ٱقْتَرَبَتِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ وَٱنشَقَّ ٱلْقَمَرُ 1
Translations
The Hour has come near, and the moon has split [in two].
Transliteration
Iqtarabati al-saa'atu wa-inshaqqa al-qamar
Tafsir (Explanation)
This opening ayah of Surah Al-Qamar announces that the Hour (Day of Judgment) has drawn near and the moon has split asunder. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as both a literal miraculous sign performed by the Prophet Muhammad (splitting of the moon witnessed by Quraysh) and a metaphorical indication of the proximity of the Last Day. The conjunction of these two events emphasizes the certainty and imminence of the Day of Judgment, serving as a powerful warning to the deniers.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Qamar is a Meccan surah revealed during the early period of Islamic preaching when the Quraysh were rejecting the Prophet's message. This ayah opens the surah with an emphatic call to attention, immediately confronting the disbelievers with both a miraculous sign they witnessed (the moon's splitting) and the ultimate reality they denied (the approach of the Hour). The surah repeatedly emphasizes the certainty of the Day of Judgment and the fate of previous nations who rejected their prophets.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (3868): Anas ibn Malik reported that the moon was split into two pieces during the time of the Prophet Muhammad, and the Quraysh said, 'Muhammad has bewitched us.' Tirmidhi (3269): A hadith regarding signs of the Hour, with the splitting of the moon mentioned as one of the signs preceding the Day of Judgment.
Themes
Key Lesson
The splitting of the moon serves as both a historical miracle validating the Prophet's message and a reminder that cosmic signs precede the final reckoning; believers should use such signs to strengthen their faith and prepare spiritually, while recognizing that even clear miracles do not guarantee acceptance from those who turn away from truth.
Related Ayahs
وَكُلَّ إِنسَـٰنٍ أَلْزَمْنَـٰهُ طَـٰٓئِرَهُۥ فِى عُنُقِهِۦ ۖ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُۥ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ كِتَـٰبًا يَلْقَىٰهُ مَنشُورًا
And [for] every person We have imposed his fate upon his neck, and We will produce for him on the Day of Resurrection a record which he will encounter spread open.
وَعُرِضُوا۟ عَلَىٰ رَبِّكَ صَفًّا لَّقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا كَمَا خَلَقْنَـٰكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍۭ ۚ بَلْ زَعَمْتُمْ أَلَّن نَّجْعَلَ لَكُم مَّوْعِدًا
And they will be presented before your Lord in rows, [and He will say], "You have certainly come to Us just as We created you the first time. But you claimed that We would never make for you an appointment."
ثُمَّ لَنَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ أَوْلَىٰ بِهَا صِلِيًّا
Then, surely it is We who are most knowing of those most worthy of burning therein.
فَذَرْهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يُلَـٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى فِيهِ يُصْعَقُونَ
So leave them until they meet their Day in which they will be struck insensible -