Saturday 5 May 2018

Sign of Splitting of Moon as Eclipse


بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتقين

In one of my previous entries regarding the sign of the splitting of the moon (Sura 54:1-2), I cited the narration of Abdullah b. Mas’udRA which seems to suggest that the splitting of the moon was some kind of eclipse. Here I shall quote another narration from Ibn AbbasRA which is more explicit in pointing out that the sign of the splitting of the moon was actually an eclipse:
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ، قَالَ : كُسِفَ الْقَمَرُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَقَالُوا : سُحِرَ الْقَمَرُ فَنَزَلَتْ اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ مُسْتَمِرٌّ
Ibn Abbas narrated: The moon was eclipsed in the time of Allah’s Apostle upon whom be peace, but they said: “The moon has been bewitched”, so (the Ayah) was revealed: The Hour has drawn near and the moon has split. And if they see a Sign they turn away and say “passing magic” (Mu’jam al-Kabir of al-Tabarani #11642)

2 comments:

  1. By saying كسف القمر Ibn Abbas was clearly speaking of a lunar eclipse and not a literal splitting of the moon. But those who insist that this is simply another wording to describe the phenomenon of the literal splitting of the moon should consult the subsequent narration, in which Ibn Abbas narrates انْكَسَفَتِ الشَّمْسُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ "the sun was eclipsed (or split?!) in the time of the Apostle of Allah peace be upon him." If they are to be consistent in this approach, do they therefore believe the sun too was literally split and was one of the Prophet's miracles?

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  2. Ibn Kathir رحمه الله declared 'isnadun jayyidun' concerning this statement of sayyidina Ibn Abbas رضى الله عنهما (al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah v.4 pp.298-299 published by Dar Hijr)

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