Answer
Asalamu Alaikum Mostafa,
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Let us first examine closely the first verse of Surat Al-Qamar (chapter 54) and read it in context of the following verse(s) and the whole surah. The first verse says:
{The Hour has drawn near, and the moon is cloven.} (Quran 54:1)
The verse refers to the cosmic event that occurred in the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH-peace be upon him), by Allah’s will, in order to support His prophet against the pagan Arabs in Makkah, at the peak of their resistance and hostility. It was in response to their challenging the Prophet to bring them a sign.
This is supported by a careful reading of the rest of Surat Al-Qamar, as follows:
1. The following two verses of Surat Al-Qamar say:
{And in case they see a sign, they veer away and say, “A continuous sorcery!” And they have cried lies and closely followed their prejudices; and every command is settled.} (Al-Qamar 54:2-3)
So, the pagans of Makkah denied what they saw with their own eyes, claiming that what they actually saw was merely a spell that affected either their own sight or the appearance of the moon.
2. The following paragraphs of Surat Al-Qamar highlight the similarities between the situation of Arab pagans and those of the previous nations who denied the visible signs and miracles of their respective prophets: Noah (verses 8-16), Hud (verses 17-21), Salih (verses 22-31), Lut (verses 32-39), and, finally, Moses (verses 40-42). These similarities are introduced by the following verses:
{And indeed there have already come to them such tidings wherein there is a scaring. A consummate wisdom; yet in no way do warnings avail.} (Al-Qamar 54:4-5)
3. Hence, the first verse of Surat Al-Qamar documents an actual event, and not something that will occur in the future towards the end of the world. Towards that time, the moon will be attracted to the sun:
{He asks, “When will be the Day of the Resurrection?” Yet, when the sight is dazed, and the moon eclipses, and the sun and the moon are gathered together} (Al-Qiyamah 75:6-9)
The meaning of this verse is in agreement with modern science. It is now known that the moon has been gradually moving away from the earth at the rate of about 3 centimeters per year. One day the moon will fall within the stronger gravity of the sun, pulling the moon to it.
4. The statement {The Hour has drawn near} is apt. The earth and universe are billions of years old. And the past 15 centuries since the moon’s splitting are a minute fraction of the long history of the universe from creation to the Last Day. This is in line with what the Prophet (PBUH) said:
I and the Last Hour have been sent like this and (he while doing it) joined the forefinger with the middle finger. (Muslim)
Evidence from Authentic Prophetic Hadith
The event of the moon splitting has been reported in a number of authentically reported hadith narrations, through more than three different chains of narration:
Narrated `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud: “During the lifetime of the Prophet, the moon was split into two parts and on that the Prophet said, ‘Bear witness [to this]’.” (Al-Bukhari)
Narrated Anas ibn Malik: “The Makkan people requested Allah’s Messenger to show them a miracle, and so he showed them the splitting of the moon.” (Al-Bukhari)
Narrated `Abdullah ibn `Abbas: “The moon was split into two parts during the lifetime of the Prophet.” (Al-Bukhari)
Other Supporting Arguments
A miracle, by definition, is a supernatural event beyond the laws of patterns of science. But it is Allah who has created these laws and patterns, and it is easy for Him to create something outside of these patterns. Therefore, both supernatural and natural events are only by Allah Almighty’s will and power.
Of interest in relation to the moon splitting, are some the recent observations made during exploration of the lunar surface. Enormously long (hundreds of kilometers) and deep (ranging hundreds of meters to tens of kilometers) ruptures, straight and curved, were detected.
These ruptures are traversed with huge depressions such as Mare Orientale, which is 1,000 km in diameter 9 km deep. It has been argued that such phenomena cannot be explained by the impact of asteroid-size objects or as being lunar rills induced by tensional cracks.
One suggested explanation was that these could result from a splitting and reassembling event. (Reported by Dr. Zaghlul An-Naggar, Al-Ahram newspaper, Cairo, Sept. 23, 2002; Signs of Scientific Inimitability of the Noble Quran, 4th ed., (International Shorouq Bookshop, 2002) pp .49-52)
In the same work, Dr. Zaghloul also cited an Indian historical manuscript (India Office Library, London, manuscript #2807/152-173), which says that this incident-observed by the Indian king of Malibar, Chakrawati Farmas-was the starting point of Islam spreading to India. When he heard that this was a miracle seen by Makkan pagans to support the Prophet (PBUH), he and all his people embraced Islam.
Also, of interest could be a similar event of a moon splitting, recently observed by the space ship Voyager in 1986. Miranda, one of the five moons of the planet Uranus, was hit by a large piece of planetary debris that split it into a number of fragments, which later reassembled by gravity. Photographs of the event were recorded and published in the National Geographic magazine (August 1986).
I hope this answers your question.
Thank you and please keep in touch.
Walaikum Asalam.
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