The moon symbol is because Muslims follow the lunar month. Our months are dated by the moon. That is why we need to see the moon to know when Ramadan is over.
Historically it was the symbol adopted by the Ottomans (for their flag, I think) and since they dominated for over 600 years the symbol became associated with Islam, probably following the Crusades.
Do you have a reference?
This is an odd assertion given that many people used a moon based calendars. The Romans, the Chinese, etc... Why elevate the moon to the most high position if it was simply recognized as a part of a lunar calender? Not to mention the fact that the people of the ME have worshiped moon gods since 2100 BCE. Wasn't "Allah" of the Kabaal a moon God before being associated with the Jewish God.
:bugeye:
From the ancient times of the Sumerians, Babylonian and Assyrian, moon Gods have played center stage in most of Semitic religions. A practice that was prevalent of the contemporaries of Mohammad. Obviously so. Not simply the Arabs but all over the ME. It seem very odd that Mohammadians would elevate the moon to the utmost position on a place of worship simply to remind themselves of the lunar calender. Given that those same people had been
worshiping moon Gods for nearly 3000 years.
But, then again, I once said to a wall that the Jesus fish was really a geometric symbol well knows as the measure of fish and that the 153 fish in the Bible was really a powerful ratio known to the Greeks and in use for centuries. the Wall said: Nu-ah. And that's usually the way it goes.
Michael
note:
"
The Sumerians, in the first literate civilization, left thousands of clay tablets describing their religious beliefs. As demonstrated by Sjöberg and Hall, the ancient Sumerians worshipped a moon-god who was called by many different names. The most popular names were Nanna, Suen, and Asimbabbar" (Mark Hall, A Study of the Sumerian Moon-god, Sin, PhD., 1985, University of Pennsylvania).
"
His symbol was the crescent moon. Given the amount of artifacts concerning the worship of this moon-god, it is clear that this was the dominant religion in Sumeria. The cult of the moon-god was the most popular religion throughout ancient Mesopotamia. The Assyrians, Babylonians, and Arkkadians took the word Suen and transformed it into the word Sîn as their favourite name for this deity." (Austin Potts, The Hymns and Prayers to the Moon-god, Sin, PhD., 1971, Dropsie College, p.2).
"
Sîn is a name essentially Sumerian in origin which had been borrowed by the Semites" (Austin Potts, The Hymns and Prayers to the Moon-god, Sin, PhD., 1971, Dropsie College, p 4)
A reminder of the Lunar calendar for Ramadan??? ... come on Sam...
anyway, that reference?
