Allah

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Fast Facts:

• Pronunciation: AH-lah


• Origin: Middle Eastern


• Role: Creator-God


• Symbol: Crescent Moon


• Children: Allat, Manat, Al-Uzza

Who Is Allah?

Allah is the name given to the creator-God followed by the Arabian nation. There is much speculation over his origins and many historical researchers speculate that Allah is actually a recreation of a previous moon god. This article will focus on both the moon god and the God Allah as worshipped today.

Purpose

According to the Quran, Allah created the universe and its inhabitants for one sole purpose. Humans only exist to worship Allah. Allah also tests humans by how they live their lives on Earth. According to Allah, there is more to human’s existence than just their time on Earth.

Origins

As previously mentioned, it is speculated but also disputed by many that Allah is based on an ancient moon god. Pagan Arab nations worshipped a different god for each day of the year. But the moon god was considered to be the most important. He was called by various names but one of the most common was Allah.

Pagan Arabs worshipped the moon god in a way that mimics today’s Muslim worshipping rituals. For example, the moon god called for followers to worship him by praying towards Mecca several times each day, by making pilgrimages to Mecca, kissing the Black Stone, and sacrificing animals. Worshippers also fasted during months that began and ended with the crescent moon.

All of these practices are still followed today, suggesting that today’s Allah is simply a reinvented version of the ancient pagan moon god.

Legends and Stories

You won’t find traditional stories and legends surrounding Allah. However, historical documentations, along with the Quran, do provide insight into why so many believe Allah to be the moon god. Here are a few supporting segments to consider when deciding for yourself.

The Case of the Origin of Allah

We know that Allah is the name for the creator-God of Islam but could the name also refer to the pagan moon god, meaning that both are the same god? The argument has gone on for decades, with the opposing sides feeling adamant about their stances. But there is no denying the similarities between the two.

When used in both situations, Allah is the personal name used for both the ancient moon god and the God of the Quran. When determining if there is a relationship, most refer to the worship rituals of both, which are incredibly similar.

The pagan Arabians worshipped their moon god by praying towards Mecca, which houses a meteorite, multiple times each day. They would also visit Mecca once each year and would walk around the meteorite multiple times during each visit. The exact same practices are followed today.

Another strong piece of evidence surrounds the month of Ramadan, which is a holy Muslim time that begins when a new crescent moon appears. Is it a coincidence that such a ceremony would revolve around the moon, the symbol of the moon god?

You’ll also find the crescent moon symbol in nearly every part of the Islamic religion, which is also known as the symbol of the Allah worshipped today.

But for those who argue against these revelations, the strongest contradictory element is that the word Allah is also used in the bible to refer to God. The term Allah has been used in many religions to refer to gods. We might never know how much, or if at all, the Allah of Islam is based on the pagan moon god but we can learn more by understanding the story of Mohammad, the main prophet of Islam.

Mohammed Solidifies Concept of One God

Mohammad was born in 570 AD. By 610 AD, he had become a prophet. Before Islam, the people worshipped their own high god, based on their tribe. The term Allah was used for this high god but when Mohammad founded Islam, he changed how people worshipped forever.

He traveled to Medina, where a moon god called Hubal was worshipped. Hubal was also known as Allah, and Mohammad decided that he would no longer be called Hubal. When Mohammad captured Mecca, he declared that Allah was not just a high god, but the only true God. He said that the angel Gabriel had told him through a vision that Allah was the supreme God and all others should no longer be worshipped, including the daughters of Allah. While many of the same worship traditions remained, there was only to be one God.

Many speculate that by Mohammed choosing such a popular god to promote, Islam was easily accepted. Should he have spoken of a lesser known or even an unknown god, Islam would certainly not have grown the way it has over the centuries.

Family

Allah the moon god was married to the sun goddess. They had three daughters, the goddesses Allat, Al-Uzza, and Manat. The daughters were viewed as high gods, along with their mother, and were worshipped at the Kabah. They were believed to serve as messengers between the people and the moon god.

Appearance

It is impossible to know what Allah looks like. In fact, it is not recommended to try and depict him in artistic representations. It is accepted that his form is not human and that all languages are incapable of describing him.

Symbology

The main symbol of Allah, both today’s and the moon god, is the crescent moon. It is the main symbol of Islam and can be found on flags and on top of mosques. You’ll also notice it on hats, rugs, and jewelry. This is one of the strongest pieces of evidence suggesting that the modern Allah is strongly linked to the ancient moon god.

Allah