It happened on a night I will never forget, the night of the splitting moon. I was still a young boy living in Mecca — the sacred city where the Kaaba stands — and I remember standing beside my uncle, staring up into the sky in disbelief.
“You see that?” my uncle whispered, grabbing my shoulder. “The moon—it has split!”
And it truly had. The full moon in the sky had divided into two distinct halves, clear as day, and drifted apart before coming back together again. Some around me gasped in awe. Others shook their heads, refusing to believe their eyes. But I knew this was a sign. A miracle shown by Allah to support His Prophet ﷺ — Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.
At the time, I didn’t understand what it meant. I was just afraid. If the sky could be torn in two, what else could happen? But my curiosity grew too. Who was this man — Muhammad ﷺ — that even the moon obeyed him?
I began to follow him from a distance. I wasn’t one of his companions, not yet. You won’t find my name in any hadith, but I was there, listening in markets, in back alleys, and near the Masjid al-Haram whenever he preached. One day, I heard him say something that changed me forever.
“Seeking knowledge is a duty upon every Muslim,” he said firmly.
A duty. Like prayer. Like giving charity.
That sentence struck my heart. I always thought learning was for the rich—those who could afford books and lessons. But here was the Prophet ﷺ saying it was for everyone. That it was a responsibility, not a luxury.
Later, I heard more. About the Isra and Mi'raj — the miraculous night journey when the Prophet ﷺ was taken from Mecca to Jerusalem, and then up through the heavens. It was there, we were told, that Allah commanded the five daily prayers. But some scholars say that even during that journey, knowledge was part of the great honor given to the Prophet ﷺ. That he was shown signs of unseen things, spoke to other Prophets — like Musa (Moses) and Ibrahim (Abraham) — and was led by Jibril (the angel Gabriel) through the highest parts of creation.
I remember thinking: if knowledge is what raised him ﷺ above even kings, if it brought him close to Allah, then what is stopping me from chasing it too?
From that day, I begged my uncle to let me join the classes that took place in the shade of the Kaaba. I memorized ayahs — verses — of the Qur’an, and learned to write. I asked the companions of the Prophet ﷺ questions when I could. My favorite teacher was a former slave who had learned from the Prophet directly. He told me that knowledge wasn’t just about reading—it was about action. About changing what’s inside your heart.
Now, decades have passed. The Prophet ﷺ has long returned to his Lord, but I remember his words as if they were spoken yesterday. Each time I teach a child to recite, or explain a hadith, I carry on that duty — the one he gave us all. To seek knowledge for the sake of Allah.
And I remind the young ones: Don’t wait for the moon to split. The miracle is already here. It’s in the Qur’an, in the Prophet’s words, and in the light that grows in your heart when you learn.
—
Story Note: Inspired by authentic hadiths found in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, including the splitting of the moon and the night journey (Isra and Mi'raj). The emphasis on the duty of seeking knowledge is supported by the hadith: “Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim” (Sunan Ibn Majah).
It happened on a night I will never forget, the night of the splitting moon. I was still a young boy living in Mecca — the sacred city where the Kaaba stands — and I remember standing beside my uncle, staring up into the sky in disbelief.
“You see that?” my uncle whispered, grabbing my shoulder. “The moon—it has split!”
And it truly had. The full moon in the sky had divided into two distinct halves, clear as day, and drifted apart before coming back together again. Some around me gasped in awe. Others shook their heads, refusing to believe their eyes. But I knew this was a sign. A miracle shown by Allah to support His Prophet ﷺ — Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.
At the time, I didn’t understand what it meant. I was just afraid. If the sky could be torn in two, what else could happen? But my curiosity grew too. Who was this man — Muhammad ﷺ — that even the moon obeyed him?
I began to follow him from a distance. I wasn’t one of his companions, not yet. You won’t find my name in any hadith, but I was there, listening in markets, in back alleys, and near the Masjid al-Haram whenever he preached. One day, I heard him say something that changed me forever.
“Seeking knowledge is a duty upon every Muslim,” he said firmly.
A duty. Like prayer. Like giving charity.
That sentence struck my heart. I always thought learning was for the rich—those who could afford books and lessons. But here was the Prophet ﷺ saying it was for everyone. That it was a responsibility, not a luxury.
Later, I heard more. About the Isra and Mi'raj — the miraculous night journey when the Prophet ﷺ was taken from Mecca to Jerusalem, and then up through the heavens. It was there, we were told, that Allah commanded the five daily prayers. But some scholars say that even during that journey, knowledge was part of the great honor given to the Prophet ﷺ. That he was shown signs of unseen things, spoke to other Prophets — like Musa (Moses) and Ibrahim (Abraham) — and was led by Jibril (the angel Gabriel) through the highest parts of creation.
I remember thinking: if knowledge is what raised him ﷺ above even kings, if it brought him close to Allah, then what is stopping me from chasing it too?
From that day, I begged my uncle to let me join the classes that took place in the shade of the Kaaba. I memorized ayahs — verses — of the Qur’an, and learned to write. I asked the companions of the Prophet ﷺ questions when I could. My favorite teacher was a former slave who had learned from the Prophet directly. He told me that knowledge wasn’t just about reading—it was about action. About changing what’s inside your heart.
Now, decades have passed. The Prophet ﷺ has long returned to his Lord, but I remember his words as if they were spoken yesterday. Each time I teach a child to recite, or explain a hadith, I carry on that duty — the one he gave us all. To seek knowledge for the sake of Allah.
And I remind the young ones: Don’t wait for the moon to split. The miracle is already here. It’s in the Qur’an, in the Prophet’s words, and in the light that grows in your heart when you learn.
—
Story Note: Inspired by authentic hadiths found in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, including the splitting of the moon and the night journey (Isra and Mi'raj). The emphasis on the duty of seeking knowledge is supported by the hadith: “Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim” (Sunan Ibn Majah).
