Is the Four-Pointed Star a Symbol of Disbelief?

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick

Question

Is the four-pointed star, sometimes a rotated square, a symbol of disbelief, or is it just decorative?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

The four-pointed star, such as a rotated square, is not, in itself, a symbol of disbelief. It is a common geometric shape in many cultures, including Islamic art and decoration.

As a general principle, things are permitted unless proven otherwise. There is no indication in the Quran or Sunna that this shape signifies disbelief. Wearing or using it is not impermissible unless it is specifically and widely known to represent a non-Islamic creed.

However, if a symbol is clearly associated with a false belief system or used to promote it, Muslims should avoid it. It is safer to leave what is doubtful for what is not when one experiences doubt.

And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.

Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.

He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.

Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.