How did Prophet Muhammad accommodate the pagan Arabs?

Question

Contrary to the general belief, Muhammad is not a Muslim name; rather, it is an Arabian pagan name that was in use even before the birth of Islam's founder.

Contrary to the Muslim conviction that Muhammad was originally created by God as a believer in His Oneness, he is reported to have worshipped and offered sacrifices to Al-Uzza, an idol the pagans believed to be one of the three daughters of God (cf. 42:52).

One of the three hundred and sixty idols that pagans worshipped (360 for a calendar year) was called Allah. He was one of their principal deities. This deity was known as Al-Rahman-an (the merciful) and Al-Rahim (the compassionate) to the people of Northern and Southern Arabia.

In Qura’n there are at least a dozen verses in which Allah repeatedly swears by the names such as moon, sun, stars, planets, night, wind etc. It is a mystery why the creator Allah should swear by his creations rather then in him unless he himself was a pagan God like the Moon.
Sura 74:32 Absolutely, (I swear) by the moon.

Prophet Muhammad performed a clever tactic by adapting many rites of paganism into Islam, in order to accommodate Islam among the pagan Arabs. He made lots of political pacts with the Pagan Leaders such as Abu Suffian to accommodate his new idea of religion and he agreed to incorporate many of the Pagan rituals in Islam.

Prophet Muhammad asked the pagans to worship only the “Allah” the largest God. The Prophet was able to convince the pagans to destroy all idols and on return he agreed to keep the “Names” of the goddess of most famous Pagan tribes as the alternative names of Allah—hence Islam has 99 NAMES of Allah.

The inscription (542-3) of Abraham dealing with the break of the Ma'rib Dam bears testimony to this historical fact.

Prophet Muhammad commanded his followers to participate in pagan ceremonies while the pagans were still in control of Mecca. (Yusuf Ali, fn. 214, pg. 78).

Pagans practices of the Pilgrimage of Kabah once a year--the Fast of Ramadan, running around the Kabah seven times, kissing the black stone, shaving the head, animal sacrifices, running up and down two hills and also adopting the pagan practice of praying to the toward Mecca 3 times a day (morning noon and night).

It is also a historical fact that the Ka’aba, the sacred shrine was used for pagan idol worship before Islam and even called the House of Allah at that time. The name of the God whom the Arabs worshipped was the god of pantheon—Ali-ilah the god, the supreme, the pre-determiner of everybody’s life or destiny—the chief God “Allah”.

While it was true that Muslims do not believe in Allah having a Son (Hence Jesus not being God’s son) it was widely practiced prior to Islam that Allah had three daughters. The third daughter Manat still resides there represented as a black stone.

At times Muhammad had difficulty remembering to stay away from the old pagan gods that his tribe use to worshiped. “Have ye seen Lat and 'Uzza, And another, the third (goddess), Manat? These are the high-flying ones, whose intercession is to be hoped for!” [Qur'an 53:19-23]

Prophet Abraham could not have built it since it was used a shrine for pagan Gods until Muhammad cleaned most of it out.

I realize it’s a belief but can you show any proof that Abraham built it?

before he was "called" to be God’s "prophet", was an idolator.

Did He not find you lost (dallan) and gave you guidance? S. 93:7

We narrate unto thee (Muhammad) the best of narratives in that We have inspired in thee this Qur'an, though aforetime thou wast of the heedless. S. 12:3

Then Zaid Ibn Amr passed by them so THEY invited him to (dine) at a table they had. Zaid (Ibn Amr) said, "O my nephew! I do not eat what was sacrificed to images and idols."

He then said that he did not see the prophet – pbuh – again eat anything that was offered as a sacrifice to images or idols ...Musnad Ahmad, Hadith Number 1561

Even though their principal shrines lay north and east of Mecca, al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat were all worshiped by the Quraysh of Mecca, and at least al-Uzza numbered no less than Muhammad himself among her worshipers. (The Hajj)

[016:057] "is He above all"
So Allah is higher then his daughters.

Otherwise it would be written "Not part of"

Roshni - Rock worship was done before Islam so it should be no surprise that people would still Prostrate to a object that fell out of the heavens.

What difference between the Muslim practice of kissing showing reverence and venerating the Black Stone and the Catholic practice of pope John Paul II kissing the statute of the Virgin Mary with reverence and veneration?

Answer 1

Excellent points you've made here. However, Islamic Theology today is incapable of regarding any of this as fact, regardless of history, archeology, etc. Not going to happen. Muhammad was born the perfect Muslim, had no ties to paganism, including the paganism taught to him by those who raised him, ie. HIS ENTIRE SOCIETY, and nothing existed before him, so just don't talk about it!!!! This is the mainstream line of thinking, anyway. Sad, because the past doesn't make Islam any less valid, but helps us understand his true motivations and thoughts regarding his teachings and encounters with the Divine. And yes, he basically tried to kill them all and thought it was really, really important and great to do so.

Answer 2

Bro read some more propaganda, Jesus Son of Mary will descend and show you the straight path. Until then I am innocent of the deeds that you do, while you are innocent of the deeds that I do.

Muhammad is an Arabic name... Not Pagan, the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was known as "the Trustworthy" even before revelation came to him. He was NEVER an IDOL worshipper, he used to go out to the mountains and meditate about life, this is when God guided him.

I will not insult your intelligence, or critisize your ignorance, but the Kabah in Mecca, was originally built by the Prophet Abraham, who WAS NOT AN Idol worshipper.

Allah has no sons or daughters, what ever fool wrote that well God will judge him,

[016:057] And they assign daughters to Allâh! – Glorified (and Exalted) is He above all that they associate with Him! And to themselves what they desire;


May God guide you to the straight path

Answer 3

Wow , how beautifuly you have linked pagan to islam......but the news is that muslim don't worship idols,

And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Prostrate not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate to Allah Who created them, if you (really) worship Him. (Qur'an 41:37)

“Seest thou not that God merges Night into Day and He merges Day into Night; that he has subjected the sun and the moon (to His Law), each running its course for a term appointed: and that God is well acquainted with all that ye do?” (Qur’an, 31:29)


we only follow lunar calender , Muhammad is an arabic name, whether you believe or Not and we don't worship Mecaa, its just to turn our face towards it for the unity...... lat, uzza these were Idols for Pagan arabs who were in power , basicaly Abraham was the person who had broken all those Idols once by himself .....and then muhammad(pbuh) has followed him !!and muslims don't worship balck stone, it is from heaven and thats why we respect it.

Edit :
Black Stone is just a ston that we respect, it was first placed there By Abraham and then By muhammad.....there is a difference between worship and respect.worship means to ask for the help, forgvness and take the idol as GOd, but if you ask any of the muslims, they would tell you they don't have such intention while kissing it.they kiss it out of respect. and even its not neccessary to kiss it during haj, its just a sunnah that they go there and visit it once...Otherwise it plays no role in our life.While paul and other christains worship Jesus and Marry,they ask for help, ask forgivness from them and take them as God, there is no question of comparing the both.....hazrat Omer once said(i have missed that Hadith somewhere) That it is just a stone and we are ordered to respect it, otherwise it is no more than a "stone" ......this is its worth !!

Now about pagans thing.So Arabs were not atheist, there were some traces of Abraham religion when Muhammad(pbuh) was appointed as prophet...but the problem was they did not worship Allah alone but they had other gods which they associated with Allah, they worship it not as creator or Lord but they used to think that these gods were intermediates between them and Allah.

“And if you (O Muhammad) ask them: ‘Who has created the heavens and the earth,’ they will certainly say: ‘Allaah’” [Luqmaan 31:25]

“And verily, if you ask them: ‘Who created the heavens and the earth?’ Surely, they will say: ‘Allaah (has created them)’”

[al-Zumar 39:38]

“And those who take Awliyaa’ (protectors, helpers, lords, gods) besides Him (say): ‘We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allaah’” [al-Zumar 39:3]
And Muhammad(pbuH) tried to clear that concept that there is only One God and Not many !

Answer 4

Wow, quite the genuine question you have there. (Aka dumb post).

Of course Muhammad was an arab name. (unconfirmed in its popularity in regards to paganism though). Muhammad wasn't a "muslim" in the common sense until after he received the first revelation of the qur'an.

The point in the eloquent statements in swearing by moon, stars, sun, etc is that it is an identifiable topic. If he were to say, "I swear by my Shnoozlefodder", people would have no idea what that was and therefore couldn't relate the magnitude of such a statement.

Your copy and paste job doesn't deserve rebuttals to each point, but I have studied Islam and come to the conclusion that your poitns are mostly untrue, and certainly invalid. Good try though. I'll keep being muslim.

Answer 5

a query is raised in Midrash yalkut shimoni as to what the word "a prophet like Moshe means" for the reason that in Devarim (Deuteronomy) financial disaster 34 v10 it states "never back has a prophet arisen in israel like Moshe, whom Hahem has prevalent head to head.. ????? ??? ?????? ???? ????????????? ????????? ?????? ??????? ????????? ??????? ??? ???????" hence this prophet can't be like Moshe in his point of prophecy through fact it merely isn't equalled yet will b like Moshe in different techniques. This prophet is generally seen as being Yirmiyahu(Jeremiah). The gematria of the word (in hebrew each and each letter has a variety value) "navi akim lahem" (i will set up a prophet for them) is the same through fact the gematria of the word "zehu Yirmiyahu" (it fairly is Yirmiyahu). The Midrash in "Pesikta derav kahana" to boot as Midrash Yalkut Shimoni record 6 techniques iun which Yirmiyahu substitute into like Moshe to coach the way it fairly is fulfilled: a million) They the two prophesised for the completed of Bnei Yisrael for 40 years 2) They the two prophesised to the completed usa- in assessment to lots of the prophets who prophesised after the splitting of the dominion and in basic terms prophesised to one section 3) Moshe substitute into thrown into the river, Yormiyahu into the pit 4) Moshe substitute into pulled out of the river by the slave of Pharoah's daughter; Yirmiyahu substitute into pulled from the pit by a slave 5) the two admonished the rustic word: Jesus is thoroughly and completely meaningless in Judaism. he's not seen as a prophet, a Rabbi (impossible for the reason that there have been no Rabbis in his time the call in basic terms beginning after the destruction of the 2nd Temple) or whilst a instructor. needless to say he's not seen as being divine or the mashiach as besides- and everybody claming he's, isn't Jewish and is not working in direction of the Jewish faith. Mohammed is merely as beside the point as jesus- and could not be the placement of this verse as he substitute into never Jewish and hence isn't qualified to fall below this prophecy,

Answer 6

I'm not saying anything, in case my house explodes!

Answer 7

I believe he killed them.