The Splitting of the Moon (Shaqq al-Qamar) in the Shiite and Sunnite Interpretations: a Critical Study

Many words have been said about the proof of the Prophet Muhammad's prophethood through sensory miracles. Among them is the story of Shaqq al-Qamar as a miracle of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Surah al-Qamar, one of the “Al-Makki al-Awāʾil” Suras. The main basis of beleiving in Shaqq al-Qamar, which is reflected in the interpretations, is a sentence from the Qurʾān itself: “The Hour approached and the the moon separated”, which is mentioned in Asbāb al-Nuzūl narrations: this verse was revealed after the moon had split into two halves on the fourteenth night of Dhul-Hijjah. But these narrations of the reasons for the descent are multiple and have been narrated with different and surprising themes. For this reason, some scholars criticized the narrations and turned to denying the reports of Shaqq al-Qumr. Basically, these scholars, despite the existence of the Qurʾān as an intellectual āya (sign of God), did not see the need for such a sensual miracle as Shaqq al-Qamar. However, Sahqq al-Qamar has been also criticized by contemporary commentators in more documented form and with more diverse evidences. These exegetes said that these narrations are in conflict with the nature of the Qurʾān's call to reasoning and its explicit statements in refusing to bring sensory miracles. In this study, we are going to take a look at the statements of the proponents and opponents, state the problems and evidences and problems of accepting the Sun Moon traditions, and finally criticize the theory of the positive and defend the theory of the negative and compare the two views with the validity of the miracle of the Qurʾān.