At a glance
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
In time
Overview
Amr ibn Luhayy's bringing idols into Mecca and setting Hubal at the Ka'ba's core — the first chapter in the history of idolatry in the peninsula after Ishmael's era.
The story
Ibn Ishaq says: the first to introduce idols was Amr ibn Luhayy; he saw the people of al-Balqa' venerating idols, so he carried Hubal to Mecca and commanded the people to worship and venerate it, until the practice spread and every subtribe had an idol 1.
The people of old had been on the religion of Abraham and Ishmael; when they spread out from Mecca and the place grew too small for them, everyone who departed took a stone of the sanctuary's stones with him in veneration — until worship of idols and stones took their place 2.
For young visitors
After Ishmael's time the people forgot monotheism little by little; they carried the sanctuary's stones with them on journeys, then worshipped them — until Amr ibn Luhayy brought the great idols.
People and things also explored
The abjad letters named for Madyan's kings· Intellectual invasion (al-ghazw al-fikri) in the Sheikh's view· Islamic management· Media and the responsibility of its producers· al-Anwāʾ (Star Rains)· Jahiliyya names of days and months· The ill-omened days· Divining Arrows
Sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari
- Sahih Muslim
- al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Introduction of Idols to Mecca”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/introduction-of-idolatry-to-mecca/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-12.