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Putting a crescent on top of the minaret of a mosque

31-08-1998

Question 575

Regaurding the use of the cressent: 1. Is it sunnah to use the cressent moon as a symbol? (i.e. hadith or Qur'an?) 2. secondarlly so, on the top of the Masjid in Bloomington IN ( and many MANY others around the world) they use this symbol, BUT I heard from a brother that it was originally a pagan symbol (worship of the moon etc) --- if so should we not all remove this? I am a bit confused and have been unable to find fatwa or hadith. thank you - wa alekium salaam.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

After consulting with scholars and muftis, we have learned that there is no known basis in Islam for putting a crescent on top of the minaret. Some scholars forbid doing so and consider it to be something that is newly-innovated in the religion. The practice may also contain some element of imitating the kuffaar, especially if it is proven that the crescent is a symbol used by those who worship heavenly bodies. So we should not use this symbol, and the mosques money should not be spent on something that serves no Islamic purpose. And Allaah knows best.

Rulings on Mosques
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