Question:
Was the splitting of the moon a result of magic?
Answer:
Allah ﷻ says:
وَإِن يَرَوْا آيَةً يُعْرِضُوا وَيَقُولُوا سِحْرٌ مُّسْتَمِرٌّ ﴿٢﴾
“And if they see a sign, they turn away and say: ‘This is ongoing magic.’” [al-Qamar: 2]
Before the Hijrah, the moon was split into two. The polytheists began saying: “Muḥammad ﷺ has performed magic on the moon, just as he casts spells upon you.”
- وَإِن يَرَوْا آيَةً — Meaning: if they were to witness any proof, evidence, or clear sign.
- يُعْرِضُوا — They would not submit before it, but instead turn away in denial, casting it behind their backs.
- وَيَقُولُوا سِحْرٌ مُّسْتَمِرٌّ — They said: “This thing we have witnessed is part of the magic he has cast upon us.” The word مستمر here means fading, transient, or invalid, i.e., something with no permanence.
✅ This verse illustrates the stubbornness of the polytheists, who denied even the greatest of miracles by labeling it as magic, despite witnessing it with their own eyes.
