In
the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace
and blessings be upon His Messenger.
First of all, we�d like to voice our appreciation
for the confidence you repose in us, and we hope our
efforts come up to your expectation, and pray to Almighty
Allah to help you in your study.
The American Muslim scholar, Sheik Yusuf Estes,
Director of islamtomorrow.com, and National Chaplain
, adds:
�The symbol of Islam
IS NOT the crescent moon and the star, but it was
used by the last Islamic Dynasty, the Ottoman�s. The
Ottoman Empire deemed it appropriate to use the star
and crescent as their symbols, but not the symbols
of Islam. I repeat, the star and the crescent moon
are not a part of the religion of Islam. Because Islam
is so strict on the concept of no other gods with
Allah; and no images of any kind; it is a mistake
to consider that Islam authorized the general use
of such things. Additionally, Islam forbids the images
(statues) of any kinds of humans, animals or any of
Allah�s creations, so how about using a symbol for
Islam?�
As for the issue you raised, we�d like to state that
�the crescent moon and star symbol actually pre-dates
Islam by several thousand years. 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. There are also reports that the crescent moon
and star were used to represent the Carthaginian goddess
Tanit or the Greek goddess Diana.
The city of Byzantium (later known as Constantinople
and Istanbul) adopted the crescent moon symbol. According
to some reports, they chose it in honor of the goddess
Diana. Others indicate that it dates back to a battle
in which the Romans defeated the Goths on the first
day of a lunar month. In any event, the crescent moon
was featured on the city's flag even before the birth
of Christ.
The early Muslim community did not really have a symbol.
During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon him) Islamic armies and caravans
flew simple solid-colored flags (generally black,
green, or white) for identification purposes. In later
generations, the Muslim leaders continued to use a
simple black, white, or green flag with no markings,
writing, or symbolism on it.
It wasn�t until the Ottoman Empire that the crescent
moon and star became affiliated with the Muslim world.
When the Turks conquered Constantinople (Istanbul)
in 1453, they adopted the city�s existing flag and
symbol. Legend holds that the founder of the Ottoman
Empire, Othman, had a dream in which the crescent
moon stretched from one end of the earth to the other.
Taking this as a good omen, he chose to keep the crescent
and make it the symbol of his dynasty. There is speculation
that the five points on the star represent the five
daily prayers, but this is pure conjecture. The five
points were not standard on the Ottoman flags, and
it is also not standard on flags used in the Muslim
world today.
For hundreds of years, the Ottoman Empire ruled over
the Muslim world. After centuries of battle with Christian
Europe, it is understandable how the symbols of this
empire became linked in people�s minds with the faith
of Islam as a whole.
Based on this history, many Muslims reject using the
crescent moon as a symbol of Islam. The faith of Islam
has historically adopted no symbol, and many refuse
to accept what is essentially an ancient pagan icon.�
Excerpted, with slight modifications, from:
http://islam.about.com/library/weekly/aa060401b.htm
Allah Almighty knows best.
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