Combating Islam

Was Allah Originally a Moon God?

Examining the Evidence for Hubal and the Origins of Islam

Introduction

The claim that Allah was originally a moon god is a controversial but significant historical topic. Some researchers argue that Islam evolved from pre-Islamic Arabian paganism, where a moon god named Hubal was worshipped at the Kaaba in Mecca. This article examines the historical, archaeological, and scriptural evidence to determine whether Allah was originally a moon deity, or if this claim is a misinterpretation of history.

1. Who Was Hubal?

A Pre-Islamic Deity of Mecca

Hubal was one of the most important deities worshipped in the Arabian Peninsula before Islam.
He was considered the chief god of the Quraysh tribe, who controlled Mecca and the Kaaba before Muhammad’s time.
Hubal's idol stood inside the Kaaba, and it was the most revered idol before Muhammad’s conquest of Mecca in 630 AD.

The Connection to the Moon

Hubal was associated with divination and fate, often consulted by casting arrows.
Some sources suggest he had links to lunar worship, though direct evidence that he was a "moon god" is scarce.
The pagan Quraysh tribe revered the moon as part of their religious system, which may have influenced later Islamic symbols.

👉 Was Hubal a Moon God?
There is no definitive historical proof that Hubal was explicitly a "moon god," but he was certainly part of the polytheistic pantheon that dominated Mecca before Islam.

2. The Kaaba and Pagan Moon Worship

The Kaaba (the cube-shaped shrine in Mecca) was originally a pagan temple housing multiple idols, including Hubal.

The Quraysh tribe believed the Kaaba was a sacred place, but before Islam, it housed 360 idols, representing various deities.
Among these deities were celestial gods, including gods related to the sun, stars, and the moon.
The crescent moon symbol, which later became Islam’s emblem, was commonly used in Arabian paganism.

👉 Was the Kaaba originally a shrine to a Moon God?
Possibly. The Kaaba pre-existed Islam, and pre-Islamic Arab pagans worshipped deities linked to celestial bodies.

3. The Name "Allah" and Its Pagan Origins

The name "Allah" predates Islam and was used by Arab pagans before Muhammad.

The term "Allah" is derived from "Al-Ilah", which means "The God" in Arabic.
Before Islam, "Allah" was already recognized by the Quraysh as a high god, possibly even the chief deity of their pantheon.
This suggests Muhammad did not introduce a new name for God, but rather redefined the existing concept of Allah as the sole deity.

👉 Was Allah a Moon God?
The Quraysh worshipped Allah alongside other gods, including Hubal. Some scholars argue that Allah may have originally been linked to moon worship before Muhammad redefined him as the only true God.

4. Evidence from Archaeology and Ancient Inscriptions

Archaeological evidence suggests moon worship was widespread in pre-Islamic Arabia.

Moon Worship in Arabia

Numerous artifacts and inscriptions from Yemen, South Arabia, and Mesopotamia link the crescent moon to Arabian deities.
South Arabian inscriptions refer to a moon god named "Sin", a major deity in ancient Mesopotamian religions.
Temples dedicated to moon gods have been found throughout Arabia, reinforcing the moon’s significance in pre-Islamic worship.

👉 Does this mean Allah was a moon god?
Not necessarily, but it does show that Arabian religious culture was deeply influenced by moon worship.

5. Islam’s Retention of Pagan Practices

Although Muhammad introduced monotheism, he retained many elements of pre-Islamic Arabian paganism.

Examples of Pagan Practices in Islam

The Hajj (Pilgrimage)
- The rituals of the Hajj—such as circling the Kaaba and running between Safa and Marwah—existed before Islam as pagan rites.
- Muhammad redefined these rituals within a monotheistic framework.
The Crescent Moon Symbol
- The crescent moon remains a dominant symbol of Islam, found on mosques and flags.
- It is the same symbol used in ancient Arabian paganism.
Fasting During Ramadan
- Ramadan was originally a pre-Islamic Arabian festival dedicated to the moon god.
- Islam kept the timing of Ramadan, but changed its meaning.

👉 Did Muhammad simply modify existing pagan traditions?
Yes. Instead of abolishing all pre-Islamic rituals, he "Islamized" many of them, adapting them into a monotheistic system.

6. Counterarguments from Muslim Scholars

Muslims reject the claim that Allah was a moon god. Their arguments include:

Allah is described in the Quran as the creator of the moon, not the moon itself.
There is no direct evidence linking Allah to a specific moon god before Islam.
The crescent moon symbol was only adopted by Islam centuries later, under the Ottoman Empire.

👉 Is there any truth to the Muslim counterargument?
Yes, Islam does not officially promote moon worship. However, the pre-Islamic history of Arabian religion strongly suggests Islam retained moon-related traditions.

7. Conclusion: Was Allah Originally a Moon God?

Final Assessment of the Evidence

Claim	Evidence	Verdict
Allah was a pre-Islamic deity before Muhammad	Pre-Islamic Arabs used "Allah" to refer to a high god.	✅ True
Hubal was a moon god worshipped at the Kaaba	Hubal was a central deity in Mecca, but evidence linking him specifically to the moon is weak.	❌ Uncertain
Islam retained elements of pre-Islamic paganism	The Hajj, crescent moon symbol, and Ramadan all have pre-Islamic origins.	✅ True
Allah was originally a moon god	No clear evidence directly links Allah to a specific moon deity, but Arabian religion was deeply influenced by moon worship.	❌ Unproven, but possible

Final Conclusion

Allah was not originally a "moon god" per se, but his worship was influenced by Arabian religious traditions that included moon worship.
Hubal was the chief god in pre-Islamic Mecca, but it is unclear if he was strictly a moon god.
Islam adapted many pagan Arabian traditions, including the crescent moon symbol and rituals at the Kaaba.

While modern Islam rejects paganism, its historical roots are deeply connected to the religious traditions of pre-Islamic Arabia, which included moon worship.