Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim.

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. All the praises and thanks be to Allâh, the Lord of the 'Alamîn . The Only Owner of the Day of Recompense. You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help. Guide us to the Straight Way. The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace , not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger, nor of those who went astray .

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54: (Al-Qamar)- The Moon

(The Moon)Section (juz'): 27Number of Verses: 55

Sūra al-Qamar (the Moon) (Arabic: سورة القَمَر) is the fifty forth surah of the quran. It is a makki surah located in juz' twenty seven. This sura is called "al-Qamar" because it mentions the  miracle of shaqq al-qamar(moon-splitting) by the prophet (s). Verses of this sura are mostly warnings and in order to give lessons, they speak about previous nations and their bad conditions on the day f judgement upon coming out of graves and their attendance for reckoning of their deeds. People whose names are mentioned in this sura are 'Ad, Thamud, Lot (as), and people of Pharoah.

One of the famous verses of this sura is the verse which says that the Qur'an is presented in order to easily give lessons. This verse is repeated in this sura four times. About the merits of this sura, it is transmitted from the Prophet (s) that whoever recites Sura al-Qamar every other day, will enter the Day of Judgement while his face will be bright like the full moon.

The blessed Chapter has 55 Verses and was revealed in Mecca. The designation of the Chapter derives from the raising the question of Cleaving of the Moon (shaqq al-qamar). All the blessed Verses of the Chapter in question end in the letter r.

The preceding Chapter ended with the question of Resurrection and the blessed Chapter 55 opens with the same. The Chapter mainly treats of Resurrection, Prophethood, and an account of Prophets' opponents. The accounts of five peoples, namely those of Noah (as), 'Ad, Thamud, Lot (as), and Pharoah are being referred to in this Chapter.

According to a tradition narrated from the Noble Prophet (S)

"One who recites Surah al-Qamar and perseveres will enter the Plain of Judgment in splendor on the Day of Resurrection on the condition that he acts upon Qur'anic Injunctions."

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Benefits

This 'makki' Surah has 55 ayaat. It is narrated from the Holy Prophet (S) that the fact of the person who recites this Surah will shine like the full moon on the Day of Reckoning. The best time to recite this Surah is at night and this carries the highest reward.

Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) said that the one who recites this Surah will have a mount from Jannah on which he will sit when he wakes from his grave. Whoever keeps this Surah under his cap or turban at the time of Jumu'ah prayers will be highly respected by the people and his difficulties will be eased.

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Lessons

The splitting of the moon in the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was a sign of Qiyāmah drawing closer.The Qur'ān has been made easy to memorise.The Qur'ān has been made easy to take lessons from.The order of Allāh when He issues it, takes less than a split second to be executed.Each and every thing, small or big, is recorded by Allāh.

The surah can be divided into the following three sections:

SECTION I (1-8)

The Prophet (sws) has been comforted that he should not pay any heed to the stubborn and obstinate people who are demanding to see the doom they have been promised. The greatest of signs shall not induce them to accept faith, because they do not follow the norms of sense and reason; instead they are the followers of their whims and desires. The tales of various nations should be a big lesson for them, but alas! they do not have the ability to learn from history. The Prophet (sws) is further consoled that they will not pay heed to his Message; he should leave their matter to the summoner who, on the Day of Judgement shall be summoning them not to the Quran but to hell. They shall respond to his call, emerging from their graves like locusts scattered about.

SECTION II (9-42)

The Quraish have been directed to learn a lesson from the fate of the people of Noah, Aad, Thamud, Lot and Pharoah. These people, like the Quraish, rejected their respective prophets, and if the Quraish also follow their footsteps, they will meet a similar fate. They must bear in mind that the Almighty has revealed the Quran to warn them of this danger beforehand by making it very appropriate for admonition. Instead of acknowledging this favour of the Almighty and benifitting from it, alas! it is their extreme misfortune that they are asking for punishment.

SECTION III (43-55)

The Quraish have been cautioned that when in the past the Almighty has never spared the unbelievers, they should not consider themselves an exception to this rule. Do they reckon that the Almighty has written a directive of acquittal for them in the Hereafter in the heavenly scriptures, and do they think that they shall be able to defend themselves against Allah in the Hereafter? If they have such foolish ideas, they must remember that the Almighty shall never treat the unbelievers and the righteous equally. The unbelievers shall encounter the raging fire of hell and the righteous shall dwell in the eternal bliss of paradise.

(Translated from Islahi's "Tadabbur-i-Quran") ---Shehzad Saleem

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Hadiths

Hadith on miracles: Moon splits, the prophet is accused of magic

Jubayr ibn Mu'tim reported: The moon was split in the lifetime of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, until it became two separate pieces over this mountain and this mountain. They said, "Muhammad has cast a spell on us!" Some of them said, "If he has bewitched us, he cannot bewitch all of the people."

Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3289

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani

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Hadith on miracles: Bear witness to the splitting of the moon

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud reported: The moon split when we were with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and it became two separate pieces. The Prophet said to us, "Bear witness. Bear witness."

In another narration, Ibn Mas'ud said, "A piece was behind the mountain and another piece was below it."

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4584, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2800

Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim

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Hadith on miracles: The Quraysh ask the prophet for a sign

Anas ibn Malik reported: The people of Mecca asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, for a sign, so he showed them the splitting of the moon into two pieces until mount Hira' could be seen between them.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3655, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2802

Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim

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Hadith on Eid: Surat Qaf and al- Qamar recited in eid prayers

Abu Waqid reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would recite in the Eid prayers, "Qaf, by the majestic Quran," (50:1) and, "The Hour approaches and the moon is cleft asunder," (54:1).

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 891

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Muslim

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