Hilal (crescent moon)

Myths of the Fertile Crescent series
Mesopotamian mythology
Ancient Arabian mythology
Ancient Levantine mythology
Pre-Islamic Arabian gods
Abgal Aglibol Al-Qaum al-Lāt, al-'Ilāhat Astarte Atargatis (Syrian) Atarsamain Beelshamen Bēl, Baʕl, Bēl-Šamīn Bes (Egypto-Arabic) Dhu'l-Halasa Dusares, Dhu Sharā' Ēl, Ilāh (NW Semitic) Hubal Ištar, Athtar Malakbel Manāt	Manaf Nabū, Nebo Nasr Nergal Nuha Orotalt Ruda Shams, Samas Sīn, Nanna-Suen Suwa' ʕUzzā Wadd Ya'uq Yaghūth Yarhibol/Malakbel demons

Hilal (Arabic: هلال‎) is an Arabic term, first developed in pre-Islamic Arabia, meaning crescent moon--specifically, the very slight crescent moon that is first visible after a new moon. Muslims look for the hilal when determining the beginning and end of Islamic months, but they don't worship it. The Quran says: "And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Prostrate not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate to Allah Who created them, if you (really) worship Him." (41:37). The need to determine the precise time of the appearance of the hilal was one of the inducements for Muslim scholars to study astronomy.

See also

The Beginning of Ramadan

External links

• HilalSighting.org - More information about hilal sighting in North America