you bring Allah and the angels before [us]
93. Or you have a house of gold or you ascend into the sky. And [even then], we will not believe in your ascension until you bring down to us a book we may read."
Say, "Exalted is my Lord! Was I ever but a human messenger?"
G- If the verses below were referring to a miracle of Prophet Muhammad, they would not have been conveyed to their audience in this way.
And they say, "Why has a sign not been sent down to him from his Lord?"
Say, "Indeed, Allah is Able to send down a sign, but most of them do not know."
And they say, "Why is a sign not sent down to him from his Lord?"
So say, "The unseen is only for Allah [to administer], so wait; indeed, I am with you among those who wait."
After examining the narrations, you can read the complete information with supporting documents via the link in the Turkish Islamic Encyclopedia. Here's a summary of the information for you:
This event is attributed to the following Companions:
Ali ibn Abu Talib,
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud,
Abdullah ibn Omar,
Abdullah ibn Abbas,
Anas ibn Malik,
Jubayr ibn Mut'im
Hudhayfah ibn Yaman.
Although the chain of narration to Ibn Mas'ud is authentic, it is understood from both the expressions in the text and the explanations of the hadith scholars that it is mawquf (a type of narration that refers only to sayings and actions narrated from a Companion. The chain of narration of these reports does not reach the Prophet Muhammad, but ends with a Companion. These reports may include the words and actions of a Companion or their opinion on a particular situation).
The narration of Ibn Abbas is very similar to the narration of Ibn Mas'ud; their texts are the same, and the only difference in their chains of narrators is the individuals among the Companions who narrated the tradition.
Some hadith scholars, considering that the splitting of the moon occurred five years before the Hijra and that Abdullah ibn Abbas had not yet been born at that time, state that he could not have witnessed this event but may have narrated it from someone else (possibly Ibn Mas'ud).
According to a narration attributed to Anas ibn Malik , the polytheists asked the Prophet for a miracle, and the Messenger of Allah showed them the splitting of the moon into two parts. The word "showing" in the hadith text can be interpreted not as the moon actually splitting into two parts, but as it being shown to the polytheists as if it had split. Furthermore, some hadith critics point out that it is impossible for Anas, who was a child of four or five years old at the time, to have witnessed the event in Medina, given that it is said to have occurred in Mecca before the Hijra. Therefore, like the narration of Ibn Abbas, this hadith should also be considered mursal (lacking a complete chain of narrators).
The narration from Abdullah ibn Umar mentions the Prophet in the third person, suggesting that Ibn Umar, who was around five years old at the time of the event, most likely heard it from Ibn Mas'ud. Furthermore, the fact that the narrator is only mentioned as Abdullah raises the possibility of confusing Ibn Mas'ud with Ibn Umar.
Regarding the narration transmitted through Jubayr b. Mut'im , Abu Bakr Ibn al-Arabi states that this narration is munqati' (a hadith narrated with one or more narrators omitted in the part of the chain of narrators that comes after the Companion); Ibn Ma'in and Ibn Hibban also consider Sulayman b. Kathir and his son, who are included in the chain, to be weak.
An examination of these narrations reveals that the following companions were the ones who had the opportunity to witness the event firsthand among those to whom the news is attributed.
Ali ibn Abu Talib,
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud,
Jubayr ibn Mut'im
Hudhayfah ibn. Yaman
The narrations attributed to Ali ibn Abu Talib and Hudhayfah are not found in authentic hadith books.
The narration of Jubayr b. Mut'im is considered munqati' (meaning a hadith narrated with one or more narrators omitted in the part of the chain of narrators that comes after the Companion).
Ibn Mas'ud's narration is mawquf (a type of narration that only refers to reports of sayings and actions narrated from a Companion. The chain of narration does not reach Muhammad; it ends with a Companion. These reports may include the words and actions of a Companion or their opinion on a particular situation).
In conclusion, the fact that the Companions cited as narrators of the reports stating that the splitting of the moon occurred in the past were young at the time of the event, that some narrations are debatable in terms of their chain of transmission, and that none of the narrations have reached the level of tawatur (mass transmission), makes it impossible to definitively say that this event occurred in the past.
The fact that the splitting of the moon, an event significant enough to attract everyone's attention, was not known to have been seen elsewhere in the world, that it was narrated by so few people, and that it did not make it into historical and astronomical literature, all suggest that such an event could not have occurred.
Many verses already state that the heavens and the earth will split open at the time of the Day of Judgment. The splitting of the moon is also likely one of the stages of the sky splitting open at that time. Because while humans can more or less imagine the splitting of the earth, they cannot comprehend what the splitting of the sky will be like. Based on what we know, we can probably imagine it as the disappearance of the atmosphere. Only Allah knows the truth.
The word miracle means "a proof that leaves one speechless," and it appears as "ayat" (sign) in the Quran. In accordance with the meaning of the word, there are so many miracles that are visible to all and leave humans speechless, that only those who wish to see them can perceive them. Even if a person were to simply reflect on themselves, they would find thousands of miracles within their own bodies. Therefore, throughout history, disbelievers, ignoring the miracles before their eyes and persisting in their disbelief, have constantly demanded miracles from the messengers, and when each miracle that left them speechless came, they continued their disbelief. For this reason, a believer does not need new miracles outside of divine revelation.
We believe this event is a prophecy in the Quran about an event that will happen in the future. No one denies the splitting of the moon; there are only differing approaches regarding when it occurred or will occur. It is a terrible mistake to adopt different opinions on a matter not directly related to faith and then accuse those who oppose them of disbelief. And Allah knows best.