Fatwa ID: 03370

Answered by: Maulana Selim Saldiran​

Question

Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,

Where did the crescent and star come from and when was it made? What does it mean in Islam or does it even mean anything?
 

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful 

Answer

The crescent and the star aren’t Islamic symbols. It was not used by the Prophet (PBUH), nor by his companions.

Rather it is a symbol on the flag of many Muslim countries today. The story behind the crescent and star on the Turkish flag is the following:

Egeman Kirin said: ‘'The most popular story has it that the moon occulting a star appeared as a reflection in a bloody puddle, after the battle of Kosovo, in 1448. The battle was a decisive one for Turkey as it founded the long and illustrious Ottoman Empire, which ruled until the 19th century. The image is said to be a part of this historic event and commemorated by Sultan Murad II as the motif of the Turkish national flag.’'

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Maulana Selim Saldiran

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Dārul Iftā Birmingham