This is the well-known ideogram found on for instance the flags of Turkey and Pakistan. Positioned in various ways it appears on several of the Islamic countries' national flags. This ideogram is a general symbol for the Islamic faith. It combines the pictorial sign for the waning moon and the sign for the planet Venus as the Morning star.
The five points of the Venus star are in this context said to represent the five pillars of Islam:
Al-Shahadahthe profession of faith. There is no other god but Allah, and Muhammed is his prophet.
As-Salahthe prayer. Five times a day the Muslim kneels and bows to Mecca, putting his forehead to the ground several times and reciting holy prayers.
Az-Zakahthe giving of a small percentage of one's income to help the poor.
As-Siamfasting in the month of Ramadan.
During the month Ramadan no food is eaten as long as the sun is over the horizon.
Al-Hadjthe pilgrimage to the holy city, Mecca.
Mecca is the birthplace of the Prophet and the location of the Kaaba, a shrine many centuries older than Islam. Kaaba is a square building, the sides of which measure approximately 10 meters and whose height is approximately 15 meters. The pilgrim walks around this building seven times and then kisses a black stone built into the base of one of the walls. This stone is the most holy object a Muslim knows. At least once in his lifetime a believer has to go to Mecca to worship.