George Sale, The Koran, commonly called the Alcoran of Mohammed, translated into English immediately from the original Arabic; with Explanatory Notes, taken from the most approved Commentators. To which is prefixed A Preliminary Discource (1734)
Allât was the idol of the tribe of Thakîf who dwelt at Tayef, and had a temple consecrated to her in a place called Nakhlah 1. This idol al Mogheirah destroyed by Mohammed’s order, who sent him and Abu Sofiân on that commission in the ninth year of the Hejra 2. The inhabitants of Tayef, especially the women, bitterly lamented the loss of this their deity, which they were so fond of, that they begged of Mohammed as a condition of peace, that it might not be destroyed for three years, and not obtaining that, asked only a month’s respite; but he absolutely denied it 3. There are several derivations of this word which the curious may learn from Dr. Pocock 4: it seems most probably to be derived from the same root with Allah, to which it may be a feminine, and will then signify the goddess.
Al Uzza, as some affirm, was the idol of the tribes of Koreish and Kenânah 5, and part of the tribe of Salim 6: others 7 tell us it was a tree called the Egyptian thorn, or Acacia, worshipped by the tribe of Ghatfân, first consecrated by one Dhâlem, who built a chappel over it, called Boss, so contrived as to give a found when any person entred. Khâled Ebn Walîd being sent by Mohammed in the eighth year of the Hejra to destroy this idol, demolished the chappel, and cutting down this tree or image, burnt it: he also slew the priestess, who ran out with her hair dishevelled, and her hands on her head as a suppliant. Yet the author who relates this, in another place says, the chappel was pulled down, and Dhâlem himself killed by one Zohair, because he consecrated this chappel with design to draw the pilgrims thither from Mecca, and lessen the reputation of the Caaba. The name of this deity is derived from the root azza, and signifies the most mighty.
Manah was the object of worship of the tribes of Hodhail and Khozâah 8, who dwelt between Mecca and Medina, and, as some say 9, of the tribes of Aws, Khazraj, and Thakîf also. This idol was a large stone 10, demolished by one Saad in the eighth year of the Hejra, a year so fatal to the idols of Arabia. The name seems derived from mana to flow, from the flowing of the blood of the victims sacrificed to the deity; whence the valley of Mina 11 near Mecca had
1 The word Nakklah signifying also a palm-tree, Dr. Pocock translates a passage of Abulfaragius, which mentions this temple, thus; Thakîf worshipped a chappel on the top of a palm-tree, called Allit. And he may possibly be in the right V. Abulfarag. p. 160.
2 Dr. Prideaux mentions this expedition, but names only Abu Sofiân, and mistaking the name of the idol for an appellative, supposes he went only to disarm the Tayefians of their weapons and instruments of war. See his life of Mahomet. p. 98.
3 Abulfeda, Vit. Moham. p. 127.
4 Spec. p. 90.
5 Al Jauhari, apud eund. p. 91.
6 Al Shahrestani. ib.
7 Al Firauzabâdi, ib.
8 Al Jauhari.
9 Al Shahrestani. Abulfeda, &c.
10 Al Beidâwi. al Zamakhshari.
11 Poc. Spec. 91. &c.
