Is Allah really The Moon god?
An objective attempt at thought provocation.
by
Brett Eric Johnson
To Muslims, Allah is the one supreme God, however many non-Muslim’s, hold a mixed view of Allah. As there are approximately 6 billion people occupying Earth at the time of writing, it would be a somewhat impossible task to document every individual’s conception of Allah, so one popular Un-Islamic conception is that Allah is The Moon god and has Pre-Islamic origins, and Islam has Judeo-Christian & Pagan Influences.
It is this conception that will be dealt with to discover once and for all the truth as to whether this view has any validity or whether the Qur’an (Koran) is indeed telling the truth that Allah is the one supreme God in whom we must all submit to for salvation.
Introduction
Statements such as "Life is too short don’t worry about it" and "We’ll find out in the end who’s right and who’s wrong" are deemed not only ignorant but downright foolish to those who believe that the miracle of Life requires a creator, and through sin we have fallen short of reaching heaven, therefore leaving only one option, Hell.
Islam and Christianity both have a similar concept of Hell, therefore it is no doubt that
This investigation into the personality of Allah is of interest to both parties who wish to avoid spending an eternity in Hell.
As most people, if not all, would agree that Life is too short, so every human being must make a choice where they wish to spend eternity, in Heaven with God, or eternal suffering in Hell. It is therefore a wise decision to pursue the truth while we are able to, as both Christians and Muslims believe that once that last breath departs from a person’s body, what is done is done and cannot be undone.
A rather hefty price to pay for an ignorant attitude, but it is every individual’s responsibility to choose what they will do with their own soul, so is God sending us to Hell, or are we asking him to by our ignorance? Therefore to spend eternity with God we must know who God is. And the Un-Islamic conception to be investigated here is:
"Is Allah really The Moon god?" the result affects us all.
The Islamic conception of Allah
As mentioned earlier quite briefly, Muslims regard Allah as the one supreme God, who has revealed himself to prophets and has communicated to mankind
Through such Scriptures as the Tawrah (Torah - 5 Books of Moses), Injil (Gospel),
And the Qur’an (Al-Qur’an). Therefore Muslim’s do regard all these books as Holy, but only one exists in a ‘pure’ form, The Qur’an.
Muslim’s believe that the Qur’an is free from corruption, but that the Tawrah has been tampered with which renders it somewhat unreliable and the Injil was lost which makes it unavailable.
Muslim’s share a similarity with the well-known cult, The Jehovah’s Witnesses’, in which they believe Jesus was a great prophet, but not God-Incarnate as Christian’s believe. Islam also teaches that Jesus was given an Injil (Gospel of Jesus) but it was lost, and he was not crucified but raised up to Allah.
So with the corrupt Tawrah, and the lost Injil of Jesus, Islam is almost totally based upon the information in the Qur’an which Muslim’s believe was revealed to the prophet Muhammad in the cave of Hira in approximately 610A.D.
Muslim’s believe the Qur’an is the restoration of the true faith, similar to how the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS or Mormons) feel about their Book of Mormon.
Islam teaches 5 pillars of faith, the First and most important is called the ‘Shahada’, which is the declaration of a Muslim’s faith that, "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messanger of Allah". Usually this phrase is said in Arabic as this is believed to be the language the Qur’an was scribed in and reads, "La ilaha illallah wa anna Muhammad-ur-Rasul Allah".
The Second pillar is ‘Salat’ (Prayer) in which all Muslim’s are compelled to do 5 times daily while facing the direction of the Kabbah (Believed to be the house built by Abraham and Ishmael). Once at dawn, once at midday-early afternoon, once at late afternoon, once at sunset, and once at night. Muslim’s are required to purify themselves before praying by first removing their shoes as a mark of respect to Allah, then washing their palms, washing their face, washing their wrists up to their elbows beginning always with the right arm, then washing their head and ears, and lastly by washing their feet up to the ankles. This is practice is called ‘Al-wudhu’.
The Third Pillar is ‘Zakat’ (alms-giving) which is setting aside a portion of income once a year to be donated to a good Muslim cause, Usually given to help Muslim students or to repair Mosques (Muslim temple of worship).
The Fourth Pillar is Ramadan, which is a unanimous worldwide fasting by Muslims for one designated month a year from dawn until dusk.
The Fifth Pillar is ‘Hajj’ which is a compulsory requirement for each able Muslim to make a pilgrimage to the Kabbah at least once in his Lifetime. This involves circling the Kabbah 7 times and touching or kissing the black stone that is believed to have been given to Abraham by Allah, followed by throwing rocks at a stone pillar representing Shaytan (Satan, the Devil). These are the fundamental beliefs of Muslim’s.
The Moon God conception of Allah
Some non-Muslim's hold the view of Allah existing before Islam was invented, and that Allah was but one of approximately 350 Idols stored in the Kabbah in which the divided tribes of Arabia worshipped. Muslim’s will agree that Allah is Pre-Qur’anic, that he is the creator, but do not believe that Allah as described in the Qur’an was a concept based on a specific Idol worshipped by one or more of the Arabian tribes in Pre-Islamic Arabia.
The purpose of the ‘Moon god argument’ is an attempt by some to prove that the Qur’an is just another literary work and by no means the word of the same God as described in the Bible (containing the Torah and the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).
The people who present this argument believe that the Qur’an is not the word of God, Muhammad was not a prophet, and that Allah is nothing more than an Idol, hoping to prove Islam to be a false hope to Heaven, and that all Muslim’s have been misled and deceived.
Historical basis of the ‘Moon god argument’
An argument without basis is an argument unworthy of mention. So does the ‘Moon god argument’ have any foundation to which it bases it’s claim’s on? Surprisingly, the ‘Moon god argument’ does have a historical basis, primarily in secular sources, and secondly in Islamic sources, namely the Qur’an.
To fully comprehend the ‘Moon god argument’, an understanding of pre-Islamic Arabia is vital.
Pre-Islamic History of Arabia
Any biography of Muhammad should mention what a successful statesman he was through his ability to unite the warring tribes of Arabia through Islam. But before this unity there was clear division amongst Arabia in which many tribes and god’s were worshipped. From the Qur’an we are told that Jews and Christian’s were among the inhabitants of Arabia, along with the Arabian tribes who practiced Polytheism.
It is therefore clear that Pre-Islamic Arabia was divided into three religious groups:
Jews, Christian’s, & Pagan’s (Idolaters). Many non-Muslim's have claimed that Islam has Judeo-Christian influences to accompany the primary Pagan influences surrounding the identity of Allah. To understand this fully, it is worthy to briefly examine the historical basis for this claim to assist in the comprehension of the argument.
Jewish Influence in Pre-Islamic Arabia
Historical sources place the first Jewish settlement in Arabia from anywhere between the 1st Century A.D to the 8th Century A.D. The most likely estimate of primary Jewish settlement is between the 1st and 2nd Century A.D. according to Alfred Guillame (a noted Professor of Arabic and Islamic studies). He explains why the likelihood of this dating is most probable:
"… Perhaps the most probable, because the Romans were so utterly
ruthless in their repression of the Jews that few dared remain
in Palestine, and Arabia offered a near asylum.
The presence of Jews on the trade route from South to North
Arabia is well attested in the Greco-Roman age.
It is of course possible that homeless Jews or their enterprising
merchant colonists entered Arabia from the eighth century B.C.
onwards until the rise of Islam." [ 1 ]
Christian Influence in Pre-Islamic Arabia
Since Christianity began it has had establishment in Arabia, worthy to note that many Arabic tribes in Pre-Islamic Arabia were Christian’s, at least claimed to be. Arabian Christianity in Pre-Islamic Arabia was divided into three main groups: Greek Orthodox, Monophysites, & Nestorians. The first group, obviously familiar and therefore without need to clarify, but as for the Monophysites and Nestorians a brief description of their rituals and worship is worthy to note to help discover a basis for the argument os alleged Judeo-Christian influence in Islam.
Monophysites
The Monophysites believed that there was but one nature in Christ and that he was the incarnation of the divine Word. Alfred Guillaume shed’s light on the Monophysites practices in this statement:
" The Monophysites were extraordinarily active in converting
the Arabs, and shortly before the birth of Muhammad large
numbers had been baptized. A priest and deacon were appointed
to each tribe. Churches were founded, almsgiving and fasting
were regularly practised. Monasteries were open day and night
to travellers, who were given food and drink before they were
sent on their way. Women were veiled when out of doors." [ 2 ]
Nestorians
The Nestorians believed that Christ held two natures from being born of God and the Virgin Mary, that he was truly man but God also. Once again Alfred Guillame provides a factual statement on the activities of the Nestorians:
" The Nestorian’s were equally active. They established schools in
many towns. In their monasteries monks could be heard chanting
their offices, so that Arabs became accustomed to seeing the monks
at prayer day and night, prostrating themselves with their faces to
the ground.
In Prayer the Christians turned to the east. Such men were a
familiar sight on all the caravan routes of Arabia." [ 3 ]
Pagan Influence in Pre-Islamic Arabia
As mentioned earlier, the Kabbah in Pre-Islamic Mecca was used to store approximately 350 Idols of the tribes of Pre-Islamic Arabia. It is no secret that before the Islamic concept of the Hajj, Mecca was a religious centre of Arabia in which Pagan tribes made a Pilgrimage twice a year.
Mecca was in an ideal position for prosperity:
" As well as attracting pilgrims, Makka (Mecca) was in a good
position for merchants and traders from Arabia and further
afield, as trade routes linking Africa to Asia and the Far East
to the Mediterranean passed through the town.
The Makkans (Meccans) took advantage of this by providing
services for foreign traders, and by charging the foreigners
import and export taxes on all goods passing in and out of the city,
plus a tax on each caravan train and another tax on any goods
sold locally. The twice-yearly pilgrimage seasons also generated
a great deal of wealth.
Not only did visiting pilgrims keep the local hostelries busy,
they also spent large amounts of money in Makka’s many markets
and shops." [ 4 ]
Alfred Guilamme once again provides us with an insight into how pagan gods were worshipped by the Arabian tribes in Pre-Islamic Mecca:
" God’s were honoured by a kiss, or by stroking the rock or stone
with the hand, the underlying idea being that the worshipper would
acquire holiness by contagion. This is one of the practices which will
be described later in conexion with the ceremonies of the Hajj or
pilgrimage; but it is worth noticing here that there is a tradition
that the Caliph ‘Umar once said of the Black Stone which is kissed
by the pilgrims, ‘Had I not seen the Prophet kiss you, I would
not kiss you myself.’" [ 5 ]
The ‘Moon god argument’ has it’s foundation in pagan idolatry at Pre-Islamic Mecca.
Pagan Influence in Pre-Islamic Mecca
As mentioned earlier the Pre-Islamic Arabian tribes were numerous and practiced pagan polytheism. The ‘Moon god argument’ comes from the name of an Idol in which the Meccan’s worshipped chiefly.
The wealthy tribe that occupied Mecca was a tribe called the ‘Quraysh’, and it was this tribe that Muhammad was born into in approximately 570A.D.
The Idol which the Meccan’s worshipped was called ‘Allah’, which is the combined word of ‘Al’ meaning ‘The’ (eg. Al-Qur’an – The Koran), and ‘ilah’ the original Arabic word meaning ‘God’. The word Allah means "The God" or can be interpreted as "That God".
For such a detailed and important topic, Islam Authority Mr. Agha Pooya (Hujjatul Islam Ayatullah Haji Mirza Mahdi Pooya Yazdi) gives an explanation of the word Allah:
"The word ‘Allah’ is a compound word with the definite article ‘Al’ with ‘Ilah’ meaning ‘That God’. Regarding the meaning of ‘Ilah’ whether the word is taken from ‘Waleha’ or ‘Aleha’ meaning "Puzzling, referred to", the word has been used in both the senses, and its use for a deity is justified in either sense. Hence it is used for any object of worship to which man can submit or surrender or devote his sacrifices."[ 6 ]
Consulting Alfred Guilluame for further exploration into the meaning of Allah:
"The oldest name for God used in the Semitic word consists of but two letters, the consonant ‘l’ preceded by a smooth breathing, which was pronounced ‘Il’ in ancient Babylonia, ‘El’ in ancient Israel. The relation of this name, which in Babylonia and Assyria became a generic term simply meaning ‘god’, to the Arabian Ilah familiar to us in the form Allah, which is compounded of al, the definite article, and Ilah by eliding the vowel ‘i’, is not clear. Some scholars trace the name to the South Arabian Ilah, a title of the Moon god" [ 7 ]
Upon this understanding of Pre-Islamic pagan Mecca, the Identity of The Moon god should be explored.
Allah - Moon god of Mecca?
Those who hold firmly that the Qur’an is not the inspired word of God, and that Allah as mentioned in the Qur’an is nothing more than one of the pagan Idols worshipped in Pre-Islamic Arabia, (Allah specifically by the Quraysh tribe in Mecca) do so based on the Identity of this Idol in conjunction with Islamic rituals.
According to the ‘Moon god argument’, The Quraysh tribe regarded Allah as the Moon god, and was symbolised by the crescent star, which interestingly is the flag of Islam. The Quraysh believed that Allah married the sun goddess and bore 3 daughters:
Al-Lat, Al-‘Uzza, and Manat, interestingly the Qur’an mentions these names in Sura 53:19-20. Many translations are quoted for comparison:
"Have you seen Lat, and’Uzza, And another, the third (goddess), Manat?" [ 8 ]
"See ye then (the Idols) Lat and the Uzza? And Manat, the third (idol) besides?" [ 9 ]
"Have you then considered the Lat and the Uzza, And Manat, the third, the last?" [ 10 ]
"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?" [ 11 ]
Consulting Professor Alfred Guillaume on this topic provides a background to this Sura:
"The other gods mentioned in the Qur’an are all female deities: Al-Lat, al-‘Uzza, and Manat, which represented the Sun, the planet Venus, and Fortune, respectively; at Mecca they were regarded as daughters of Allah. The cult of Al-Lat was widespread. As Allah means ‘the god’, so Al-Lat means ‘the goddess’. She is mentioned by Herodotus; in old Arabian inscriptions; and in the pre-Islamic poets; and was the great mother goddess who, under various names, was worshipped all over the ancient world. Ta’if, a town near Mecca, was a centre of her worship. For the Meccan’s
al-‘Uzza, the mighty one’, was the most important. Evidence for her worship from the fourth century A.D. onwards is copious. Tradition says that in his youth Muhammad sacrificed a white sheep to her. When Muhammad took up arms against the pagan’s of Mecca, the latter took into battle images of Al-Lat and al’Uzza, and their battle-cry, ‘Strength is ours, you have no strength’ (‘izza), was probably a taunt in reply to the Prophet’s assertion that these gods had no real existence but were merely names which they and their forefathers had invented.
Manat was a goddess of a different type who controlled the community’s fortunes. All through Arabic literature there runs the thought of time the destroyer (the forerunner of Allah’s decree), which settles man’s fate, strive how he will, and Manat seems to be a deified representative of the all-pervading mystery of life and death. She was sometimes a household deity." [ 12 ]
Keeping with Sura 53, it is interesting to note that this Sura shows a desire for monotheism amongst the Quraysh to do away with Polytheistic Idolatry.
Sura 53 verse 23a explains this, once again many translations are quoted:
"These are nothing but names which you have devised, - you and your fathers, - for which Allah has sent down no authority (whatever)." [ 13 ]
"They are nothing but (mere) names, which have named ye and your fathers, sent not God for them any authority;" [ 14 ]
"They are naught but names which you have named, you and your fathers; Allah has not sent for them any authority." [ 15 ]
"They are but names which you have named – you and your fathers – for which Allah has sent no authority." [ 16 ]
From both secular and Islamic sources both Muslim's and non-Muslim's cannot deny that
Pre-Islamic Mecca was a ‘Haven of Idolatry’, and that it is clear that their was an Idol who was worshipped as a deity, namely Allah – The Moon god, but is this Allah the Allah in the Qur’an? If there is a connection between the two it must be examined.
The Idol Allah – Qur’an Allah connection
The Un-Islamic argument for a connection between Allah The Moon god and Allah as mentioned in the Qur’an, clearly does have a historical basis for the likelihood of being the same deity, but with a reformed image.
This is mainly attributed to the rituals practiced in Islam today, as historical sources reveal the pagan nature of the rituals, and one can observe the mere "crossover" of polytheistic rituals into a monotheistic religion.
The four most important observations of pagan similarities in Islam, within the ‘Moon god argument’ are:
The Hajj: The Pilgrimage to Mecca with the circling of the Kabbah and the touching/ kissing of the Black Stone and the throwing of rocks to the stone pillar representing the Devil.
It must be noted that pre-Islamic Mecca was the ‘Pagan centre of Arabia’ with the Kabbah being a ‘Haven for Idolatry’, and the Hajj being similar to the twice yearly pilgrimage of the Arab pagans, with the same touching of the Black Stone being practiced.
The Crescent Star: The Crescent Star was the pagan symbol of Allah The Moon god, yet it is the symbol of Islam and always has been.
It is a startling observation to see this symbol represented by Islam, as it claims to be a monotheistic religion. The concerning nature of this pagan symbol, it’s history, and it’s place in Islam is worth mentioning and convincing grounds for similarity.
Muslim Calendar: "The Muslim year is slightly shorter than the year used in the Christian world. It still contains 12 months, but each one starts when a new moon is seen." [ 17 ]
Upon this fact, it is interesting to mention the each Islamic month beginning with a new moon. Considering that the Un-Islamic argument is that Allah is The Moon god, one would surely note the similarity in the title of the Idol Allah, and Muslim months beginning by a new moon.
Allah: Allah being the compound word of ‘Al’ and ‘Ilah’ to produce the word ‘Allah’ meaning ‘The God’ or ‘That God’. The same word used to describe an Idol in
pre-Islamic Mecca.
The mere term ‘Allah’ as used in Islam raises a clear question being "why not Ilah?"
Muslims claim that ‘Al’ meaning ‘The’ implies the definite article, which is a logical and understandable explanation. But the Un-Islamic argument is that the ‘Al’ implies one out of many, and that ‘Ilah’ would have been more "original". Seeing that an Idol representing the Moon god named ‘Allah’ previously existed, makes this not only an interesting coincidence but also a major issue in question of the Islamic faith.
Conclusion
The aim of this attempt was never to definitely say whether Allah of the Qur’an was indeed the same deity as the Moon god Idol worshipped in Mecca both before and during Muhammad’s time, but rather an attempt to present historical facts in order to provoke thought within the reader.
Life is extremely precious in the author’s point of view, and there shall be a day when we breathe our last breath. Easily one can get distracted by Life, not wishing to ponder about the hereafter but to rather enjoy each day while they can.
But both Christianity and Islam teach that Eternity will not be ‘fun and games’ for everybody, and Eternity means just that … Eternity, as in forever.
So finding the truth while it may be found should, in this author’s opinion, be our first and foremost goal in Life, with the stakes being so high for an incorrect decision.
In my opinion, I believe only one of two faith’s is correct, the first being that the Bible is the word of God and his Son Jesus was crucified and died but on the third day was raised to life to save all who believe and call upon his name to be forgiven of sins and assured of salvation. This is most often presented from the book of John (in the Bible) chapter 3, verse 16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." [ 18 ]
The alternative faith being Islam, that God is Allah, Muhammad was his prophet, and by performing the 5 pillars of Islamic faith, if Allah is merciful to you, Hell may be avoided.
Personally, the security of a loving God and assurance of salvation through Jesus Christ is much more an attribute of the Grace and Mercy of the relationship between the Creator (God) and his beloved creation (Humans) in my eyes.
And with the many similarities between Allah – The Moon god, and Allah of the Qur’an, I cannot place my trust in Islam by observing the facts given and merely concluding the similarites are coincidental.
Can you?
Endnotes
[ 1 ] Islam, Alfred Guillame, Penguin Books inc., 1956, page 11
[ 2 ] Ibid pages 14-15
[ 3 ] Ibid page 15
[ 4 ] The World of Islam : before 1700. – (Looking Back), Hazel Mary Martell, Evans Brothers Limited, 1998, page 12
[ 5 ] Islam, Alfred Guillame, Penguin Books inc., 1956, page 9
[ 6 ] The Holy Qur’an, S.V Mir Ahmed Ali, Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc., Second Edition 1995, page 13
[ 7 ] Islam, Alfred Guillame, Penguin Books inc., 1956, page 7
[ 8 ] The Qur’an translation, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc., Fourth U.S Edition 1999
[ 9 ] The Holy Qur’an, S.V Mir Ahmed Ali, Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc., Second Edition 1995
[ 10 ] The Qur’an translation, M.H Shakir, Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc., Tenth U.S Edition 1997
[ 11 ] Interpretation of the meanings of The Noble Qur’an, Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali, Ph.D & Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Darussalam, Twenty-third Revised Edition : August 1998
[ 12 ] Islam, Alfred Guillame, Penguin Books inc., 1956, pages 7-8
[ 13 ] The Qur’an translation, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc., Fourth U.S Edition 1999
[ 14 ] The Holy Qur’an, S.V Mir Ahmed Ali, Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc., Second Edition 1995
[ 15 ] The Qur’an translation, M.H Shakir, Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc., Tenth U.S Edition 1997
[ 16 ] Interpretation of the meanings of The Noble Qur’an, Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali, Ph.D & Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Darussalam, Twenty-third Revised Edition : August 1998
[ 17 ] The World of Islam : before 1700. – (Looking Back), Hazel Mary Martell, Evans Brothers Limited, 1998, page 14
[ 18 ] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Thomas Nelson Inc., 1972