They Ask You About New Moons — The Wiser Answer
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Level: intermediate
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يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلۡأَهِلَّةِۖ قُلۡ هِيَ مَوَٰقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَٱلۡحَجِّ
— البقرة 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.
Source: Al-Wahidi; Al-Suyuti; Al-Qurtubi (2/337)
Question: Why did the Quran answer the reason for moon phases with wisdom rather than astronomical explanation?
Answer: Because the legal wisdom (time measurements for people and Hajj) is more beneficial to the Muslim in religion and life than astronomical explanation that doesn't help in obedience.