________________
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JANUARY, 1883.
to him, and frequent allusion is made to him in were within the Ka'ba, and others round about the Arabian historians. There is difference it. But De Percival renders the phrase, sur of statement as to the place whence the idol la Càba, an expression that can have but one was brought. Azråki says that Amrù imported meaning-the one given it by Sayyid Ahmad it from Hyt in Mesopotamia, Abu'l-Fida, how. Khân who records that this idol was placed on ever, tells us that it was brought from Balqa, the summit of the Kaaba.' 1* It seems a curious in the province of Damascus, in Syria.' Accor circumstance that the idol should have been ding to the Merácid-al-ittila, Balqa is situated placed in such a position; yet we learn on good between Damascus and Wadi-il-Kora; and is the authority that prior to its attaining the honour locality of the ancient Moabites, to the east of of supremacy among the idols of the Ka'ba, it Judæa, near the Dead Sea'. De Percival repassed through a term of probation, --standmarks that the name 'Balqa' recalls that ofing for a considerable period outside the Ka'ba, Balak, the son of Zippor, king of the Moabites.' patiently awaiting admission. 16 The informaAt the time of Amrû's visit, the district was tion of Dr. Crichton regarding this point seems occupied by Amalekites-viz., by the Bani rather 'mixed.' Speaking of the fate of Hubal Samaid å, or Bani Amila-al-Amalik.10 on the occasion of Muhammad's conquest of This man made a journey into Syria, and on his the city, he says, -Mounted on the shoulders return he passed by Ma'à b, the town of Moab of the Prophet, Ali pulled down the great idol or Areopolis, in the district of Balqa, where he of the Khozaites from the top of the Kaaba."6 saw the people worshipping images." He asked If it was on the outside of the Ka'ba at that the meaning and object of the homage thus time, it must have been degraded after its rendered, and was informed, -These are our promotion. Yet the statement of Muir is tantagods, formed in imitation of the celestial bodies; mount to the same thing: he speaks of Hubal and of human figures. When we ask of them as having been on that occasion 'in front of victory, they give it us ; when, in times of the Kaaba, as the tatelary deity of Mecca." drought, we ask for rain, they send it ; wealth, As the matter was "referred to the arrows of --they bestow it ; in danger they accord us Habal within the Kaaba,' and those arrows their succour. In short, all the prayers we were thrown in front of the image.--there address to them are heard and granted.' "How seems to be some oversight here. Sprenger, well," exclaims the learned Pocock, "does the who gets the information from Wâqidi, says, name of the idol, which may be derived from the that after the time of Qussai at least, this idol Hebrew 7 hevel, breath,' wind,' paffing,' stood behind the Ka'ba over a well." The
vanity,' suit such a figment as this ? " 'Amr, only well there in our day is Zamzam." Dr. however, was much rejoiced at this intelligence, Sprenger calls attention to a fact that is adand asked that one of the idols might be given verse to Abu'l-Fida's theory as to the Syrian to him. They gave him Hubal; and he carried origin of the idol. He notes that the inhabitants it away to Makka, and placed it in the Ka'ba. of Syria and Arabia Petræa had, long before the Such is the rendering given by Pocock to the time of Amrů, embraced the Christian religion.” expression 'ala' wahru'l-ka'ba, used by Shahras- It is not improbable that this particular idol tâni, which Pocock translates, Ad posteriorem was chosen by Amrû for the Ka'ba, for it was (seu exteriorem) Caabæ partem. He explains supposed to have the power of giving rain," that some writers relate that some of the images -the great desideratum of Arabia. The king
* Pocock, Specimen Historie Arabum, p. 82 (édn. Oxon. 1806)Osborn, Islam under the Arabs, p. 75; Syed Ahmed Khan, Historical Geography of Arabia, p. 54. • Burckhardt, Arabia, vol. I, p. 299.
Sale, Prel. Dinc. p. 14; Pocock, Specimen, p. 97. De Percival, Histoire des Arabes, tome 1, p. 394.
Numb. xxii. 10; Josh. xxiv. 9. 10 De Percival, Histoire des Arabes, tomo I, pp. 223, 224 ; Ibn Khaldun, fol. 12, 130; Osborn, Islom under the Arabs, p. 75.
"Pocock, Specimen, p. 97 ; De Percival, Histoire des Arabes, tome I, p. 224; Osborn, Islam under the Arabs, p. 75.
1 Pocock, Specimen, p. 97. 13 Pocock, Specimen, p. 97: Osborn, Islam under the Arabe, p. 75; Sprenger, Life of Mohammad, 57.
De Percival, Histoire des Arabes, tome I, p. 224; Syed Ahmed Khan, Customs of the pre-Islamic Arabians, p. 12, and his Historical Geography of Arabia, p. 54.
15 Arnold, Islam and Christianity, p. 26 (edn. Lond. 1874); Do Percival, Histoire des Arabes, tome I, p. 250.
10 Crichton, History of Arabia, vol. I, p. 977 (edn. Edinburgh, 1834).
" Muir, Trife of Mahomet, vol. VI, p. 127. 15 Spronger, Life of Mohammad, p. 7.
19 Bate, The Well ZAMZAM ( work that will appear shortly).
10 Sprenger, Life of Mohammad, p. 57. "Pocock, Specimen, p. 97, Sale, Prel. Disc. p. 14; Irving, Life of Mahomet, pp. 30, 151 (edn. Lond. 1876). nf. Sprenger, Life of Muhammad, 56-7.
