The Splitting of the Moon (Inshiqaq al-Qamar)
Appeared
In brief
The splitting of the moon was a miracle that happened in Makkah before the Hijrah, during the Prophet's ﷺ life. The Quran ties it directly to the Hour: 'The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split' (al-Qamar 54:1).
Companions who saw it, including Ibn Mas'ud, Anas and Ibn Abbas, said the moon split into two clear halves, one above Mount Hira and the other below it, and the Prophet ﷺ said: 'Bear witness!'
Ibn Kathir and al-Bayhaqi note that this report is mutawatir, passed on by so many people that it cannot be doubted. It counts as a proof of prophethood, and as a sign that the order of the heavens can be torn apart by Allah's command, as it will be at the Hour itself.
Reflect on Surah al-Qamar (54:1-5) and avoid the heedlessness of those who see clear signs yet turn away.
Where it sits in the sequence
Events the narrations foretold that scholars connect with the first centuries of Islam. No single narration puts them in order.
Verses of the Quran
ٱقۡتَرَبَتِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ وَٱنشَقَّ ٱلۡقَمَرُ١
1. The Hour has come near, and the moon has split [in two]
Strongest narrations
Read all in the archive →Tags are automatic and unreviewed.
حَدَّثَنَا صَدَقَةُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ انْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم شِقَّتَيْنِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " اشْهَدُوا ".
Narrated `Abdullah bin Masud:During the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) the moon was split into two parts and on that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Bear witness (to this)
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، وَسُفْيَانَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِي مَعْمَرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ انْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِرْقَتَيْنِ، فِرْقَةً فَوْقَ الْجَبَلِ وَفِرْقَةً دُونَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " اشْهَدُوا ".
Narrated Ibn Masud:During the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) the moon was split into two parts; one part remained over the mountain, and the other part went beyond the mountain. On that, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Witness this miracle
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي، نَجِيحٍ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ انْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِشِقَّتَيْنِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " اشْهَدُوا " .
Abu Ma'mar reported on the authority of Abdullah that the moon was split up during lifetime by Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in two parts and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:Bear testimony to this
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِي مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ انْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِلْقَتَيْنِ فَسَتَرَ الْجَبَلُ فِلْقَةً وَكَانَتْ فِلْقَةٌ فَوْقَ الْجَبَلِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " اللَّهُمَّ اشْهَدْ " .
Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported that the moon was split up in two parts during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). The mountain covered one of its parts and one part of it was above the mountain and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:Bear witness to this
وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ كُلُّهُمْ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ انْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ فِرْقَتَيْنِ . وَفِي حَدِيثِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ انْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم .
Anas reported that the moon was split up in two parts and in the hadith recorded in Abu Dawud, the words are:" The moon was split up into two parts during the life of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ قُرَيْشٍ التَّمِيمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ بَكْرِ بْنِ مُضَرَ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ رَبِيعَةَ، عَنْ عِرَاكِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ إِنَّ الْقَمَرَ انْشَقَّ عَلَى زَمَانِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم .
Ibn 'Abbas reported that the moon was split up during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him)
Weak and ungraded reports on this sign
3
Shown for study, not as established. Includes Kitab al-Fitan of Nu'aym ibn Hammad, which is ungraded and weak overall.
Kitab al-Fitan of Nu'aym ibn Hammad: ungraded, and weak overall. Never established on its own.
سأل أهل مكة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم آية، فانشق القمر بمكة مرتين، فقال: {اقتربت الساعة وانشق القمر وإن يروا آية يعرضوا ويقولوا سحر مستمر} [القمر: 2] يقولون: سحر ذاهب
The people of Mecca asked the Prophet ﷺ a sign, and the moon split twice in Mecca, so he said: {The Hour has approached and the moon splits, and if they see a sign, they turn away and say, “Continuous magic.” [Al-Qamar: 2] They say: Magic is going away.
Kitab al-Fitan of Nu'aym ibn Hammad: ungraded, and weak overall. Never established on its own.
انشق القمر على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم شقتين، فقال المشركون: سحر، فنزلت {اقتربت الساعة وانشق القمر وإن يروا آية يعرضوا ويقولوا سحر مستمر} [القمر: 2]
During the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the moon was split into two parts, and the polytheists said: Magic, so it was revealed: “The Hour has approached and the moon has been split, and if they see a sign, they will turn away and say, ‘Continuous magic.’” [Al-Qamar: 2]
Kitab al-Fitan of Nu'aym ibn Hammad: ungraded, and weak overall. Never established on its own.
اشهدوا
Bear witness
Places named
What scholars have said
Scholars cite it as having appeared
Imam Ibn Kathird. 774 AH (701-774 AH)
Confirms that the splitting of the moon occurred in Makkah before the Hijrah when the Quraysh demanded a sign, and notes that it is transmitted through mutawatir (mass-transmitted) chains of Companions whom the scholars unanimously accept as one of the realized signs of the Hour's approach.
Tafsir al-Qur'an al-'Azim, on Surah al-Qamar 54:1-2; al-Bidayah wa'l-Nihayah
Present-day data
These numbers show the world today beside the narration. They do not decide whether the sign has appeared; that is shown only through named scholars, in the Scholars' views tab.
'The Hour has drawn near and the moon has split' (Quran 54:1). Anas and Ibn Mas'ud report that the people of Makkah asked the Prophet ﷺ for a sign and were shown the moon in two halves, with Mount Hira between them (Sahih al-Bukhari 3636, Sahih Muslim 2800). It was a miracle at one moment, so there is nothing to measure today; what can be checked is the viral claim that space agencies have photographed the 'scar'.
Narrations behind this panel: Sahih al-Bukhari 3636 · Sahih Muslim 2800a
What the commentators said it means
- The narrations of the splitting are mutawatir, reported by many Companions through many chains: Ibn Kathir, Tafsir on Surah al-Qamar.
- It happened at night and for a short time, when most of the world was asleep or under a different sky, which is why other nations did not record it: Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari, citing earlier scholars.
Myth checks
The 'rille photo' claim
A widely shared image of a long groove on the Moon, the Ariadaeus Rille, is presented as proof of the split. A rille is a common lunar valley formed by lava flow or crustal stretching, and NASA has said it has no evidence of the Moon having split. The Quran and the sahih narrations are the basis of belief here; a misread photo adds nothing to them.
Wikipedia: Splitting of the Moon · Wikipedia: Rima Ariadaeus
as of 2026-10-28
The Malabar king legend
A Kerala tradition says the Chera king Cheraman Perumal saw the Moon split, went to Arabia and became Muslim. It survives in late manuscripts, not in contemporary records, so historians treat it as legend.
Wikipedia: Cheraman Perumal tradition
as of 2026-10-28
Read with care
- A miracle shown once leaves no record that science expects to find; absence of a photograph is not evidence against it, and a misread photograph is not evidence for it.
Draft: figures and wording await a researcher's check and the scholar board.