Answer
Short Answer: The Arabic word for God is Allah the Almighty. It is the same name found 17 times on the first page of the Bible. The moon being a symbol of Islam has no origin in Islam. It was the Ottomans who took the star and the crescent as their symbol and they never claimed it is the symbol of Islam. The idea of the moon god dates back to the idol Hubal, worshiped by the ancient pagans of Arabia.
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Salam (Peace) James,
Thank you for your question and for contacting Ask About Islam.
We very much appreciate your interest in knowing more about Islam.
It is true that Muslims fast and do more acts of worship during the month of Ramadan. But what is not true is that Muslims worship what you called the moon god.
What Muslims believe is that there is only One and Only God worthy of worship.
The Arabic word for God is Allah the Almighty. It is the same name found 17 times on the first page of the Bible.
Allah was not one of the idols worshiped by the Arabs before Islam.
Allah is the same God worshiped by all Prophets from Adam to Muhammad (peace be upon them all). There is no relation between the moon god and Allah. Allah is not the moon god.
What causes the confusion is the tradition that Muslims seek to see the new moon of the next lunar month on the eve of the 29th or 30th day of every month.
The crescent is just a symbol of the beginning of the lunar months.
When Muslims see the new crescent, especially the one for the month of Ramadan, they feel happy, as it marks the beginning of a month which they eagerly await.
History Background
The moon being a symbol of Islam has no origin in Islam. It was the Ottomans who took the star and the crescent as their symbol and they never claimed it is the symbol of Islam.
With the advent of Islam, all idol worship was wiped out.
The idea of the moon god dates back to the idol Hubal, worshiped by the ancient pagans of Arabia.
In their Islamophobia campaign, the enemies of Islam alleged that the crescent moon became an Islamic symbol because of its connection to Hubal the moon god.
Islam does not approve the use of any symbol.
The only purpose of the moon in Islam is given in this verse:
{They ask you concerning the new moons. Say: They are but times appointed for [the benefit of] men, and [for] the pilgrimage […]} (Al-Baqarah 2:189)
So, the moon is just an indication of the beginning of the lunar months. There is no divinity or special significance attached to the moon in Islam.
In every culture, you will find different ways of celebrating certain occasions and events. So why when it comes to Islam, this form of celebrating the beginning of the new month is considered a form of worship?
The True Ramadan
What I urge you to do is to learn more about this blessed month which Muslims eagerly await to get closer to Allah.
Muslims fast from dawn to sunset in accordance with Allah’s command in the Quran.
Along with abstaining from food, drink, and sexual intercourse while the sun is up, Muslims try harder to abstain from all forms of foul acts such as telling lies, gossip, backbiting, cheating, etc. (as they should all year round).
During Ramadan, Muslims train themselves to be patient and persevere.
Muslims learn self-discipline as fasting is considered a secret from of worship as Allah is the only one who knows who is fasting and who is not.
I hope this answers your question.
Salam and Please keep in touch.
(From Ask About Islam archives)
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