Notes for Fawz

Amr ibn Luayy

T. M. Kiani

Amr ibn Luayy lived in Makkah just over three centuries prior to the advent of the Prophet Muammad . It is said that he once went to Syria and, influenced by their manner of worshipping idols, brought back to Makkah an idol, Hubal, that was made of red agate in the shape of a human with its right hand broken off and replaced with a golden hand. It had seven arrows placed in front of it, which were used for divination. Amr placed it in the middle of the Kabah and summoned people to worship it. Subsequently, numerous idols, bearing different names, were introduced into the area, including Wadd (or Wudd), Suw, Yaghth, Yaq and Nasr.1 (Some of those) that had existed in the time of the prophet N (Noah) would afterwards become idols for the Arab nation. Wadd was an idol (in the image of an enormous man) of Ban Kalb in Dawmat alJandal. Suw was an idol (in the image of a woman) of (Ban) Hudhayl. Yaghth was an idol (in the image of a lion) of (Ban) Murd, and later for Ban Ghuayf on a hillside located in Saba. As for Yaq, it was an idol of Hamdn (in the image of a horse), while Nasr was an idol (in the image of a vulture) of imyar for l Dhul-Kal. All are names of prominent figures among the righteous people from (the time of) Sayyidun N . When they died, Shayn influenced the people to make sculptures of them and erect them in the places where they used to take their seats. They then named the idols with those names, and they did (as Shayn had inspired them), but they were not yet worshipped. It was not until the time when they were all dead and knowledge began to dim, that the idols were worshipped.2 It is reported that the Prophet Muammad said: I saw Amr ibn Luayy al-Khuz dragging his intestines in Hell. He was the first to introduce t he institution of as-Sibah.3 The following has been translated and excerpted from Ziy an-Nab (Light of the Prophet - Urdu)4, the award-winning biography of the Prophet Muammad : Amr ibn Luayy and the Arab Origins of Idolatry You have now studied in detail the intelligence, discernment, bravery, generosity, fulfilment of promises, self-respect, eloquence and rhetorical excellence of the nation [of Arabs]. We must now observe the consequences of what befell the peoples qualified with such a variety of noble traits and talents when they ceased to continue deriving benefit from the light of divine revelation and when they severed their relationship with the light of prophethood. All their noble qualities and distinctions ended up being utilised in the quest for ignoble and base objectives. They slipped off the path of the Truth in such a manner that no merit of theirs could save them from dishonour. A wise people that could seek out the clandestine points and secrets from merely one word one is surprised to see them worshipping idols made of stone where has gone their intellect and perspicacity. In a similar manner, one is disoriented to hear of the resulting behavioural descent they suffered. Prior to discussing the dark regions of their ideological and practical life, we deem it essential to observe the causes and reasons behind their such downfall. The Arab historians of the Era of Ignorance (Jhiliyyah) have written in much detail that prior to [the influence of] Amr ibn Luayy al-Khuz, both the tribes of Adnn and Qan adhered to the canon of Sayyidun Ibrhm - they worshipped according to the teachings of the latter and they believed in All to be one; that He had no associate - neither in essence and nor in attributes, that He is the Absolutely All-Powerful One, that He needs no minister and
1 2

Holy Qurn, Srah N 71: 23. Al-Bukhr, al-Jmi a-a, Kitb Tafsr al-Qurn, Srat N (71) - Chapter 1, adth 4920. 3 Al-Bukhr, Al-Jmi a-a, Kitb Tafsr al-Qurn, Chapter 13, adth 4623. 4 Karam Shh al-Azhar, Pr Muammad, Ziy an-Nab (Urdu), V.1, P.313-320.

Notes for Fawz

T. M. Kiani

nor any advisor for the creation of the universe and nor for its development or existence, that He is intrinsically qualified with life, ability, will, knowledge, hearing, seeing, speech, etc. and that He is pure and free from all deficiencies, weaknesses and blemishes. They also had conclusive belief in the Last Day; they were certain that the Day of the Great Gathering would come when All would resurrect every living being after causing it to taste death and causing it to traverse the Barrier [of the afterlife], all humans will be made to appear before His Grand Court of Judgement wherein He shall decree for them according to His justice, bounty and benevolence. They would pray, fast, perform ajj, pay zakh and extend ties of kinship in accordance to the teachings of the Ibrhmic (i.e. orthodox) faith. Their distinguishing feature was that they would aid and support the poor and the destitute as well as their honouring of guests. However, as the duration from the period of prophethood gradually became distant, the teachings of the Ibrhmic faith debilitated; ignorance and egotism implanted themselves into the society which enslaved them to their own desires in the stead of divine commands, ill thoughts began to take root and false beliefs were promoted. Then, whilst all that was going on, the affair of Amr ibn Luayy took place it threw everything into turmoil! When Amr ibn Luayy became an adult, he fought alongside the Ban Isml against the Ban Jurhum. The latter were defeated and banished from Makkah, and hence, Amr became the trustee of the Holy Kabah. He was [later] afflicted with a serious illness, the remedy for which he was advised to travel to and bathe in a hot spring located in Balq (a town close to Ammn), Jordan (This is ash-Shm, which today is split into Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon). He reached Balq and bathed in the water of that [particular] spring, which healed him [of his illness]. He saw that the locals of Balq worshipped idols, and so he asked them its nature, to which they replied, We seek through [idolatry] rain, and we defeat by it our enemies. He asked from them some idols, which they willingly gave him, and he brought them to Makkah and erected them around the Holy Kabah. That day, idol-worship with the Arabs began. Ibn Khaldn writes: Amr ibn Luayy was the first to corrupt the Ismlic (i.e. pure orthodox Ibrhmic) faith, introduce idolatry and instructed the Arabs to worship idols. It is to this that the saying of the Holy Prophet Muammad refers: I saw Amr ibn Luayy he was in Hell[-Fire], dragging his intestines.5 Al ibn Burhnuddn writes: Numerous written texts of scholars have expressed that the Arabs continued to maintain their adherence to the Ibrhmic (orthodox) faith until the time of Amr ibn Luayy; he is the first person to alter the Ibrhmic faith and introduce various kinds of deviances for the Arabs he worshipped idols and he introduced the innovation of the sibah and the barah.6 He continues: Amr became a deity to the Arabs; whatever he would introduce in the religion, they would deem it a part of religion. The reason was that he would feed the people during the ajj season, clothe them sometimes even slaughter ten thousand camels for them and clothe ten thousand destitute people. He is the first person to have altered the Ibrhmic faith.7 He lived for three hundred and forty years, and [during that period] he saw one thousand of his sons and grandsons [who were] warriors; the duration of their rule lasted five hundred years.8 Quayy ibn Kilb defeated the Ban Khuzah in the year 440 CE and evicted them from Makkah, taking over rule.

5 6

Ibn Khaldn, Tarkh, Volume 2, Page 651. Al ibn Burhnuddn, Srat alabiyyah, Volume 1, Page 10. 7 Ibid. 8 Al ibn Burhnuddn, Srat alabiyyah, Volume 1, Page 11.

Notes for Fawz

T. M. Kiani

This disease spread to such an extent that each tribe adopted its own god, and each individual home worshipped its own deity. Thus, the Arabian people abandoned the orthodox faith of Prophet Ibrhm and embraced idolatry as their religion. The tribe of Quraysh had its own specific idols, of which some were placed inside the Holy Kabah and others outside. The largest of them was Hubal: he was manufactured from red agate and in the form of a man. His right hand had fallen off, and so the Quraysh had made a hand of gold and stuck it on. The first person to erect Hubal was Khuzaymah ibn Mudrikah, and hence it was known as Hubal Khuzaymah. The pre-Islamic Arabs had a tradition they followed, which required of them to draw arrows prior to doing anything they wanted. The arrows were placed inside a sack; if an arrow was drawn inscribed on it the word naam (yes), they would practically go ahead with it, but if an arrow was drawn with the word l (no) written on it, they would leave all intentions of doing it. It has been reported by Ibn al-Kalb that Hubal was placed inside the Holy Kabah, and there were seven arrows placed before it; one arrow was labelled with the word ar (pure) and another with mulaq (consociated alien), meaning coerced. If a suspicion arose regarding the father of any child, they would present an offering to Hubal and then draw the arrows; if the arrow inscribed with the word ar was drawn, the new-born would be attributed to its father, but if the arrow inscribed with the word mulaq was drawn, the child would be disowned and declared illegitimate. There were also arrows for the deceased in a likewise manner, arrows for marriage, and three such arrows, the purpose of which the historians are unclear.9 The Arabs did not only venerate Hubal; worship had begun around the farflung areas of the Arabian peninsula of idols in various images in the shapes of houses, tree trunks, carved and uncarved rocks. In short, the plague of idol worship had begun, until [the time came when] there were erected three hundred and sixty idols surrounding the Holy Kabah, for the reason that all the tribes of Arabia would come to the pilgrimage at the Holy Kabah, and so the Quraysh had amalgamated the false deities of all the tribes here. When the member of any tribe would visit for pilgrimage and see the idol of his god here, it would promote his devotion further, and he would not hesitate from acknowledging the leadership of the Quraysh. The oldest of these idols was that known popularly by the name of Mant. Its devotees would name their sons Abd Mant, Zayd Mant, etc. as an expression of their devoutness to it. This idol was situated at a place called Qadd, a town between Makkah and Yathrib, close to the sea., and the tribes of Azd, Aws and Khazraj worshipped Mant, something that continued until 8 AH. At the Conquest of Makkah, when the Holy Prophet Muammad entered the city, he ordered Sayyidun Al to destroy Mant. Of their gods was one known as al-Lt. Its original idol was in if and it was a square shaped rock with a house built upon it. The Ban Thaqf were its custodians and servants. Another of their idols was known as Uzz. It was manufactured after Mant and al-Lt and it was in the image of a tree trunk, situated in the valley of Nakhlah when anyone travelled to Iraq from Makkah, this tree trunk would fall on their right side. The Arabs would express their wholehearted devoutness to these idols too, by naming their sons [after them]; Zayd al-Lt, Taym al-Lt, Abd al-Uzz, etc. When the Quraysh would circumambulate the Holy Kabah, they would proclaim:

asan Ibrhm, Tarikh al-Islm, Volume 1, Pages 69-70.

Notes for Fawz

By al-Lt and al-Uzz, And Man, the third idol besides. Verily they are the most exalted cranes Whose intercession is to be sought. Allah has mentioned this foolishness of theirs in Srat an-Najm (53):

T. M. Kiani

. . . .
Have you ever thought about (the idols) al-Lt and al-Uzz? And also another, that third (idol) Mant? (O idolaters!) Are only sons for you and only daughters for Him (Allah)? This division is serious injustice.10 Of their other gods, one was Suw, situated in the land of Yanbu, and its custodians were the Ban Liyn. The Ban Kalb had erected an idol named Wudd (some traditions relate Wadd) near Dawmat al-Jandal. The Madhij and the inhabitants of Jurash had Yaghth, the inhabitants of Khaywn adopted Yaq, and the imyar made Nasr their god. These are the very gods that the polytheistic people of Prophet Sayyidun N (Noah) used to worship.11 When ones connection with his True Creator is severed, his innate pure and sound disposition is obliterated, his intelligence and understanding become unclear and his insight becomes impaired. Despite his wisdom, he commits such acts that even the fools and madmen feel ashamed for him. Two further gods of the Makkans were Isf and Nilah. The story goes that Isf was a man of the Ban Jurhum, whose full name was Isf ibn Yal, and that Nilah was a woman , also a member of the Jurhum tribe, whose full name was Nilah bint Zayd. Both of them lived in Yemen. They came to Makkah for pilgrimage with a caravan, where they managed to enter the Holy Kabah, when there was no other person inside. They took advantage of the solitude and indulged in a licentious act [of unlawful sexual intercourse]. As a consequence, Allah rendered them both stone. When others entered the Holy Kabah and saw their altered states, they removed them therefrom and placed them outside so that others would take it as a warning. [Unfortunately,] they were also later worshipped. The pilgrims coming [to Makkah] would worship the two lechers and seek their needs from them, and their dilapidated conscience would not even reproach them for it. Other than these, there were many other idols they would worship. Ibn al-Kalb has described them in detail in his book Kitb al-Anm (The Book of Idols). When the Holy Prophet Muammad conquered Makkah and entered the Holy House of Allah (i.e. the Holy Kabah), he struck the idols with the corner of his bow whilst saying the following, and the idols fell over onto their faces:

.
The Truth has come and falsehood has fled. Verily, falsehood is bound to flee.12 On the command of the Holy Prophet Muammad , they were removed from the Holy Kabah and burned to ash. As for the idols located at places outside of Makkah, the Holy Prophet dispatched various Noble Companions in order to have them destroyed.
Holy Qurn, Srat an-Najm (53), Verses 19-22. Bulgh al-Arab, Volume 2, Pages 201203; Hasan Ibrhm, Tarikh al-Islm, V1, P69-70, with reference to Ibn alKalb, Kitb al-Anm (The Book of Idols), 12 Holy Qurn, Srat al-Isr (17), Verse 81.
11 10

Notes for Fawz

T. M. Kiani

The idol of al-Lt was in if, and al-Mughrah ibn Shubah was sent to destroy it. He demolished it [with a pickaxe] and then set [the temple] alight. Khlid ibn Wald was sent to eradicate al-Uzz it was their idol of grand status, in the shape of a tree trunk in the valley of Nakhlah. He was instructed: Go to the valley of Nakhlah; there you will find three jujube trees. Cut down the first one. Khlid went and cut it down. On his return to report, the Holy Prophet asked him saying, Did you see anything there? Khlid replied saying, No, O Messenger of Allah. The Prophet ordered him to return and cut down the second tree. He did as commanded and on his return to report, the Holy Prophet asked him again, Did you see anything there? Khlid eplied, No, O Messenger of Allah. Thereupon the Holy Prophet ordered him to go back and cut down the third tree. When Khlid [wanted to] cut down the third tree, he suddenly saw a ghastly woman with dishevelled hair and protruding [and gnashing] teeth. Behind her stood Dubayyah asSulam. When he saw Khlid , he said:

O al-Uzz! Remove your cover, Tuck up your sleeves, and summon your power, And deal Khlid a blow most certain. For unless you kill him this very day, You shall be doomed to humiliation. Thereupon Khlid replied impromptu:

O al-Uzz! May you be cussed, Not exalted, for surely I see, That Allah has rendered you dust. He then dealt her a blow which severed her head in twain, and lo, she became as if burnt coal. He then uprooted the tree and killed Dubayyah the custodian. After fulfilling the command, Khlid returned to the Holy Prophet and reported the episode to him.13

13

Bulgh al-Arab, Volume 2, Pages 204205.