Hilal (crescent moon)

Hilal (Arabic هلال, DMG hilal, crescent moon ') is an Arabic term for the increasing crescent of the moon. In pre-Islamic Arabia Hilal ( or Hubal ) designated both the moon god of the people of Thamud and the very narrow crescent when it is visible after the new moon for the first time.

The appearance of the Hilal, the Neulicht, determines the beginning of the month in the Islamic world. The precise determination of the appearance of Hilal was the incentive to operate astronomical studies for Muslim scholars.

History of the symbol

The waxing Moon ( the Hilal ) was not originally a symbol of Islam, but of the Ottoman Caliphate. After Alp Arslan in 1064 Ani, Kars today, had conquered the local cathedral was converted into a mosque. In this context, the cross was removed to the cathedral, and replaced by the crescent moon. Before this time there was no relation between Islam and this symbolism.

During the past two centuries he was held in the heraldry of some Islamic states catchment (eg, Maldives, Pakistan, Algeria, Turkey, Tunisia and Libya ), and - in parallel with the International Red Cross - as a sign of the Red Crescent. In Muslim countries it has become a significant symbol.

Religious significance in Islam

The Hilal is not worshiped in Islam ( Qur'an 41.37 ). According to Islamic tradition, Muhammad's favorite wife Aisha was praying during an eclipse of the moon.

Others

In Unicode, the Hilal - symbol is encoded at U 262 A: ☪