Almighty Allah has declared in Qur’an:
اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ. وَإِنْ يَرَوْا آيَةً يُعْرِضُوا وَيَقُولُوا سِحْرٌ مُسْتَمِرٌّ .
“The hour drew nigh and the moon did rend asunder. And if they see a miracle they turn aside and say: Transient magic.”143
Majority of both Shias and Sunnis relate that this verse was revealed when the Quraish demanded a miracle of Muhammad, who gestured to the moon, and by divine power it was cleft into two pieces. With regard to this miracle, Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) informs us that fourteen hypocrites, who attempted to assassinate the Prophet at Aqbah, waited upon him on the fourteenth night of the month, when the moon was full, and said, “Every Prophet has had a miracle to attest his divine mission, and tonight we demand of you a great miracle.”
“What is it?” said Muhammad. They said: “If you are respectable near the Almighty Allah, command the moon to be divided into two.” Instantly Jibraeel announced to Muhammad greetings from the Lord, and that all things were subjected to his command. The Prophet then raised his head to heaven and said to the Moon, to divide into two; which was immediately done. The Prophet prostrated himself in thanksgiving to God, and our Shias did the same.
On arising, he was asked by the hypocrites to restore the moon to its former state, which was forthwith accomplished. His visitors then said, “Let one side of be moon split, and the other side remain in its natural state.” At his command this likewise was done. The Prophet and Shias again prostrated in thanks.
His adversaries now said, “We have friends coming from Syria and Yemen; if they shall have seen tonight what we have witnessed, we will believe; if they report nothing of these signs, then we shall know that you have imposed it on us by sorcery. At this conclusion, the Almighty Allah sent down the verses quoted above. Ahle Sunnat have narrated the traditional report of the splitting of the Moon through many companions.