The Quran makes it clear that the sign of the splitting of the moon was for the disbelievers of the Quraysh, and its purpose was to warn them about “al-sa‘ah” — the Hour of Resurrection. For the deniers of a Messenger, this Hour of Resurrection begins with the punishment that descends upon them in this world as a result of their persistence in rejecting the truth, and it culminates with the blowing of the trumpet and the actual occurrence of the Day of Judgment.
To understand the reality of this punishment, it is essential to comprehend the call of the Prophets. This can be explained as follows: God’s Prophets are sent to the world to call people towards Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and to warn them of the resurrection while giving glad tidings. That is, they invite their addressees towards Allah and convey the good news of a favorable end in the Hereafter to the believers, while warning the disbelievers of an unfavorable end. This is the Prophets’ divine mission. The Quran describes this mission in these words:
“People were once a single nation, then Allah sent Prophets as bearers of good news and warners…” (Surah al-Baqarah 2:213)
The purpose of the incident of the splitting of the moon
َكا َن ال َّنا ُس ُأ َّم ًة َوا ِح َد ًة َف َب َع َث ال َّل ُه ال َّن ِب ِّيي َن ُم َب ِّش ِري َن َو ُمن ِذ ِري…
About the last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), this command is expressed in the following words:
“O Prophet, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner, as one who invites to Allah by His permission, and as a luminous lamp.”
Among these Prophets, some are elevated to the rank of “Messenger” along with their prophethood. This means that they make the truth utterly clear to their addressees, leaving no excuse for denial. The divine court descends to the earth, and the ultimate consequences of the rejecters are established and enforced in this world. In essence, a minor Day of Resurrection is brought upon the deniers of a Messenger, and the decisions of their Paradise and Hell are implemented in this very life. The stories of these Messengers mentioned in the Quran make it evident that similar consequences were meted out to the deniers of Prophets Noah, Salih, Lot, Hud, Shuayb, and Moses (peace be upon them). They were destroyed through divine calamities. The deniers of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) were also destroyed under the same law, executed by the swords of his Companions.
In this context, at the beginning of the Surah, it is stated that the Hour of Doom (al-sa‘ah) has drawn near for the disbelievers of the Quraysh. The Messenger of Allah was warning them about this hour, and as a sign of it, Allah split the moon to show them. Following this preamble, the narratives of previous Messengers are mentioned, illustrating that their addressees also rejected them, and as a result, Allah annihilated them.
Thus, when the people of Noah rejected him, they were drowned in water. When the people of ‘Ad rejected, they were destroyed by a violent wind that left their corpses like hollow palm trunks rolling around under its force. When the Thamud rejected, Allah made the she-camel a sign for them. But when they hamstrung her, Allah destroyed them with a terrible thunderclap and an overwhelming cry, obliterating their settlements entirely. When the people of Lot denied, they were devastated by a storm that rained stones. Similarly, when Pharaoh’s people rejected, they too were seized and annihilated by overwhelming power.
After presenting these historical evidences, it is asserted that if the denial by those communities resulted in punishment, then the outcome of your denial cannot be any different. If you continue on this path for a little longer, know that your punishment is also near. The extraordinary event of the splitting of the moon is a sign of this inevitability. It demonstrates that the All-Powerful, who can split a great celestial body like the moon into two and then rejoin it, can easily disassemble your body parts and reassemble them once again. Thus, be aware that the Hour of your minor resurrection is near, and in its continuity, the Hour of the greater resurrection is also not far off.
In the latter part of the Surah, it is declared:
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ شَٰهِدًۭا وَمُبَشِّرًۭا وَنَذِيرًۭا وَدَاعِيًا إِلَى ٱللَّهِ بِإِذْنِهِۦ وَسِرَاجًۭا مُّنِيرًۭا
(al-Ahzab 33:45-46)
“(O people of Quraysh!) Are your disbelievers better than those, or have you been granted immunity in the Scriptures? Or do they say, ‘We are a victorious multitude’? Their multitude will soon be defeated, and they will turn their backs in retreat. No! Their promised time is the Hour, and the Hour will be more disastrous and bitter.”
Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi’s explanation of the term “al-sa‘ah” at the beginning and end of the Surah makes the purpose of the incident of the splitting of the moon (Shaq-al-Qamar) completely clear. He writes: “‘al-sa‘ah’ refers to the moment of decision and punishment… We have repeatedly clarified that the Messengers of Allah warned their people about two kinds of punishments. The first is the punishment that inevitably descends upon a nation in this world if it disregards the Messenger’s warning and persists in denying him. The second is the punishment that awaits in the Hereafter. The difference between these two punishments is merely one of initiation and culmination, or prelude and conclusion. When a nation faces punishment for rejecting a Messenger, it is essentially being punished for the ultimate reckoning of the Hereafter. This is why the term ‘al- sa‘ah’at times encompasses both of these punishments. If viewed from this perspective, it becomes evident that every nation to whom a Messenger was sent had its moment of reckoning approach. Thus, the statement ‘iqtarabati ssa’ah’ is not an exaggeration but an absolute reality.
Regarding the phrase ‘wanshaqq al-qamar’, Islahi explains:
“This refers to a sign indicating the approach of the hour of punishment. As we have noted throughout this book, although signs of Allah’s power and wisdom are scattered across every inch of the heavens and earth, and new signs are continuously revealed, during the era of a Messenger, Allah manifests specific signs that validate the Messenger’s warnings and the truth of his claim to prophethood…
The purpose of these signs, as we have indicated, is to reinforce the Messenger’s warnings. The proclamations made by the Messenger are supported by corroborative evidence within the universe so that Allah’s argument is firmly established over the people. One such sign appeared in the form of the splitting of the moon to endorse the warnings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), making it evident to the deniers of punishment and resurrection that the catastrophic events described in the Quran—such as the earth quaking, mountains being shattered and flying like dust, oceans boiling over, and the sun losing its light—are not mere exaggerations meant to instill fear but are inevitable realities. Evidence of these events occasionally surfaces in this world in various forms.
أَكُفَّارُكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ مِّنْ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكُمْ أَمْ لَكُم بَرَآءَةٌۭ فِى ٱلزُّبُرِ أَمْ يَقُولُونَ نَحْنُ جَمِيعٌۭ مُّنتَصِرٌۭ سَيُهْزَمُ ٱلْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ ٱلدُّبُرَ بَلِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ وَٱلسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَىٰ وَأَمَرُّ
(Surah al-Qamar 54:43-46)
Islahi further clarifies:
The disbelievers’ skepticism about the resurrection stemmed largely from the impossibility they perceived in the idea of the universe being completely dismantled one day. Their questions about mountains, as recorded in the Quran, reflect their belief that such phenomena are immutable, indestructible, and eternal. By manifesting the sign of the splitting of the moon, Allah demonstrated to them that no entity within this universe, no matter how grand, is autonomous, eternal, or unshakable. Everything is subject to Allah’s command, and He can dismantle all of creation whenever He wills…
“It is important to note that the earlier verse (iqtarabati ssa’ah) referred to the punishment and defeat that inevitably confronts the rejecters of the Messengers in this world. However, the later verse (َا َم ُّر َ َا ۡد ٰہی ۃَُال َّس ا َ َۡم ۡو ِع ُد ُہ ۃَُال َّس ا َِب) refers to the punishment that awaits on the actual Day of Judgment, which will be exceedingly severe and bitter. As we have repeatedly emphasized in this book, those who deny the Messengers inevitably face humiliation and defeat in this world, and the Hereafter is already established as the ultimate place of their disgrace.” (Tadabbur-e-Quran, vol. 8, pp. 90-91, 113)