Headings
Where is the Islamic religion prior to Islam
Why does the Muslim faith in its present form, with the focus on Mecca, the rituals involved with the Meccan pilgrimage, and the imitation of the life of Mohammed not arise until the late date of the 6th century AD?
“Our knowledge of pre-Islamic Arabian paganism, like our knowledge of the life of Muhammad, is largely mediated by literature that postdates the Qur’an by at least a century. The best-known source on pre-Islamic Arabian religion is a work called the Book of Idols (Kitāb al-as.nām), which purports to describe the deities that were venerated by pagan Arabs and the cults and sanctuaries devoted to them. Many of the reports contained in the work are traced back to the early scholar Hishām al-Kalbī (or ibn al-Kalbī, d. 821–2 CE or slightly earlier), although the present form of the text would appear to have been compiled, and supplemented by additional material, at a later time. Although it is tempting to treat the resulting work as a repository of reliable facts, the Book of Idols is in fact recognisably shaped by later Islamic concerns and furthermore draws on established motifs of Jewish and Christian anti-pagan polemics. Even the most basic information about where and by whom a certain deity was allegedly venerated has been found to display considerable proliferation, lack of consistency and variant detail’.” Nicolai Sinai p.65,66 Introduction to the Qur’an
The Relationship of Abraham and Ishmael to Mecca and the Ka’ba
(separate article)
It is important to establish the connection (or lack of one, as we assert) between Abraham and Mecca, because without that, the alternative is that Mecca was historically nothing more than a site of pagan worship, contrary to the Muslim claim.
The Circumambulation of the Kaaba
Once a year, tribes from all around the Arabian peninsula would converge on Mecca to perform the Hajj. Guillaume in his translation of Ibn Ishaq, an early biographer of Muhammad, says the Kaaba itself was addressed using a feminine grammatical form. Circumambulation was often performed naked by men and almost naked by women. It is thought this is linked to ancient fertility rites. (Rice, Edward (May 1978). Eastern Definitions: A Short Encyclopedia of Religions of the Orient. New York: Doubleday. p. 433.)
Ibn Ishaq states: “Outsiders used to circumambulate the temple naked, both men and women. The B. Amir b. Sa’sa’a an d’Akk among those who did thus. When a woman went round naked she would put one hand behind and one hand in the front. (Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah – The Life of Muhammad Translated by A. Guillaume. Oxford University Press.1955 pp. 88–9)
These are clearly the supposed instructions given to Mohammed by God himself in the Qur’an:
“And [mention, O Muhammad], when We showed Abraham the site of the House (i.e., the Ka’bah), [saying], “Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who circumambulate it, and those who stand [in prayer], and those who bow and prostrate.” [Q al-Hajj 22:26]
“And [mention] when We made the House a place of return for the people and [a place of] security. And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer. And We charged Abraham and Ishmael, [saying], ‘Purify My House for those who circumambulate it, and those who are staying [there] for worship, and those who bow and prostrate [in prayer].’” [Q Al-Baqarah 2:125]
The Black Stone and Meteorite worship
Meteorite worship in the ancient world
It is clear that there were many stone-cults, or cults of meteor worship in the ancient world. Most of the Arab arguments are that the Kaaba was initially a temple for Allah which had been replaced with other Gods including Hubal, either that, or that other Gods been added on to a pre-existent Allah in the Kaaba and worshipped alongside him there. Many of these arguments are hard to disprove or to prove, but points to consider include:
The ancient civilizations of the occident are no exception, and there are several examples of the worship of meteorites in Greco-Roman tradition.
Mircea Eliade, an expert in religious history, claims that the Palladion of Troy, the Artemis of Ephesos, as well as the Cone of Elagabalus in Emesa, were actually meteorites – stones that had fallen from the sky, objects from heaven, believed to contain supernatural powers.
Richard Norton mentions the sacred stone in the temple of Apollo at Delphi, a rock that was said to have been thrown to Earth by the Supreme Being, Kronos, marking the “omphalos”, the navel of the world.
The Roman historian, Titus Livius, tells the story of the meteorite of Pessinunt, Phrygia, a conical object known as the Needle of Cybele, the goddess of fertility. After the Romans had conquered Phrygia, the meteorite was conveyed in a gigantic procession to Rome, where it was worshiped for another 500 years.
Even in the monotheistic religions of Judaeo-Christian tradition we find traces of an ancient meteorite cult. In the Hebrew language, meteorites were called “betyls”, an equivalent to the Greek “baitylia”, meaning “the residence of God”. In the Bible, we find a story where Jacob, the ancestor of the Israelites, beds his head on such a betyl-stone in the desert. In his sleep, he has an impressive vision of a stairway to heaven leading directly to the throne of God.
The Hadschar might be a true betyl, a real meteorite, since it is said to have a black crust and a light-gray interior. It’s a pity that scientists haven’t solved the mystery surrounding this sacred stone, but for normal religious reasons it has not been allowed. Wouldn’t it be great to know that there is at least one ancient betyl left, and that it is still venerated after more than perhaps 2,000 years?
This is what the Hadith state
“Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allah said concerning the Black Stone: “By Allah, Allah will raise it on the Day of Resurrection with two eyes with which to see and a tongue with which to speak, and it will testify for those who touched it with due respect.” (Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi (961) The commentators on al-Musnad said: Its isnaad is qawiy (strong) (2796))
“Ibn ‘Umar used to push his way through the crowd to reach the two corners [of the Ka‘bah, the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone Corner], in a manner that I never saw from any of the other Companions of the Prophet. I said: O Abu ‘Abd ar-Rahman, why do you push your way through the crowd to reach the two corners in a manner that I never saw from any of the other Companions of the Prophet? He said: The reason I do that is that I heard the Messenger of Allah say: “Touching them is an expiation for sins.” (Classed as Saheeh by al-Albani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi 959)
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allah say: “Touching them both [the Black Stone and al-Rukn al-Yamani] is an expiation for sins.” (classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi (959) and as saheeh by al-Haakim (1/664). Al-Dhahabi agreed with him).
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah said concerning the Stone: “By Allah, Allah will bring it forth on the Day of Resurrection, and it will have two eyes with which it will see and a tongue with which it will speak, and it will testify in favour of those who touched it in sincerity.” (hasan by al-Tirmidhi (961), and as qawiy (strong) by al-Haafiz ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari, 3/462, Ibn Maajah, 2944)
Mohammad’s Black Stone-related habits (repeat):
It was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allah that when the Messenger of Allah came to Makkah, he came to the Black Stone and touched it, then he walked to the right of it and ran three times and walked four times [around the Ka’bah]. (Muslim, 1218).
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allah said: “The Black Stone came down from Paradise.” (classed as sahih by al-Tirmidhi, 877; al-Nasaa’i, 2935).
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allah said: “When the Black Stone came down from Paradise, it was whiter than milk, but the sins of the sons of Adam made it black.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 877; Ahmad, 2792. Classed as saheeh by Ibn Khuzaymah, 4/219. Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar classed it as qawiy (strong) in Fath al-Baari, 3/462).
“it was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah that when the Messenger of Allaah came to Makkaah, he came to the Black Stone and touched it, then he walked to the right of it and ran three times and walked four times [around the Ka’bah]. (narrated by Muslim, 1218).
It was narrated that ‘Umar came to the Black Stone and kissed it, then he said: “I know that you are only a stone which can neither bring benefit nor cause harm. Were it not that I had seen the Prophet kiss you, I would not have kissed you.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1520; Muslim, 1720)
“It was narrated that Naafi’ said: I saw Ibn ‘Umar touch the Stone with his hand then he kissed his hand. I said, I have never ceased to do this since I saw the Messenger of Allaah do it.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1268)
“It was narrated that Abu Tufayl said: I saw the Messenger of Allaah performing Tawaaf around the House, touching the corner [where the Stone is] with a crooked staff which he had with him, then kissing the staff.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1275).
“It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah performed Tawaaf on his camel, and every time he came to the corner [where the Stone is] he would point to it and say “Allaahu akbar.””(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4987).
Muhammad thought that the Black Stone spoke to him?
“Jabir b. Samura reported Allah’s Messenger as saying: I recognise the stone in Mecca which used to pay me salutations before my advent as a Prophet and I recognise that even now”
Sahih Muslim 2277 (Book 43, Hadith 2)
The Black Stone issue is really one of those deciding factors when it comes to the issue of the authenticity of Islam. There are many other hadith related to it which are just as problematic, but this is the only one I know of where Muhammed speaks of it pre-Islam.
To state the problem in short:
It is vastly more likely that the Black Stone is related to meteorite worship, which is a well documented phenomenon in pagan cultures (just Google it), rather than anything to do with monotheism.
Some Muslims really believe that this particular meteorite (if that’s what it is) actually is a specimen from Janna that travelled to Earth. Is it possible that materials in Janna are also composed of the same atoms and molecules as here on Earth and there is a route to travel between the two? Is Janna a rocky planet that surrounds the Earth?
Safa and Marwah– running between the hills
The Tafsir-i-Raufi and Tafsir Fatah al-Aziz relate that in former times two pillars were erected on these two hills to commemorate the judgment of God upon two notable sinners, Asaf, a man, and Naila, a woman, who had committed adultery in the holy Kasbah. When the people fell into idolatry they worshipped these as images of God. (Wherry, A Comprehensive Commentary on the Qur’an, Vol. 1, p.347)
“Narrated ‘Asim: I asked Anas bin Malik: “Did you use to dislike to perform Tawaf between Safa and Marwa?” He said, “Yes, as it was of the ceremonies of the days of the Pre-lslamic period of ignorance, till Allah revealed: ‘Verily! (The two mountains) As-Safa and Al-Marwa are among the symbols of Allah. It is therefore no sin for him who performs the pilgrimage to the Ka’ba, or performs ‘Umra, to perform Tawaf between them.’ ” (2.158)” – Sahih Bukhari 2:26:710
It seems that Muhammed is having to reassure his followers that it is not a sin to run between the hills, and the obvious conclusion seems to be that this is because it was a practise of the previous religion:
“Safa and Marwa are among the waymarks of God; so whosoever makes the Pilgrimage to the House, or the Visitation, it is no fault in him to circumambulate them; and whoso volunteers good, God is All-grateful, All-knowing” (Q 2:158)
The Original Deities and the Crescent Moon
There seems to be little doubt about the existence of the cult of Hubal in pre-Islamic Kaaba. The attestation for this is from early Islamic historians:
Al-Azraqi was a 9th-century Islamic commentator and historian, and author of the Kitab Akhbar Makka (Book of reports about Makka). He is from a family who lived in Makka for hundreds of years. He gave information on the design and layout of the pre-Islamic Ka’aba at Makka after its rebuilding following a fire in 603 AD until its possession by Mohammed in 630 AD. The contents included a statue of Hubal, the principal male deity of Makka, and a number of other pagan items, which were destroyed in 630 as idolatrous.
Hugo Winckler in the early twentieth century speculated that Hubal was a lunar deity, a view that was repeated by other scholars. This was derived from Ditlef Nielsen’s theory that South Arabian mythology was based on a trinity of Moon-father, Sun-mother and the evening star (the planet Venus) envisaged as their son. More recent scholars have rejected this view, partly because it is speculation but also because they believe a Nabataean origin would have made the context of South Arabian beliefs irrelevant.
Hugo Winckler, Arabisch, Semitisch, Orientalisch: Kulturgeschichtlich-Mythologische Untersuchung, 1901, W. Peiser: Berlin, p. 83.
T. Fahd, Le Panthéon De L’Arabie Centrale A La Veille De L’Hégire, 1968, op. cit., pp. 102-103; T. Fahd, “Une Pratique Cléromantique A La Kaʿba Preislamique”, Semitica, 1958, op. cit., pp. 75-76.
Origins of Hubal
There may be some foundation of truth in the story that Amr travelled in Syria and had brought back from there the cults of the goddesses Al-ʻUzzāʼ and Manāt, and had combined it with that of Hubal, the idol of the Khuza’a. According to Al-Azraqi, the image was brought to Mecca “from the land of Hit in Mesopotamia” (Hīt in modern Iraq). Philip K. Hitti, who relates the name Hubal to an Aramaic word for spirit, suggests that the worship of Hubal was imported to Mecca from the north of Arabia, possibly from Moab or Mesopotamia. Hubal may have been the combination of Hu, meaning “spirit” or “god”, and the Moab god Baal meaning “master” or “lord”. Outside South Arabia, Hubal’s name appears just once, in a Nabataean inscription; there Hubal is mentioned along with the gods Dushara (ذو الشراة) and Manawatu — the latter, as Manat, was also popular in Mecca. On the basis of such slender evidence, it has been suggested that Hubal “may actually have been a Nabataean”. There are also inscriptions in which the word Hubal appears to be part of personal names, translatable as “Son of Hubal” or “made by Hubal”.Al-lat stood in al-Ta’if, and was more recent than Manah. She was a cubic rock beside which a certain Jew used to prepare his barley porridge (sawiq). Her custody was in the hands of the banu-‘Attab ibn-Malik of the Thayif, who had built an edifice over her. […]She is the idol which God mentioned when He said, “Have you seen Al-lat and al-‘Uzza (Surah 53:19)?
- Isaac Rabinowitz, Aramaic Inscriptions of the Fifth Century, JNES, XV, 1956, pp.1-9;
- Another Aramaic Record of the North Arabian goddess Han’Llat, JNES, XVIII, 1959, pp.154-55;
- Edward Linski, The Goddess Atirat in Ancient Arabia, in Babylon and in Ugarit: Her Relation to the Moon-god and the Sun-goddess, Orientalia Lovaniensia Periodica, 3:101-9;
- H.J.Drivers, Iconography and Character of the Arab Goddess Allat, found in Études Preliminaries Aux Religions Orientales Dans L’Empire Roman, ed. Maarten J. Verseren, Leiden, Brill, 1978, pp.331-51).
- G. Caton Thompson The Tombs and Moon Temple of Hureidha
http://www.bible.ca/islam/islam-moon-god-hubal.htm is an informative website on the subject, and also an interest article in the Encyclopedia Britannica:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/31651/Arabian-religion
Miscellaneous Superstitions
Narrated Abu Talha: I heard Allah’s Messenger saying; “Angels (of Mercy) do not enter a house wherein there is a dog or a picture of a living creature (a human being or an animal). (Bukhari 3225)