528 Page Notes

53 Surah An-Najm (continued)

Page 528 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

54 Surah Al-Qamar

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 528 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Surah An-Najm

Surah An-Najm (Chapter 53), Verses 45 through 60 occupies page 528 of the standard Madinah mushaf (Quran). This concluding portion of the Surah serves as a dramatic, rhythmic crescendo. It details Allah's creative power over the pairs of creation and the human embryo, recalls the sudden destruction of ancient civilizations like Aad, Thamud, and the people of Noah, and ends with a sharp, emotional reprimand to the Quraysh for laughing at the revelation instead of weeping.

Crucially, the very final verse of this section (Verse 62, which immediately follows this page) triggers a foundational Sunnah practice—the Sajdah al-Tilawah (Prostration of Recitation)—the historical origin of which is directly tied to the public recitation of these exact verses.

1. Biological Development: The Droplet of Semen (Verses 45–46)

“And that He creates the two mates - the male and the female—from a sperm-drop when it is emitted.”

• Sunnah Link on Embryology: The Prophet explicitly detailed the timeline and divine decree that occurs when the sperm-drop (nutfah) establishes itself. In Sahih Muslim, Hudhayfah ibn Asid reported that the Prophet said:
  “When forty-two nights pass over the sperm-drop, Allah sends an angel to it, who shapes it and makes its hearing, its sight, its skin, its flesh, and its bones. Then he says: 'O Lord, is it male or female?' And your Lord decrees what He wills and the angel writes it down.” (Sahih Muslim, Book 46, Hadith 6393).

2. Cosmic Destruction: The Star Sirius and Ancient Nations (Verses 49–54)

“And that it is He who is the Lord of Sirius (Ash-Shi'ra)... And that He destroyed the first [people of] 'Aad, and Thamud, leaving no remnant.”

• The Context of Sirius: In pre-Islamic Arabia, certain pagan tribes worshipped the exceptionally bright star Sirius (Ash-Shi'ra), believing it possessed independent divine power over their fates. Verse 49 corrected this theological error by stating that the star is merely a creation, and Allah is its Lord.

• The Prophet's Emotion Over Past Nations: Whenever the Prophet recited or encountered the physical remnants of the nations listed in Verses 50–54 (like 'Aad or the overturned cities of Lot), he exhibited profound gravity. In Sahih al-Bukhari, Aisha narrated that whenever the Prophet saw a cloud or a strong wind, signs of anxiety would appear on his face. When asked why, he replied: "O 'Aisha! I am afraid that it may be a punishment. The people of 'Aad saw the punishment as a cloud and said: 'This is a cloud bringing us rain!' but it was a destructive wind." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 65, Hadith 4829).

3. The Ultimate Rebuke: Laughing vs. Weeping (Verses 59–60)

“Then at this statement do you wonder? And you laugh and do not weep?”

• Sunnah Link (The Tears of the Companions): When these verses were revealed, they had a transformative psychological impact on the early Muslim community. In the biographical Tafsir literature compiled by Ibn Kathir and Al-Bayhaqi, it is recorded that when the Ahl al-Suffah (the poor, intensely pious companions who lived in the Prophet's Mosque) heard "And you laugh and do not weep," tears flowed down their cheeks until their beards were soaked.

• Upon hearing them cry, the Prophet began to weep alongside them. The Prophet then stated: "The Fire will not touch a person who weeps out of the fear of Allah, nor will he enter it until milk returns to the udder." (Recorded in Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Book 22, Hadith 1633, and Al-Bayhaqi's Shu'ab al-Iman).

4. The First Public Prostration of Islam (Historical Context of Verses 45–60)

The recitation of this specific block of verses culminated in one of the most famous events in early Islamic history in Makkah. It was the very first Surah the Prophet recited completely out loud in the precinct of the Kaaba in front of a mixed gathering of Muslims and pagan elites.

The Impact on the Polytheists (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Because of the sheer rhetorical power of Verses 45–60, when the Prophet reached the end of the Surah and prostrated, the psychological weight of the words forced everyone present to join him.

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud narrated: "The first Surah in which a prostration (Sajdah) was revealed was Surat An-Najm. The Prophet recited it and prostrated, and everyone behind him prostrated as well, except for one old man [Umayyah ibn Khalaf] whom I saw take a handful of dust, raise it to his forehead and say: 'This is sufficient for me.' I later saw him killed as a disbeliever [at Badr]." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 17, Hadith 1067).

• The Sunnah Legacy: This event established the legal Sunnah of Sajdah al-Tilawah. Whenever a Muslim recites or listens to the conclusion of Surah An-Najm, it is highly recommended to perform a single prostration to replicate the Prophet's actions.

References

• Al-Bukhari, M. I. Sahih al-Bukhari. (Hadiths on the reaction of 'Aad to clouds, and the universal prostration at the Kaaba over Surah An-Najm).

• Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj. Sahih Muslim. (Hadith regarding the angel determining gender and form forty-two nights after the sperm-drop phase).

• At-Tirmidhi, M. I. Jami` at-Tirmidhi. (Hadith concerning the virtue of weeping out of fear of Allah, tied to the reaction of the Ahl al-Suffah).

• Ibn Kathir, I. Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim. (Historical narrative connecting Verses 59-60 to the emotional state of the Prophet's companions).

Surah Al-Qamar

Surah Al-Qamar (Chapter 54), Verses 1 through 6 begins on page 528 of the standard Madinah mushaf (Quran). This section details one of the most famous and definitive physical miracles attributed to Prophet Muhammad: the literal splitting of the moon (Inshiqaq al-Qamar), which occurred in Makkah in response to the demands of the polytheists for a sign.

Because this event was witnessed by numerous companions across Makkah, it is one of the most widely documented miracles in the Hadith corpus, reaching the level of Mutawatir (mass-transmitted/undeniable authenticity).

1. The Historical Splitting of the Moon (Verses 1–3)

“The Hour has come near, and the moon has split [asunder]. And if they see a sign [i.e., miracle], they turn away and say, 'Repeated magic.' And they denied and followed their inclinations - but every matter will be settled.”

The Sunnah records the exact physical manifestation of this miracle as witnessed by different companions from various vantage points in Makkah.

The Account of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim)

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was present on the hillsides of Makkah when the event took place and provided a vivid, eyewitness description of the moon's physical separation.

"During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, the moon was split into two parts; one part remained over the mountain (Mount Hira or Mount Abu Qubais) and the other part went beyond it. On that, the Messenger of Allah said, 'Witness this!'" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 65, Hadith 4864; Sahih Muslim, Book 52, Hadith 21).

The Account of Anas ibn Malik (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Anas ibn Malik detailed the instigation of the miracle, noting that it was a direct response to a challenge issued by the Quraysh leadership to prove his prophethood.

"The people of Makkah asked the Messenger of Allah to show them a miracle. So he showed them the splitting of the moon into two halves until they saw Mount Hira' between them." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 61, Hadith 3637).

The Account of Abdullah ibn Abbas (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Ibn Abbas highlighted the psychological deflection of the disbelievers referenced in Verse 2 ("they turn away and say: 'Repeated magic'"):

"The moon was split during the lifetime of the Prophet. The Quraysh said, 'This is magic with which Ibn Abi Kabshah [a derogatory nickname they used for the Prophet] has bewitched you!' Some of them replied, 'If he had bewitched us, he could not bewitch all of humanity!' So they waited for travelers arriving from outside Makkah, and when the travelers arrived, they confirmed seeing the exact same split." (Synthesized in Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 65, Hadith 4866, with historical expansions in Al-Bayhaqi's Dala'il al-Nubuwwah).

2. Liturgical Use: Recitation in Mass Gatherings

Because Surah Al-Qamar begins with an undeniable cosmic sign of Allah's power and concludes with reminders of accountability, the Prophet made it a specific Sunnah to recite this Surah during major public assemblies where large crowds gathered.

Recitation During the Two Eids (Sahih Muslim)

The Prophet regularly paired Surah Al-Qamar with Surah Qaf during the annual Eid prayers to establish a grand, public reminder of the proximity of the Day of Judgment.

Abu Waqid al-Laythi reported that Umar ibn al-Khattab asked him what the Messenger of Allah used to recite on Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr. He replied: "He used to recite 'Qaf. By the Glorious Qur'an' [Surah 50] and 'The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has cleft asunder' [Surah 54]." (Sahih Muslim, Book 13, Hadith 18).

3. The Call of the Summoner (Verses 6)

“So leave them, [O Muhammad]. The Day the Caller calls to something forbidding...”

• Sunnah Link on the Resurrection Trumpet: The "Caller" (Ad-Da'i) referenced in Verse 6 is widely identified in prophetic traditions as the Angel Israfil, who will blow the trumpet to summon humanity out of their graves.

• The Prophet described his own profound awe regarding this impending event. In *Jami at-Tirmidhi*, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: *"How can I enjoy myself when the angel of the Trumpet has placed the Trumpet to his lips, inclined his ear, and is waiting for the command to blow so that he may blow?"* The companions asked, *"What should we say, O Messenger of Allah?"* He replied, *"Say: 'Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs' (Hasbunallah wa ni'mal wakeel)."* (Jami at-Tirmidhi, Book 47, Hadith 3243; graded Hasan).

References

• Al-Bukhari, M. I. Sahih al-Bukhari. (Hadiths regarding the eyewitness testimonies of Ibn Mas'ud, Anas ibn Malik, and Ibn Abbas concerning the splitting of the moon).

• Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj. Sahih Muslim. (Hadiths regarding the cosmic event of the moon splitting and the Prophet's regular recitation of Surah Al-Qamar during the Eid prayers).

• At-Tirmidhi, M. I. Jami` at-Tirmidhi. (Hadith regarding the Angel of the Trumpet preparing to summon humanity, matching the theme of Verse 6).

• Al-Bayhaqi, Ahmad ibn Husayn. Dala'il al-Nubuwwah (The Signs of Prophethood). (Historical contextualization of the caravan travelers confirming the miracle outside Makkah).