054
(Surah 054)
الْقَمَر
Surah Al-Qamar
The Moon · Fifty-Five Verses
Compiled for Mike Rashid King
Ta'awwudh · Seeking Refuge
أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
A'udhu billahi min ash-shaytani ar-rajim. I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed.
The Name · Bismillah
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Bismillahi ar-Rahmani ar-Rahim. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
✦
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
The Surah · Al-Qamar
﴾١﴿ ٱقْتَرَبَتِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ وَٱنشَقَّ ٱلْقَمَرُ
Iqtarabati as-sa'atu wanshaqqa al-qamar
The Hour has drawn near and the moon has split.
﴾٢﴿ وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ ءَايَةًۭ يُعْرِضُوا۟ وَيَقُولُوا۟ سِحْرٌۭ مُّسْتَمِرٌّۭ
Wa in yaraw ayatan yu'ridu wa yaqulu sihrun mustamirr
If they see a sign they turn away and say, passing magic.
﴾٣﴿ وَكَذَّبُوا۟ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓا۟ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ ۚ وَكُلُّ أَمْرٍۢ مُّسْتَقِرٌّۭ
Wa kadhdhabu wattaba'u ahwa'ahum, wa kullu amrin mustaqirr
They denied and followed their desires, and every matter has a settled outcome.
﴾٤﴿ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَنۢبَآءِ مَا فِيهِ مُزْدَجَرٌ
Wa laqad ja'ahum mina al-anba'i ma fihi muzdajar
There has come to them news containing deterrence.
﴾٥﴿ حِكْمَةٌۢ بَٰلِغَةٌۭ ۖ فَمَا تُغْنِ ٱلنُّذُرُ
Hikmatun balighatun fama tughni an-nudhur
Far reaching wisdom, but the warnings do not avail.
﴾٦﴿ فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ ۘ يَوْمَ يَدْعُ ٱلدَّاعِ إِلَىٰ شَىْءٍۢ نُّكُرٍ
Fatawalla 'anhum, yawma yad'u ad-da'i ila shay'in nukur
So turn away from them. On the Day the caller calls to a terrible thing,
﴾٧﴿ خُشَّعًا أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ كَأَنَّهُمْ جَرَادٌۭ مُّنتَشِرٌۭ
Khushsha'an absaruhum yakhrujuna mina al-ajdathi ka'annahum jaradun muntashir
their eyes lowered, they come out of the graves as though they were scattered locusts,
﴾٨﴿ مُّهْطِعِينَ إِلَى ٱلدَّاعِ ۖ يَقُولُ ٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ هَٰذَا يَوْمٌ عَسِرٌۭ
Muhti'ina ila ad-da'i, yaqulu al-kafiruna hadha yawmun 'asir
racing toward the caller. The disbelievers say, this is a hard day.
﴾٩﴿ ۞ كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍۢ فَكَذَّبُوا۟ عَبْدَنَا وَقَالُوا۟ مَجْنُونٌۭ وَٱزْدُجِرَ
Kadhdhabat qablahum qawmu Nuhin fakadhdhabu 'abdana wa qalu majnunun wazdujir
The people of Nuh denied before them. They denied Our servant and said, a madman, and he was repelled.
﴾١٠﴿ فَدَعَا رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّى مَغْلُوبٌۭ فَٱنتَصِرْ
Fada'a Rabbahu anni maghlubun fantasir
So he called upon his Lord, I am overcome, so help me.
﴾١١﴿ فَفَتَحْنَآ أَبْوَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَآءٍۢ مُّنْهَمِرٍۢ
Fafatahna abwaba as-sama'i bima'in munhamir
We opened the gates of the sky with pouring water,
﴾١٢﴿ وَفَجَّرْنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ عُيُونًۭا فَٱلْتَقَى ٱلْمَآءُ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرٍۢ قَدْ قُدِرَ
Wa fajjarna al-arda 'uyunan faltaqa al-ma'u 'ala amrin qad qudir
and We burst the earth with springs, and the waters met for a matter already measured.
﴾١٣﴿ وَحَمَلْنَٰهُ عَلَىٰ ذَاتِ أَلْوَٰحٍۢ وَدُسُرٍۢ
Wa hamalnahu 'ala dhati alwahin wa dusur
We carried him on a thing of planks and nails,
﴾١٤﴿ تَجْرِى بِأَعْيُنِنَا جَزَآءًۭ لِّمَن كَانَ كُفِرَ
Tajri bi-a'yunina jaza'an liman kana kufir
sailing under Our eyes, a reward for the one who had been denied.
﴾١٥﴿ وَلَقَد تَّرَكْنَٰهَآ ءَايَةًۭ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ
Wa laqad taraknaha ayatan fahal min muddakir
We left it as a sign, so is there anyone who will take heed.
﴾١٦﴿ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ
Fakayfa kana 'adhabi wa nudhur
How then was My punishment and My warning.
﴾١٧﴿ وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ
Wa laqad yassarna al-Qur'ana lidh-dhikri fahal min muddakir
We have made the Quran easy to remember, so is there anyone who will take heed.
﴾١٨﴿ كَذَّبَتْ عَادٌۭ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ
Kadhdhabat 'Adun fakayfa kana 'adhabi wa nudhur
'Ad denied, so how was My punishment and My warning.
﴾١٩﴿ إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحًۭا صَرْصَرًۭا فِى يَوْمِ نَحْسٍۢ مُّسْتَمِرٍّۢ
Inna arsalna 'alayhim rihan sarsaran fi yawmi nahsin mustamirr
We sent against them a screaming wind on a day of continuous misfortune,
﴾٢٠﴿ تَنزِعُ ٱلنَّاسَ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍۢ مُّنقَعِرٍۢ
Tanzi'u an-nasa ka'annahum a'jazu nakhlin munqa'ir
tearing people out as though they were uprooted palm trunks.
﴾٢١﴿ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ
Fakayfa kana 'adhabi wa nudhur
How then was My punishment and My warning.
﴾٢٢﴿ وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ
Wa laqad yassarna al-Qur'ana lidh-dhikri fahal min muddakir
We have made the Quran easy to remember, so is there anyone who will take heed.
﴾٢٣﴿ كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِٱلنُّذُرِ
Kadhdhabat Thamudu bin-nudhur
Thamud denied the warnings.
﴾٢٤﴿ فَقَالُوٓا۟ أَبَشَرًۭا مِّنَّا وَٰحِدًۭا نَّتَّبِعُهُۥٓ إِنَّآ إِذًۭا لَّفِى ضَلَٰلٍۢ وَسُعُرٍ
Faqalu abasharan minna wahidan nattabi'uhu inna idhan lafi dalalin wa su'ur
They said, a single human being from among us, are we to follow him? We would then be in error and madness.
﴾٢٥﴿ أَءُلْقِىَ ٱلذِّكْرُ عَلَيْهِ مِنۢ بَيْنِنَا بَلْ هُوَ كَذَّابٌ أَشِرٌۭ
A'ulqiya adh-dhikru 'alayhi min baynina bal huwa kadhdhabun ashir
Was the reminder sent down to him out of all of us? Rather he is a boastful liar.
﴾٢٦﴿ سَيَعْلَمُونَ غَدًۭا مَّنِ ٱلْكَذَّابُ ٱلْأَشِرُ
Saya'lamuna ghadan mani al-kadhdhabu al-ashir
They will know tomorrow who is the boastful liar.
﴾٢٧﴿ إِنَّا مُرْسِلُوا۟ ٱلنَّاقَةِ فِتْنَةًۭ لَّهُمْ فَٱرْتَقِبْهُمْ وَٱصْطَبِرْ
Inna mursilu an-naqati fitnatan lahum fartaqibhum wastabir
We are sending the she-camel as a test for them, so watch them and be patient.
﴾٢٨﴿ وَنَبِّئْهُمْ أَنَّ ٱلْمَآءَ قِسْمَةٌۢ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ كُلُّ شِرْبٍۢ مُّحْتَضَرٌۭ
Wa nabbi'hum anna al-ma'a qismatun baynahum, kullu shirbin muhtadar
And inform them that the water is shared between them, each drink attended in turn.
﴾٢٩﴿ فَنَادَوْا۟ صَاحِبَهُمْ فَتَعَاطَىٰ فَعَقَرَ
Fanadaw sahibahum fata'ata fa'aqar
So they called their companion, and he took the blade and hamstrung her.
﴾٣٠﴿ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ
Fakayfa kana 'adhabi wa nudhur
How then was My punishment and My warning.
﴾٣١﴿ إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ صَيْحَةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ فَكَانُوا۟ كَهَشِيمِ ٱلْمُحْتَظِرِ
Inna arsalna 'alayhim sayhatan wahidatan fakanu kahashimi al-muhtazir
We sent against them one cry, and they became like the dry fragments left by one who builds a pen.
﴾٣٢﴿ وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ
Wa laqad yassarna al-Qur'ana lidh-dhikri fahal min muddakir
We have made the Quran easy to remember, so is there anyone who will take heed.
﴾٣٣﴿ كَذَّبَتْ قَوْمُ لُوطٍۭ بِٱلنُّذُرِ
Kadhdhabat qawmu Lutin bin-nudhur
The people of Lut denied the warnings.
﴾٣٤﴿ إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ حَاصِبًا إِلَّآ ءَالَ لُوطٍۢ ۖ نَّجَّيْنَٰهُم بِسَحَرٍۢ
Inna arsalna 'alayhim hasiban illa ala Lut, najjaynahum bisahar
We sent against them a storm of stones, except the family of Lut, whom We saved at dawn,
﴾٣٥﴿ نِّعْمَةًۭ مِّنْ عِندِنَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى مَن شَكَرَ
Ni'matan min 'indina, kadhalika najzi man shakar
as a favor from Us. That is how We reward the one who gives thanks.
﴾٣٦﴿ وَلَقَدْ أَنذَرَهُم بَطْشَتَنَا فَتَمَارَوْا۟ بِٱلنُّذُرِ
Wa laqad andharahum batshatana fatamaraw bin-nudhur
He had warned them of Our seizing, but they disputed the warnings.
﴾٣٧﴿ وَلَقَدْ رَٰوَدُوهُ عَن ضَيْفِهِۦ فَطَمَسْنَآ أَعْيُنَهُمْ فَذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ
Wa laqad rawaduhu 'an dayfihi fatamasna a'yunahum fadhuqu 'adhabi wa nudhur
They demanded his guests from him, so We blinded their eyes. Taste My punishment and My warning.
﴾٣٨﴿ وَلَقَدْ صَبَّحَهُم بُكْرَةً عَذَابٌۭ مُّسْتَقِرٌّۭ
Wa laqad sabbahahum bukratan 'adhabun mustaqirr
In the early morning a settled punishment came upon them.
﴾٣٩﴿ فَذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ
Fadhuqu 'adhabi wa nudhur
Taste My punishment and My warning.
﴾٤٠﴿ وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ
Wa laqad yassarna al-Qur'ana lidh-dhikri fahal min muddakir
We have made the Quran easy to remember, so is there anyone who will take heed.
﴾٤١﴿ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ ٱلنُّذُرُ
Wa laqad ja'a ala Fir'awna an-nudhur
The warnings came to the people of Pharaoh.
﴾٤٢﴿ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا كُلِّهَا فَأَخَذْنَٰهُمْ أَخْذَ عَزِيزٍۢ مُّقْتَدِرٍ
Kadhdhabu bi-ayatina kulliha fa-akhadhnahum akhdha 'azizin muqtadir
They denied all of Our signs, so We seized them with the seizing of One Mighty and Perfect in Ability.
﴾٤٣﴿ أَكُفَّارُكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ مِّنْ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكُمْ أَمْ لَكُم بَرَآءَةٌۭ فِى ٱلزُّبُرِ
Akuffarukum khayrun min ula'ikum am lakum bara'atun fi az-zubur
Are your disbelievers better than those, or do you have an exemption in the scriptures?
﴾٤٤﴿ أَمْ يَقُولُونَ نَحْنُ جَمِيعٌۭ مُّنتَصِرٌۭ
Am yaquluna nahnu jami'un muntasir
Or do they say, we are a group that will be victorious.
﴾٤٥﴿ سَيُهْزَمُ ٱلْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ ٱلدُّبُرَ
Sayuhzamu al-jam'u wa yuwalluna ad-dubur
The assembly will be defeated and they will turn their backs.
﴾٤٦﴿ بَلِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ وَٱلسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَىٰ وَأَمَرُّ
Bali as-sa'atu maw'iduhum, was-sa'atu adha wa amarr
Rather, the Hour is their appointed time, and the Hour is more disastrous and more bitter.
﴾٤٧﴿ إِنَّ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ فِى ضَلَٰلٍۢ وَسُعُرٍۢ
Inna al-mujrimina fi dalalin wa su'ur
The criminals are in error and madness.
﴾٤٨﴿ يَوْمَ يُسْحَبُونَ فِى ٱلنَّارِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ ذُوقُوا۟ مَسَّ سَقَرَ
Yawma yushabuna fi an-nari 'ala wujuhihim dhuqu massa saqar
On the Day they are dragged on their faces into the Fire. Taste the touch of Saqar.
﴾٤٩﴿ إِنَّا كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقْنَٰهُ بِقَدَرٍۢ
Inna kulla shay'in khalaqnahu bi-qadar
Indeed, We created everything by measure.
﴾٥٠﴿ وَمَآ أَمْرُنَآ إِلَّا وَٰحِدَةٌۭ كَلَمْحٍۭ بِٱلْبَصَرِ
Wa ma amruna illa wahidatun kalamhin bil-basar
And Our command is but one, like the blink of an eye.
﴾٥١﴿ وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَآ أَشْيَاعَكُمْ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ
Wa laqad ahlakna ashya'akum fahal min muddakir
We destroyed your likes, so is there anyone who will take heed.
﴾٥٢﴿ وَكُلُّ شَىْءٍۢ فَعَلُوهُ فِى ٱلزُّبُرِ
Wa kullu shay'in fa'aluhu fi az-zubur
Everything they did is in the records.
﴾٥٣﴿ وَكُلُّ صَغِيرٍۢ وَكَبِيرٍۢ مُّسْتَطَرٌ
Wa kullu saghirin wa kabirin mustatar
Everything small and large is written down.
﴾٥٤﴿ إِنَّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ وَنَهَرٍۢ
Inna al-muttaqina fi jannatin wa nahar
The God-conscious are in gardens and rivers,
﴾٥٥﴿ فِى مَقْعَدِ صِدْقٍ عِندَ مَلِيكٍۢ مُّقْتَدِرٍۭ
Fi maq'adi sidqin 'inda malikin muqtadir
in a seat of truth near a Sovereign Perfect in Ability.
The Tafsir · The Breakdown
What The Surah Means
Overview
Surah Al-Qamar is fifty-five verses, chapter 54, Makki. It opens on the splitting of the moon, an event recorded in al-Bukhari and Muslim through several companions, and on the response it received, which was to call it passing magic.
The surah is then built as a series of case files, each closed with the same sentence. We have made the Quran easy to remember, so is there anyone who will take heed. Four nations, four collapses, one repeated offer.
They saw the moon split and called it magic passing through. The surah is about what evidence does to a mind that has already decided.
Verses 1–8 · The Sign and the Verdict
The Hour has drawn near and the moon has split.
Iqtarabati as-sa'atu wanshaqqa al-qamar: two events in one line, one distant and one immediate, joined without explanation.
Wa in yaraw ayatan yu'ridu wa yaqulu sihrun mustamirr: if they see a sign they turn away and say, passing magic. The response to the largest available evidence is a phrase that files it and moves on.
Wa kadhdhabu wattaba'u ahwa'ahum, wa kullu amrin mustaqirr: they denied and followed their desires, and every matter has a settled outcome. The Quran names desire as the engine again, exactly as An-Najm did, and then states that outcomes are fixed regardless of the naming.
Wa laqad ja'ahum mina al-anba'i ma fihi muzdajar: there came to them news containing deterrence. Hikmatun balighah fama tughni an-nudhur: far reaching wisdom, but the warnings do not avail. The verse concedes that warning has limits, which is unusual and worth noticing.
The evidence arrived, was labeled, and was filed. The warning is described as reaching wisdom that did not avail.
Verses 9–42 · Four Case Files
The people of Nuh denied before them, and they denied Our servant and said, a madman, and he was repelled.
Each case follows the same structure. A people, a messenger, a denial, an instrument of destruction, and then the refrain.
Nuh: the gates of heaven opened with pouring water, the earth burst with springs, and the water met by a decree already measured. He is described as carried on something of planks and nails.
'Ad: a screaming wind on a day of continuous misfortune, tearing people out as though they were uprooted palm trunks.
Thamud: one cry, and they became like the dry twig fragments of a pen used for animals. The she-camel is described as a test, wa nabbi'hum anna al-ma'a qismatun baynahum, and inform them that the water is shared between them.
The people of Lut: a storm of stones, except the family of Lut, saved at dawn.
And the people of Pharaoh, given warnings and taking them as lies, seized with the seizing of One Mighty and Perfect in Ability.
Between them the refrain lands each time. Wa laqad yassarna al-Qur'ana lidh-dhikri fahal min muddakir. We have made the Quran easy to remember, so is there anyone who will take heed. The offer is repeated after each collapse.
Four files, four instruments, and after each one the same open question. Is there anyone who will take heed.
Verses 43–48 · Are Yours Better
Are your disbelievers better than those, or do you have an exemption in the scriptures?
Akuffarukum khayrun min ula'ikum am lakum bara'atun fi az-zubur: the argument is put as a question about paperwork. Do you hold an exemption in writing.
Am yaquluna nahnu jami'un muntasir: or do they say, we are a group that will be victorious. The confidence of numbers is quoted back to them.
Sayuhzamu al-jam'u wa yuwalluna ad-dubur: the assembly will be defeated and they will turn their backs. Ibn Kathir carries the report that Umar noted this verse being recited in Mecca and that its fulfillment was seen at Badr, when the group was routed.
Bali as-sa'atu maw'iduhum, was-sa'atu adha wa amarr: rather, the Hour is their appointed time, and the Hour is more disastrous and more bitter.
The question is whether you hold an exemption in writing. Nobody has produced one.
Verses 49–55 · Measure, and One Command
Indeed, We created everything by measure.
Inna kulla shay'in khalaqnahu bi-qadar: everything created by a measure. Muslim records this verse being cited in the discussion of divine decree. Nothing in the account is approximate.
Wa ma amruna illa wahidatun kalamhin bil-basar: and Our command is but one, like the blink of an eye. The execution of the decree is described as instantaneous, in contrast to the long human experience of waiting for it.
Wa laqad ahlakna ashya'akum fahal min muddakir: We destroyed your likes, so is there anyone who will take heed. The refrain returns with the word your, which moves the case files from history into the reader's own category.
Wa kullu shay'in fa'aluhu fi az-zubur, wa kullu saghirin wa kabirin mustatar: everything they did is in the records, and everything small and large is written down. The word for small comes first.
Inna al-muttaqina fi jannatin wa nahar, fi maq'adi sidqin 'inda malikin muqtadir: the God-conscious in gardens and rivers, in a seat of truth near a Sovereign Perfect in Ability. The surah of destroyed nations ends on a seat, a location, and a nearness.
Created by measure, executed in a blink, recorded down to the smallest item, and ended at a seat of truth.
Structural Summary
Fifty-Five Verses. Is There Anyone Who Will Take Heed.
Verses 1–8The SplittingThe moon splits, and the sign is labeled passing magic. Every matter has a settled outcome.
Verses 9–17NuhWater from above and below, meeting by a measured decree, and the first refrain.
Verses 18–22'AdA screaming wind on a day of continuous misfortune, uprooting men like hollow palm trunks.
Verses 23–32ThamudOne cry, a shared water supply refused, and a people reduced to dry fragments.
Verses 33–42Lut and PharaohStones at dawn, a family brought out, and a seizure by One Mighty and Perfect in Ability.
Verses 43–48The ExemptionAre yours better, or do you hold a written exemption. The group will be routed.
Verses 49–55The MeasureEverything created by measure, commanded in a blink, recorded down to the smallest, and a seat of truth at the end.
Why This Surah Is For You
Verse 2 is the mechanism worth carrying. They saw the sign and called it passing magic. Labeling is how a mind disposes of evidence it does not want, and the label always sounds reasonable at the time. Watch for the moment you name a thing in order to stop having to deal with it.
The refrain is an offer, not a threat. We made the Quran easy to remember, so is there anyone who will take heed. It arrives after each collapse, which means the door stays open at the exact point in the story where you would expect it to close.
Verse 49 is the answer to the anxiety of a planner. Everything created by measure. Not approximately, not on average. The measure exists whether or not you can see it, and verse 50 says the execution takes no time at all.
Verse 52 says everything small and large is written, and the small is named first. Most men manage the large items and let the small ones go unrecorded. The record does not work that way.
The Practice · Daily Integration
Fifty-Five Verses. Take the Heed.
Notice your labels. Verse 2 is about the word a man reaches for so he does not have to change.
Answer the refrain out loud once while reading. Is there anyone who will take heed. The question is addressed to whoever is holding the page.
When a plan fails, say verse 49 before you diagnose. Everything was created by measure, including the failure.
Track the small items for one week. Verse 52 lists the small before the large.
The moon split and they called it magic. The offer is still open. Is there anyone who will take heed.
آمِين
Prepared with discipline · Ameen
Verse-By-Verse · Test Yourself
The Quiz
Two questions per verse. Translation and a key Arabic word. Walk through it slow. The goal is comprehension, not speed.
Verse 11 / 110
The Verse
ٱقْتَرَبَتِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ وَٱنشَقَّ ٱلْقَمَرُ
Iqtarabati as-sa'atu wanshaqqa al-qamar
What does verse 1 say?