Article: On the Problem of the Pre-Islamic Lord of the Ka'ba
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http//www.uib.no/jais/v002/pavlov.pdf
By Pavel Pavlovitch.
Qad kunna la na'budu 'llaha wa-la na'rifuhu. On the Problem of the Pre-Islamic Lord of the Ka'ba.http//www.uib.no/jais/v002cmt/pavcmt01.htm
COMMENTS/REPLIES on this article.Abstract This article deals with the problem of the pre-Islamic Lord
of the Ka'ba. An attempt is made to critically review the accepted theory that
Allah had been the main deity of this shrine long before Islam was revealed to
the Prophet Muhammad. The evidence of scripture and our other sources suggests
that the heathen Arabs may not have been particularly familiar with the notion
of Allah as the greatest deity reigning over a swarm of lesser idols. Deities
other than Allah were apparently greatly revered in the Ka'ba, and their role as
lords of the sanctuary cannot be easily discarded. As for the concept of Allah
as the main deity in the Ka'ba, the evidence seems to stem from the early
Islamic period, when the monotheistic notion of God prevailed and brought with
it a new understanding of history as a sequence of monotheistic prophecies
beginning with the very creation of the world. This concept appears to be mainly
responsible for the emergence of the belief that Allah was present in people's
faith from the days of Adam until the final reincarnation of His religion in
Muhammad's da'wa.##############
Just posting the above for information purposes. It is an analysis of the traditional perspective, along with comments/feedback. It also discusses idols apparently associated with the "Ka'ba" in "pre-Islamic" times.
