How can the Gemarah say that an eclipse of the moon is only a bad sign for Klal Yisroel who count the months based on the lunar cycle if there are other religions like Islam who also use the lunar cycle for there calendar?
Eliezer Gersten, Israel
It seems to me that the Gemara is referring literally to the idol worshippers, the "Ovdei Kochavim." The Gemara is not referring to religions like Islam.
In fact, we find sometimes in Chazal that the idol worshippers at that time worshipped the sun. See the Me'iri to Ta'anis 27b, who writes that it is well-known that in those times in Babylonia they served what they called the god of the sun. Their festive day was the first day of the week (which is presumably why this day is called Sunday).
As is also well-known, the Rambam did not consider Islam as Avodah Zarah. Therefore, when the Gemara here states "when the sun is struck, this is a bad sign for the Ovdei Kochavim," this does not refer to Islam.
Kol Tuv,
Dovid Bloom