The moon god
Many Muslim leaders oppose research into pre-Islamic Arabian religion. But Western scholars have done it for them. What they have found is quite a blow to Islam. In the last 100 years or so, archeologists have gained a pretty clear picture of what the religion of the Arabians was like before and during Muhammad’s lifetime.
Long before Muhammad was born, the Kaba was the home of 360 idols. One of these idols was the moon god. He was considered to be the most powerful of the gods of the Arabs. He had several names. He was often called “al ilah” or “the god.” The poets called him Allah. In fact, the Kaba was called, “The House of Allah” before Muhammad was born. This is because he was the chief god of the Kaba. The idols there were called the daughters of Allah and intercessors in pre-Islamic times. His symbol was a crescent moon. In fact the crescent moon has been found on all kinds of objects everywhere in the ancient world. The moon god cult was quite pervasive in ancient times.
Allah was a god that was especially worshipped by Muhammad’s Quaraysh tribe. The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Religion says, “The Quaraysh tribe to which Muhammad belonged to was devoted to Allah, but allowed worship of other gods in the Kaba until Muhammad removed them.” Muhammad’s father was named Abdallah meaning “The servant of Allah.” His uncle was named Obied-Allah.
Muhammad’s grandfather had vowed to sacrifice his son to Allah if he granted him protection from his enemies. When it came time to make good on his promise, he cast lots to see which son he should sacrifice. The lot fell on Abdallah, Muhammad’s father. As he prepared to slaughter him, people began to complain. After consulting a sorceress, it was decided that several camels could be sacrificed instead. From that time on, Abdallah was dedicated to Allah. When he grew up, he fathered Muhammad.
Hosting’s Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics says the following under the article Allah:
“Muhammad found the Meccans believing in a supreme God whom they called Allah …Muhammad’s reform was to assert the solitary existence of Allah. The first article of the Muslim creed, therefore, – La ilaha illa-llahu — means only as addressed by him to the Meccans, ‘there exists no God except the one whom you already called Allah.”