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[Alexandr Korol]

(Surah 6:97: “It is He Who maketh the stars (as beacons) for you, that ye may guide
yourselves, with their help, through the dark spaces of land and sea.”). The stars
are described as “lamps” or ornaments of the sky, sometimes as guards against
evil forces. They emphasize the oneness of the Creator and the beauty of the created
world. The crescent with a star is a well-known Islamic symbol (the five-pointed
star is often linked with the five pillars of Islam).
• The Vedas and Hindu texts: The stars are connected with gods, souls, and
cosmogony. The sky with its stars is part of the divine order. In the Vedic tradition,
the heavenly luminaries reflect the eternal cycle, enlightenment, and the connection
with Atman (the soul). Some stars are identified with deities or ancestors.

On the whole, in the sacred texts the star is rarely simply an astronomical object: it
is almost always a symbol of divine light, of a guide, of eternity, or of a multitude of
blessings. It reminds a person of his smallness before the Creator and of the higher.