Editing Symbols of Islam

{{Refimprove|date=November 2010}} [[File:Dcp7323-Edirne-Eski Camii Allah-ds.svg|thumb|upright|[[Allah]] means [[God in Islam|God]] in [[Arabic language|Arabic]]]] '''Islamic symbols''' express an identification with [[Islam]], or a particular tradition within Islam. They are also used to evoke feelings, or to stand for certain Islamic beliefs and ideas. Some symbols, such as the color green, have been associated with Islam for a long time and in many areas; others are of more limited duration and extent. [[Islamic art|Muslim art]] often uses such symbols to represent complex ideas (see [[Iconography]] and [[Islamic calligraphy]]). [[Islamic architecture]] may also incorporate such symbols in the decoration of religious edifices such as [[mosque]]s, [[khanqah]]s, and [[dargah]]s. The Quran does not specify any symbols or colors for Islam; these Islamic symbols are results of the understandings and imaginations of Muslim artists, politicians, and thinkers. ==Green== {{Main|Green in Islam}} The colour [[green]] has a special place in Islam. It is used in the decoration of mosques, the bindings of [[Qur'an]]s, the silken covers for the graves of [[Sufism|Sufi]] saints, and in the flags of various Muslim countries. Green has been associated with Islam for many centuries. The colour green was the colour used by [[Muhammad]]’s tribe on their flags{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}. According to Muslims the colour green symbolizes nature and life.{{Citation needed|date=March 2012}} In the Qur'an (Surah 76:21), it is said that the inhabitants of paradise will wear green garments of fine [[silk]]. The colour green has been considered especially Islamic for centuries. [[Crusade]]rs avoided using any green in their [[Heraldry|coats of arms]], so that they could not possibly be mistaken for their Muslim opponents in the heat of battle. ===Star and Crescent=== {{Further|Crescent|Star and crescent}} The crescent was not a symbol used for [[Islam]] by [[Muhammad]], as Islam is against appointing "holy symbols" (so that during the early centuries of Islam, Muslim authorities simply didn't want any geometric symbols to be used to symbolize Islam, in the way that the [[cross]] symbolizes Christianity, the [[Menorah (Temple)|menorah]] was a commonly occurring symbol of Judaism and Jews, etc.). This is why early Islamic coins were covered with Arabic writing, but contained no visual symbols. Some proponents of the crescent symbol cite verses in the Quran as their basis.{{cite quran|2|189}} Despite this mixed history, many Islamic nations and charities use the crescent symbol on their flags or logos e.g. [[Pakistan]], [[The Red Crescent]], etc. Note that in the case of an astronomical crescent, such as the moon observed in the sky, the outer arc will be 180° (a half-circle as previously mentioned), while the Islamic crescent symbol (Arabic هلال ''hilāl'') is generally shown with an outer arc significantly greater than 180° (as seen in the illustrations here). The crescent is also used as a [[heraldry|heraldic]] symbol. However, this usage is not affiliated in any way with Islam. The roots of the Slavic crescent can be traced to the old Slavic pagan [[Slavic mythology|beliefs]]. In [[England|English]] and [[Canada|Canadian]] [[heraldry]] a crescent is the [[Cadency|cadence]] mark of a second son. [[File:Star and Crescent.svg|left|thumb|150px|A typical presentation of the [[star and crescent]].]] [[File:Flag of the First Saudi State.svg|thumb|150px|Flag of the [[Emirate of Diriyah|First Saudi State]] from 1744 to 1818.]] [[File:Flag of the Second Saudi State.svg|thumb|150px|Flag of the [[Emirate of Nejd|Second Saudi State]] from 1902 to 1921.]] The "''Ay-yıldız''" [[star and crescent]] has long been used by the [[Turkish people|Turks]] as a symbol. The [[Göktürks]] used the "''Ay-yıldız''" [[star and crescent]] figure on their coins. One 1500-year-old coin includes three crescent moon figures and a star near a person.Babayar, Gaybullah. The Catalogue of the Coins of Turkic Qaghanate. 1st ed., 244 pages, Ankara, TIKA, 2007. The crescent was the symbol of the [[Sassanid Empire]] of Persia (Iran) and is prominently displayed on the crowns of its rulers.[[Michael G. Morony]], Iraq After the Muslim Conquest, Gorgias Press LLC, 2005. pp 39–40. Excerpt: [[Yazdegerd]] I (399–420) was the monarch represented with a crescent moon on the front of his crown. It was also a symbol of the [[Ottoman Empire]]. [[File:Duloz9.jpg|thumb|100px|"''Ay-yıldız''" (Star and crescent on Ottoman stamp]] The crescent and star have long been used in pre-Islamic South Arabia as a symbol and in their coinage.Tombs and Moon Temple of Hureidah, Gertrude Caton Thompson, p.76 The oldest representations of flags with the crescent are on 14th-century navigational charts, or portolanos, and manuscript of a [[Franciscan friar]]. There are discrepancies between these sources as far as the colours of fields or crescents are concerned. However, an account of [[flags]] from the [[Middle East]] and [[North Africa]] by the author of Libro de Conoscimento confirms the widespread use of the crescent of flags in that region. These include: the flags of the kings of [[Damascus]] and Lucha (yellow with a white crescent); [[Cairo]] (white with a blue crescent);[[Mahdia]]; in [[Tunisia]] (white with a purple crescent); [[Tunis]] (white with a black crescent); and Buda (white with a red crescent). Some of the 14th- and 15th-century porolanos show the flag of Tunis as red with one or two crescents, which is presented on several portolanos as a symbol of the [[Ottoman Empire]]. From 16th to the 18th centuries this [[flag]] is usually shown with three white crescents; in 1793 the number of crescents was reduced to one and an eight-pointed star was later added on, when the rule of the [[Ottoman Empire]] ended, Turkey was the only Muslim state regarded as a world power at the time. Its flag was known from [[West Africa]] to the [[Far East]], and helped to popularize the [[crescent and star]] among the [[Muslim]] populations of many countries of [[Asia]] and [[Africa]]. Muhammad Ali, who became Pasha of [[Egypt]] in 1805, introduced the first [[national flag]] of Egypt, red with three white crescents, each accompanied by a white star. This flag, in turn, influenced the design of the first flag of independent Egypt, which was green with a white crescent and three white stars to symbolize the peaceful co-existence of Muslims, Christians and Jews. During the past two centuries the crescent and star has featured on the flags of other Muslim countries. ==Other colors== * The [[Umayyad]]s fought under green and gold banners * The [[Abbasid]]s chose blue ( black ) * The [[Fatimid]]s used a green standard, as well as white with gold inlay. * Various countries on the [[Persian Gulf]] have chosen red flags These four [[Pan-Arab colors]], white, black, green and red, dominate the flags of Arab states.[http://www.fotw.net/flags/islam.html Islamic flags][http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/197802/flags.of.the.arab.world.htm Saudi Aramco World : Flags of the Arab World] The first Islamic flag used by Muhammad was black and white and said "Laa ilaaha ilaa Allah Muhammad Rasool Alaah" (translation: "(There is) no god except God, Muhammad (is a) Messenger (of) God"). The "state flag" or the flag used by the commander of the army in battle was white with black writing whereas the general battle flag used by everyone except the commander was black with white writing. The color white is often believed to symbolize purity and [[peace]]. Many Muslims wear the color white when they attend Friday prayers. The color black is considered the color of mourning in Western and Mediterranean countries; however, it is considered a color of modesty in Islam. It is often worn by Shi'ite Muslims, who mourn the death of [[Husayn ibn Ali]], killed at the [[Battle of Karbala]]. It is the color of the [[chador]] worn by devout [[Iran]]ian Shi'ite women and of the cloaks worn by the [[ayatollah]]s, the Shi'a clergy. In many Shi'a countries, a black [[turban]] is worn only by male [[sayid]]s, men who descend from [[Muhammad]] through his daughter [[Fatimah]] and his son-in-law Ali. In Sunni tradition, Prophet Muhammad wore a white kufi (head cap) with a black amaana (turban). While the color red has no special significance in Islam, it is commonly used on the flags of Muslim countries. Also, the [[Red Crescent]] is the Muslim equivalent of the [[Red Cross]]. Many Muslims would disagree with this statement e.g. The historical majority have always been influenced by the "Sufis", whether Sunni or Shia. The Prophet's grandchildren Hasan & Hussain are traditionally associated with the colours green & red, from the prophecy about the manner of their deaths I.e. poisoning & by weapons. ==See also== *[[Islamic flags]] *[[Jewish symbolism]] *[[Christian symbolism]] ==References== {{Commons category|Symbols of Islam}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Symbols Of Islam}} [[Category:Islamic symbols| ]]