crescent and star

Recently i have read an article about the origin of crescent and star which are used in flgs of many muslim countries and in the top of many islamic and religional buildings and nearly almost everything related to islam, even in aid organization "red crescent".

According to article, the origin of crescent and star was nothing related to islam but these were symbols of the city of istanbul during byzantine time and when istanbul was conquered by Ottoman Empire these symbols were used in its flags and since Ottomans were

the leading muslim country, these symbols was related directly with islam. This was a bit surprise for me because i was also thinking crescent was symbolizing islam. Then i decided to make some investigation about it.

The astrologic symbols were used always in ancient times and today also. So in different places of earth different people might have used these signs as symbols of different things. So in byzantium crescent and star might be really used as sysmbol of istanbul with

a very different meaning. But as someone trusting in the sinceretiy of ottoman empire in islam it would be really hard to accept they inherited these symbols from byzantium. So that i decided to find out when ever crescent was used as a symbol in islam history.

It was before Ottomans. Ottomans were officially founded in 1299,, istanbul was conquered much later in 1453.. But i have seen crescent in the flag of one of the first muslim turkish countries lived a few centries ago named 'Gazneliler'. And then in some resources

it is told that when Saladin Eyyubi was fighting against crusades and conquring Jerusalem it was used yellow flags with crescent figures on them. So that by crusades, muslims was started to be symbolized by crescent in other countries.

But why crescent was there in these flags? what was it really stand for? Some sources it was mentioned these were coming from turks' old beliefs before islam while they were living in middle asia and worshipping to astrologic objects such as sun. But it was no ways

after islam they would keep these, because the basic of islam is the belief of tawhid, and not turks only but no muslim community from any ethnic background would do such a thing. When searching i have noticed that there wasnt common basic flags for many countries.

Not only turkish countreis but in all muslim countreis there were used many different flags at the same time. Sometimes different aspects of the same country were carrying different flags. Such as in ottomans navy was mostly using green flag, but sultane was using red flag..

Crescent and star was used in ottoman empire's some flags. It couldnt be because of any ethnic symbols since ottoman empire didnt have any ethnic structure untill the last era of it for a little time just before it collapses. Indeed ottomans was not even declared themselves

as a turkish empire. People living in ottoman territory was not devided according to their ethnics but according to their beliefs. So if my history knowledge wasnt missleading me the crescent and star in flags should not be related to turkish customs or ancient turkish beliefs.

During prophet time, the flags used were just white or black sheets. in following periods there were used white, black, green and red flags at the same time. Many times there were written shahadah or ayats over these flags. In ottomans also it was similar at the begining.

and same flags used quite for a long time while at the same time flags with crescent were also being used. Then crescent and star (with eight corner) was chosen as the only flag late 18th century. Then the star was changes to a star with five corners.

There are some legends, most commons are like:

1- the founder of ottoman empire Osman Gazi had a dream that a crescent was being raised from his chest and was travveling the world in east and west, so they claim that the crescent in turkish flag symbolizes this.

2- in 1st kosova war, in the battlefield there were a little blood lake of turkish shuhada and at night there occured a crescent and star reflection on that blood, and ottoman's flag symbolizes their jihad in islam and the blood of shuheda.

Yeah these stories might be true perhaps,, but i dont think the flag was originated from these events. Because as i said before crescent was being used much before of these events, and it was least likely for the empire to use these particular events as something symbolizing the big empire.

Then i have come accross to another explanation which was the most likely one for me:

arabic of the word 'crescent' is 'hilal'.. and this word consists of arabic letters "He", "Elif" and 2x "Lam".. Same as the word "Allah". and according the arabic calculations of letters these two words have same result "99".. which symbolizes the 99 esma ul-husna of Allah..

So the word "hilal" had the same letters as word "Allah" and their calculations were giving same value of 99. It wouldnt be proper to use any shape to symbolize Allah, so they thought they might use the shape of hilal not symbolizing allah but the word 'hilal' which having same letters

of word 'Allah' and making rememberance of him. So they used "hilal" (crescent) on flags. Crescent was symbolizing the belief of tawhid. so it was identical to write 'La ilahe illallah' on the flag..

Yeah crescent was symbolizing tawhid, but whaat about the star. I think everybody thinks same: our noble prophet. Thats right,, but whats the relation? there are a few different explanations about this:

1-In Quran it was given oath to Star, and in some explanations it was thought that that Star given oath on it was our prophet. So our prophet could be symbolized as a star.

2-In the arabic writing of word "muhammad" when you draw an envelope by direct lines, it shapes like five corner star (the top of m in the begining, the most right side of h, the end of m, the left and top points of d)

The first one seems more sensible to me, but the main idea is somehow star symbolizes our prophet in both.

So crescent says 'la ilahe illallah' and star completes it with 'muhammedur resullullah'...

I personally believe in this more, and most possibly this is the reality.. it is what suits well for the kind and elegant way of thinking and acting of muslims earlier than us.

Of course Allah knows the best of everything..