Daughters of Allah

Islam is one of the main monotheistic religions existing today. Through archaeological findings it is proven that Islamic believers did worship many gods before and gradually attained its monotheism. The period where on which the existence of multiple gods was acknowledge is called the “pre-Islamic period”.

Apparently, the pre-Islamic Meccans have worshiped about 360 different deities. Of the many one of the most prominent triads is the “Mecca's three chief goddesses”. They are Manat, Al-lat and Al-Uzzá. The three goddesses are believed to be sisters, each representing a distinct personality and purpose.

The three goddesses represent different stages of womanhood which are Maiden, Mother and Crone. They are also associated with roles linked to the lunar cycle, fertility and death. As for most sources the three goddesses are believed to be the daughters of Allah. So they are sometimes referred to as the daughters of Allah. They were believed to play the intermediate role between Allah and humans.

Al-Uzza

Of the three goddesses the one that represents the maiden is Al-Uzza. She is venerated as the goddess of war, protection, justice, and healing.

In most cases including her sisters, the idol of a deity is carved from a rock. But interestingly, the idol of the goddess is considered to be three trees in a sanctuary in a valley on the road to Mecca. She is believed to manifest these trees.

The goddess is associated with the stars, and the planet Venus is said to be the place her palace is at. Because of her healing powers, it was practiced that the wealthy would offer golden statues for the goddess when their children get sick, especially if they are terminally ill. Because of her association of the planet Venus and youth Al-Uzza is sometimes associated with the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Other sources connect her with Athena, the Greek virgin goddess of war.

Because of her adventurous nature the goddess is also considered to protect and guide ships. She is often called upon before going on a voyage. In the sea, the goddess is believed to take the form of a dolphin. The site of a dolphin on a voyage is considered sacred, and a sign the goddess is protecting the sailors.

The Jewish and Christian beliefs claim the goddess to be the fallen angel “Samyaza”, because Samyaza as well, is sometimes identified by the name Uzza.

Al-lat

The other goddess in the triad is Al-lat. Al-lat represents motherhood and is closely associated with Al-Uzza. Sometimes the two goddesses are even viewed as the same deity.

Because of her association with fertility Al-lat is sometimes related to Demeter. Al-lat is mostly considered a moon goddess but there are times the goddess is associated with the sun. Al-lat is also considered the goddess of fertility and love. The Greek historian Herodotus considered Al-lat to be the equivalent of Aphrodite.

Just as Allah has the meaning “the god”, Al-lat is said to have the meaning “the goddess”. So sometimes she is viewed as the consort of Allah. She is considered the mother of all deities in the pantheon. Al-lat was used as a title for the goddess Asherah who is the wife of the Semitic deity El.

The area around the goddess’s shrine is considered sacred. No tree was allowed to be cut down, no animal was allowed to hunt, and no human blood is allowed to shed.

Followers sort Al-lat’s blessing for good weather and crops, for protection against enemies, and to seek vengeance. She is also sometimes regarded as the protector of the deceased who is in the underworld.

The most frequently associated animal with the goddess is the lion. Just like the lion, the goddess is fierce and would protect her followers. Often a statue of a lion could be seen at the entrance to Al-lat's temple. Others claim that the lion is the consort of the goddess who protects her from danger. It is her consort who stands at the entrance to protect his wife.

The idol of the goddess is made out of white rock. The majority of the worshipers of the goddess is women. They appear naked before the goddess and circle around the sacred rock as they perform the ritual. If the ritual is performed correctly, all wishes would be granted by the goddess.

Manat

Manat was the eldest and the original of the three sisters. She is associated with fate, fortune, time, and destiny. Of the three womanhood Manat represents the crone. Given her old age Manat was also very possibly a deity among the most ancient of the Semitic pantheon as well. The goddess is believed to have the power to change the fate of an individual to the worst if one displeases her. so ancient Meccans practiced to swore oaths on her name and considered them to be the sincerest because they didn’t want to anger the goddess by dishonouring her.

Manat is often portrayed as an old woman holding the cup of death and is associated with the waning moon. She is believed to watch over the dead and over their graves. Inscriptions were found in graves cursing in the name of Manat if anyone is buried in someone else’s resting place. She is also called upon at funerals to look over the dead person.

The pre-Islamic Arabians worshiped the goddess extensively and they considered a pilgrimage incomplete if they didn’t visit the temple of Manat. They would shave their head and stand in front of Manat’s idol.

The goddess can also be seen associated with fire. The goddess would burn the fate of a person in her fire if they dishonour her. Being the oldest goddess, Manat is considered the wisest of the three and was believed to know the secrets of life and death.

As for the legends when 20 horsemen rode to destroy the temple of Manat, a beautiful black woman appeared before them to seduce them. It is said the intention of the woman was to distract the men from destroying the temple of Manat. But the horsemen didn’t give into their temptation and killed the woman and then destroyed the temple.

Influence of Other Ethnicities

There is uncertainty as to which goddess represents which aspect, since it seems as if multiple deities represent the same attribute of life. The lack of historical records is the main reason for this contradiction. Most of the written texts found on the three goddesses are done by authors who belonged to other ethnic groups who conquered the lands of the worshipers of the three goddesses. So it is difficult to assume the information given in these texts to be credible since they often seem to emphasize the goddesses as evil. In later texts the three goddesses are associated with witchcraft. This is mostly supported by the fact that the three goddesses are associated with the moon.

The spread of Islam is largely responsible for the demolition of the temples and sacred sanctuaries made to worship the goddesses. At one time, the prophet Mohammad himself advice his followers to worship the daughters of Allah. But later, Mohammad claims that he was under the influence of the Satan at the time, and it is Satan who made him say it. This claim he describes as the Satanic verse. He proclaimed that Allah is the one true god.

Then on his command, all temples and sanctuaries made for other deities were destroyed, especially the ones built for the daughters of Allah. Because of this, the stories related to these deities are long forgotten and there are only ruins that suggest the existence of these deities.