Mukjizat Rasul membelah bulan

(54:1) THE SPLITTING OF THE MOON
Source : http://www.quranm.multicom.ba/science/6e-tefsir.htm#54u1

The splitting of the moon is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Qamar:

“The hour drew nigh and the moon was rent in twain.
And if they behold a portent they turn away and say:
Prolonged illusion.
They denied (the Truth) and followed their own lusts.
Yet everything will come to a decision.”
Qur’an (54:1-3)

According to Maududi, the traditionists and commentators have agreed that this incident took place at Mina in Makkah about five years before the Holy Prophet’s Hijra (migration) to Madinah.

The Moon had split into two distinct parts in front of their very eyes. The two parts had separated and receded so much apart from each other that to the on-lookers (in Makkah) one part had appeared on one side of the mountain and the other on the other side of it. Then, in an instant the two had rejoined. This was a manifest proof of the truth that the system of the universe was neither eternal nor immortal, it could be disrupted.
Did it happen or will it happen?

Explanation No. 1: (Moon once appeared cleft asunder in Mecca).

Shaikh Abu A’la Syed al-Maududi writes in his commentary to Surah 54 – Al-Qamar:

In this Surah the disbelievers of Makkah have been warned for their stubbornness which they had adopted against the invitation of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The amazing and wonderful phenomenon of the splitting of the Moon was a manifest sign of the truth that the Resurrection, of which the Holy Prophet was giving them the news, could take place and that it had approached near at hand. The great sphere of the Moon had split into two distinct parts in front of their very eyes.
The two parts had separated and receded so much apart from each other that to the on-lookers one part had appeared on one side of the mountain and the other on the other side of it. Then, in an instant the two had rejoined. This was a manifest proof of the truth that the system of the Universe was neither eternal nor immortal, it could be disrupted. Huge stars and planets could split asunder, disintegrate, collide with each other, and everything that had been depicted in the Qur’an in connection with the description of the details of Resurrection, could happen.

Explanation No. 2: (The cleaving of the moon will happen in the future).

Most of the commentators see in this verse a reference to a phenomenon said to have been witnessed by several of the Prophet’s contemporaries. As described in a number of reports going back to some Companions, the moon appeared one night as if split into two distinct parts. While there is no reason to doubt the subjective veracity of these reports. But whatever the nature of that phenomenon, it is practically certain that the above Qur’an-verse does not refer to it but, rather, to a future event: namely, to what will happen when the Last Hour approaches. (The Qur’an frequently employs the past tense to denote the future, and particularly so in passages which speak of the coming of the Last Hour and of Resurrection Day; this use of the past tense is meant to stress the certainty of the happening to which the verb relates.) Thus, Raghib* regards it as fully justifiable to interpret the phrase inshaqqa ‘l -qamar (“the moon is split asunder”) as bearing on the cosmic cataclysm – the end of the world as we know it – that will occur before the coming of Resurrection Day (see art. shaqq in the Mufradat). As mentioned by Zamakhshari,** this interpretation has the support of some of the earlier commentators; and it is, to my mind, particularly convincing in view of the juxtaposition, in the above Qur’an-verse, of the moon’s “splitting asunder” and the approach of the Last Hour. (In this connection we must bear in mind the fact that none of the Qur’anic allusions to the “nearness” of the Last Hour and the Day Of Resurrection is base on the human concept of “time”.) (Page 818).

Explanation No. 3: (The phrase “cleft asunder” is a metaphorical term)

This line of approach does not give a particular preference to any one of the above two explanations. It opens a third door.
Allah alone knows the Truth and may He forgive us for our errors.
Explanation No. 4:

The wonders of the Qur’an never finishes. Allah said in the Qur’an [41:53] ‘We will show them Our Signs in the universe, and in their ownselves, until it becomes manifest to them that this (the Qur’an) is the truth. Is it not sufficient in regard to your Lord that He is a Witness over all things?’. Some one asked Prof. Zaghloul Al-Najjar about the miracle mentioned in the beginning of Sura Al-Qamar (the moon) about the split of the moon [54:1] ‘The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder (the people of Makkah requested Prophet Muhammad SAW to show them a miracle, so he showed them the splitting of the moon)’. The question was whether there is any scientific evidence discovered to explain the incident?
The answer was that the miracle existed only at that time for the people of Quraiesh when they challenged the prophet Muhammmad (saw) to show them a miracle, or a proof that he is the messenger of Allah. The challenge was to split the moon in to two pieces when it is full.

The incident of the splitting of the moon that has been mentioned determines its period of revelation precisely. The traditionists and commentators are agreed that this incident took place at Mina in Makkah about five years before the Holy Prophet’s hijra (immigration) to Madinah (about 565 AD).

In this Sura the disbelievers of Makkah (Quriesh) have been warned about their stubbornness which they had adopted against the invitation of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The prophet (PBUH) prayed to Allah to show his people this miracle that they might believe in him.

The answer of Prof. Al-Najjar was limited to this incident, but one of the audience called David Mosa Pidcook (leader on British Muslim Party) asked to comment on this question and he said: It was shown in BBC a program where there was a debate between three experts. The discussion was about if the amount of money paid by NASA to send a human to land on the surface of the moon to study the inner structure of the moon was worth it or not?? The American government authorised a budget of $100, 000, 000, 000 (one hundred thousand million dollar) for this project.

One of the discoveries of that project was that there is a layer of material that splits the moon into two halves and the only explanation to this discovery that the moon was split at some times in its history and rejoined ! (Subhan Allah)

Finally, I would like to request every one to try to order the program from the BBC and get more conformation on this subject. You have the permission to send and propagate this information to any one you like.

Rekaman Video dari TV BBC mengenai pernyataan Prof. Z. Al-Najjar seputar terbelahnya bulan : http://youtube.com/watch?v=prNdIGq8gAU

 

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WITNESS OF MOON SPLITTING (A MIRACLE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH ))

CHAKRAWATI FARMAS KING OF MALABAR, INDIA

Source : http://www.understanding-islam.com/related/text.asp?type=rarticle&raid=170

The incident relating to King Chakrawati Farmas is documented in an old manuscript in the India Office Library, London, which has reference number: Arabic, 2807, 152-173. It was quoted in the book “Muhammad Rasulullah,” by M. Hamidullah:

“There is a very old tradition in Malabar, South-West Coast of India, that Chakrawati Farmas, one of their kings, had observed the splitting of the moon, the celebrated miracle of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) at Mecca, and learning on inquiry that there was a prediction of the coming of a Messanger of God from Arabia (Detail given bellow), he appointed his son as regent and set out to meet him. He embraced Islam at the hand of the Prophet, and when returning home, at the direction of the Prophet, died at the port of Zafar, Yemen, where the tomb of the “Indian king” was piously visited for many centuries.”

The old manuscript in the ‘India Office Library’ contains several other details about King Chakrawati Farmas and his travel.

The king spent weeks in seclusion. In the midst of his quiet life, he set out on the journey along with the Arab travelers who’d promised him earlier. On the way, they stopped by Koylandi and from there to Dharmapatnam where they halted for 3 days. Then they set out to Shehr Muqalla. On reaching there, they set for the Hajj pilgrimage and thereafter returned to Malabar. He aspired to spread the message of Islam. But on the way, he fell sick and breathed his last.

A tradition of the Holy Prophet has also been reported from one of the companions, Abu Saeed al Kaudri, regarding the arrival of Cheraman Perumel. “A king from India presented the Messenger of Allah  with a bottle of pickle that had ginger in it. The Holy Prophet distributed it among his companions. I also received a piece to eat “. (Hakim reports in ‘Al Musthadrak )

Umar Qazi’s poem on Cheraman Perumal.
Umar Qazi was well aware of the story of Cheraman Perumal – the first Indian to accept Islam. He narrates it thus in one of his poems inscribed on the walls of Ponnani Juma Masjid.

Kodungallur was a center of festivals established by the great Emperor Cheraman Perumal …..
The major part of all the minor kingdoms were under his rule …
As such, one day he saw he saw the moon split into two (a miracle of Holy Prophet performed in Arabia) on a clear cloudless night ….
As a result the love for Holy Prophet grew in his heart and he became the earliest Muslim of this nation….

Moon Splitting in The Quran
The splitting of the moon is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Qamar (54), Verses 1-3:

The hour drew nigh and the moon was rent in twain.
And if they behold a portent they turn away and say:
Prolonged illusion.
They denied (the Truth) and followed their own lusts.
Yet everything will come to a decision.

Moon Splitting in Hadiths
Narrated Abdullah bin Masud:  “During the lifetime of the Prophet the moon was split into two parts and on that the Prophet said, ‘Bear witness (to thus).’  (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Virtues and Merits of the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 830)”

Narrated Anas:  “That the Meccan people requested Allah’s Apostle to show them a miracle, and so he showed them the splitting of the moon.   (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Virtues and Merits of the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 831)”

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas:  “The moon was split into two parts during the lifetime of the Prophet.  (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Virtues and Merits of the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 832)”

Narrated Anas bin Malik:  “The people of Mecca asked Allah’s Apostle to show them a miracle. So he showed them the moon split in two halves between which they saw the Hiram’ mountain.  (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Merits of the Helpers in Madinah (Ansaar), Volume 5, Book 58, Number 208)”

Narrated ‘Abdullah:  “The moon was split ( into two pieces ) while we were with the Prophet in Mina. He said, “Be witnesses.” Then a Piece of the moon went towards the mountain.  (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Merits of the Helpers in Madinah (Ansaar), Volume 5, Book 58, Number 209)”

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas:  “During the lifetime of Allah’s Apostle the moon was split (into two places).  (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Merits of the Helpers in Madinah (Ansaar), Volume 5, Book 58, Number 210)”

Narrated ‘Abdullah:  “The moon was split (into two pieces).  (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Merits of the Helpers in Madinah (Ansaar), Volume 5, Book 58, Number 211)”

According to Maududi, the traditionists and commentators have agreed that this incident took place at Mina in Makkah about five years before the Holy Prophet’s Hijra (migration) to Madinah.

The Moon had split into two distinct parts in front of their very eyes. The two parts had separated and receded so much apart from each other that to the on-lookers (in Makkah) one part had appeared on one side of the mountain and the other on the other side of it. Then, in an instant the two had rejoined. This was a manifest proof of the truth that the system of the universe was neither eternal nor immortal, it could be disrupted.

This incident indicated that huge stars and planets could split asunder, disintegrate, collide with each other, and everything that had been described in the Qur’an on the Resurrection could happen. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) invited the people’s attention to this event only with this object in view and asked them to mark it and be a witness to it. But the disbelievers described it as a magical illusion and persisted in their denial. They were reproached in Surah Al-Qamar (The Moon) for their stubbornness.

Other Relevant Notes
It is due to this incident about their king, the people of Malabar became the first community in India to accept Islam. Subsequently, they increased their trade with Arabs, as the Arab ships used to pass by their shores on the way to China before the advent of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Before Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Malabar also had a Christian community dating back from the earliest followers of Prophet Jesus (‘Isa), pbuh. St. Thomas is believed to have migrated to India and died there. This community remained untouched by later theological developments in Christianity until the arrival of Portugese traveler Vasco da Gama.

When the British were consolidating their stronghold in India, they deployed the largest naval operation (on the shores of India) against the Muslims of Malabar.

Predictions of the coming of a Messanger of God from Arabia
Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) was commanded by God to inform that he was not the only Messenger of God to the world [Al Qur’an 46:9]. Scholars say that there had been some 124,000 Prophet sent to the world who preached in the language of the respective people [A Qur’an 14:4]. The true religion they preached and their scriptures got corrupted with passage of time (with the exception of Al Qur’an). However, the message on the last and greatest Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) is retained till date in the scriptures of all major world religions.

The Hindu scriptures identify the greatest Prophet to come mentioning details of his birth, events of his life, his followers, etc. Some even give his Arabic name or its equivalents! This article will help creating right belief (Iman) in other religionists.

Further, it will help Muslims appreciate yet another facet of greatness of Prophet (Pbuh) and deepen their Iman. We will see here only a sample of the overwhelming evidences!

Prophet (Pbuh) Foretold in India (A) Hindu scriptures
There is no doubt that God sent Prophets (Pbuh) to people of India. There is no mention of any Indian Prophet or scripture in Holy Qur’an. But Bukhari records Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) as saying he was enjoying breeze wafting from India laden with fragrance of Tawhid (unity of God). The four Vedas (scriptures) of Hindus and their epics are said to be 5000-10,000 years old. They contain a great deal of monotheistic ideas, and of course, prophecies on Hadrath Muhammad (Pbuh).

Bhavishya Puran
This is a Sanskrit work of prophecies. The title means ‘Book of the Future’. Since Hinduism is based in India it was, and still is, taken for granted that its sages will be born in India itself. Contrary to this belief the Book says that a great master will appear in a foreign country (mlechcha acharya) and live in a sandy region (marusthal). His name will be Mahaaamad. Within a short span of 18 couplets Mahaamad is mentioned five times.

There is an interesting information in Bhavishya Purana that Mahaamad would appear to Bhoj, ruler of Dhar, and say that he would establish the religion of meat eaters, by the command of Ishwar i.e. God. There is a tradition that long afterwards, Bhoj got terrified on seeing the full moon split into two. Learned men consulted holy books and told him that it was one of the signs of the Universal Master to be born in a country to the West. Bhoj sent his minister to Prophet (Pbuh) in Arabia, who named the king Abdullah. The Tomb of Abdullah is still there at Dhar…

Mahabharat
This is a Hindu epic describing the struggle and triumph of good against evil. It was written by sage Vyas who also authored Bhavishya Purana. Mahabharata says that in the last eon called Kali Yug (in which we now live) a great sage will appear with name Mahaamad. He would preach about unity of God. He will be driven away from his native place by his own folk. By him the world would get peace. (Islam means peace). Mahabharat further says that cloud will provide him shade. It is recorded in history that Buhaira, the Christian priest of Syria observed this sign with Muhammad e in his boyhood and identified him as the last Prophet anticipated for millennia.

Kalki Puran
The signs and events of the final Avatar Kalki point out to final Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh). They fit those of Muhammad (Pbuh) neatly and perfectly. They are as follows;

§         Kalki will appear in the last on Kali Yug and will be the guide for the entire world.

§         He will be born on the 12th day of the month. Prophet (Pbuh) as born on 12th Of Rabiyyul Awwal).

§         His parents will be: Vishnu Bhagat and Soomati meaning servant of God (the Cherisher) and peace. (Messenger’s (Pbuh) father’s name was Abdullah, God’s servant and mother was Amina refuge giver which includes the idea of ‘peace’.)

§         He will be with a beauty par-excellence. His body will be fragrant.

§         He will get wisdom on a mountain. (Messenger (Pbuh) was conferred Prophethood on Mt.Hira)

§         He will receive a horse from God, which will be faster than lightning. Riding it he will go around the earth and seven skies. (During Mi’raj Prophet (Pbuh) got Buraq meaning lightning and toured the entire universe.)

§         Kalki will split the moon. Like Bhoj, Cheraman (Zamorin) Perumal the ruler of Indian kingdom of Kerala, witnessed splitting of the moon performed by Prophet (Pbuh). After gathering the facts he sailed to Arabia and became Muslim at Prophet’s (Pbuh) hand. His Tomb is near the city of Salala in Oman.

See: “CHAKRAWATI FARMAS King of Malabar India” by Dr. Z. HAQ at http://cyberistan.org/islamic/farmas.html

See: “Cheraman Perumal The First Indian To Accept Islam” at http://jaihoon.com/watan/perumalfirst.htm.

See: “Did Prophet Muhammad really split the moon with his index finger” at http://www.answering-christianity.com/moon_split.htm

See: “CHAKRAWATI FARMAS King of Malabar, India” by Dr.Z.HAQ at http://cyberistan.org/islamic/farmas.html

See: “Ultimate Prophet (Pbuh) Foretold”  by M. I. Liaqat Ali at http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Park/6443/Muhammed/scriptures.html.

 

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A tradition of the Holy Prophet  has also been reported from one of the companions, Abu Saeed al Khudri, regarding the arrival of Cheraman Perumal

 

“A king from India presented the Messenger of Allah with a bottle of pickle that had ginger in it. The Holy Prophet distributed it among his companions. I also received a piece to eat.” Hakim reports in ‘Al Musthadrak’

Source : http://jaihoon.com/watan/perumalgift.htm

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HINDU PATRON OF MUSLIM HERITAGE SITE
Source : http://www.iosworld.org/interview_cheramul.htm

 The 87-year-old Raja Valiyathampuram of  Kodungallur in Central Kerala is a descendant of King Cheraman Perumal, the first Indian to embrace Islam in the early 7th century. Talking to him is like talking with history. In the following interview taken by A U Asif (right in the picture) in Ernakulam, he dwells in detail upon his great early ancestor and the oldest mosque (above) of the sub-continent. He also asks North Indians to come to Kerala and see how people of different religions are living there for centuries in an atmosphere of harmony, fraternity and peace.

How do you take your great great grandfather Cheraman Perumal?

Cheraman Perumal was not only a king and my ancestor, but the first Indian to come into the fold of Islam. He was actually the person who gifted Islam and the first ever mosque to the Indian sub-continent. This happened much before the advents of Muhammad bin Qasim and Mahmood Ghaznavi. This shows that Islam didn’t come to India with the sword. 

Is it a fact?

As is well known in Kerala, on a moon-lit night the king while walking on the rooftop of his palace along with the queen saw the moon suddenly splitting into two halves. Later he came to know through the Arab traders that that a prophet called Muhammad had wrought a miracle on that fateful night and sundered the moon before a crowd of dazed spectators. Impressed by this new messenger of God in Arabia, the king set out for the holy land after dividing his kingdom and assigning various territories to local chieftains to ensure smooth governance. In Arabia he met the Prophet and embraced Islam in the presence of Abu Bakr Siddique, who later became the first caliph. Cheraman, who took a Muslim name, Tajuddin, died on his way back to India and was buried on the shore of the Arabian Sea at Salala in the Sultanate of Oman. It is said that he had earlier written letters to the local rulers of Malabar and sent it through his ministers along with Malik bin Dinar, a companion of the Prophet. In the letters he had asked them to “receive the bearers of the letters and treat them well and help them to construct mosques at Kodungallur and elsewhere”. The rulers of Kerala honoured the letters and permitted Malik Bin Dinar and his fellow Arab traders to build mosques in Kerala. The mosque built in the early 7th century at Kodungallur, known as Cheraman Malik Masjid, still exists with its original structure and is said to be the oldest mosque in the sub-continent. It is named after both Cheraman Perumal and Malik bin Dinar. 

Is the mosque intact with its original structure?

Yes, the original structure, including the sanctum sanctorum, remains intact. However, there have been a few extensions in the past. Its front portion is new while the back portion with its sanctum sanctorum, mehrab, mimbar  (pulpit), wooden work on the roof of mimbar  and traditional lamp as well as the ancient ceremonial pond, is still untouched.     

Anything more about Malik bin Dinar?

After the construction of the mosque at Kodungallur, Malik bin Dinar moved towards Mangalore and died at Kasaragod, now in Karnataka, where rests in peace. Interestingly, Cheraman Perumal and Malik bin Dinar are buried on two sides of the Arabian Sea, one at Salala in the Sultanate of Oman and the other at Kasaragod in India. In other words, their graves are interlinked by the waters of the sea. There exist 14 mosques of the same pattern and design from Kodungallur to Mangalore. 

How do you see all this?

We see all this with pride. There is no question of any ill-feeling about Cheraman Perumal. We have high regard for him. He was our patriarch. He embraced Islam but could not come back from Arabia as he fell ill and died on way. I hail from his lineage and have faith in Hinduism. 

How do the general people, particularly Hindus consider Cheraman and his gift in form of the first ever mosque in the Indian sub-continent? 

People belonging to different religions, including Hindus, hold him in high esteem and the mosque built as per his wish as a historical monument. The historic mosque has been visited by numerous dignitaries over the centuries and decades.

President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam was recently here. He was given a warm reception in the mosque. I was also among those present on the occasion.

Unlike north India, there is no communal strife over places of worship in South India?

No, not at all. In this part of land exist India’s oldest places of worship. The first synagogue, the first church, the first mosque and the ancient Bhagwathi and Mahadeva temples are located in this region. We have maintained a record of exemplary communal harmony here. I often wonder about the sudden eruption of controversy over places of worship. Unlike north, people of all faiths have high regard for all places of worship. My suggestion is: People in the north should come to Kerala and see and learn how we belonging to different religions live here for centuries without any communal hatred, animosity and strife. g

[The interviewer is a Delhi-based senior journalist. He can be contacted at au_asif@yahoo.co.in]