The life of the Prophet Muhammad - Ibn Kathir - volume 2 of 4

IMAM ABU AL-FIDA' ISMAciL IBN KATHIR 79
Ibn Jurayj quoting 'Amr b. Dinar, from 'Ikrima, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said,
'In the time of the Messenger of God (SAAS), the moon was eclipsed and people
said, "The moon is bewitched!" And so the words were revealed, "The hour has
drawn near and the moon has split asunder. And if they see a sign they turn away
saying, 'Just more trickery!'"'" (sarat al-Qamar; LIV, v.1-3).
This has a fine chain of authorities; it states that the moon was eclipsed that
night; perhaps its splitting occurred on the night of its eclipse and this is why
what happened to it was hidden from most of the earth's inhabitants. However,
this was in fact witnessed in many parts of the world. It is said that in some parts
of India that became a point for dating, and that a building was constructed that
night which was dated by the night when the moon split.
Regarding the tradition of Ibn Wmar, the hii& al-Bayhaql stated, "We were
informed by Abii 'Abd Allah, the ha&, and by Abii Bakr Ahmad b. al-Hasan
alLQdi as follows: 'Abii al-'Abbas al-Asamm related it to us, as did al-'Abbas b.
Muhammad al-Diiri, as did Wahb b. Jarir, from Shu'ba, from al-A'mash, from
Muj~hid."'
Muslim said, "It is like the account of Mujahid from Abii Ma'mar, from Ibn
Mas'iid."
Al-Tirmidhi stated, "This hadith is hasan and jahih."19
Regarding the tradition quoted by 'Abd All* b. Mas'iid, the Imzm Ahmad
said, "Sufyan related to us, from Ibn Abii Najih, from Mujahid, from Abii
Ma'mar, from Ibn Mas'iid, who said, 'The moon split into two parts during the
time of the Messenger of God (SAAS) so that everyone looked at it. And so the
Messenger of God (SAAS) said, "Bear witness! "'"
(Both of these authorities) drew this from an account of Sufysn, he being Ibn
Wyayna. And from a hadith of al-A'mash, from Ibrzhim, from Abii Macmar,
from 'Ahd Allah b. Samra, from Ihn Mas'iid, who said, "The moon split asunder
while we were with the Messenger of God (SAAS) at Mina. The Prophet
(SAAS) then said, 'Bear witness! ' And one piece of the moon went off towards
the mountain."
This phraseology is from al-Bukhzi.
Al-Bukhari then said, "Abii al-Dahhak narrated it from Masriiq, from 'Abd
AllZh in Mecca, and Muhammad b. Muslim followed him, from Ibn Abii Najih,
from Mujahid, from Aha Ma'mar, from 'Abd Allah, God bless him."
Abii Da'iid al-Taydisi gave support to the hadith of Abii al-Duha, from
Masriiq, from 'Abd Allah b. Mas'iid, who said, "The moon split in the time of
the Messenger of God (SAAS), and Quraysh said, 'This is the trickery of Ibn
Abn Kabsha.' They commented, 'See what travellers say to you! Muhammad
can't trick everyone.'
"He said, 'And travellers did arrive, and they said the same."'
19. These are among the categories that /radith scholars us to describc the soundness of a chain
of transmission; the words mean "good" and "true".