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y D u & h - t f K O H E I S I T
duced them to aferibe a divine power to thofe ftars, and to think
themfelves indebted to them for their rains, a very great benefit and
refrefhment to their parched country : this fuperftition the Koran
particularly takes notice o f 1.
The ancient Arabians and Indians, between which two nations
was a great conformity of religions, had feven celebrated temples,
dedicated to the feven planets; one of which in particular, called
Beit Ghomdan, was built in Sanaa the metropolis of Taman, by Dahac,
to the honour of al Zoharah or the planet Venus, and was demoliflied
by the Khaltf Othman *; by whofe murder was fulfilled the prophetical
infeription fee, as is reported, over this temple, viz. Ghomdan,
he who dejlroyeth thee, Jhall be Jlain3. The temple of Mecca is alfo
faid to have been confecrated to Zohal, or Saturn+.
Tho’ thefe deities were generally reverenced by the whole nation,
yet each tribe chofe fome one as the more peculiar objedt o f their
worfliip.
Thus as to the ftars and planets, the tribe o f Hamyar chiefly wor-
fhipped the fun; Mifams, al Debar an or the butts eye-, Lakhm and
Jodam, al Mojhtari or Jupiter; Tay, Sohail or Canopus; Kais, Sirius
or the dog-far-, and A j’ad, Otared or Mercury6. Among the wor-
fhippers of Sirius, one Abu Cabjha was very famous; fome will have
him to be the fame with Waheb, Mohammed’s, grandfather by the
mother, but others fay he was of the tribe of Khozdah. This man
ufed his utmoft endeavours to perfuade the Koreijh to leave their
images and worfliip this ftar; for which reafon Mohammed, who endeavoured
alfo to make them leave their images, was by them nicknamed
thefon of Abu Cabjha7. The worfliip of this ftar is particularly
hinted at in the Koran8.
O f the angels or intelligences which they worfhipped, the Koran 9,
makes mention only of three, which were worlhipped under female
names10; Allat, al Uzza, and Manah. Thefe were by them called
goddejfes, and the daughters o f G o b ; : an appellation they gave not
only to the angels, but alfo to their images, which they either believed
to be infpired with life by G o d , or elfe to become the tabernacles
of the angels, and to be animated by them; and they gave
them divine worfliip, becaufe they imagined they interceded for them
with G o d .
1 V. Poc. Spec. p. 163: 2 _Shahreftani. 3 Al Jannabi. 4 Shahreftarii. This name Teems to be
corrupted, therei being no fuch among the Arabbribes. Poc. Spec. d. 130. 6 AbuJfarag. p. 160.
7 Poc. Spec. p. 132. 8 Cap. 53. 9 ibid; 10 Jbid.
d M a t