Intermediate
Madani Rulings
Surah: Al-Baqarah (189)
They Ask You About New Moons — The Wiser Answer
يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلۡأَهِلَّةِۖ قُلۡ هِيَ مَوَٰقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَٱلۡحَجِّ
— البقرة الآية 189
Verse: "They ask you about new moons — say: they are time measurements for people and Hajj." (2:189)
Occasion (Hasan): Mu'adh ibn Jabal and Tha'laba asked the Prophet: "Why does the crescent appear thin then complete then decrease?" — they were answered not with astronomical explanation but with the legal wisdom.
Lesson: The most beneficial answer is not always what the asker requested — sometimes what they need is more important than what they asked about.
Occasion (Hasan): Mu'adh ibn Jabal and Tha'laba asked the Prophet: "Why does the crescent appear thin then complete then decrease?" — they were answered not with astronomical explanation but with the legal wisdom.
Lesson: The most beneficial answer is not always what the asker requested — sometimes what they need is more important than what they asked about.
Source: Al-Wahidi; Al-Suyuti; Al-Qurtubi (2/337)
Test Yourself
Why did the Quran answer the reason for moon phases with wisdom rather than astronomical explanation?
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