Codex of FaithsAn illustrated atlas of belief

Stars

Crescent and star

The crescent and star, widely seen as an emblem of Islam: how it came from the Ottoman Empire rather than early Islam, why some Muslims reject it as a religious symbol and where you see it today.

Also called Star and crescent · Hilal

In brief

  1. I.The crescent moon with a star is often used as a symbol of Islam, especially on flags and mosques.
  2. II.It was not used as a religious sign in early Islam; Muhammad and the first Muslims had no such emblem.
  3. III.It became widespread as an emblem of the Ottoman Empire and spread from there.
  4. IV.Many Muslims see it as a cultural rather than a religious symbol.

Chapter I

What it means

For many people the crescent and star mean Islam, as the cross means Christianity. Within Islam itself it has no religious authority: the Qur’an and the practice of the Prophet do not mention such a sign, and Islamic tradition has avoided holy images.

The crescent has nonetheless gathered real meaning for Muslims through the lunar calendar. Each Islamic month begins when the thin new moon is seen, and the sighting of the crescent marks the start and end of Ramadan.

Chapter II

Where it comes from

The crescent and star were used in the ancient Near East and on coins of the Byzantine city of Constantinople long before Islam. After the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453, the crescent became associated with their empire, appearing on banners and, in later centuries, on the Ottoman flag.

As the Ottoman Empire was the leading Muslim power, the emblem came to stand for Islam in the eyes of Europeans and then of many Muslims. In the 19th and 20th centuries it was placed on the flags of several Muslim-majority states.

Chapter III

Where you see it today

The crescent and star are on the flags of Turkey, Pakistan, Algeria, Tunisia, Malaysia and other countries, and a crescent tops many mosque domes and minarets. The Red Crescent, used instead of the Red Cross in many Muslim countries, comes from the same emblem.

Questions people ask

Is the crescent a symbol of Islam?

Not in Islamic teaching, which has no official symbol. It is a historical and cultural emblem that many people, Muslim and not, have come to link with Islam.

Why is the moon important in Islam?

The Islamic calendar is lunar: each month begins with the sighting of the new crescent moon, so the start of Ramadan and the dates of the festivals depend on it.

Sources and further reading

  1. Jonathan M. Bloom and Sheila S. Blair, Islamic Arts (Phaidon, 1997)
  2. Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Religious symbolism and iconography: modes of symbolic expression”
  3. Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Religious symbolism and iconography”

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