Questions Seerah and history

Did the Prophet split the moon?

Checked by our team

Short answer

Yes. Muslims believe that in Makkah, a few years before the Hijrah, the people of Quraysh asked for a sign and the moon split into two halves in front of them. The Quran mentions it (54:1-2) and it is reported by several Companions in Bukhari and Muslim.

Hanafi position

Sunni scholars agree that the splitting of the moon (inshiqaq al-qamar) was a real miracle in the Prophet's ﷺ time, not a sign of the end times still to come. Several Companions narrate it, and scholars such as Ibn Kathir said the reports are mass-transmitted.

The four schools agree on this.

Explanation

Surah al-Qamar begins: "The Hour has come near, and the moon has split. And if they see a sign, they turn away and say, passing magic." The verses speak in the past tense, and the second verse describes people seeing a sign and calling it magic, which fits what happened in Makkah.

Anas reports that the people of Makkah asked the Prophet ﷺ to show them a sign, and he showed them the moon split. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, who was there, said the moon split while they were with him at Mina, one part behind the mountain and one in front of it, and he said: "Bear witness." Ibn Abbas and Ibn Umar also narrate it. The disbelievers said it was magic.

Some ask why the whole world did not record it. Scholars answer that it happened at night, briefly, when most of the world was asleep or under different skies, and that people did not watch the sky or keep records as we do now. The miracle was given to the people who asked for it.

Pictures of a long crack on the moon's surface sometimes shared online are natural features called rilles; they are not proof of the miracle, and Muslims do not need them. Our belief rests on the Quran and authentic reports. See What miracles did Prophet Muhammad perform? and Do Muslims believe in miracles?

The evidence

Quran, Surah Al-Qamar 54:1-2

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٱقْتَرَبَتِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ وَٱنشَقَّ ٱلْقَمَرُ ﴿١﴾ وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ ءَايَةًۭ يُعْرِضُوا۟ وَيَقُولُوا۟ سِحْرٌۭ مُّسْتَمِرٌّۭ ﴿٢﴾

The Hour has come near, and the moon has split [in two]. And if they see a miracle, they turn away and say, "Passing magic."

The Quran's mention of the split moon and the disbelievers' reply.

Quran 54:1-2, translation by Sahih International

Sahih al-Bukhari 3637

Sahih

... أن يريهم آية فأراهم انشقاق القمر ...

"That he show them a sign, so he showed them the moon split."

Anas's report.

Sahih al-Bukhari 3637 · Sahih · Read on sunnah.com

Sahih Muslim 2800

Sahih

... انشق القمر على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بشقتين ...

"The moon split into two parts in the time of the Messenger of Allah, and he said: Bear witness."

Ibn Mas'ud's report, with the Prophet's words 'Bear witness'.

Sahih Muslim 2800 · Sahih · Read on sunnah.com

Where the ruling is recorded

  • Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Commentary on Surah al-Qamar 54:1. Gathers the reports and states that the event is agreed upon by the scholars.
  • Fath al-Bari (Ibn Hajar), Commentary on Kitab al-Manaqib, chapter on the polytheists asking the Prophet to show them a sign, and he showed them the moon split. Discusses the chains and the objections.
  • al-Shifa (Qadi Iyad), Part on his miracles, the splitting of the moon. Places it among his greatest physical miracles.

Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.