(p-86) Surah Al-Qamar

Its purpose is to clarify the end of the stars concerning the Hour, regarding its realization and the intensity of its proximity, and the classification of its people - considering what has been mentioned there of the wonders of the Qur'an, laughter, weeping, and action - to a seeker of knowledge who is guided by it, and to a follower of his own desires and appetites who is misguided by neglecting them, for he is a loser. This is because He, glorified and exalted is He, promised this by informing His Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him), and the truth of this was confirmed by what He supported him with from His verses, which established His power over what He wills of creation and annihilation. Thus, His uniqueness in sovereignty was established, and the proximity of it was supported by the effect in the verse of the night, which indicates the power to dismantle the heavens, necessitating destruction. For indeed, this is because there remains only the effect of the verse of the day, and when there is the folding of the spread and the general destruction indicating the summoning before the One, the Subduer. The most indicative of all this purpose is its first verse. Therefore, it was named for what it contains of proximity, the Hour, and the moon. Its naming as the moon is more famous for its indication of the speed of its movement and the multitude of its changes regarding the proximity indicated by the star, by reference, not by expression. And it was not named for the splitting because when it is mentioned, it refers to the name, and the sky is more deserving of it. (In the name of Allah) whose knowledge encompasses it, thus His power was completed. (The Most Gracious) whose mercy encompasses all things, so it included the wretched and the happy. (The Most Merciful) who specifically completed the blessing for whom He chose, thus His mercy made them happy.

* *When the star was concluded with a warning of the proximity of the Resurrection, which they deny after (p-87) it was opened with the oaths of the stars, which is broader than the moon and others by its movement rising and setting, ascending and descending, it opened this with that along with the indication of it by reason and hearing in the effect on the greatest signs of Allah and others, to cut off the servants from corruption, and to prepare for it in the best preparation before its coming. So He said, indicating His great power over it by feminizing its action: "The Hour has drawn near." The Hour has intensified in proximity: the moment in which there is no hour in reality other than it, in which the Resurrection will occur, for little remains between us and it in relation to the time since Adam (peace be upon him) for the sending of the Seal of the Prophets, after whom there will be no nation awaiting. Thus, there will be a period of time for that.

And when the news of its approaching needed, in the face of the obstinate, a clear sign indicating it, and the heavenly signs were the greatest, the effect in them was more indicative of the completeness of ability. The moon was more indicative of the phenomena that have benefits for creation in their livelihoods. The Arabs were the most knowledgeable of people regarding it, which indicated to them the effect in it regarding its approaching along with the terror from the severe punishment by the cessation of the means. So He said: "And the moon split" with utmost speed and ease. The moon was a sign for the Messenger who warned you with it. The splitting of it, along with the indication of that through the miraculous nature of the Qur'an and others, indicated its existence and proximity also by the great effect that is beyond the norm of what preceded it from the effect in one of the two bright ones, which are the greatest means established for livelihoods, indicating the ability to affect in the Hereafter. That indicates the ability to completely manage both of them, from their gathering, their sinking, and their cessation, and for their cause which is one of the causes of the destruction of the earth. A person says at that time: Where is the escape? The one who announces the closing of the knowledgeable scholar, informing that he has a Lord who acts by choice, managing by decree, indicating the resurrection of His servants to judge between them in what they used to differ. So He rewards whoever follows His messengers and punishes whoever opposes them. The splitting of the moon in its reality during the time of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, is a very famous matter. The consensus of the people of tafsir is upon it, as Al-Qushayri said. He said: It was narrated by Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, and there is no opponent to him in it - ended. And that is that Quraysh asked the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, to show them a sign. "So he showed them the splitting of the moon, where a part appeared to the right of Hira and another to its left." - Narrated by the two Shaykhs from Ibn Mas'ud and Anas, may Allah be pleased with them. It is known that the nation received their two books with acceptance, so it is almost equivalent to mutawatir. And it has been supported by the Qur'an, so there remains no doubt in it. Al-Qushayri said: Ibn Umar, Hudhayfah, Ibn Abbas, and Jubayr ibn Mut'im, may Allah be pleased with them, also narrated it. Abu Hayyan said: The reason for its revelation is that the polytheists of the Arabs from Quraysh said to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: If you are truthful, then split the moon for us into two parts, and they promised him belief if he did that. And it was the night of Badr, so he asked his Lord, and it split - ended. And whoever says: The intended meaning is "It will split" needs in diverting the past from its reality to the future to a diverting factor, and how can that be for him, especially since the reality has been supported by the correct famous narration.

And Imam Abu Ja'far ibn al-Zubayr said: When He informed them, glorified and exalted is He, that to Him is the ultimate return, and that upon Him is the resurrection, at that time the recompense of every soul for what it has earned will occur. He informed them, glorified and exalted is He, of the nearness of that and its reckoning, so that those whom He has guided to refrain may be deterred. He said, the Most High: "The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split." Then indeed, Surah Sad contains from the obstinacy of the polytheists and their bad condition, and their rebuke in their worship, that which does not harm or benefit, which is rarely found in others preceding it. After the warning in the previous surah and the stirring with verses that only those whom Allah has misled and forsaken do not stop from, the surah then established upon a foundation what Surah Sad contained. No surah was free from rebuking them and reprimanding them for His saying in Surah Az-Zumar: "And those who have taken besides Him allies, we do not worship them except to bring us closer to Allah." [Az-Zumar: 3] And His saying: "If Allah had intended to take a son, He would have chosen from what He creates what He wills." [Az-Zumar: 4] And His saying: "Say, 'I worship Allah, making my religion sincere for Him.'" [Az-Zumar: 14] "So worship whatever you will besides Him." [Az-Zumar: 15] And His saying as a parable for their condition: "Allah has struck a parable: a man in which there are quarreling partners." [Az-Zumar: 29] The verse continues with further reprimanding and rebuking, and His saying in Surah Ghafir: "No one argues in the verses of Allah except those who disbelieve; so let not their movement throughout the land deceive you." [Ghafir: 4] And His saying: "That is because when Allah is called alone, you disbelieve; but if partners are associated with Him, you believe. The command is for Allah." [Ghafir: 12] And His saying: "Have they not traveled in the land?" [Ghafir: 82] The verse continues, and His saying: "Indeed, those who argue in the verses of Allah without any authority that has come to them, in their breasts is nothing but arrogance; they will never reach it." [Ghafir: 56] And His saying: "Have you not seen those who argue in the verses of Allah? How are they turned away?" [Ghafir: 69] "Those who have denied the Book and what We sent Our messengers with; they will soon know." [Ghafir: 70] Until His saying: "So whether We show you some of what We promise them or We take you, to Us they will be returned." [Ghafir: 77] And His saying: "Have they not traveled in the land?" [Ghafir: 21] Until what is interspersed among these verses, and His saying in Surah Fussilat: "But most of them turned away, so they do not hear." [Fussilat: 4] "And they said, 'Our hearts are within coverings.'" [Fussilat: 5] "And those who disbelieved said, 'Do not listen to this Qur'an and speak noisily in it.'" [Fussilat: 26] "Indeed, those who distort Our verses do not hide from Us." [Fussilat: 40] Until His saying: "Those will be called from a place far away." [Fussilat: 44] And His saying: "We will show them Our signs in the horizons and in themselves." [Fussilat: 53] Until the end of the surah, and His saying in Surah Ash-Shura: "And those who have taken besides Him allies, Allah is a Guardian over them, and you are not a guardian over them." [Ash-Shura: 6] "It is great upon the polytheists what you call them to." [Ash-Shura: 13] "And those who argue concerning Allah after His response, their argument is invalid before their Lord." [Ash-Shura: 16] The verse: "Or do they have partners who have legislated for them in the religion that which Allah has not permitted?" [Ash-Shura: 21] The verse: "So if they turn away, We have not sent you as a guardian over them; your duty is only to convey." [Ash-Shura: 48] And His saying in Surah Az-Zukhruf: "Then should We turn away the reminder from you?" [Az-Zukhruf: 5] The verse.

﴿And they made for Him a part of His servants﴾ [Az-Zukhruf: 15] to what they were reprimanded with in this surah, which was the most severe reprimanding. It was repeated in many verses, so reflect on them, like His saying, the Exalted, in Al-Dukhan: ﴿Indeed, they are in doubt, playing﴾ [Al-Dukhan: 9] to His saying: ﴿The Day We will seize with the greatest seizing; indeed, We will take vengeance﴾ [Al-Dukhan: 16] and His saying: ﴿Indeed, the Day of Judgment is their appointed time, all of them﴾ [Al-Dukhan: 40] to His saying: ﴿This is what you used to doubt﴾ [Al-Dukhan: 50] and His saying in Al-Jathiya: “So in what statement after it will they believe?” to His saying: ﴿And those who disbelieved in the signs of their Lord, for them is a painful punishment﴾ [Al-Jathiya: 11] and His saying: ﴿Have you seen he who has taken as his god his desire?﴾ [Al-Jathiya: 23] to the end of the surah, and His saying in Al-Ahqaf: ﴿And those who disbelieved, turning away from what they were warned﴾ [Al-Ahqaf: 3]. Most of this verse did not deviate from this to its conclusion. Likewise, Surah Al-Qital only contained the command to kill them, capture them, and hasten their war: ﴿So when you meet those who disbelieve, strike their necks﴾ [Muhammad: 4]. As for Surah Al-Fath, what it contained of glad tidings and victory was more severe upon the disbelievers than anything they were reprimanded with, and it did not deviate from the previous aim. Likewise, Surah Al-Hujurat, for its inclusion of the command to honor the Prophet ﷺ and to revere him, is what delights the believer's heart and kills the envious enemy. It also contains [p-91] the destruction of the affairs of the believers, their unity, and their brotherhood. The significance of this is not hidden from anyone. As for Surah Adh-Dhariyat, At-Tur, and An-Najm, what they contained of what we mentioned before is the clearest thing. Thus, every surah among them began with this, so reflect on their openings; in that is enough for the aim - and Allah, the Exalted, knows best what is correct. When the intended reprimanding of the deniers of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ concluded, and the verses in this surah reached their utmost limit, their falsehood became clear, and their end was cut off. They did not provide a response to what was presented to them, glorified and exalted is He, in Surah Al-Qamar of the conditions of the nations with their prophets. The aim of that - and Allah knows best - was merely to inform that they were reminded, so they denied, and thus they were seized, so that it may become clear to these that there is no difference between them and others, and that they should not be deceived by His great forbearance, glorified is He, towards them. This surah is an excuse when reproaching them and cutting off their argument with what has preceded. After the matter concluded in admonishing them and warning them with every verse to a limit that humanity cannot reach, for this reason, He, glorified is He, opened this surah with His saying: ﴿And indeed, there has come to them from the news that which is a deterrent﴾ [Al-Qamar: 4] ﴿A profound wisdom, so the warnings do not benefit﴾ [Al-Qamar: 5] and concluded it, glorified is He, with His saying: ﴿Are your disbelievers better than those? Or do you have immunity in the scriptures?﴾ [Al-Qamar: 43]. This clarifies what we have mentioned. It had been said to them: What difference is there between you and those who preceded, that you commit their deeds and think that you will attain your great rewards? So He, glorified is He, mentioned to them the story of every nation and their destruction when they denied, in the most concise summary, the most abundant presentation, the most magnificent expression, and the subtlest indication. He began with the story of the people of Noah with His saying: ﴿The people of Noah denied﴾ [Ash-Shu'ara: 105] to His saying: ﴿And indeed, We left it as a sign, so is there any who will remember?﴾ [Al-Qamar: 15] ﴿So how was My punishment and My warnings?﴾ [Al-Qamar: 16]. Then He continued mentioning the nations (p-92) with their prophets as they were mentioned in the surah, informing of one nation after another, except that the reality here of their stories is more impactful in reprimanding and more eloquent in admonition and more profound in expressing the evil of their outcome and the consequence of their denial. Then every story was concluded with His saying: ﴿So how was My punishment and My warnings?﴾ [Al-Qamar: 16]. This narration was interspersed with His saying, the Exalted: ﴿And indeed, We have made the Quran easy to remember, so is there any who will remember?﴾ [Al-Qamar: 17]. This is an indication of the lifting of the excuse of those who cling to the difficulty of matters upon His deterrents, warnings, and admonitions, claiming thereafter that it is difficult and complex. It was said to him: Indeed, it is made easy and close to attainment. This is what occurs upon the warning and reminder of what he has, with the response being by the permission of Allah, the Exalted. Beyond that, of the problematic and ambiguous matters, what does not stop at what has been mentioned, and the general belief of the believers is to believe in all of it and act upon its definitive parts. Then Allah, the Exalted, opens the understanding of that for whomever He honors with it and raises his rank, so it becomes clear according to what Allah, the Exalted, expands his chest with: ﴿Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge by degrees﴾ [Al-Mujadila: 11]. Among the ease of the previously mentioned aim is the repetition of the stories of the prophets with their nations in several surahs. Any preservation from them has revealed what is sufficient for consideration with them. Then, if some of it is combined with others, it gathers what would not have been achieved from some of those surahs. So glorified is He who made it a clear proof and a sign of the truthfulness of the one who brought it, Muhammad ﷺ, and a straight path and a clear light. When He, glorified is He, mentioned the consequences of the nations in their denial, He said to the polytheists of the Arabs: ﴿Are your disbelievers better than those?﴾ [Al-Qamar: 43]. From this type is the saying of Shu'ayb, peace be upon him: ﴿And O my people, let not my dissension cause you to be struck by what struck the people of Noah or the people of Hud or the people of Salih, and the people of Lut are not far from you﴾ [Hud: 89] (p-93). Then He, the Exalted, said: ﴿Or do they say, 'We are a united group?﴾ [Al-Qamar: 44] ﴿Their multitude will be defeated, and they will turn their backs﴾ [Al-Qamar: 45]. That is, you have relied on your unity and gathering, so I will scatter that with your defeat on the Day of Badr by killing your leaders. So what is your argument after this? The narrative of the stories in this surah and the reliance on informing about the condition of those who were mentioned in that they denied and opposed, so their denial was followed by their seizing and destruction. Then this was followed by addressing the polytheists of the Arabs in His saying: ﴿Are your disbelievers better than those?﴾ [Al-Qamar: 43]. There is nothing among the mentioned surahs that contains stories in this detail like Al-A'raf and Hud. And apparently, there is nothing in that which follows up with the mention of the polytheists of the Arabs in the description mentioned here. This informs of the completeness of the intended purpose of the admonition and the stirring by mentioning it and the conclusion of this aim. That is, they were reminded first by presenting the conditions of the nations and informing of what their affairs came to, and that was in the form of presenting one who intends to discipline a group of those whom they look to before any rebellion or obstinacy appears from them. He is gentle in his supplication to them and does not speak to them as one who is angry with them, but rather conveys compassion and entreaty and a desire for good for them. Then he reminds them of that and repeats it to them time after time, even if that is interspersed with what clarifies their terrifying threat and the severity of the warning, so it does not accompany the specification of the addressee and the directing of the speech entirely to him, but rather it is done through insinuation and reproach. Then if he does not take lightly what precedes and what follows of gentleness until the admonition is repeated and not accepted, then here is the place of anger and severe warning. And upon this, the mentioned surahs regarding the condition of the nations came, like Surah Al-A'raf, Hud, Al-Mu'minun, Al-Zhulah, and As-Saffat. There is not a single surah among them except (p-94) that which follows is more severe in informing and more hopeful in deterrence after the informing. So reflect on the conclusion of the stories in Surah Al-A'raf with His saying, the Exalted: ﴿And thus We detail the verses that perhaps they will return﴾ [Al-A'raf: 174] and His saying after a profound admonition by mentioning one who was deprived after nearing victory, which is the one who clung to the earth and followed his desire, so he said thereafter: ﴿So relate the stories, perhaps they will reflect﴾ [Al-A'raf: 176]. And His reminder to him of the trial of heedlessness to what the surah concluded with, and that is not hidden in the gentleness of the admonition. And He, the Exalted, said after the stories of Surah Hud: ﴿And thus is the seizing of your Lord﴾ [Hud: 102] the verse. And He, the Exalted, said: ﴿So do not be in doubt about what these worship﴾ [Hud: 109] - to His saying - ﴿And indeed, We will fulfill for them their portion without decrease﴾ [Hud: 109]. The repetition of the verse to the end of the surah corresponds with what has been mentioned and does not leave this and the verses of Al-A'raf in the gentleness of the invitation. And He, the Exalted, said in the stories of the last part of Surah Al-Mu'minun: ﴿So leave them in their overwhelming ignorance until a time﴾ [Al-Mu'minun: 54] - to His saying - ﴿They do not perceive﴾ [Al-Mu'minun: 56]. Then He said: ﴿And they have works besides that, which they are doing﴾ [Al-Mu'minun: 63] ﴿Until when We seized their affluent ones with punishment, at once they were crying out﴾ [Al-Mu'minun: 64]. The verses continued with severe warnings, some reciting to others until His saying: ﴿Did you think that We created you in vain and that you would not be returned to Us?﴾ [Al-Mu'minun: 115] and His saying, the Exalted, thereafter: ﴿Indeed, the disbelievers will not succeed﴾ [Al-Mu'minun: 117]. And He did not clarify this verse, but clarified the incident after the stories of Surah Hud. And He said at the end of the stories of Al-Zhulah: ﴿And indeed, it is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds﴾ [Ash-Shu'ara: 192] to His saying at the conclusion of the surah: ﴿And those who have wronged will soon know to what place they will turn﴾ [Ash-Shu'ara: 227]. He reproached them and admonished them and glorified His Prophet ﷺ from their delusions and their great falsehood and their fabrications. All of this is a reprimand even if there had not preceded it something similar in the mentioned surah. Then it is explicit regarding the polytheists of the Arabs, specifying them without (p-95) insinuation or allusion. Then indeed, it occurred after every story in this surah His saying, the Exalted: ﴿Indeed, in that﴾ [Ash-Shu'ara: 67] and in it is a threat and warning. And He, the Exalted, said at the end of As-Saffat: ﴿So ask them, is it for your Lord that the daughters are, while for them are the sons?﴾ [As-Saffat: 149] ﴿Or did We create the angels as females while they were witnesses?﴾ [As-Saffat: 150] ﴿Indeed, they are saying from their falsehood﴾ [As-Saffat: 151] ﴿Allah has begotten, and indeed, they are liars﴾ [As-Saffat: 152]. This is the greatest reprimand and the most severe rebuke. Then He glorified His Prophet from their slander and the evil of their actions with His saying: ﴿Glorified is your Lord, the Lord of Might, above what they describe﴾ [As-Saffat: 180]. When they were seized from every angle, that did not avail them, He, the Exalted, said in Surah Al-Qamar: ﴿And indeed, there has come to them from the news that which is a deterrent﴾ [Al-Qamar: 4] ﴿A profound wisdom, so the warnings do not benefit﴾ [Al-Qamar: 5]. Then He, the Exalted, said to His Prophet ﷺ: ﴿So turn away from them﴾ [Al-Qamar: 6]. And His command ﷺ to leave them and turn away from them did not occur except after the stories had been presented in the mentioned surah and after they had been seized by every means. His first command regarding that ﷺ was in Surah As-Sajda: ﴿So turn away from them and wait; indeed, they are waiting﴾ [As-Sajda: 30]. Then in Surah Adh-Dhariyat: ﴿So turn away from them; you are not to be blamed﴾ [Adh-Dhariyat: 54] with the most severe warning and the greatest threat after every story with His saying: ﴿And indeed, We left it as a sign, so is there any who will remember?﴾ [Al-Qamar: 15] and His saying: ﴿So how was My punishment and My warnings?﴾ [Al-Qamar: 16]. Then He turned to them with what He had previously said: ﴿Are your disbelievers better than those? Or do you have immunity in the scriptures?﴾ [Al-Qamar: 43]. This reached the greatest extent in clarity and excuse. Then He, the Exalted, said: ﴿And everything they did is in the scriptures﴾ [Al-Qamar: 52]. So He, glorified is He, differentiated with His prior wisdom among them: ﴿Indeed, We created everything with measure﴾ [Al-Qamar: 49]. The mention of the stories concluded, and He did not address them in detail in this manner thereafter until the end of the book - so glorified is He who has mercy upon His righteous servants and made it a sign and what a (p-96) marvelous sign until the Day of Judgment, and cut off the obstinacy of the deniers and the plots of the aggressors, and made it a sufficient clarification, a guiding light, and a healing admonition - may Allah, glorified and exalted is He, make us among those who are guided and who hold fast to it. Indeed, He is the one who is worthy of response, pardon, and forgiveness - the end.