YASIR QADHI & HIS GOD BAAL
In his book on Muhammad’s life, notable Muslim scholar Yasir Qadhi mentions how paganism supposedly began in Arabia. He states that a man from the tribe of Khuza’a had imported an idol of the god Hubal, which was given to him by the Amalekites. He further acknowledges that the pagan Arabs were notorious for worshiping rocks and stones, since they believed that these symbolic objects which they believed represented specific gods and goddesses would help bring them closer to Allah.
Here’s what Qadhi writes:
The person who first altered the religion of Ibrahim and introduced Paganism was ‘Amr ibn Luhayy al-Khuza’i. The Prophet said, “I saw Amr ibn Luhayy al-Khuza’i wandering around in the fire of Hell with his entrails cut open behind him. He was the first to alter the religion of Isma’il.”42 Amr ibn Luhayy travelled to the Pagan Amalekites in Syria and returned to Mecca with an idol named Hubal, and thus Paganism was born in Mecca.
Vital lessons can be derived from this deeply consequential event. The Amalekites were notoriously powerful, and they attributed their power and dominance to their idols and their Paganism. Amr ibn Luhayy’s inferiority complex led him to yearn to emulate their apparent success and in turn destroyed his nation’s faith. The lesson here is that technological or infrastructural advancements do not necessarily equate to moral or ethical correctness. Secondly, Amr ibn Luhayy was the Chieftain of the tribe of Khuza’ah, one of the most respected Chieftains of Arabia. It demonstrates how scholars and influential figures can have a profound impact on their community, whether positive or negative.
After the introduction of the idol Hubal, idol worship began to proliferate. Pieces of stone from the Ka’bah would be taken as mini-idols and worshipped when travelling. It is pertinent to note that Muslims do not believe in the sanctity of the materials used for the Ka’bah; they are merely bricks and clay. Rather, Muslims believe in the sanctity of the location. Neither the marble floor nor the clay structure or silk cloth of the Ka’bah hold any sacred value in Islam. Abu Raja’ al-‘Utaridi narrated, “Before the advent of Islam, we used to worship ROCKS AND STONES, and if we found a rock more beautiful than the other rock we were worshipping, WE WOULD THROW THE FIRST ROCK AND REPLACE IT WITH THE NEW ONE. If we were travelling and did not have a rock, we would collect a pile of sand, use milk from a goat to make the sand firm, and perform tawaf (circumambulation) around the structure.”43 When the Prophet conquered Mecca, there were around 360 idols in and around the Ka’bah.44 Some were in the shape of humans, some were in the shape of animals, but most were half-human, half-animal structures. The Quraysh also had the theology that Allah had Angel daughters, so they also worshipped Angels as daughters of God.
It is worth noting that the Pagans of Arabia believed in Allah and did not have an idol for Him [sic]. While some forms of Paganism worship an idol as their ultimate god, Arab Paganism did not depict Allah, as they knew that He could not be represented by an idol [sic]. The Qur’an notes, “If you ask them who created the Heavens and the Earth and subjected the Sun and the Moon [for your benefit], they will certainly say, ‘Allah!’ So how can they be deluded [from the truth]!”45 However, when asked why they worship the idols when they believe in Allah, they say, “We worship them only so they may bring us closer to Allah.”46
The Qur’an further states, “They worship besides Allah others who can neither harm nor benefit them, and say, ‘These are our intercessors with Allah.’”47 They did, however, attribute a level of divinity to these idols, believing them to be lesser gods in comparison to Allah. They believed in the divinity of Allah but viewed Him as “too holy” thus requiring intermediaries.
There were, however, a group of people referred to as the Hunafa’, meaning “those who turn away” i.e., turning away from shirk (polytheism) and towards tawhid (Oneness of Allah). Four prominent Hunafa’ were: Waraqah ibn Nawfal, ‘Ubaydullah ibn Jash, ‘Uthman ibn Huwayrith, and Zayd ibn ‘Amr. They made a pact to search for the true religion of Ibrahim in the form of Hanafiyyah. Another significant Hanif (singular of Hunafa’) was Quss ibn Sa’idah al-Iyadi, who used to preach against idolatry. Hanafiyyah was the closest thing to Islam during those times. (The Sirah of the Prophet: A Contemporary Analysis, adapted and edited by Dr. Salah Sharief [Wordsmith Press, 2nd edition, 2024], Part I: Introduction, Chapter 2: Setting the Scene, pp. 18-20; bold and capital emphasis mine)
Unfortunately for Qadhi, he doesn’t seem to realize how his statements actually prove that Islam is nothing more than regurgitated and repackaged idolatry, and that the Allah of the Kabah was nothing other than the pagan moon god Hubal, which happens to simply be the Arabicized name for the false god Baal!
For instance, the Islamic sources affirm that Hubal was the chief deity at Mecca and that the Kabah, which is the cubical structure that Muslims till this day circumambulate seven times, was his shrine:
“The sira literature presents Mecca’s cult as a pagan one to the god Hubal, and depicts the Arabian religious environment in which Muhammad grew up as overwhelmingly pagan – the final vestiges of the ancient near eastern religious tradition…” (The Cambridge Companion to the Qur’an, ed. Jane Dammen McAuliffe [Cambridge University Press, 2006], p. 24; bold emphasis mine)
“… At the center of the town was the shrine called the Ka‘ba – a large, cubical building with a sacred black stone affixed in one corner – that was the sanctuary to the pagan god Hubal…” (Fred McGraw Donner, Muhammad And The Believers: At The Origins Of Islam [Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2010], 1. The Near East on the Eve of Islam, p. 35; bold emphasis mine)
“… In the Ka‘ba was the statue of the god Hubal who might be called the god of Mecca and of the Ka ‘ba. Caetani gives great prominence to the connection between the Ka‘ba and Hubal. Besides him, however, al-Lat, al-‘Uzza, and al-Manat were worshipped and are mentioned in the Kur’an; Hubal is never mentioned there. What position Allah held beside these is not exactly known. The Islamic tradition has certainly elevated him at the expense of other deities.” (M. Th. Houtsma, E. J. Brill’s First Encyclopedia of Islam 1913-1936, Volume IV, p. 591; bold emphasis mine)
Qadhi seems unaware that in pagan beliefs a temple was dedicated to one specific deity, not to multiple divinities. Therefore, to say that Hubal was the particular god to whom the shrine was devoted means that the Kabah belonged to him. As such, the only way that Allah could be the god of the Kabah is if the pagans took him to be one and the same deity as Hubal. In other words, Hubal is the deity whom the pagan Arabs honored and called Allah.
This, therefore, refutes Qadhi’s assertion that the pagans had no idol depicting Allah, since they certainly did. The idol of Hubal would be an idol of Allah since they are one and the same divinity. As such, the idolatrous Arabs did indeed have a visible image and depiction of their god Allah.
Furthermore, that Hubal was imported from the Amalekites means that he is none other than Baal, since that is the deity whom the Amalekites were worshipping. Therefore, since Hubal was Baal, and since Allah and Hubal are the same this means the the Allah worshiped at Mecca was Baal himself!
Hence, the Islamic religion emerges from Baal worship, whom the Holy Bible identifies as Satan! (Cf. Matthew 12:22-30; Mark 3:22-27; 2 Corinthians 6:15)
Moreover, Islam has carried over the idolatrous veneration of stones since Muhammad made it an obligation for his followers to kiss and caress the black stone, which is what he himself did with great fervor and passion.
In fact, Muhammad’s reverence for this stone left one of his closest followers baffled since he failed to see the logic in venerating an object that couldn’t help or harm anyone:
Narrated ‘Abis bin Rabia:
‘Umar came near the Black Stone and kissed it and said “No doubt, I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit anyone nor harm anyone. Had I not seen Allah’s Apostle kissing you I would not have kissed you.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 26, Number 667 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=26&translator=1&start=0&number=667)
Astonishingly, Qadhi’s prophet is reported to have said venerating the black stone erases sins, and that it was once white but turned black from all the transgressions of those who kissed and/or touched it!
It was narrated from Abdullah bin Ubaid bin Umair that a man said:
“O Abu abdur-Rahman, why do I only see you touching these two corners?” He said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘Touching them ERASES SINS.’ And I heard him say: ‘whoever circumambulates seven times, it is like freeing a slave.’”
Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)
Reference: Sunan an-Nasa’i 2919
In-book reference: Book 24, Hadith 0
English translation: Vol. 3, Book 24, Hadith 2922 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/urn/1080860; capital and italicized emphasis mine)
And:
9 The Book on Hajj
(49) Chapter: What Has Been Related About The Virtues Of The Black Stone, Its Corner, And The Maqam
Ibn Abbas narrated that: The Messenger of Allah said: “The Black Stone descended from the Paradise, and it was more white than milk, then it was blackened by the sins of the children of Adam.”
Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)
Reference: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 877
In-book reference: Book 9, Hadith 70
English translation: Vol. 2, Book 4, Hadith 877 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi/9/70; italicized emphasis mine)
As if it couldn’t get any more shocking, Muhammad also proclaimed that the sone would come to life on the last day in order to make intercession with Allah for all those who showed it affection and reverence:
2944. Sa’d b. Jubair is reported to have said, “I heard Ibn ‘Abbas saying that Allah’s Messenger said, “This Stone must come on the Day of Resurrection and it will have two eyes to see with and a tongue to talk with bearing witness for him who caressed it with Truth (Islam).”
Grade: Hasan (Darussalam) (Sunan Ibn-I-Majah (Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad b. Yazid Ibn-I-Maja Al-Qazwini), English version by Muhammad Tufail Ansari [Kazi Publications, Lahore (Pakistan), 1st edition 1995], Volume IV, Chapter NO. XVII: Caressing The (Black) Stone (Fixed in a Wall of Ka’ba), pp. 244-245 https://sunnah.com/urn/1279740; italicized emphasis mine)
In this regard, Muhammad was no different than the very pagans he decried since this was the very reason why they venerated such stones and idols to begin with. I.e., the Arabs served them for the express purpose of having these objects/entities intercede for them before their lord so as to procure his forgiveness and acceptance:
Is it not to God that sincere devotion is due? But those who take for protectors other than God (say): “We only serve them in order that they may bring us nearer to God.” Truly God will judge between them in that wherein they differ. But God guides not such as are false and ungrateful. S. 39:3 Yusuf Ali
How, then, are Muhammad and his followers any different or better seeing that Qadhi’s own prophet taught the same exact thing about the black stone, which is itself nothing more than a pagan relic carried over into Islam?
FURTHER READING
THE RELIGION OF ISLAM: THE REEMERGENCE OF BAAL WORSHIP
Unveiling the Inanimate Gods of Islam