054- AL-QAMAR
THE MOON
Most commentators maintain that al-Qamar is a Makkan sūrah, although some say that v. 45 and others that vv. 44–46 are from the Madinan period (. It takes its name from the mention of the moon in the first verse and is also known by its first words, Iqtarabat al-sāʿah, “The Hour Has Drawn Nigh”. This sūrah follows thematically upon the previous sūrah in that the first verse reiterates 53:57, The imminent is nigh, and the stories of the destruction that befell former communities expand upon the references to the tribes of ʿĀd and Thamūd, and the people of Noah in 53:50–52. It is reported that the Prophet would recite Qāf (Sūrah 50) and al-Qamar during the prayers of ʿĪd al-aḍḥā (the Feast of Sacrifice) and ʿĪd al-fiṭr (the Feast of Breaking Fast) and during other major prayer gatherings.
The first two verses of al-Qamar are understood by the vast majority of commentators as a reference to a miracle performed by the Prophet. One evening he was addressing a group of disbelievers and Muslims on the plain of Minā, just outside of Makkah. The disbelievers had been disputing with the Prophet for several days, demanding a miracle as proof of his prophethood, and they began to do so again. The Prophet then raised his hand and pointed to the moon, whereupon it appeared to separate into two halves, one on either side of nearby Mt. Ḥirāʾ. He then said, “Bear witness!”, and the line of separation disappeared. All were left speechless, but his opponents soon discounted it as an illusion produced by sorcery. According to one account, one of the disbelievers said, “Muhammad has merely bewitched us, but he cannot bewitch the entire world. Let us wait for travelers to come from faraway places and hear what reports they bring.” Then, when some travelers arrived in Makkah a few days later, they confirmed that they too had witnessed the splitting of the moon.
After warning the opponents of the Prophet of the judgment that will overtake them (vv. 1–8), the sūrah cites the people of Noah (vv. 9–15), the tribes of ʿĀd (vv. 18–21) and Thamūd (vv. 23–31), the people of Lot (vv. 33–38), and the people of Pharaoh (vv. 41–45) as examples of previous peoples who were overthrown for similar offenses. Mention of the punishments that await the guilty (vv. 46–48) segues into a discussion of the nature of God’s Decree and accounting (vv. 49–53), and the sūrah concludes with a discussion of rewards that await the reverent (vv. 54–55).
(source: “The Study Quran” a new translation and commentary by Seyyed Hossein Nasr)
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