Note: The Arabic text is left just to show the source and the authenticity of the English translation. Readers who do not read Arabic should just ignore the Arabic text as it is already translated to English in the text they are reading.
Now, we leave the subject of the moon splitting and look at the bigger picture of the Quranic message. With regard to providing a miracle to persuade the unbelievers. We understand from several verses –which followed in the order of revelation- Surat Al Qammar, that the Prophet PBUH, was given the Quran as The Miracle, which could be witnessed by all the people till the day of Judgement. We drew this understanding from the following verses (There are more, but we list hereafter 6 verses, 5 of which revealed in Mecca and 1 revealed in Madinah):
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
{مَا مَنَعَنَا أَن نُّرْسِلَ بِالْآيَاتِ إِلَّا أَن كَذَّبَ بِهَا الْأَوَّلُونَ ……………………. }[ الإسراء] .
{And nothing has prevented Us [Allah] from sending signs except that the people of the old nations denied them (59)} Al Israa
{وَيَقُولُونَ لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ ۖ فَقُلْ إِنَّمَا الْغَيْبُ لِلَّهِ فَانتَظِرُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُم مِّنَ الْمُنتَظِرِينَ} (20) يونس
{And they [the unbelievers] say: If only a miracle (sign) was sent down upon him from his Lord! So say, (Tell them Muhammad): The Unseen [the future] belongeth to Allah, so wait and I am with you among those who are waiting (2}0) Surat Younes 10
{فَلَعَلَّكَ تَارِكٌ بَعْضَ مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيْكَ وَضَائِقٌ بِهِ صَدْرُكَ أَن يَقُولُوا لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ كَنزٌ أَوْ جَاءَ مَعَهُ مَلَكٌ ۚ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ نَذِيرٌ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ} (12) سورة هود
{Perhaps you, (Muhammad), [wish to] leave part of that which is revealed to you and you feel grieved because they say: Only if a treasure were sent down to him or an angel came with him. You are only a warner and Allah is in charge of all things (12)} Hood 11
{وَقَالُواْ لَوْلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ ۖ وَلَوْ أَنزَلْنَا مَلَكًا لَّقُضِىَ ٱلْأَمْرُ ثُمَّ لَا يُنظَرُونَ} (الأنعام – 8)
{They say: If only an angel is sent down unto him. But if We sent down an angel, then all would be determined; and no further time would be allowed [for them to repent](8)} Al An3am.
{قَدْ نَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُ لَيَحْزُنُكَ الَّذِي يَقُولُونَ ۖ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَا يُكَذِّبُونَكَ وَلَٰكِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ (33) وَلَقَدْ كُذِّبَتْ رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَصَبَرُوا عَلَىٰ مَا كُذِّبُوا وَأُوذُوا حَتَّىٰ أَتَاهُمْ نَصْرُنَا ۚ وَلَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَكَ مِن نَّبَإِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ (34) وَإِن كَانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكَ إِعْرَاضُهُمْ فَإِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَن تَبْتَغِيَ نَفَقًا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَوْ سُلَّمًا فِي السَّمَاءِ فَتَأْتِيَهُم بِآيَةٍ ۚ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَجَمَعَهُمْ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ ۚ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ (35) ۞ إِنَّمَا يَسْتَجِيبُ الَّذِينَ يَسْمَعُونَ ۘ وَالْمَوْتَىٰ يَبْعَثُهُمُ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ (36) وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ ۚ قُلْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَادِرٌ عَلَىٰ أَن يُنَزِّلَ آيَةً وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ (37)} سورة الأنعام
{We know [Muhammad] the grief which their words do cause you: It is not you they deny: it is the revelations of Allah, which the wrongdoers reject. (33) And indeed, messengers before you were denied, but they were patient over that denial. They were harmed {and suffered] until Our victory came to them. Nothing can alter the words of Allah as [you can see from what] has been revealed to you of the messengers stories (34) And as their [the unbelievers] denials is too hard for you [to bear], [to the point] that [you are wishing] if you were able to find a tunnel in the ground or a ladder up to the sky, so you may bring them a miracle, the time if Allah willed, He could have brought them together unto the true path, so do not be one of Al-Jahileen (the uninformed – ignorant). (35) Only those who hear [your message] can accept. As for the dead, Allah will raise them up; then unto Him they will be returned. (36) They [the unbelievers] said: “If only a miracle is sent down to him from his Lord?” Say: “Allah is certainly able to send down a miracle, but most of them do not know”. (37)} Al An3am
{وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ ۗ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ ۖ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ} (7) الرعد
{Those who disbelieve say: If only a miracle were sent down upon him from his Lord! You are only a warner, and for every nation there is a guide. (7)} Al Ra3d (The Thunder)
From the above verses, we understand that God will not show the unbelievers a sign or a miracle, other than the Quran. The following Hadith also confirms this view:
قال الإمام أحمد : حدثنا حجاج ، حدثنا ليث ، حدثني سعيد بن أبي سعيد ، عن أبيه عن أبي هريرة ، رضي الله عنه ، قال : قال رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – : ” ما من الأنبياء من نبي إلا قد أعطي من الآيات ما مثله آمن عليه البشر ، وإنما كان الذي أوتيته وحيا أوحاه الله إلي ، فأرجو أن أكون أكثرهم تابعا يوم القيامة ” . أخرجاه من حديث الليث. وأيضًا: عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: “مَا مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ إِلاَّ قَدْ أُعْطِيَ مِنَ الآيَاتِ مَا مِثْلُهُ آمَنَ عَلَيْهِ الْبَشَرُ، وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ الَّذِي أُوتِيتُ وَحْياً أَوْحَى الله إِلَيَّ، فَأَرْجُو أَنْ أَكُونَ أَكْثَرَهُمْ تَابِعاً يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ”.
Imam Ahmad said: from Abu Hurayrah, said: The Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – said:
“Every prophet of the prophets, was given from the Ayat [miracles], as much as what made people believed when witnessing similar miracles. But for me, what I was given was a revelation revealed to me from Allah, and I hope to have the most followers in the day of Resurrection.”
تخريج الحديث: الحديث أخرجه مسلم حديث (152)، وأخرجه البخاري في ” كتاب فضائل القرآن ” ” باب كيف نزل الوحي وأول ما نزل” حديث) 4981(
Abu Hurayrah became a Muslim during the 7th Hijri year and served and accompanied the Prophet PBUH during the last 3 or 4 years of the Prophets life. So this Hadith is long time after the event of the split of the moon.
This Hadeeth also in line with what the Quran verses stated that no physical miracles [to be witnessed by the unbelievers] were given to the Prophet.
From the above, we understand that Al Quran is the message the Prophet PBUH is delivering to us and this Quran is itself the miracle.
It is worth mentioning here, that the Arabic word Muajiza [Miracle] is not mentioned at all in the Quran. The word Ayah is used which carries several meanings depending on the context it is in. Ayah meanings are: Miracle, natural phenomena, wonders of nature and a Quranic verse.
Allah, provided the previous prophets and messengers with many miracles –which is called Ayat in the Quran-but people either did not believe, or believed at the time but later diverted from the true message and distorted it.
Islam came to realign the distorted passages previous religions took, back to the straight way. It was the last and final message. So, miracles which may be effective for the people who witnessed it, will not have the same effect on people who did not witness it, and for the generations which followed, it will entirely depend on them believing the sayings they hear about these miracles.
Islam is a religion based on reasoning and rationality, not miracles which –as said before- is only effective on the people who witness it. Allah revealed the Quran to be the living miracle of Islam, which is witnessed by all generations till the day of Judgement. Islam is based on scientific thinking. Whenever it is talking about our world (which is the reachable universe [by our senses]), it provides an apprehensible views and concepts. When it tells us about the pastو religions and events before its time, it tells us about miracles, supernatural, magicians and witchcraft. With the dawn of Islam, the age of miracles, supernatural and witchcraft has ended and a new age of rational thinking has begun. The miracles given to the Prophet PBUH are self-assuring miracles, they belong to him and witnessed by him alone, not for the unbelievers.
AL Israa wal Miraaj, he alone experienced it. The Angel giving him the revelations, only he experienced it. We are told these miracles were given to the Prophet to calm and appease him in the face of his people denial and contempt.
The holy book Al Quran, is a special book, from many aspects, one of which, it contains signs which will be understood and recognized as human knowledge progress enough to be able to comprehend the meaning of a particular texts.
This concept is stated in the following verses:
{سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ ۗ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ} (53) سورة فصلت
{We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves, until it become clear to them that this [The Quran] is the truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is witness on all things!}(53) Surat Fasalat
{وَقُلِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ سَيُرِيكُمْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ فَتَعْرِفُونَهَا ۚ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ} (سورة النمل – 93)
{And say “[All] praise is [due] to Allah. He will show you His signs, and you will recognize them. And your Lord is not unaware of what you are doing.”} Surat Al Naml
{لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ (16) إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ (17) فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ (18) ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ} (19) سورة القيامة
{Do not move your tongue quickly to hasten it (16) We are responsible for its collection and its recitation. (17) So when We have recited it, then follow its recitation. (18) Thereafter We shall be responsible for its interpretation (19)} Surat Al Qyamah
{خُلِقَ الْإِنسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ ۚ سَأُرِيكُمْ آيَاتِي فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونِ} (37) سورة الأنبياء
{Man was created of haste. I will show you My signs, so do not impatiently urge Me (37)} Surat The Prophets
We see these signs today, with science discovering more wonders of our universe, Al Quran with its vast number of verses which relates to the creation and workings of our universe, always succeed in not contradicting such new knowledge and discoveries, when most of its pre and contemporary religious and scientific writings fail. This is one of the wonders of the Quran, which I studied and recorded in a comprehensive research published in Arabic Language –hoping for somebody someday to translate it- which is published in Al Mudarabah website and in this YouTube channel, under the title “Quran, Creation and Science”
So, from the above we conclude, with reasonable confidence, that Miracles challenged and asked for by the unbelievers, are not answered.
Now, let us see what also is said in the Quran about what happens to the moon when the Hour approaches:
In Surat Al Qiyaama [Day of Resurrection] starting from verse 6 till verse 13:
سورة القيامة Al-Qiyaama
{يَسْأَلُ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ (6) فَإِذَا بَرِقَ الْبَصَرُ (7) وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ (8) وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ (9) يَقُولُ الْإِنسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَيْنَ الْمَفَرُّ (10) كَلَّا لَا وَزَرَ (11) إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمُسْتَقَرُّ (12) يُنَبَّأُ الْإِنسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ (13)}
{He [Man] asks, “When is the Day of Resurrection?”
[Reply] when sight is dazzled
And the moon disappears
And the sun and the moon are joined together
On that day man will cry: [is there any] where to flee
Alas! No refuge!
Unto your Lord, the road ends that day.
On that Day; Man will be informed of what he brought forward [of his good deeds] and what he prefers to leave behind [of evil deeds]}.
The above verses describe the events which precede the Doomsday, the moon will disappear or eclipse and thereafter it will be joined with the sun, in other words, the moon just before the Day of Judgement, will leave its orbit around the Earth (disappear) and will join the sun either by orbiting it or falling into it and being consumed by it.
If we go back to Surat Al Qamar, {The Day of Judgement approached and the moon split}. Split is translation of the Arabic word Inshqa, the verse says Inshaqa Al Qamar. For the verb In-sha-qa [Inshaqa], in Arabic, it indicates that something Split [in parts big or small, into two or more pieces] or cracked while the whole stayed intact. The word is also used to describe one who breaks away from or leaves his party, his tribe or a group of which he was a member of, like if one leaves a political party we say ‘Inshaqa Anhum’ He split from them.
Now let us see what science tells us about the probabilities of what may happen to our moon in the future:
We know today that the moon moves away from the earth at 38 mm each year, such rate will slow as it moves farther away. Considering Earth Moon System only, this move will not result in the moon breaking away from its orbit around the earth. But it can break away if it was hit by a meteorite or other force combined with Venus and the Sun pushing it away. In such case it will more likely fall into the sun or orbit it, like Mercury which probably freed itself from orbiting Venus. So if this happens, the moon would have split from the earth and joined the sun (by orbiting it).
If none of this happens and the moon stayed in its orbit around the Earth, after some 5 billion years, as the sun’s reaches the end of its fuel –and end of its life- its outer atmosphere will expand and will reach the Earth and Moon’s orbits, the gravitational tugs from the sun and Venus might pull the moon away. So eventually, the Earth and Moon will likely go their separate ways but this will happen just before the end when they fall into the sun.
It is worth adding also that at the beginning when earth was formed, it is most probably the moon itself split from it after a great impact with another planet (scientist gave it the name Theia) or a big asteroid hit the young earth.
So the moon had split from earth during their early formation, and may split from earth’s gravity during the near or far future, but if it stayed in orbit, it will surely split after around 5 billion years when it will join the Sun by orbiting or falling into it and getting consumed by it.
So the possibility of the moon splitting or freeing from earth orbit, is scientifically valid and likely to occur at some time in the far future.
End of Part (2) To Be Continued in Part (3)