06/07/2016
Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, is quickly
approaching for Muslims, due to start around the 20th
of July, and will last 29 or 30 days. I say ‘around’ for
the date and duration, because the Islamic calendar is
based on the lunar cycle, and the beginning of each
month is determined by when the new moon is seen.
This means that Muslims around the world await with
great anticipation the announcement that the new moon
– known as the ‘hilal’ in Arabic – has been sighted. The
excitement is greatest ahead of the crescent which will
herald the first of Ramadan, topped only by the new
moon which marks Eid ul Fitr, the celebration that takes
place on the first day of the month after Ramadan, and
marks the end of the month of fasting.
No wonder then that the crescent is a symbol of such
potency among the Muslim ummah. At its most
fundamental level it determines the Islamic calendar
which runs side by side with the solar calendar and so
gives rhythm to the lives of Muslims.
Sighting the moon is a communal enterprise, and many
Muslims especially in warmer climes will venture into
the open as darkness begins to fall to see if they can
spot the sliver in the sky that everyone is waiting for.
When it marks the beginning of Ramadan it resonates
with community and togetherness.
Fasts begin at dawn and last till dusk, and so the moon
set in the backdrop of darkness represents the time
available for eating and night prayers.
And of course, the new moon appearing at the end of
Ramadan marks the close of an intensely spiritual and
community-focused month of daytime restraint,
ushering in the celebration of ‘Eid ul Fitr’, the festival of
breaking fast.
Ramadan is a tough month physically and so the
proclamation of the end of fasting mingles a sense of
sadness that Ramadan has gone, with a natural
excitement that daytime consumption is once again
possible.
Eid is seen as a time of beginnings, and so the crescent
moon carries with it the innocent pleasure of a fresh
start.
The crescent moon is also the key symbol for Muslims:
used in flags, cards and messaging. It is a favourite
among marketers as it can act as shorthand for
describing something ‘Islamic’. The challenge for
marketers is to avoid slipping from the status of
shorthand, into being the lazy overuse of a powerful
symbol that therefore becomes cliched and diluted in
meaning.
For Muslims, the crescent brings with it a mix of
excitement, nervousness and community togetherness,
tying the emotional and functional parts of faith
together. And when it comes to the arrival of the month
of Ramadan, Muslims will be waiting for news as to the
first sighting of the magical sliver in the sky.
