Manah

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According to the Book of Idols (Kitab Al-Asnam) by Hisham Ibn Al-Kalbi, Manah was the goddess of fate, the oldest of the three daughters of Hubal, the moon-god worshipped at the Kaaba in Mecca (Makkah), in pre-Islamic Arabia. Manah is the "third idol" mentioned in the Qur'an (sura 53:20).

"The most ancient of all these idols was Manah. The Arabs used to name [their children] 'Abd-Manah and Zayd-Manah. Manah was erected on the seashore in the vicinity of al-Mushallal in Qudayd, between Medina and Mecca. All the Arabs used to venerate her and sacrifice before her. [In particular] the Aws and the Khazraj,[South Arabian tribes, who were allies of Muhammad] as well as the inhabitants of Medina and Mecca and their vicinities, used to venerate Manah, sacrifice before her, and bring unto her their offerings

An informant from the Quraysh, revealed that the Aws and the Khazraj,

"as well as those Arabs among the people of Yathrib and other places who took to their way of life, were wont to go on pilgrimage and observe the vigil at all the appointed places, but not shave their heads. At the end of the pilgrimage, however, when they were about to return home, they would set out to the place where Manah stood, shave their heads, and stay there a while. They did not consider their pilgrimage completed until they visited Manah. Because of this veneration of Manah by the Awa and the Khazraj, 'Abd-al-'Uzza ibn-Wadi'ah al-Muzani, or some other Arab, said:

"An oath, truthful and just, I swore

By Manah, at the sacred place of the Khazraj.".

The three daughters of Hubal, al-Lat ("the Goddess), Uzza and Manah are three aspects of the Triple Goddess

In the eighth year of the Hijrah (629-630 CE), the year in which God accorded him the victory [at Mecca], the Book of Idols records, "When he was at a distance of four or five nights from Medina, he dispatched 'Ali to destroy her. 'Ali demolished her, took away all her [treasures], and carried them back to the Prophet. Among the treasures which 'Ali carried away were two swords which had been presented to [Manah] by al-Harith ibn-abi-Shamir al-Ghassani, the king of Ghassan. The one sword was called Mikhdham and the other Rasub."

External links

• Book of the Idols