Recitation by Mishary Al-Alfasy
The Surah takes its name from the very first verse Wan shaqq al-Qamar,
thereby implying that it is a Surah in which the word al-Qamar has occurred.
Period of Revelation
The incident of the shaqq-al-Qamar
(splitting of the moon) that has been mentioned in it, determines its period of
revelation precisely. The traditionists and commentators are agreed that this
incident took place at Mina in Makkah about five years before the Holy Prophet's
hijrah to Madinah.
Theme and Subject Matter
In this
Surah the disbelievers of Makkah have been warned for their stubbornness which
they had adopted against the invitation of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him). The amazing and wonderful phenomenon of the splitting of
the Moon was a manifest sign of the truth that the Resurrection, of which the
Holy Prophet was giving them the news, could take place and that it had
approached near at hand. The great sphere of the Moon had split into two
distinct parts in front of their very eyes. The two parts had separated and
receded so much apart from each other that to the on-lookers one part had
appeared on one side of the mountain and the other on the other side of it.
Then, in an instant the two had rejoined. This was a manifest proof of the truth
that the system of the Universe was neither eternal nor immortal, it could be
disrupted. Huge stars and Planets could split asunder, disintegrate, collide
with each other, and everything that had been depicted in the Quran In
connection with the description of the details of Resurrection, could happen.
Not only this : it was also a portent that the disintegration of the system of
the Universe had begun and the time was near when Resurrection would take place.
The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) invited the people's
attention to this event only with this object in view and asked them to mark it
and be a witness to it. But the disbelievers described it as a magical illusion
add persisted in their denial. For this stubbornness they have been reproached
in this Surah.
At the outset it has been said: "These people neither
believe in the admonition, nor learn a lesson from history, nor affirm faith
after witnessing manifest signs with their eyes. Now they would believe only
when Resurrection has taken place and they would be rushing out of their graves
towards the Summoner on that Day."
Then, the stories of the people of
Noah and of 'Ad and Thamud and of the peoples of Lot and the Pharaoh have been
related briefly and they have been reminded of the terrible punishments that
these nations suffered when they belied and disregarded the warnings given by
the Prophets of God. After the narration of each story the refrain that has been
provided is : "This Qur'an is an easy means of admonition, which if a nation
takes to heart and thereby takes the Right Way, the torment that descended on
the former nations could be avoided. But it would indeed be a folly if instead
of heeding the admonition through this easy means, one persisted in heedlessness
and disbelieved until one was overtaken by the torment itself."
Likewise,
after citing admonitory precedents from the history of the former nations, the
disbelievers of Makkah have been addressed and warned to this effect: "If you
too adopt the same attitude and conduct for which the other nations have already
been punished, why will you not be punished for it?Are you in any way a superior
people that you should be treated differently from others? Or, have you received
a deed of amnesty that you will not be punished for the crime for which others
have been punished? And if you feel elated at your great numbers, you will soon
see that these very numbers of yours are put to rout (on the battlefield) and on
the Day of Resurrection you will be dealt with even more severely."
In
the end, the disbelievers have been told that Allah does not need to make
lengthy preparations to bring about Resurrection. No sooner does He give a
simple command for it than it will take place immediately. Like everything else
the Universe and mankind also have a destiny. According to this destiny
everything happens at its own appointed time. It cannot be so that whenever
somebody gives a challenge, Resurrection is brought about in order to convince
him. If you adopt rebellion because you do not see it coming, you will only be
adding to your own distress and misfortune. For your record which is being
prepared by Divine agents, has not left any misdeed of yours, great or small,
unrecorded.