Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "The moon was split during the time
of the Prophet .'' Al-Bukhari and Muslim collected this Hadith. Ibn Jarir
recorded that Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah's saying:
[اقْتَرَبَتِ
السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ - وَإِن يَرَوْاْ ءَايَةً يُعْرِضُواْ وَيَقُولُواْ
سِحْرٌ مُّسْتَمِرٌّ ]
(The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder. And if they
see a sign, they turn away and say: "This is magic, Mustamir.'') "This occurred
before the Hijrah; the moon was split and they saw it in two parts.''