Allah as a lunar deity

Anti-Islamic pseudohistorical claim The claim that Allah (the name of God in Islam ) historically originates as a moon deity worshipped in pre-Islamic Arabia originates in early 20th-century scholarship, most prominently advocated by American evangelicals from the 1990s. The idea was proposed by archeologist Hugo Winckler in 1901. It was widely propagated in the United States in the 1990s, first via the publication of Robert Morey 's pamphlet The Moon-god Allah: In Archeology of the Middle East (1994), eventually followed by his book The Islamic Invasion: Confronting The World's Fastest-Growing Religion (2001). Morey's ideas were popularised by cartoonist and publisher Jack Chick , who drew a fictionalised cartoon story entitled "Allah Had No Son" in 1994. Morey argues that " Allah " was the name of a moon god in pre-Islamic Arabic mythology , the implication being that "Allah" as the term for God in Islam implies that Muslims worship a different deity than the Judeo-Christian one. The use of a lunar calendar and the prevalence of crescent moon imagery in Islam is said by some to be the origin of this hypothesis. Joseph Lumbard , a professor of classical Islam, has stated that the idea is "not only an insult to Muslims but also an insult to Arab Christians who use the name 'Allah' for God." The Quran itself condemns moon worship. Chapter 41 verse 37 of the Quran, titled Fussilat (Explained In Detail) reads: And of His signs are the night and day and the sun and moon. Do not prostrate to the sun or to the moon, but prostrate to Allah, who created them, if it should be Him that you worship.

Fringe historical claim related to the origins of Islam Minarets of Kul Sharif Mosque in the Kazan Kremlin , Russia Allah as a Lunar deity refers to a historical postulation, now debunked, that " Allah " (the name of God in Islam ) originated as a moon god . The claim first arose in 1901 in the scholarship of archeologist Hugo Winckler , who identified the name Allah with a pre-Islamic Arabian deity known as Lah or Hubal , which he called a lunar deity . The general idea was widely propagated in the United States in the 1990s by Christian apologists , first via the publication of Robert Morey 's pamphlet The Moon-god Allah: In Archeology of the Middle East (1994), eventually followed by his book The Islamic Invasion: Confronting the World's Fastest-Growing Religion (2001). Morey argued, slightly differently, that "Allah" was the name of a moon goddess in pre-Islamic Arabic mythology . Islam's use of a lunar calendar and the prevalence of crescent moon imagery in Islam have also been used to support the notion. Both iterations of the theory have been dismissed by modern scholars as entirely unevidenced. The ongoing propagation of the theory is regarded as an insult both to Muslims and to Arab Christians , who likewise refer to God as "Allah". A History of Pagan Europe .

Fringe historical claim related to the origins of Islam This article is about a fringe theory. Statue from Tel Hazor , used by the Christian pastor Robert Morey to claim a link between Islam and lunar worship. Scholars identify it as Canaanite , likely representing a priest or king, with no connection to Allah. The theory that Allah ( God in Islam ) originated as a moon god began in 1901 with the archaeologist Hugo Winckler . He associated Allah with a pre-Islamic Arabian deity, either Lah or Hubal , whom he identified as lunar in nature. However, modern scholars have rejected this theory due to its speculative character and lack of archaeological or textual evidence from pre-Islamic Arabia. Hubal, a deity worshipped at the Kaaba before Islam, is often mentioned in these claims. Some suggest that Hubal originated from the Levant or Mesopotamia. Hitti posits that Hubal's name may derive from an Aramaic term for "spirit". In the 1990s, the idea was popularized in the United States by Christian apologists, especially Robert Morey , who argued in his works that "Allah" was originally a moon god, citing the Islamic lunar calendar and crescent imagery. However, scholars like Wilfred Cantwell Smith argue this view misinterprets the symbolism and lacks historical support. Smith emphasized that Allah has always been understood in Islam as a transcendent, monotheistic deity, distinct from tribal gods or natural phenomena. The presence of the lunar calendar and symbols in Islamic culture stems from cultural and practical use, not theological moon worship. Academics continue to reject the theory as unsubstantiated. The claim has also been criticized for being offensive to Muslims and Arab Christians , who also use the term "Allah" for God. Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land . The Bible as History in Pictures . History of the Arabs (10th ed.). The Cambridge History of Islam .