Hubal was one of the gods of the polytheistic pre-Islamic era Arabs. Hubal was the moon god. [1]
This paganism was extremely prominent in Mecca in particular.
Since Allah simply means God in Arabic, pagan gods were commonly referred to as 'allah', but none was given the actual name Allah, except for that of the One God (swt). People referred to their gods as 'god', just as people do today. They don't say "the God of Islam" or "the God of Christianity". They simply call the god they believe in "God". What other word would they have used in the past?
The anti-Islamists on the WikiIslam article try to take this simple linguistic similarity, which is the same across religions even today, and turn it into the idea that 'Islam worships a moon god'.
"there continue to be theories that Islam's Allah is indeed Hubal" [WikiIslam]
These claims solely come from people trying to discredit Islam because anyone who has actually studied Islam would see that it is the exact opposite of polytheism for many reasons.
1. Islam worships one god, the Creator of everything, and nothing more. This is the most solid and important tenet of Islam, and it is called 'tawheed'. Muslims without tawheed are not Muslims. [2][3]
2. Muhammad (saw) destroyed all of the pagan idols that were inside of the Ka'bah and the pictures that were in there as well. [4]
3. Muhammad (saw) differentiates between Hubal and Allah in hadith directly - showing that the worship of Hubal and the worship of Allah were in fact at odds - not nearly the same.
"Abu Safyan said, "Superior may be Hubal!" On that the Prophet said (to his companions), "Reply to him." They asked, "What may we say?" He said, "Say: Allah is More Elevated and More Majestic!"" [Sahih Bukhari Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 375, #4043, 4044]
4. Ibrahim (Abraham (as)) makes a direct difference in the Quran between the moon, the sun, and Allah (swt). This is not to mention that the Quran, also in the quote we are about to show, distinguishes Allah (swt) as the creator of the heavens, the Earth, the sun, and the moon. The moon could not create itself, and, just as well, the Quran makes a clear distinction between the two.
"It is He Who has created the heavens and the earth in truth, and on the Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) He will say: "Be!", - and it shall become. His Word is the truth. His will be the dominion on the Day when the trumpet will be blown. All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is the All-Wise, Well-Aware (of all things). And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said to his father Azar: "Do you take idols as aliha (gods)? Verily, I see you and your people in manifest error. Thus did we show Ibrahim (Abraham) the kingdom of the heavens and the earth that he be one of those who have Faith with certainty. When the night covered him over with darkness he saw a star. He said: "This is my lord." But when it set, he said: "I like not those that set." When he saw the moon rising up, he said: "This is my lord." But when it set, he said: "Unless my Lord guides me, I shall surely be among the erring people." When he saw the sun rising up, he said: "This is my lord. This is greater." But when it set, he said: "O my people! I am indeed free from all that you join as partners in worship with Allah. Verily, I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth Hanifa (Islamic Monotheism, i.e. worshipping none but Allah Alone) and I am not of Al-Mushrikun (see V.2:105)." [Translation of the Holy Quran 6:72-80]
Lastly, I leave you all with a quote from Abu Sufyan, the archenemy of Islam, after he finally embraced the truth of Islam.
"He tells us to worship Allah and Allah alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and to renounce all that our ancestors had said. He orders us to pray, to speak the truth, to be chaste and to keep good relations with our Kith and kin." [Sahih Bukhari Vol. 1, Book. 1, Num. 6]
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This article contains answers to:
http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Hubal
[1] Karen Armstrong (2002). Islam: A Short History. p. 11. ISBN 0-8129-6618-X.
[2] Tawhid in Oxford Islamic Studies Online. Oxfordislamicstudies.com. 2008-05-06.
[3] Vincent J. Cornell, Encyclopedia of Religion, Vol 5, pp.3561-3562
[4] Guillaume, Alfred (1955). The Life of Muhammad. A translation of Ibn Ishaq's "Sirat Rasul Allah". Oxford University Press. p. 552. ISBN 978-0-19-636033-1.
This paganism was extremely prominent in Mecca in particular.
Since Allah simply means God in Arabic, pagan gods were commonly referred to as 'allah', but none was given the actual name Allah, except for that of the One God (swt). People referred to their gods as 'god', just as people do today. They don't say "the God of Islam" or "the God of Christianity". They simply call the god they believe in "God". What other word would they have used in the past?
The anti-Islamists on the WikiIslam article try to take this simple linguistic similarity, which is the same across religions even today, and turn it into the idea that 'Islam worships a moon god'.
"there continue to be theories that Islam's Allah is indeed Hubal" [WikiIslam]
These claims solely come from people trying to discredit Islam because anyone who has actually studied Islam would see that it is the exact opposite of polytheism for many reasons.
1. Islam worships one god, the Creator of everything, and nothing more. This is the most solid and important tenet of Islam, and it is called 'tawheed'. Muslims without tawheed are not Muslims. [2][3]
2. Muhammad (saw) destroyed all of the pagan idols that were inside of the Ka'bah and the pictures that were in there as well. [4]
3. Muhammad (saw) differentiates between Hubal and Allah in hadith directly - showing that the worship of Hubal and the worship of Allah were in fact at odds - not nearly the same.
"Abu Safyan said, "Superior may be Hubal!" On that the Prophet said (to his companions), "Reply to him." They asked, "What may we say?" He said, "Say: Allah is More Elevated and More Majestic!"" [Sahih Bukhari Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 375, #4043, 4044]
4. Ibrahim (Abraham (as)) makes a direct difference in the Quran between the moon, the sun, and Allah (swt). This is not to mention that the Quran, also in the quote we are about to show, distinguishes Allah (swt) as the creator of the heavens, the Earth, the sun, and the moon. The moon could not create itself, and, just as well, the Quran makes a clear distinction between the two.
"It is He Who has created the heavens and the earth in truth, and on the Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) He will say: "Be!", - and it shall become. His Word is the truth. His will be the dominion on the Day when the trumpet will be blown. All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is the All-Wise, Well-Aware (of all things). And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said to his father Azar: "Do you take idols as aliha (gods)? Verily, I see you and your people in manifest error. Thus did we show Ibrahim (Abraham) the kingdom of the heavens and the earth that he be one of those who have Faith with certainty. When the night covered him over with darkness he saw a star. He said: "This is my lord." But when it set, he said: "I like not those that set." When he saw the moon rising up, he said: "This is my lord." But when it set, he said: "Unless my Lord guides me, I shall surely be among the erring people." When he saw the sun rising up, he said: "This is my lord. This is greater." But when it set, he said: "O my people! I am indeed free from all that you join as partners in worship with Allah. Verily, I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth Hanifa (Islamic Monotheism, i.e. worshipping none but Allah Alone) and I am not of Al-Mushrikun (see V.2:105)." [Translation of the Holy Quran 6:72-80]
Lastly, I leave you all with a quote from Abu Sufyan, the archenemy of Islam, after he finally embraced the truth of Islam.
"He tells us to worship Allah and Allah alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and to renounce all that our ancestors had said. He orders us to pray, to speak the truth, to be chaste and to keep good relations with our Kith and kin." [Sahih Bukhari Vol. 1, Book. 1, Num. 6]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article contains answers to:
http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Hubal
[1] Karen Armstrong (2002). Islam: A Short History. p. 11. ISBN 0-8129-6618-X.
[2] Tawhid in Oxford Islamic Studies Online. Oxfordislamicstudies.com. 2008-05-06.
[3] Vincent J. Cornell, Encyclopedia of Religion, Vol 5, pp.3561-3562
[4] Guillaume, Alfred (1955). The Life of Muhammad. A translation of Ibn Ishaq's "Sirat Rasul Allah". Oxford University Press. p. 552. ISBN 978-0-19-636033-1.