Amr bin Luhai from the tribe of Banu Khaza’ was the first person among Arabs to begin idol worship. He had gone on some errand to Syria and saw the idols being worshipped there so he enquired and learnt that they worship them, ask they for rains and they get rain and they seek their help in hardships.
He asked the Syrians, “Give me an idol if it is possible so that Arabs may benefit from idol worship. They gave him the idol of “Hubul” designed as a human being and crafted out of Aqeeq. He came with that idol to Makka and installed it within the Ka’aba and then enjoined people to worship it. So it began that the people who returned from a journey would first visit these idols and then goes home. (1)
Some people believe that the real cause of idol worship was that God was a very lofty entity for the people of those times to be worshipped. So they created an intermediary through the idols and wanted God’s closeness through them. They also may have though that God is beyond human comprehension and so could not be worshipped so they thought they could come close to Him through the idols. Some historians have written that idol worship began amongst the Banu Ishmael because when a person (who loved Makka) went on a journey he took a piece of stone with and would circumambulate it wherever he stayed. He symbolized it with circumambulating the Ka’aba. As time passed this habit turned into idol worship. (2).
Allama Tabatabai writes in Tafsir Al Mizan “the idol worshippers believed that their contingency, their sins and their wrongful deeds were obstacles that would not let them come close to God.
“His entity is pure and lofty and we have no comparison with Him so we can only come close to Him through those who are dear to Him. These things are our worldly gods who are in-charge of the beings on this earth. We must therefore make idols in their image and come close to them so that they could become our intercessors with God. We will benefit from them and harm and hardship will remain far from us.” They worshipped the idols so the gods would be pleased with and intercede with God for them. At times they would consider the idols themselves to be the intercessors. (3)
Through these whims and superstitions they wanted to justify their waywardness and give it an intelligent aura but in fact they had adopted satanic temptations and wickedness as guidance.
1. Tafsir Ruhul Bayan Vol.4. Page 26; Behar ol Anwar Vol.3 Page 248, Riwaya 1,7,8, about the people of Noah, Bologhol Arab Vol.2 Page 200 about Amr bin Lohai Khazai and his bringing the idols from Syria; Seerah Ibn Hisham Vol.1 Page 78 also has a similar incidence.
2. Seerah Ibn Hisham Vol.1. Page 79.
3. Tafsir Al Mizan vol.10 page 27 about verse 18 of Surah Yunus
