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_001.jpg) Misinformed people sometimes refer to Allah as a modern
interpretation of an ancient moon god. This gross misrepresentation of Allah
is often combined with strange unsubstantiated claims that Prophet Muhammad,
may God praise him, resurrected this god and made him the focal point of the
religion of Islam. This is categorically untrue. Allah is God, the One, and Only,
the Most Merciful. Allah is the God of Abraham, the God of Moses, and the God
of Jesus.
“There is no god but Allah (none has the right to be
worshipped but Allah, the One and the only True God, Who has neither a wife nor
a son). And indeed, Allah is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.” (Quran 3:62)
Very little is known about the religion of the Arabs
before Prophet Abraham. There is little doubt that the Arabs wrongly worshipped
idols, heavenly bodies, trees, and stones, and that some of their idols even
had animal characteristics. Although a number of minor deities across the Arabian Peninsula may have been associated with the moon
there is no evidence of the Arabs ever worshipping a moon god above other
gods.
On the other hand there is evidence that the sun,
constructed as a feminine god was worshipped throughout Arabia. The Sun
(Shams) was honoured by the several Arabian tribes with both sanctuaries and
idols. The name Abdu Shams (slave of the sun) was found in many parts
of Arabia. In the North the name Amr-I-Shams, “man of the Sun” was
common and the name. Abd-al-Sharq “slave of the Raising one” is
evidence for the worship of the rising sun.
One of Prophet Muhammad’s uncles was named Abdu Shams,
so to was the man nicknamed Abu Hurairah , a renowned Islamic scholar
from the first generation of Muslims. When Abu Hurairah converted to Islam, Prophet
Muhammad changed his name to Abdu Rahman (slave of the Most Merciful).
Muslims believe with complete certainty that, since the
beginning of creation, Allah has sent prophets and messengers to guide and
teach humankind. Therefore, humankind’s original religion was submission to Allah.
The first Arabs worshipped Allah, however, over time their worship became
corrupted by man made ideas and superstitions. The reason for this is shrouded
in the mists of time but they may have fell into the practice of idolatry in
much the same way as the people of Prophet Noah.
The descendents of Prophet Noah were one community,
believing in the Oneness of Allah, but confusion and deviation crept in. Righteous
men tried to remind the people of their obligations to Allah but time passed
and Satan saw an opportunity to lead the people astray. When the righteous men
died, Satan suggested to the people that they build statues of the men to help
them to remember their obligations to Allah.
The people built statues in their meeting places and
their homes, and Satan left them alone until everyone had forgotten the reason
the statues existed. Many years later, the devious Satan appeared amongst the
people again, this time suggesting that they worship the idols directly. An
authentic narration of Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, sums up the
beginning of idolatry in the following way.
“The names (of the idols) formerly belonged to some
pious men of the people of Noah, and when they died Satan inspired their people
to prepare and place idols at the places where they used to sit, and to call
those idols by their names. The people did so, but the idols were not
worshipped till those people (who initiated them) had died and the origin of
the idols had become obscure, whereupon people began worshipping them.”
When prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael rebuilt the
Holy House of Allah (the Kaba) most of the Arabs followed his example and
returned to the worship of the One God, however as time passed the Arabs fell
into their old habit of worshipping idols and demi-gods. There is little doubt
and much evidence to suggest that in the years between Prophets Abraham and
Muhammad the religion of Arabian Peninsula came to be dominated by idol worship.
Each tribe or household had graven images and statues, the
Arabs believed in seers, used divining arrows to predict future events and
performed animal sacrifices and rituals in the name of their idols. It is said
that the principle idols of Noah’s people were found buried in the area of present
day Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and distributed amongst the Arabian tribes. When Prophet
Muhammad returned triumphantly to Mecca, the Kaba contained more
than 360 different idols.
The most well known idols that existed in pre Islamic
Arabia were known as Manat, al Lat, and al Uzza. There is no
evidence linking any of these idols with moon gods or moon The Arabs worshipped
these idols and called on them for intercession. Allah repudiated this false
idol worship.
“Have you then considered al-Lat, and al-’Uzza (two idols of
the pagan Arabs). And Manat (another idol of the pagan Arabs), the other third?
Is it for you the males and for Him the females? That indeed is a division
most unfair! They are but names, which you have named, you and your fathers,
for which Allah has sent down no authority. They follow but a guess and that
which they themselves desire, whereas there has surely come to them the
Guidance from their Lord!” (Quran 53:19-23)
In the midst of overwhelming paganism and polytheism the
pre Islamic Arabs never called upon a moon god as a supreme deity, in fact
there is no evidence that they ever called upon a moon god. For generation
after generation they did not loose their belief in One supreme ruler of the
universe (even though most of the time they held the wrong concept of belief in
Allah). They were aware of His blessings and His punishment and believed in a
Day of Judgement. Poets of the time referred to Allah regularly.
Nabigha, a well-known poet of the 5th
century CE said, “I took an oath and left no margin of doubt for who else
can support man, besides Allah, and Zuhair b. Abi. Salma affirms
his faith in the Day of Judgement by saying “The deeds are recorded in
the scroll to be presented on The day of Judgement; Vengeance can be taken in
this world too”. Quran also testifies to the fact that the pre Islamic Arabs
were aware of Allah –God – the One.
“If you were to ask them “Who has created the heavens and the
earth and subjected the sun and the moon?” They will surely reply, “Allah.” How
then are they deviating (as polytheists and disbelievers)? Allah enlarges the
provision for which He wills of His slaves, and limits it for whom (He wills).
Verily, Allah is the All Knower of everything. If you were to ask them, “Who
sends down water (rain) from the sky, and gives life therewith to the earth
after its death?” They will surely reply, “Allah.” Say: “All the praises and
thanks be to Allah!” Nay! Most of them have no sense.” (Quran 29: 61-63)
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