By: Anonymous-Muslim

 

Ottoman Empire: The true origins of the "star and crescent"

 

Pagan Trinitarian Christians often like to say the symbol of the Crescent which has become associated with Islam means that Muslims believe Allah is a moon-god.  This is an absurd Pagan Christian LIE.

 

 

To read a detailed rebuttal to the Pagan Christian LIE that Allah is a moon-god go to these great links from the website Islamic-Awareness:

http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Sources/Allah/moongod.html

http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Sources/Allah/moongods.html

http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Sources/Allah/hubal.html

http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Sources/Allah/rhmnn.html

 

 

We will soon read that the crescent moon was first introduced long after the time of the Prophet(PBUH) and it was introduced as symbol by the Ottoman Empire.  The reason the Islamic Ottoman Empire and the Turks deciding to take this symbol is because the crescent moon is a symbol for the being of Ramadan (Islamic fasting)

Let us read from a hadith:

SAHIH BUKHARI, BOOK 31: Fasting

Volume 3, Book 31, Number 133:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet or Abu-l-Qasim said, "Start fasting on seeing the crescent (of Ramadan), and give up fasting on seeing the crescent (of Shawwal), and if the sky is overcast (and you cannot see it), complete thirty days of Sha'ban."

 

 

 

Let us read the following from the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_and_crescent

 

The star and crescent is a symbol consisting of a crescent with a star at the concave side. In its modern form, the star is usually shown with five points (though in earlier centuries a higher number of points was often used). Although, the two signs together or the crescent only is often regarded as a symbol of Islam, but crescent and star are traditional symbols of Turkish (Turkic) identity.

In Unicode, the "Star and crescent" symbol is U+262A (☪).

Historical Symbol

See also: Flag of the Ottoman Empire

The star and crescent historically was a symbol of the Ottoman Empire, but later became associated with Islam in general. Now its popularity among Muslims makes it comparable to the Christian cross and the Star of David. Many Muslim nations, such as Pakistan, and non-soverign nations such as Turkestan and Tartarstan use it on their national flag, inspiring from the secular Republic of Turkey, the successor state to the Ottoman Empire.

The crescent moon and star symbol actually pre-dates Islam by several thousand years.[1] Information on the origins of the symbol are difficult to ascertain, but most sources agree that these ancient celestial symbols were in use by the peoples of Central Asia and Siberia in their worship of sun, moon, and sky gods. The star and crescent (with the crescent under the star, which was simply a round circle) were also widely used in ancient Ethiopia and South Arabia (modern day Yemen and southern Saudi Arabia). Its image can still be seen on the Hawulti at Matara, Eritrea and all of the Aksumite coins prior to its conversion to Christianity, for example. According to some reports, the Greek colony of Byzantium also used the emblem on their flag as an official governing symbol. In 339 BC the city of Byzantium, (later known as Constantinople and then Istanbul), won a decisive battle under a brilliant waxing moon which they attributed to their patron Goddess Artemis whose symbol was the crescent moon^{[citation needed]} In honor of Artemis the citizens adopted the crescent moon as their symbol^{[citation needed]}. When the city became the Christian Constantinople in 330 AD, Constantine also added the Virgin Mary's star on the flag. As such, it has been claimed that when the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453, they adopted the city's existing flag and symbol^{[citation needed]}. However, the most common theory in Turkey is that cresent and star symbol was adopted by Ottoman Empire after a bloody war in Balkans. After seeing the reflection of cresent and star on to the blood of soldiers, Ottoman Sultan decided to adopt a new flag to honor the soldiers who died for the sake of their country.

The crescent moon and star were not completely abandoned by the Christian world after the fall of Constantinople. To date the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem official church flag is a labarum of white with a church building with two towers and on either side of the arms, at the top, are the outline in black of a crescent moon facing center, and a star/sun with rays.[2]

The predominantly Sunni Muslim ethnic Bosniaks use a similar flag; as their native country Bosnia and Herzegovina is also homeland to two other constituent peoples, Serbs and Croats, the flag is not the official flag of the country.

The star possibly symbolizes Venus.  Venus indeed may often appear prominently close to the Moon at the first sighting of the new crescent (the hilal) after New Moon, usually shortly after sunset, which marks the start of the first day of a new month in the lunar Islamic calendar.

 

(From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_and_crescent)

 

 

 

Also let us read the opinion of an Islamic scholar on the symbol of the crescent moon, from the link:

http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=1528&ln=eng&txt=crescent

Praise be to Allah.

There is no basis in sharee’ah for taking the crescent or star as a symbol of the Muslims. This was not known at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or at the time of the Khulafa’ al-Raashidoon (the first four leaders of Islam after the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or during the time of the Umawis (Umayyad dynasty). It emerged some time after that, and historians differ as to when this symbol was first adopted and who was the first to adopt it. Some say it was the Persians, others say it was the Greeks, and that this symbol was somehow passed to the Muslims. (See Al-Taraateeb al-Idaariyah by al-Kittaani, 1/320). It was said that the reason why the Muslims adopted the crescent was that when they conquered some western countries, the churches there had crosses on top of them, the Muslims replaced the crosses with these crescents, and the practice spread in this way. Whatever the case, symbols and banners must be in accordance with the teachings of Islam, and as there is no evidence that this symbol is prescribed by Islam, it is better not to use it. Neither the crescent nor the star are symbols of the Muslims, even though some Muslims may use them as symbols.

As regards what Muslims think about the moon and the stars, they believe that they are part of the creation of Allaah, and as such can neither benefit nor harm people, and they do not have any influence over events on earth. Allaah has created them for the benefit of mankind, an example of which is seen in the aayah or verse of the Qur’aan (interpretation of the meaning):

“They ask you (O Muhammad) about the new moons. Say: These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage…” [al-Baqarah 2:189]

[The commentator] Ibn Katheer said, explaining the phrase Say: these are signs to mark fixed periods of time: “From them (the new moons) they may know the times for repaying loans, the ‘iddah (waiting period) of their women [after being divorced or widowed] and the timing of their Hajj (pilgrimage)… Allaah has made them signs to mark the times when Muslims should start to fast and break their fast [the beginning and end of Ramadaan], to count the ‘iddah of their women and to know the times for repaying loans.” (Tafseer Ibn Katheer).

[Another commentator] Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on this aayah [verse]: “This explains the wisdom behind the waxing and waning of the moon, which is to avoid any confusion in appointed dates, dealings, oaths, Hajj, ‘iddah, fasting, breaking fasts, length of pregnancy, rentals and other matters that concern mankind. Similar to this aayah are others (interpretation of the meanings):

‘And We have appointed the night and the day as two aayaat (signs). Then, We have made dark the sign of the night while We have made the sign of day illuminating, that you may seek bounty from your Lord, and that you may know the number of the years and the reckoning…” [al-Isra’ 17:12]

‘It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a light and measured out its (their) stages, that you might know the number of years and the reckoning…’ [Yoonus 10:5]

Counting the new moons is easier than counting days.” (See Tafseer al-Qurtubi).

With regard to the stars, the scholars of Islam say that Allaah created these stars for three reasons: to adorn the heavens, to drive away the devils (shayaateen) and as signs for navigation. (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Kitaab Bad’ al-Khalq), as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“It is He Who has set the stars for you, so that you may guide your course with their help through the darkness of the land and the sea…” [al-An’aam 6:97]

“And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps, and We have made such lamps (as) missiles to drive away the shayaateen (devils), and have prepared for them the torment of the blazing Fire.” [al-Mulk 67:5]

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

 

 

 

So clearly the symbol of the crescent moon does NOT mean Muslim worship the moon.  The crescent moon is was taken as a symbol first by the Islamic Ottoman Empire.  The reason Muslim empires like the Ottomans decided to take the Crescent moon as a symbol is because in Islam the sighting of the Crescent moon begins the Islamic Holy month of Ramadan.  Again let us read from a Islamic hadith:

 

SAHIH BUKHARI, BOOK 31: Fasting

Volume 3, Book 31, Number 133:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet or Abu-l-Qasim said, "Start fasting on seeing the crescent (of Ramadan), and give up fasting on seeing the crescent (of Shawwal), and if the sky is overcast (and you cannot see it), complete thirty days of Sha'ban."

 

 

Clearly the crescent moon was a symbol of the Ottoman Empire and some of today's Muslim majority nations like Pakistan, Turkey, etc. because we Muslims start fasting upon seeing the crescent moon of Ramadan.  There is absolutely NO shari'ah basis on having the Crescent moon as a symbol of Islam.  The crescent moon became a symbol largely due to the tradition started by the Ottoman Empire (because Muslims starting fasting on seeing the Crescent moon of Ramadan).  So in actuality it is discouraged by Islamic shari'ah to have the crescent moon as a symbol, and it should preferably be stopped and ended by the Muslim Ummah (community).

Finally, it is silly for Pagan Christians to say Muslims worship the moon, when this same claim could be thrown against the Jews.  The Christians never say the Jews are pagans that worship the moon.  Yet we see even till this day on the Zionist "state" of "Israel's" flag the "Star of David".  Does this mean Jews worship a star?!  Of course NOT, as a Muslim I would never claim the Jews worship a star!  But if Pagan Christian LIARS want to make ridiculous and false claims regarding the Crescent moon in Islam (which begins the fasting during Ramadan) they must make the same claims against the Jews for having the "Star of David" as symbol.  Yet Christians will never do this as they claim Jews are monotheists.

So clearly the Pagan Christians that make such false and absurd claims against Islam are LIARS and FRAUDS.

 

 

 

All Praise is Due to Almighty Allah!