In short: The people of Makkah asked the Prophet ﷺ to show them a miracle, and he showed them the moon split in two (Sahih al-Bukhari 3637). Ibn Mas‘ud saw one part over the mountain and the other beyond it, and the Prophet ﷺ said: bear witness (Bukhari 4864).
The story
Anas ibn Malik reported that the people of Makkah asked the Prophet ﷺ for a sign, and he showed them the splitting of the moon (Bukhari 3637).
‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, who was there, described it: in the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ the moon split into two parts, one part over the mountain and the other beyond it, and he said: “Bear witness” (Bukhari 4864; also Sahih Muslim 2800).
Allah says: “The Hour has come near, and the moon has split. And if they see a sign, they turn away and say: passing magic” (Quran 54:1–2).
What we can take from it
- Signs alone do not open hearts. They saw it and still turned away.
- The surah begins with a warning: the Hour is near.
- Faith is a gift from Allah, so ask Him for it, and never take it for granted.