by them nicknamed the son of Abu Cabsha. The worship of this star is particularly hinted at in the Koran." Of the angels or intelligences which they worshipped, the Korân' makes mention only of three, which were worshipped under female names;' Allat, al Uzza, and Manah. These were by them called goddesses, and the daughters of God; an appellation they gave not only to the angels. but also to their images, which they either believed to be inspired with life by God, or else to become the tabernacles of the angels, and to be animated by them; and they gave them divine worship, because they imagined they interceded for them with God. Allât was the idol of the tribe of Thakif who dwelt at Tayef, and had a temple consecrated to her in a place called Nakhlah. The idol al Mogheirah destroyed by Mohammed's order, who sent him and Abu Sofiân on that commission in the ninth year of Hejra.' The inhabitants of Tayef, especially the women, bitterly lamented the loss of this their deity, which they were so fond of, that they begged Mohammed, as a condition of peace, that it might not be destroyed for three years, and not obtaining that, asked only a month's respite; but he absolutely denied it. There are several derivations of this word, which the curious may learn from Dr. Pocock. It seems most probably to be derived from the same root with Allah, to which it may be a feminine, and will then signify the goddess. Al Uzza, as some affirm, was the idol of the tribes of Koreish and Kenânah, and part of the tribes of Salim: others tell us it was a tree called the Egyptian thorn, or Acacia, worshiped by the tribe of Ghatfân, first consecrated by one Dhâlem, who built a chapel over it, called Boss, so contrived as to give a sound when any person entered. Khâled Ebn Walid being sent by Mohammed in the eighth year of the Hejra, to destroy this idol, demolished the chapel, and cutting down this tree or image, burnt it he also slew the priestess, who ran out with her hair dishevel led, and her hands on her head as a suppliant. Yet the author who relates this, in another place says, the chapel was pulled down, and Dhâlem himself killed by one Zohair, because he consecrated this chapel with design to draw the pilgrims thither from Mecca, and lessen the reputation of the Kaaba. The name of this deity is derived from the root azza, and signifies the most mighty. Manah was the object of worship of the tribes of Hodhail and Khozâah,' who dwelt between Mecca and Medina, and as some say,' of the tribes of Aws, Khazraj, and Thakîf also. This idol was a large stone, demolished by one Saad in the eighth year of the Hejra, a year so fatal to the idols of Arabia. The name seems to be derived from mana to flow, from the flowing of the blood of the victims sacrificed to the deity; whence the valley of Mina' near Mecca had also its name, where the pil grims at this day slay their sacrifices. Before we proceed to the other idols, let us take notice of five more, which, with the former three, are all that the Korân mentions by name, and they are Wadd, Sawâ, Yaghûth, Yäûk, and Nasr. These are said to have been antediluvian idols, which Noah preached against, and were afterwards • Ibid. • Ibid. 6 Poc. Spec. p. 132. T * Cap. 53. Dr. Prideaux mentions this expedition, but names only Abu Sofiân, and mistaking the name of the idol for an appellative, supposes he went only to disarm the Tayefiens of their weapons and instruments of war. See his life of Moham. p. 98. Al Jauhari, apud eund. p. 91. * Al Jauhari. Spec. p. 90. Firauzabâdi. ib. al Zamakhshari. Al Shahrestani, Abulfeda, Vit. Moham. p. 127. Al Shahrestani. ib. taken by the Arabs for gods, having been men of great merit and piety in their time, whose statutes they reverenced at first with a civil honour only, which, in process of time, became heightened to a divine worship.❜ Wadd was supposed to be the heaven, and was worshipped under the form of a man by the tribe of Calb in Daumat al Jandal.* Sawâ was adored under the shape of a woman, by the tribe of Hamadan, or, as others write, of Hodhail in Rohat. This idol, lying under water for some time after the deluge, was at length, it is said, discovered by the devil, and was worshipped by those of Hodhail, who instituted pil grimages to it." Yaghûth was an idol in the shape of a lion, and was the deity of the tribe of Madhaj and others who dwelt in Yaman. Its name seems to be derived from ghatha, which signifies to help. Yäûk was worshipped by the tribe of Morâd, or according to others, by that of Hamadan, under the figure of a horse. It is said he was a man of great piety, and his death much regretted; whereupon the devil appeared to his friends in a human form, and undertaking to represent him to the life, persuaded them, by way of comfort, to place his effigies in their temples, that they might have it in view when at their devotions. This was done, and seven others of extraordinary merit had the same honours shown them, till at length their posterity made idols of them in earnest. The name Yäûk probably comes from the verb âka, to prevent or avert,1 Nasr was a deity adored by the tribe of Hamyar, or at Dhû'l Kalaah, in their territories, under the image of an eagle, which the name signifies. There are, or were, two statues at Bamiyan, a city of Cabul in the Indies, fifty cubits high, which some writers suppose to be the same with Yaghûth and Yäûk, or else with Manah and Allât; and they also speak of a third standing near the others, but something less, in the shape of an old woman, called Nesrem or Nesr. These statues were hollow within, for the secret giving of oracles; but they seem to have been different from the Arabian idols. There was also an idol at Sûmenat in the Indies, called Lât or al Lât, whose statue was fifty fathoms high, of a single stone, and placed in the midst of a temple supported by fifty-six pillars of massy gold: this idol Mahmûd Ebn Sebecteghin, who conquered that part of India, broke to pieces with his own hands.3 Besides the idols we have mentioned, the Arabs worshipped also great numbers of others, which would take up too much time to have distinct accounts given of them, and not being named in the Korân, are not so much to our present purpose: for besides that every housekeeper had his household god, or gods, which he last took leave of, and first saluted at his going abroad and returning home, there were no less than 360 idols," equalling in number the days of their year, in and about the Caaba of Mecca; the chief of whom was Hobal, brought from Belka in Syria, into Arabia, by Amru Ebn Lohai, pretending it would procure them rain when they wanted it. It was the statue of a man made of red agate, which having by some accident lost a hand, the Koreish repaired it with one of gold: he held in his hand seven arrows without heads or feathers, such as the Arabs used in divination. This idol is supposed to have been 4 • Al Jau. Korân, c. 71. Comment. Persic. Vide Hyde de rel. vet. Pers. p. 133. hari, al Shahrestani. Idem, al Firauzabâdi, and Safio'ddin. Al Firauzab. Shah. restani. Al Jauhari. Al Firauzabâdi. Poc. Spec. 94. See Hyde de rel vet. Pers. p. 132. 'D'Herbelot, Bibl. Orient. p. 512. Al Mostatraf. · Al Jan Aunited. Shahrest. &c. 'Poc. Spec. 95. nab • Safio'ddi:.. the same with the image of Abraham, found and destroyed by Mohammed in the Caaba, on his entering it, in the eighth year of the Hejra, when he took Mecca,' and surrounded with a great number of angels and prophets, as inferior deities; among whom, as some say, was Ismael with divining arrows in his hand also.2 Asâf and Nayelah, the former the image of a man, the latter of a woman, were also two idols brought with Hobal from Syria, and placed f one on mount Safâ, and the other on mount Merwa. They tell us Asâf was the son of Amru, and Nayelah the daughter of Sahâl, both of the tribe of Jorham, who committing whoredom together in the Caaba, were by God converted into stone, and afterwards worshipped by the Koreish, and so much reverenced by them, that though this superstition was condemned by Mohammed, yet he was forced to allow them to visit those mountains as monuments of divine justice. I shall mention but one idol more of this nation, and that was a lump of dough worshipped by the tribe of Hanîfa; who used it with more respect than the papists do theirs, presuming not to eat it till they were compelled to it by famine." Several of their idols, as Manah in particular, were no more than large rude stones, the worship of which the posterity of Ismael first introduced; for as they multiplied, and the territory of Mecca grew too strait for them, great numbers were obliged to seek new abodes; and on such migrations it was usual for them to take with them some of the stones of that reputed holy land, and set them up in the places where they fixed; and these stones they at first only compassed out of devotion, as they had accustomed to do the Caaba. But this at last ended in rank idolatry, the Ismaelites forgetting the religion left them by their father so far, as to pay divine worship to any fine stone they met with. Some of the pagan Arabs believed neither a creation past, nor a resurrection to come, attributing the origin of things to nature, and their dissolution to age. Others believed both; among whom were those, who when they died had their camel tied by their sepulchre, and so left without meat or drink to perish, and accompany them to the other world, lest they should be obliged, at the resurrection, to go on foot, which was reckoned very scandalous. Some believed a metempsychosis, and that of the blood near the dead person's brain, was formed a bird named Hâmah, which once in a hundred years visited the sepulchre; though others say, this bird is animated by the soul of him that is unjustly slain, and continually cries, "Oscûni, Oscûni," that is, "Give me to drink," meaning of the murderer's blood, till his death be revenged; and then it flies away. This was forbidden by Mohammed to be believed. I might here mention several superstitious rites and customs of the ancient Arabs, some of which were abolished, and others retained by Mohammed; but I apprehend it will be more convenient to take notice of them hereafter occasionally, as the negative or positive precepts of the Korân, forbidding or allowing such practices, shall be considered. Let us now turn our view from the idolatrous Arabs, to those among them, who had embraced more rational religions. The Persians had, by their vicinity and frequent intercourse with the Arabians, introduced the Magian religion among some of their tribes, par Abulfeda. Ebn al Athir. al Jannab. &c. Poc. Spec. 98. Poc. Spec. 97. Korân, cap. 2. Al Mostatraf, al Jauhari. Al Mostatraf. al Jannâbi. arag. p. 160. • Vide Poc. Spec. p. 135. ticularly that of Tamın, a long time before Mohammed, who was so far from being unacquainted with that religion, that he borrowed many of his own institutions from it, as will be observed in the progress of this work. I refer those who are desirous to have some notion of Magism to Dr. Hyde's curious account of it; a succinct abridgement of which may be read with much pleasure, in another learned performance.2 The Jews, who fled in great numbers into Arabia, from the fearful destruction of their country by the Romans, made proselytes of several tribes, those of Kenânah, al Hareth Ebn Caaba, and Kendah in particular, and in time became very powerful, and possessed of several towns and fortresses there. But the Jewish religion was not unknown to the Arabs, at least above a century before; Abu Carb Asad, taken notice of in the Korân, who was king of Yaman, about 700 years before Mohammed, is said to have introduced Judaism among the idolatrous Hamyarites. Some of his successors also embraced the same religion, one of whom, Yusef, surnamed Dhu Nowâs," was remarkable for his zeal, and terrible persecution of all who would not turn Jews, putting them to death by various tortures, the most common of which was throwing them into a glowing pit of fire, whence he had the opprobrious appellation of the "Lord of the pit." This persecution is also mentioned in the Korân. Christianity had likewise made a very great progress among this nation, before Mohammed. Whether St. Paul preached in any part of Arabia, properly so called,' is uncertain; but the persecutions and disorders which happened in the eastern church, soon after the beginning of the third century, obliged great numbers of Christians to seek for shelter in that country of liberty; who being for the most part of the Jacobite communion, that sect generally prevailed among the Arabs. The principal tribes that embraced Christianity were Hamyar, Ghâssan, Rabià, Taghlab, Barâ, Tonûch, part of the tribes of Tay and Kodâa, the inhabitants of Najrân, and the Arabs of Hira.' As to the two last, it may be observed, that those of Najran became Christians in the time of Dhu Nowâs, and very probably, if the story be true, were some of those who were converted on the following occasion, which happened about that time, or not long before. The Jews of Hamyar challenged some neighbouring Christians to a public disputation, which was held sub dio for three days, before the king and his nobility, and all the people; the disputants being Gregentius, bishop of Tephra (which I take to be Dhafâr) for the Christians, and Herbanus for the Jews. On the third day, Herbanus, to end the dispute, demanded that Jesus of Nazareth, if he were really living, and in heaven, and could hear the prayers of his worshippers, should appear from heaven in their sight, and they would then believe him; the Jews crying out with one voice, "Show us your Christ, alas, and we will become Christians." Whereupon, after a terrible storm of thunder and lightning, Jesus Christ appeared in the air, surrounded with rays of glory, walking on a purple cloud, having a sword in his hand, and an inestimable diadem on his head, and spake these words over the heads of the assembly-" Behold I appear to you in your sight, I, who was crucified by your fathers." After which the cloud received him from their sight. The Christians cried out," Kyrie eleeson,” Al Mostatraf. In his Hist. relig. vet. Persar. P. 149. "Dr. Prideaux's Connect. of the ⚫ Chap. 50. • See before See Gal. i. 17. Abulfarag Al Jannab. apud Poc. Spee that is, "Lord have mercy upon us!" but the Jews were stricken blind, and recovered not, till they were all baptized. 3 The Christians at Hira received a great accession by several tribes, who fled thither for refuge from the persecution of Dhu Nowâs. Al Nooman, surnamed Abu Kabûs, king of Hira, who was slain a few months before Mohammed's birth, professed himself a Christian on the following occasion. This prince, in a drunken fit, ordered two of his intimate companions, who, overcome with liquor, had fallen asleep, to be buried alive. When he came to himself, he was extremely concerned at what he had done, and to expiate his crime, not only raised a monument to the memory of his friends, but set apart two days, one of which he called the unfortunate, and the other the fortunate day; making it a perpetual rule to himself, that whoever met himn on the former day, should be slain, and his blood sprinkled on the monument, but he that met him on the other day should be dismissed in safety with magnificent gifts. On one of these unfortunate days, there came before him accidentally an Arab, of the tribe of Tay, who had once entertained this king, when fatigued with hunting, and separated from his attendants. The king, who could neither discharge him, contrary to the order of the day, nor put him to death, against the laws of hospitality, which the Arabians religiously observe, proposed, as an expedient, to give the unhappy man a year's respite, and to send him home with rich gifts, for the support of his family, on condition that he found a surety for his returning at the year's end, to suffer death. One of the prince's court, out of compassion, offered himself as his surety, and the Arab was dis charged. When the last day of the term came, and no news of the Arab, the king, not at all displeased to save his host's life, ordered the surety to prepare himself to die. Those who were by represented to the king that the day was not yet expired, and therefore he ought to have patience till the evening: but in the middle of their discourse, the Arab appeared. The king, admiring the man's generosity, in offering himself to certain death, which he might have avoided by letting his surety suffer, asked him, what was his motive for so doing? to which he answered, that he had been taught to act in that manner, by the religion he professed; and al Nooman demanding what religion that was, he replied the Christian. Whereupon the king, desiring to have the doctrines of Christianity explained to him, was baptized, he and his subjects; and not only pardoned the man and his surety, but abolished his barbarous custom. This prince, however, was not the first king of Hira who embraced Christianity; al Mondar, his grandfather, having also professed the same faith, and built large churches in his capital. Since Christianity had made so great a progress in Arabia, we may con sequently suppose they had bishops in several parts, for the more orderly governing of the churches. A bishop of Dhafar has been already named and we are told that Najrân was also a bishop's see. The Jacobites (of which sect we have observed the Arabs generally were) had two bishops of the Arabs subject to their Mafriân, or metropolitan of the east; one was called the bishop of the Arabs absolutely, whose seat was for the most part at Akula, which some authors make the same with Cûfa,' others a different town near Baghdâd. The other had the title of the Bishop of the Scenite Arabs, of the tribe of Thaalab in Hira, or Hirta, as the Syrians call it, whose seat was in that city. The Nestorians had but one bishop, who presided 3 Vide Gregentii disput. cum Herbano Judæo. Al Meidani and Ahmed Ebn Yusef, apud Poc. Spec. p. 72. Abulfeda ap. eund. p. 74. Safio'ddin pud Poc. Spec. p 137. Abulfarag. in Chron. Syriac, ES. Abulfeda in descr. lacæ. 7 |