Pre-Islamic Arab Religion in Islam: Difference between revisions

This article discusses the strictly [[monotheism|monotheistic]] religion of [[Islam]] and its pre-Islamic [[paganism|pagan]] heritage.

[[Muhammad]] discarded the 360 idols but retained for Islam, the Ka’aba with its [[Black Stone]], justifying it with the claim that [[Ibrahim|Abraham]] and [[Isma'il|Ishmael]] originally constructed it. However, there is no historical or archaeological evidence for the existence of the Ka’aba beyond a few hundred years before Muhammad's lifetime. In fact, Muhammad's own words disprove any connection he was attempting to make between Abraham, Ishmael and the Ka’aba.  

If Muhammad is correct, then the Qur’an [and therefore [[Allah]]] is wrong. But if the Qur’an is correct in stating that Abraham and Ishmael built the Ka’aba, then Muhammad and the hadith is wrong.

The pagan gods of pre-Islamic Arabia were worshipped in the form of rectangular stones or rocks. For example, the pagan deity 'Al-Lat', mentioned in {{Quran|53|19}}, and believed by pre-Islamic pagans to be one of the daughters of Allah, was once venerated as a cubic rock at Ta'if in Saudi Arabia. An edifice was built over the rock to mark it apart as a house of worship. From the Kitab Al-Asnam (Book of idols):

{{Quote||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)?<ref>The Book of Idols, p 14; (translation of Kitab Al-Asnam ) by Hisham Ibn-Al-Kalbi, 819 CE, translated by Nabih Amin Faris, 1952</ref>}}

{{Quote||"A principal sacred object in Arabian religion was the stone, either a rock outcropping or a large boulder, often a rectangular or irregular black basaltic stone… of numerous baetyls, the best known is the Black-stone of the Ka’aba at Mecca which became the central shrine object in Islam".<ref>Encyclopedia Britannica - Arabian Religions, p1059, 1979</ref>}}

Muhammad's pagan tribe, the Quraish, fasted on the 10^th of Muharram. Though optional, Muhammad retained this pagan practice too. Here is proof from the Hadith:

Doing Tawaf between Safa and Marwa is an Islamic ritual associated with the pilgrimage to Mecca. Safa and Marwa are two mounts, located at Mecca. This ritual entails Muslims walking frantically between the two mounts, seven times. This was originally a pagan pre-Islamic practice. Muhammad retained it for Islam, sanctioning it with yet another Qur'anic [[revelation]].<ref>"''Behold! Safa and Marwa are among the Symbols of Allah. So if those who visit the House in the Season or at other times, should compass them round, it is no sin in them. And if any one obeyeth his own impulse to good,- be sure that Allah is He Who recogniseth and knoweth.''" - {{Quran|2|158}}</ref> Here is proof from the Hadith about the pagan past of the ceremonies at Safa and Marwah:

Clearly, the Hadith testifies that Muhammad merely adopted this pagan ceremony from the pre-Islamic "period of ignorance" and justified it with yet another convenient Qur'anic concoction.  

A myth was also created about Hagar running between these two mounts in search of water until she found the [[Zamzam Well]]. Even if this story were true, why is this reason for people to run up and down between two mounts to please a god? This myth was not cooked up to further justify the ritual, but for another reason; Muhammad was trying to market [[Zamzam]], owned by his family, as a money-making venture.

'Ihram' is a state a Muslim enters into for his pilgrimage to Mecca. It involves a series of procedures like ritual washing, wearing 'Ihram garments', etc. Ihram was originally a pagan requirement for worshipping idols during pre-Islamic times. Muhammad retained this practice for Islam. Muslims assume Ihram to perform the Hajj or Umrah. Here is proof from the Hadith regarding its pagan heritage:

Hubal was the moon god worshiped at the Ka’aba. The [[crescent Moon|crescent moon]] was Hubal’s symbol. Muhammad's pagan grandfather Abd al-Muttalib almost slaughtered Muhammad's father Abdallah at the Ka’aba, to satisfy his god Hubal. From Ibn Hisham:  

The Ka’aba, Islam's holiest shrine, has been a place where such pagan human sacrifices and slaughters have taken place for Hubal and rivers of blood have flown. When Muhammad founded Islam, he threw out Hubal. At the Battle of Badr, his enemy Abu Sufyan praised the high position of moon god Hubal, saying "O Hubal, be high". Muhammad asked his followers to yell back, "Allah is higher".<ref>"...''After that he started reciting cheerfully, "O Hubal, be high! (1) On that the Prophet said (to his companions), "Why don't you answer him back?" They said, "O Allah's Apostle What shall we say?" He said, "Say, Allah is Higher and more Sublime."''..." - ({{Bukhari|4|52|276}})</ref>

It may ''not'' be a deliberate effort to worship Hubal. And yet, interestingly, through Islam, the pagan prayer of Muhammad's enemy Abu Sufyan at Badr has been answered, "O Hubal be high". With such rich pagan heritage, let not Muslims claim that theirs is a pure religion that descended directly from Allah’s heaven.