Tag: paganism

  • Muslims and Diana, Goddess of the Hunt

    Here’s a classic article to demonstrate the ignorance of Muslims today. The article discusses one of my pet peeves, which is the adoption of the moon and star as symbols of Islam. It confirms my previous statements about its unsavoury origins and also confirms that it is directly adopted from Diana, goddess of the hunt. 

    Here’s the part that proves the ignorance I’m talking about. Further down the page, after the facts are presented around the origins of these symbols in Islam, and after confirming the use of flags and no symbols during the time of Rasulullah (SAW) and many centuries thereafter, they provide a poll to allow people to vote for their preferred symbol of Islam. 

    The results indicate an overwhelming majority still selecting the symbol of Diana as the symbol of Islam. This is just sad.

    To further demonstrate how far gone we are, take a look at the live video feed from Makkah during the prayer times, especially Taraweeh. Notice the people that walk nonchalantly through the rows of people praying without any concern at all. Notice how many are walking between Saffa and Marwa as part of their Umrah, and instead of focusing on the deed at hand, they’re jumping up and down with cell phones in their hands waving at the fixed cameras mounted along the route. 

    I guess it’s not as bad as the guy I saw having a good old chat on his cell phone while making tawaaf in his designer sunglasses at night, but it’s still quite disturbing.

    Sorry for the rant, but it’s disheartening to see Muslims behave this way, and then we wonder why we’re trodden over throughout the world? Why we can’t even take care of our own in our own back yard? Why we’re constantly reaching out to the UN and US to assist us instead of turning to Allah and rectifying our ways? We’ve lost the plot. But one thing that’s never in short supply is our criticism of each other’s performance of the rituals of Islam, because that is all we have the intellectual capacity to focus on. 

    We’re as pretentiously pious as the non-Muslims are materialistically distracted. 

  • Moderation of Purpose

    On my way home from work today I was stuck in traffic for much longer than anticipated. It seemed certain that I would miss Asr salaah if I stayed on my route, so I took a detour and stopped at a mosque along the way. The mosque was embellished with the moon and star symbol which left me mildly ambivalent about entering. However, given my recent realisation as described in a previous post I proceeded without paying much attention to the voices in my head trying to dissuade me from going in.

    I’m quite settled with the fact that there is more blatant and sincere worship of Allah in that mosque than any inclination towards the paganism suggested by that symbol. I was reminded about the many arguments and debates I’ve had around this issue and the recurring thought that the intrinsic value of the symbol is lost to Muslims. All that did was allay my concerns about performing salaah in that mosque. It didn’t alter my views about the symbol and its inappropriateness in Islam.

    Another comforting sight was the 99 names of Allah and the numerous Qur’anic verses inscribed on the walls around the inside of the mosque. That was reassurance that the structure was indeed built to praise and worship Allah. But the presence of that symbol still troubled me knowing that I stood below it, and was further reminded of it because of its inclusion in the design of the prayer mat laid out for the imam.

    But I managed to perform my Asr on time, Alhamdulillah, and I stayed for Maghrib with congregation as well. Perhaps this is the beginning of the moderation that I sought to achieve in this matter, even though there is still a strong urge within me to want to speak out against that horrid symbol to anyone that will listen. Perhaps that day will still come, Insha-Allah. Building better ties of unity with the community will hopefully make them more receptive to what I want to share with them when the time is right, Insha-Allah.

  • Moon and Star (Part I)

    Look at the below image, then read the prayer that follows…consider it for a while, visualise it in your head, and then answer the questions that follow:

    Diana, goddess of the Hunt

    Prayer To Diana

    Lovely Goddess of the bow!
    Lovely Goddess of the arrows!
    Of all hounds and of all hunting
    Thou who wakest in starry heaven
    When the sun is sunk in slumber
    Thou with moon upon they forehead,
    Who the chase by night preferrest
    Unto hunting in the daylight,
    With thy nymphs unto the music
    Of the horn-thyself the huntress,
    And most powerful: I pray thee
    Think, although but for an instant,
    Upon us who pray unto thee!

    1. Would you, as a Muslim, pray to this woman for your needs?
    2. Would you bow to her, at her feet, or perhaps rest your forehead on her hands in worship?
    3. From a different perspective, would you perform your salaah in a church that is still decorated with statues and crucifixes?

    If you answered ‘No’ to all the above, and I pray that you did, then why are we so complacent about praying in a masjid that has the very same symbol of this same woman proudly placed at the top of the dome and minaret, incorporated into the logos and letterheads, embellished in sand blasted designs on the glass doors and windows, and intricately woven into the designs of our musallahs/carpets? 

    There is no doubt about the origins of the moon and star in Islam. It has no place. Period! It was never used during the time of the noble prophet (SAW), nor was it used for hundreds of years after his demise. It was first used by the Ottoman army after their conquering of the city of Constantinople and it was adopted as a symbol of the army, along with the star of King Richard who was celebrated in Constantinople before the Muslims took control. 

    Before the 14th century, the crescent and star does not seem to have been associated with Islam at all, and appears in Christian iconography.[20] [21] ~ Wikipedia

    Another article worth quoting states:

    Incidentally, the ‘Golden Age of Islam’ that we all reminisce so passionately about came to a close about the mid-l5th century with the fall of Spain and the invasion of the Mongols. This was about the same time that ‘the star and crescent’ started to be hoisted up as the banner or representation of Muslims. We’ve never been able to regain that greatness again. Coincidence? ~ Rafael Narbaez Jr.

    Yet, we now have this most despicable of symbols embellishing the minarets of the most sacred sites of Islam, namely the Harams, and we have ignorant Muslims from around the world using pictures of these designs as justification for the installation of these same pagan symbols on mosques that are being built today. And during all of this, our impotent Ulama are saying that they agree that it has no place in Islam, but that they would prefer to deal with the matter subtly so as not to upset the community!

    So I ask you again, would you bow down before a cross, or a statue of Mary or Jesus?

    Then why do you bow down before a pagan goddess? Or do you believe that in this case intention outweighs practice?