Manat and Uzza: False Black Goddesses of the Pagan Arabs

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الامين

The idols Uzza and Manat worshipped by the pagan Arabs were not merely lifeless images but personified as naked black women. It is mentioned that the most holy Prophet Muhammad sent his general Khalid bin Walid, the Sword of Allah, may Allah be pleased with him, to demolish Uzza:

بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلّى الله عليه وسلم حِينَ فَتَحَ مَكَّةَ خَالِدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ إِلَى الْعُزَّى لِيَهْدِمَهَا فَخَرَجَ فِي ثَلَاثِينَ فَارِسًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ حَتَّى انْتَهَوْا إِلَيْهَا فَهَدَمَهَا ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلّى الله عليه وسلم فَأَخْبَرَهُ فَقَالَ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ شَيْئًا قَالَ لَا قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ لَمْ تَهْدِمْهَا ‌فَارْجِعْ ‌إِلَيْهَا ‌فَاهْدِمْهَا فَرَجَعَ خَالِدٌ وَهُوَ مُتَغَيِّظٌ فَجَرَّدَ سَيْفَهُ فَخَرَجَتْ إِلَيْهِ امْرَأَةٌ عُرْيَانَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ نَاشِرَةُ الرَّأْسِ فَجَعَلَ السَّادِنَ يَصِيحُ بِهَا فَضَرَبَهَا خَالِدٌ فَجَزَلَهَا بِاثْنَتَيْنِ وَرَجَعَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلّى الله عليه وسلم فَأَخْبَرَهُ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ تِلْكَ الْعُزَّى وَقَدْ يَئِسَتْ أَنْ تُعْبَدَ بِبِلَادِكُمْ أَبَدًا وَكَانَتْ بِنَخْلَةَ وَكَانَتْ لِقُرَيْشٍ وَجَمِيعِ بَنِي كِنَانَةَ وَكَانَتْ أَعْظَمَ أَصْنَامِهِمْ وَكَانَ سَدَنَتَهَا بَنُو شَيْبَانَ مِنْ بَنِي سُلَيْمٍ

The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) sent Khalid bin Walid at the time of the liberation of Mecca to Uzza to demolish it. So he went with thirty cavalrymen from among his companions until they reached it and destroyed it, then returned to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) and informed him. He [Messenger of God] asked: “Did you see anything?” He [Khalid] answered: “No”. He [Messenger of God] said: “Indeed you have not destroyed it, so return to it and destroy it”. So Khalid returned, and he was angry, drawing his sword, and behold a naked, black woman came out with dishevelled hair, whom Khalid struck and cut into two, then returned to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) and informed him, who said: “Yes, that was Uzza, despaired of ever being worshipped again in your country” (Tabaqat al-Kubra, v.2 p.111)

Likewise, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) sent Sa’d bin Zaid al-Ashhali (may Allah be pleased with him) to demolish Manat on the occasion of the liberation of Mecca:

بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلّى الله عليه وسلم حِينَ فَتَحَ مَكَّةَ سَعْدَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ الْأَشْهَلَيَّ إِلَى مَنَاةَ وَكَانَتْ بِالْمُشَلَّلِ لِلْأَوْسِ وَالْخَزْرَجِ وَغَسَّانَ فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمَ الْفَتْحِ بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلّى الله عليه وسلم سَعْدَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ الْأَشْهَلِيَّ يَهْدِمُهَا فَخَرَجَ فِي عِشْرِينَ فَارِسًا حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَيْهَا وَعَلَيْهَا سَادِنٌ فَقَالَ السَّادِنُ مَا تُرِيدُ قَالَ هَدْمَ مَنَاةَ قَالَ أَنْتَ وَذَاكَ فَأَقْبَلَ سَعْدٌ يَمْشِي إِلَيْهَا وَتَخْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ امْرَأَةٌ عُرْيَانَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ ثَائِرَةُ الرَّأْسِ تَدْعُو بِالْوَيْلِ وَتَضْرِبُ صَدْرَهَا فَقَالَ السَّادِنُ مَنَاةُ دُونَكَ بَعْضَ غَضَبَاتِكِ وَيَضْرِبُهَا سَعْدُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ الْأَشْهَلَيُّ وَقَتَلَهَا وَيُقْبِلُ إِلَى الصَّنَمِ مَعَهُ أَصْحَابُهُ فَهَدَمُوهُ وَلَمْ يَجِدُوا فِي خَزَانَتِهَا شَيْئًا وَانْصَرَفَ رَاجِعًا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلّى الله عليه وسلم وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ لِسِتٍّ بَقِينَ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ

When Sa’d bin Zaid al-Ashhali reached the temple of Manat at al-Mushallal with twenty cavalrymen to demolish it he encountered a temple guard asking him what he intended to do. When he expressed his intention to demolish the shrine a naked, black woman with dishevelled hair came out wailing and beating her chest. Sa’d bin Zaid struck and killed her. He then destroyed the idol of Manat but did not find anything in its treasury (ibid, p.112)