Morey asks a few questions on page 14 of his book to plant a thought in the minds of his readers. He asks:
Is it any wonder then that the symbol of Islam is the crescent moon? That a crescent moon sits on top of their mosque and minarets? That a crescent moon is found on the flags of Islamic nations? That the Muslims fast during the month which begins and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon in the sky? (Morey, p. 14).
Of course Morey does not state his conclusions
about these facts. He wants his readers to draw the conclusion that these facts prove that
Muslims are worshipping the Moon-god. But Morey does not state the conclusion because he
knows it does not follow from those facts. The
fact that the symbol of Islam is the crescent moon does not mean that Muslims worship the
moon. The farthest thing from the Muslim mind is to worship anything or anyone other than
God. That would be the sin of shirk, association of another in worship-a sin that is
unforgivable except by repentance. No, the
symbol of a religion is not necessarily an object of worship. The symbol of Daoism is the
ying- yang symbol, but Daoists do not
worship it. The symbol of Buddhism is the eight-spoke wheel, but Buddhists do not worship
it. Muslims also do not worship the crescent moon, just as the early Christians also did
not worship their fish symbol. And many present-day Christians do not worship the cross
although they
display it everywhere.
It is another question as to how the crescent
became the symbol of Islam. The Qur'an and the hadith do not give this significance to the
crescent moon. And for the first several centuries of Islam the crescent was not a symbol
of Islam. Morey may have a good point if he encourages Muslims to revert to the practice
of the ideal period of Islam, the first three generations of Muslims, when there was no
such symbol used for identifying the religion of God. But to stretch this and conclude
from it what does not follow is to go beyond the bounds of truth.
Morey did not make that mistake, but his book
led Jack T. Chick to make it. Whether such an effect was intended by Morey is between him
and God. Where that leaves Jack Chick is also up to God. Jack Chick wrote a tiny booklet
entitled "Allah Had No Son" in which he depicts some Muslims in their mosque
prostrating on the floor in worship of "their moon god" (Jack T. Chick, Allah
Had No Son; U.S. Chick Publications, 1994; p.l). Morey does however make mention of the fact that Muslims use the appearance of
the crescent moon in the sky to mark the beginning and end of their month of fasting. It
is highly fallacious to connect this with moon worship. Many people regulate much of their
affairs based on a solar calendar. This does not mean anything for sun-worship, does it?
Jews and Muslims regulate their religious
festivals and observance using the lunar calendar. Would Morey then accuse the Jews of
moon-worship?
Note: After I had already written what I wrote above by way of excusing Morey for Chick's mistake, I came across a leaflet claiming that the crescent is the god of Muslims. The leaflet does not name its author, but it is published by the Research and Education Foundation of which Robert Morey is the director.