Combating Islam

Islam: A Repackaged Paganism?

A Historical Analysis

Introduction

The claim that Islam is a monotheistic repackaging of pre-Islamic Arabian polytheism has been debated by historians, theologians, and scholars. The argument suggests that Muhammad did not create a new religion but reformed existing Arabian paganism, choosing one deity from many and rejecting all others.

This article examines:

Pre-Islamic Arabian Religion – The polytheistic beliefs of Muhammad’s time.
The Role of Hubal and Allah – Was Allah originally a pagan moon god?
Muhammad’s Religious Reforms – Did he create a new faith or modify an old one?
Pagan Rituals and Symbols in Islam – The Kaaba, Hajj, and Crescent Moon.
Comparisons to Other Religious Reforms – Pharaoh Akhenaten’s monotheism.
Conclusion: Is Islam a Continuation of Paganism?

1. Pre-Islamic Arabian Religion: A Polytheistic Background

Before Islam, Arabia was dominated by polytheism, with Mecca as its religious center.

Key Features of Pre-Islamic Religion:

The Kaaba housed 360 deities, each representing different tribes and aspects of nature.
The supreme deity was "Allah" (The God), but he was considered remote and unknowable, with lesser gods acting as intermediaries.
Three goddesses, Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, and Manat, were called "the daughters of Allah."
Hubal, a god of divination, was the primary deity of the Quraysh tribe, Muhammad’s own clan.

👉 Did Muhammad grow up in a polytheistic environment?
Yes. He participated in the pagan religious system before claiming revelation.

2. The Role of Hubal and Allah: Was Allah a Moon God?

One of the most debated topics is whether Allah was originally a moon god.

Evidence Supporting the Moon God Theory:

Hubal, a major deity in Mecca, was associated with the moon.
"Allah" (meaning "The God") was a title, not a personal name. The same term was used for supreme deities in various Arabian tribes.
Crescent moon symbols were commonly associated with pre-Islamic Arabian gods.
The Quran contains oaths by the moon (Surah 74:32-35, 84:16-19), an unusual feature for a strictly monotheistic text.

Counterarguments:

Allah was distinct from Hubal. While both were worshiped in Mecca, they were separate entities in pre-Islamic religion.
The Quran explicitly rejects celestial worship (Surah 41:37).
The crescent moon symbol was adopted later, not during Muhammad’s time.

👉 Was Allah originally a moon god?
There is circumstantial evidence of lunar associations, but it is not definitive that Allah was explicitly a moon deity.

3. Muhammad’s Religious Reforms: From Polytheism to Monotheism

Did Muhammad create a brand-new religion, or did he modify pre-Islamic Arabian beliefs into monotheism?

The Reformation Theory:

Muhammad was influenced by monotheistic Christians and Jews in Arabia.
He rejected all deities except "Allah", the supreme god of the Kaaba.
Instead of abolishing Arabian traditions, he redefined them within a monotheistic framework.
Islam retained many pre-Islamic customs, such as:
- Pilgrimage (Hajj) to the Kaaba
- Circling the Kaaba (Tawaf)
- Fasting during Ramadan
- Using crescent moon imagery

👉 Was Muhammad creating a new faith or just reforming an old one?
It seems more likely that he was reforming existing Arabian religious traditions rather than inventing a completely new belief system.

4. Pagan Rituals and Symbols in Islam

The Kaaba:

The Kaaba was a pagan temple before Islam, containing idols of multiple gods.
After Muhammad’s conquest of Mecca, he removed the idols but kept the Kaaba itself as the holiest site in Islam.
Muslims continue to circle the Kaaba seven times, a pre-Islamic pagan custom.

The Hajj (Pilgrimage):

Pagan Arabs performed pilgrimage rituals long before Islam.
The stoning of the devil (Ramy al-Jamarat) and running between Safa and Marwa were pagan traditions.
Muhammad preserved these customs but redefined them within Islam.

The Crescent Moon Symbol:

The crescent moon was not an Islamic symbol originally but was later adopted by Muslim empires.
It was commonly used in Arabian and Mesopotamian pagan religions.

👉 Did Muhammad eliminate pagan rituals?
No. He kept many of them, giving them monotheistic meanings instead.

5. Comparisons to Pharaoh Akhenaten’s Monotheism

Muhammad’s religious reform is strikingly similar to Pharaoh Akhenaten’s monotheism in Egypt (1379 BC).

Key Similarities:

Akhenaten (Egypt)	Muhammad (Arabia)
Abolished all gods except one (Aten, the sun god).	Abolished all gods except one (Allah).
Rebranded existing religious symbols to fit monotheism.	Rebranded existing pagan customs into Islam.
Destroyed pagan temples and idols but kept elements of their worship.	Destroyed pagan idols but kept the Kaaba and pilgrimage traditions.
His monotheism was met with resistance from traditional priests.	His monotheism was opposed by Quraysh pagans.

👉 Does Islam follow the same pattern as Akhenaten’s reform?
Yes. Both leaders took an existing polytheistic system and restructured it into monotheism.

6. Conclusion: Is Islam a Repackaged Paganism?

Key Takeaways:

Claim	Evidence	Verdict
Islam has roots in pre-Islamic Arabian paganism.	Many Islamic rituals predate Muhammad.	✅ True
Allah was originally a moon god.	No direct evidence, but circumstantial links exist.	⚠️ Possible but unproven
Muhammad borrowed from Jewish and Christian monotheism.	He was influenced by monotheists in Arabia.	✅ True
Islam eliminated all pagan traditions.	Many pagan rituals (Hajj, Kaaba, crescent moon) remain.	❌ False
Islam is pure monotheism with no pagan influence.	Historical evidence shows monotheism emerged from pre-Islamic traditions.	❌ False

Final Verdict:

👉 Islam is best understood as a "reformation" rather than a "new revelation."

Muhammad did not invent monotheism; he modified Arabian paganism into monotheism.
The Kaaba, Hajj, and rituals were not innovations but continuations of pre-Islamic customs.
Islam’s crescent moon symbol and oaths by the moon hint at pagan lunar associations.

💡 Conclusion: Islam is not pure monotheism in its origins but a repackaged form of Arabian paganism, influenced by Jewish and Christian monotheism.