| 7 ' | i THE ISLAMIC WORLD Edited by WILLIAM H. McNEILL and MARILYN ROBINSON WALDMAN ‘The University of Chicago Press Chicago and Londonth both! he Rabia’s eye TDN AL-KALDI: FROM THE BOOK OF IDOLS Never shaykh! of us died quiet in his bea. Never unavenged was blood of us shed, Others may say, and we can say No. ‘None can naysay when we say So! 1. Shai: Arabic fo elder, chief Here “clan leader” is meant. IBN AL-KALBE: PROM THE BOOK OF IDOLS AlUzea ‘They [Quraysh]* then adopted al“Uzza as their goddess. She is, in point of time, more recent than either Allat or Mandh, since I have heard that the Arabs named their children after the latter two before they named them after al-"Uzza. The Arabs as well as the Quraysh were wont to name their children ‘Abd-al-‘Uzza. Furthermore al-Uzza was the greatest idol among the Quraysh. They used to journey to her, offer gifts unto her, and seek her favours through sacrifice. /We have been told that the Apostle of God once mentioned al"Uzza saying, “I have offered a white sheep to al-‘Uzza, while Twas a follower of the religion of my people.” ‘The Quraysh were wont to circumambulate the Katbah and say: “By Allat and al-"Uzza, ‘And Mana, the third idol besides, Verily they are the most exalted females ‘Whose intercession is to be sought.” ‘These were also called “the Daughters of Allah,”* and were From The Book of Idols, by Hishien ibn al-Kalbi, trans from the Arabic by Nahim Amin Faris. Copyright 1952 by Princeton University Presi; Series Princoum Oriental Studies, p. 16-17, 49-20, 25-24, 2729. Reprinted by per mission of Princeton University Press 1. Maharamad'e tribe. 2, Two other female goddesses diseusod previously. 3: This use of “Allah” to veler to s pre-Islimic Arabian religious concept suggests, as have some modern scholars, that a concept of God existed along Side worship of the idols. Some have even theorized that the words “Allah” and “Alla” (the idol) are related to one another,10 ‘(THE FORMATIVE YEARS supposed to intercede before God. When the Apostle of God was sent, God revealed unto him [concerning them] the following: “Have you seen Allét and alUzza, and Manéh the third idol besides? What? Shall ye have male progeny and God female? This indeed were an unfair partition! These are mere names: ye and your fathers named them thus: God hath not sent down any warranty in their regard.” ‘The Quraysh were wont to venerate her above all other idols. For this reason Zayd ibn-‘Amr ibn-Nufayl, who, during the Jahiliyah days had turned to the worship of God and re. nounced that of al-‘Uzza and of the other idols, said: /“Thave renounced both Allat and al-"Uzza, For thus would the brave and the robust do. No more do worship al-"Uzza and her two daughters, Or visit the two idols® of the banu-Ghanm; Nor do journey to Hubal” and adore it, Although it was our lord when I was young.” /AlUzza continued to be venerated until God sent His Prophet who ridiculed her together with the other idols and for- bade her worship. At the same time a revelation concerning her came down in the Koran ‘The Quraysh had also several idols in and around the Kabah? ‘The greatest of these was Hubal. / Tt was, as I was told, of red agate, in the form of a man with the right hand broken off. It came into the possession of the Quraysh in this condition, and they, therefore, made for it a hand of gold. 4 Qur'in LIME: 9-20, (Tr) 5. "The Days of Ignorance,” the phrase used by Muslims to refer to pre Islamic times 6. Unidentified. (Tr.) 7. See paragraph 2 below. 8. Qurlin LIT 49, (Ts.) 9. Ka'be: The sacred small stone building in Mecca containing the Black Stone. The Kaba was an object of pilgrimage before Telim ae well as after IBN AL-KALBI It stood inside the Katt arrows... . On one of and on another “consocis of a new-bornwas doubt (Hubal) and then shu rows showed the word ‘p imate and the tribe woul showed the words “cons. clared illegitimate and 1 arrow was for divination was for divination conee three remaining arrows h disagreed concerning son 4 journey, or undertake s (Hlubal] and shuffle the ¢ result they obtained they Tt was before [Hubal] divination arrows [in ord he should sacrifice in ful the arrows pointed to hi Prophet. Hubal was also Harb! addressed when he Ubud,” saying: “Hubal, be thou exalt ‘To which the Prophet repli “Allah is more ‘When, on the day he c of God appeared before 1 rayed around it. Thereup with the point of his arros 10, Grandfather ofthe Prophet {One of “those whose hearts with whom the Prophet made der to secure their aid». Umayyad dynasty, was another | "2, In this battle, 625, the Mectle of God was the following: sh the third ny and God | These are ni thus: God um all other idols. ho, during the f God and re- id ighters, God sent His er idols and for- ‘concerning her nnd the Ka‘bah.” was told, of red id broken off. Tt s condition, and ims to refer to pre containing, the Black fim a well a aftr. IBN AL-KALBI: FROM THE BOOK OF IDOLS a4 It stood inside the Ka'bah. In front of it were seven divination arrows On one of these arrows was written “pure,” ‘and on another “consociated alien.” . . . Whenever the lineage of a new-bornwas doubted, they would offer a sacrifice to it [Hubal] and then shuffle the arrows and throw them. If the ar- rows showed the word “pure,” the child would be declared legit- imate and the tribe would accept him. If, however, the arrows showed the words “consociated alien,” the child would be de- clared illegitimate and the tribe would reject him. ‘The third arrow was for divination concerning the dead, while the fourth was for divination concerning marriage. The purpose of the three remaining arrows has not been explained. Whenever they disagreed concerning something, or purposed to embark upon a journey, or undertake some project, they would proceed to it [Hubal] and shullle the divination arrows before it. Whatever result they obtained they would follow and do accordingly. Tt was before [Hubal] that ‘Abd-al/Muttalib" shuffled the divination arrows [in order to find out which of his ten children he should sacrifice in fulfilment of a vow he had sworn}, and the arrows pointed to his son ‘Abdullah, the father of the Prophet. Hubal was also the same idol which abu-Sufyan ibn- Harb! addressed when he emerged victorious after the battle of Uhud," saying: “Hlubal, be thou exalted” (ie. may thy religion triumph): ‘To which the Prophet replied: “Allah is more exalted and more majestic. When, on the day he conquered Mecca [630], the Apostle of God appeared before the Ka‘bah, he found the idols ar- rayed around it, Thereupon he started to pierce their eyes with the point of his arrow saying, “Truth is come and false 10. Grandfather ofthe Prophet... . (Tr) 1 One of “those whose hearts are reconciled” to Tolim, namely Arab chiefs with whom the Prophet made terms after the batle of Hlunayn, 629, in order to secure their aid... . His son, Mu‘dwiya, who later founded the ‘Umayyad dynasty, was another. (Tr.) 12. Tn this battle, 634, the Meccans defeated Muhammad and his followers.2 ‘THE FORMATIVE YEARS hood is vanished. Verily, falsehood is a thing that vanisheth."* He then ordered that they be knocked down, after which they were taken out and burned. In this connection, Rashid ibn-‘Abdullah al-Sulami said. “She asked me to speak, but I said, ‘No. Neither God nor Islam would approve our speech, Hast thou not seen Muhammed and his men On the day of victory, when the idols were demolished? ‘Then the light of God shone with all its brilliance, And polytheism was submerged in a sea of darkness,’ ” [Abu-al-Mundhir] also said: Every family in Mecca had at home an idol which they worshipped. Whenever one of them purposed to set out on a journey, his last act before leaving the hhouse would be to touch the idol in hope of an auspicious jour: ney; and on his return, the first thing he would do was to touch it again in gratitude for a propitious return, / When God sent His Prophet, who came preaching the Unity of God and calling for His worship alone without any associate, [the Arabs] said, “Maketh he the god to be but one ged? A strange thing forsooth is this.”"* They had in mind the idols ‘The Arabs were passionately fond of worshipping idols, Some of them took unto themselves a temple around which they cen. tered their worship, while others adopted an idol to which they offered their adoration, The person who was unable to build himself a temple or adopt an idol would erect a stone in front of the Sacred House or in front of any other temple which he tmight prefer, and then circumambulate it in the same manner in which he would circumambulate the Sacred House. ‘The Arabs called these stones baetyls. . . . Whenever these stones resembled a living form they called them idols . . . and im. ages. . . . The ace of circumambulating them they called circumrotation, Whenever a traveler stopped at a place or station [in order 13. Qur'an XVII: 83, (Tr) 14 Quen XXXVI, (Tr) I | } to rest or spend th stones, pick out the and use the remain his departure he we same on his other sto The Arabs were x baetyls, and stones, 7 lence and superiority grimage and visitat Perpetuation of wha devotion to it The commanding figure to attract curiosity dur ‘about him excited livel Biography of the Mes Yasir (@. ca, 768), was into a coherent narrati right to rank as the last this purpose Ton shag tr on as preface to a comp trae about Muhammad's death. hn Ishag was not him from former Roman ani Arabic literary traditions his tales of Muhammad’ such as those sampled in ‘ng upon the author was about Muhammad simila and the saints. On firsts Tellects this tendency clearEARS thing that vanisheth.”* down, after, which they Lah al-Sulami said: e our speech, were demolished? its brilliance, sea of darkness. family in Mecca had at "Whenever one of them ast act before leaving the pe of an auspicious jour- he would do was to touch hho came preaching the ship alone without any he the god to be but one “ They had in mind the | | + worshipping idols. Some » around which they cen fed an idol to which they cho was unable to build d erect a stone in front of “other temple which he te it in the same manner the Sacred House. The ‘Whenever these stones them idols... and im- ating them they called lace or station [in order LIFE OF MUHAMMAD 13 to rest or spend the night] he would select for himself four stones, pick out the finest among them and adopt it as his god, and use the remaining three as supports for his cooking-pot. On his departure he would leave them behind, and would do the same on his other stops. ‘The Arabs were wont to offer sacrifices before all these idols, baetyls, and stones. Nevertheless they were aware of the exce lence and superiority of the Ka'bab, to which they went on pil- igrimage and visitation. What they did on their travels was a perpetuation of what they did at the Ka'bah, because of their devotion to it. Life of Muhammad ‘The commanding figure of Muhammad, the Prophet of God, began to attract curiosity during his lifetime, and after his death stories about him excited lively attention among Muslims, The author of Biography of the Messenger of God, Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasir (d. ca. 768), was the fitst to gather stories about the Prophet into a coherent narrative, aimed at demonstrating Muhammad's right to rank as the last authentic prophet of God. To accomplish this purpose Ibn Ishaq traced the history of prophecy from Abraham on as preface to a compilation of everything he could ascertain as true about Muhammad's life and the events immediately after his death Tn Ishq was not himself of Arab descent, but like other converts from former Roman and Persian territory he steeped himself in Arabic literary traditions as part of his education in the faith. Hence his tales of Muhammad's battles echo pre-Islamic literary forms, such as those sampled in our first selection. Another influence play- ing upon the author was the tendency to invent miraculous stories about Muhammad similar to stories Christians attributed to Christ and the saints, Our first selection, dealing with the Prophet’s birth, rellects this tendency cleatly.