Surah 54:1 — The Hour and the moon
اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ
“The Hour has come near and the moon has split”.
Interpretations of “وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ”
One view holds that the moon split into two parts.
Another view links the splitting to the Final Day itself.
A view that an eclipse appeared like a split.
Conclusion: Allah knows best which opinion is correct.
Understanding “اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ”
In times of major crisis—such as when the Mongols were destroying the Muslim world—many Muslims and the ‘Ulamaa’ believed this was a defining sign of Judgement Day being on the verge of occurring. Similarly, Christians have stated in the past that Judgement Day is near when faced with a major crisis.
As time passed some Muslims became restless, looking for signs of Judgement Day and becoming obsessed with its closeness.
Insight of Al-Imam Fakhruddin Ar-Razi
“The timeline of the world's existence has been extended for a long period of time, and what remains compared to the past is but a short span, hence He said: ‘The Hour has drawn near’.”
— Al-Imam Fakhruddin Ar-Razi
In the total duration of creation, the period between the coming of the Qur’an and the Day of Judgement is very short in comparison—humanity is in the final chapter of its story.
Final Revelation and the Final Day
- Whenever Allah speaks of the Day of Judgement being close, a link is made between the final Prophet and the final Day.
- The coming of the final Prophet and revelation means the next big event is the Final Day.
- The coming of the Qur’an and last Prophet essentially implies the coming of Judgement Day.
Lexicon and Nuances of القَمَر (Al‑Qamar)
القَمَر “The moon” was technically defined as the moon that is in the sky is called that from the third to the twenty-fifth night of the month—corresponding to when it is clearly visible in the night sky.
- قَمِرَتِ الإِبِل (Qamirat-il-Ibil): when camels drink water to their fill.
- قَمِرَتِ (Qamirat): “To be filled”.
- قَمِرَ الرَّجُل (Qamira-r-Rajul): a man’s sight became dazzled due to the gleam of the sun on snow (snow-blindness).
Key Takeaways
Relative to the long past, what remains is short.
Presented with multiple views, and Allah knows best.
With the final Prophet and Qur’an, the next great event is the Final Day.