Rub el Hizb

The Rub-el-Hizb (Arabic: ربع الحزب, rubʿ al-ḥizb), also known as the Islamic Star, is an Islamic symbol. It is in the shape of an octagram, represented as two overlapping squares. It has been found on a number of emblems and flags. The main purpose of this dividing system is to facilitate the recitation of the Quran.

۞
Rub el Hizb
In UnicodeU+06DE ۞ ARABIC START OF RUB EL HIZB

Etymology

In Arabic, rubʻ means "one-fourth" or "quarter," while ḥizb (plural aḥzāb) translates to "a group." Initially, it was used in the Quran, which is divided into 60 aḥzāb (groups of roughly equal length); Rubʿ el Hizb further divides each ḥizb in four. A ḥizb is one half of a juz'.

History

Islamic archeologists investigations have shown that the Rub el Hizb symbol its originated from ancient petroglyphs in the Arabian desert. The symbol in question, consisting of two concentric circles with a defined punctual center, connected by eight radial sectors, is similar to the Islamic symbol when the two lines of the East-West orientation are combined, thus resulting in a hexagon with a circular symmetry.[1]

Contemporary use

Former flags
Development of the Petronas Towers Tower 1 level 43 floor plan from a Rub el Hizb symbol.[2]

The first country to use the Rubʾ el-Hizb was the Marinid Sultanate in 1258.

Current flags

Emblems

See also

References
  1. Majeed Khan (13 December 2013). "Rock Art of Saudi Arabia". Arts 2013, 2, 447-475 (Figure 28); doi:10.3390/arts2040447. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  2. Galal Abada (2004). "Petronas Office Towers" (PDF). Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Archived from the original on 2012-10-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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