What does the crescent moon and star symbolize for muslims?

I always see the crescent and star associated with Islam.


What does it stand for or mean?


Does it have a meaning?|||The cresent moon and star is placed on the top roof of a mosque since the reign of Ottoman in Turkey. He made it because cresent moon and star are both the creation of Allah in this universe which decorate the sky and it will give light in the dark of a night and the star can be used to find a direction.|||It doesn't really have a meaning at all. There has never been any real symbol for islam. The very first muslim states used mainly solid colors in their flags. It wasn't until the reign of the ottoman empire that the crescent and star was used in the banner of a Muslim state. And since the ottoman empire controlled the muslim world for a very long time, Christian Europeans naturally began associating the crescent and the moon with the faith islam.





But some Muslims reject the symbol because it is rumored to have a pre-Islamic pagan meaning ( moon worshipping and all that stuff).|||They (crescent moon and 5 pointed star) are just a representative symbol to the building , mosque (means Islam). There is no other meaning (in faith). But one can see crescent moon as saver of life and soul (Religion of Islam) and 5 pointed star as 5 pillars of Islam. Otherwise, they are merely distinctive distinguish to other building; meaning there are Muslims community in that area. Though some mosques don't have those symbols (not compulsory).|||Here's the flag of my country Pakistan


http://www.theodora.com/gif2/pk.gif





and here's design explanation:


The green represents the majority Muslim community in Pakistan, whereas the white stripe represents religious minorities. ****In the centre, the crescent and star symbolize progress and light respectively.**** The flag symbolizes Pakistan's commitment to Islam, the Islamic world, and the rights of religious minorities.|||The crescent moon and star holds no meaning for me. The Qur'an warns us against using idols or symbols. Our religion literally means "submission to God" - that has nothing to do with the stars or moon which are all creations, not the Creator, and we can never depict Him. It's no different from having a symbol of a dog and a toad to represent our religion - it just doesn't make any more sense than a star and moon and I abhor any such symbols.





The star and moon originated with the Turkish empire, specifically the Ottoman Empire, which was a Muslim empire. They do not represent Muslims or Islam but I suppose because the Ottoman Empire was what little experience individual Europeans directly had at the time with Muslims, it became, in their mind, what Islam is. That's incorrect, the Ottoman Empire is not synonymous to Islam, but that's how some viewed it.|||Islam never officially had a symbol. This symbol was created during the reign of the Ottoman empire.


Visit here: http://islam.about.com/od/history/a/cres鈥?/a>





Some people make connections like... Muslims follow the lunar calendar. Or... the 5 points of the star represents the 5 pillars of Islam. It's all speculation though. Islam never officially had a symbol, at least not during the Prophet's time.|||I also always wondered.


I knew it does't symbolize ISLAM ,


Just a pre-historic act.|||All you can eat at the falaffel stand.|||Turkish, not Islamic|||Your answer is here:





http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/moongod.htm








.|||Moon God..we celebrate ramadan in lunar month which moon GOD show it's true beauty.


We also worship a rock called kaaba.