Hilal

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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) 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
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For the Arabic term, see Hilāl

Hilal (Arabic: هلال‎) is an Arabic term, meaning crescent moon, first developed in pre-Islamic Arabia. 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 appearance of the hilal was one of the inducements for Muslim scholars to study astronomy.^[1]

References

External links

• Encyclopedia Mythica - Note, Hilal is a representation of the crescent moon, which this article notes incorrectly.
• HilalSighting.org - More information about hilal sighting in North America
• [1] - Wikipedia entry on Ramadan