By Dr. Maxwell Shimba, Shimba Theological Institute
Abstract
This article explores the biblical Second Commandment in relation to Islamic ritual and tradition as established by Muhammad. By engaging biblical, Qur’anic, and Hadith sources, as well as critical academic scholarship, the discussion seeks to demonstrate that several core Islamic rituals represent a continuity of pre-Islamic idolatrous practice, thereby constituting a violation of the Second Commandment from a Judeo-Christian theological perspective. This analysis is contextualized within the history of religions and comparative theology.
Introduction
The Second Commandment, which prohibits the making and veneration of images or physical objects in worship (Exodus 20:4-5; Deuteronomy 5:8-9), is fundamental to biblical monotheism. The command is clear and categorical:
"You shall not make for yourself a carved image... You shall not bow down to them nor serve them" (Exodus 20:4-5, NKJV).
Historically, the struggle against idolatry is a central theme in the Old Testament (e.g., Leviticus 26:1; Deuteronomy 27:15; 2 Kings 17:12-16; Isaiah 44:9-20; Jeremiah 10:1-16). The New Testament continues this prohibition, warning that "flee from idolatry" (1 Corinthians 10:14; cf. Acts 17:29-30; 1 John 5:21).
In contrast, Islamic tradition, as practiced in the rites of the Hajj and Umrah, enshrines certain acts—such as circumambulating, kissing, and bowing before the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad), and the Sa’i between Safa and Marwah—which are both physical and symbolic. This essay interrogates these rituals in light of the Second Commandment and argues that they constitute a form of religious syncretism and a re-adoption of pre-Islamic Arabian religiosity.
Islamic Rituals: Continuity With Pre-Islamic Practices
1. The Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad)
The Black Stone embedded in the eastern corner of the Kaaba is not only touched and kissed by millions of Muslim pilgrims but also given special veneration. The Hadith literature confirms this as a sunnah of Muhammad:
"I saw the Messenger of Allah touch the (Black) Stone and then place his lips on it and wept for a long time." (Sunan Ibn Majah 2944; cf. Sahih Bukhari 1520).
Further, the Prophet is reported to have said, “Touching them (the Black Stone and the Yemeni Corner) atones for sins” (Tirmidhi 959; Ibn Majah 2950). This confers a redemptive value to the act, transforming it from a symbolic gesture to one of theological import.
Historical Origins:
Prominent Islamic historians, such as Al-Azraqi (Akhbar Makkah, 9th c.), and Western scholars (Patricia Crone, Gerald Hawting), document that the Black Stone and the Kaaba were objects of veneration in Arabia centuries before Muhammad. Al-Azraqi notes that pagan Arabs performed tawaf and touched the Black Stone, regarding it as a sacred relic.
W. Montgomery Watt, in Muhammad at Mecca (1953), writes:
“Most of the features of the pre-Islamic pilgrimage were retained by Islam, with only slight modifications.”
Similarly, Karen Armstrong in Islam: A Short History (2000), admits:
“Many of the customs associated with the Hajj, such as running between Safa and Marwah and the stoning of the devil, were pre-Islamic.”
2. The Ritual of Sa’i: Safa and Marwah
The Qur’an (2:158) validates the running between Safa and Marwah, describing them as “symbols of Allah.” Yet, these hills were ancient sites of idol worship. As documented in Sahih Bukhari (vol. 2, hadith 711), the Companions themselves were uncomfortable with these rituals because of their association with Jahiliyyah (the Age of Ignorance), but were reassured by Muhammad.
As Karen Armstrong further observes:
“Even though the idols were removed, the sites themselves remained objects of veneration, given new religious meaning by Islam.”
3. The Stoning of Satan at Mina
This act is based on the legend that Abraham was tempted by Satan at these spots and drove him away by throwing stones. The ritual is found in both Hadith (Sahih Muslim 1219) and Sira literature. But, as John L. Esposito notes in Islam: The Straight Path (1998), such rituals are “pagan in origin, Islamized by the Prophet but essentially retained in their outward form.”
Biblical Counterpoint:
Christianity rejects the notion of combating spiritual evil through physical acts (Ephesians 6:10-18), instead emphasizing spiritual resistance through faith, prayer, and adherence to the word of God.
Scholarly Arguments and Critical Perspectives
1. Syncretism and Religious Innovation (Bid‘ah)
Despite Islamic claims of pure monotheism (tawhid), Islamic practice displays unmistakable elements of syncretism. As G. R. Hawting argues in The Idea of Idolatry and the Emergence of Islam (1999), the boundaries between monotheism and inherited Arabian religiosity in early Islam were far from clear.
Ignaz Goldziher, a pioneer in Islamic studies, noted:
“The Muhammadan cult… is based on a foundation of ancient heathen rites which were practiced by the Semitic races from time immemorial.” (Introduction to Islamic Theology and Law, 1981).
2. Scriptural Contradictions and the Problem of Authority
Islamic sources claim the Black Stone is from Paradise (Tirmidhi 877) and that it will testify for those who touch it on Judgment Day. This quasi-miraculous status attributed to a physical object is antithetical to biblical theology, which insists that no created object can mediate divine favor (Isaiah 44:9-20; Romans 1:21-25).
3. Christian and Jewish Responses
Christian theologians, such as John Calvin (Institutes of the Christian Religion, I.xi), condemned any form of physical object veneration as the essence of idolatry. Jewish sources likewise identify the worship or veneration of stones as abominations (Deuteronomy 16:22; Mishnah Avodah Zarah 4:5).
Theological Assessment: Does Islam Break the Second Commandment?
While Muslim theologians have vigorously denied any accusation of idolatry (shirk), the evidence indicates that:
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The veneration of the Black Stone, the circumambulation of the Kaaba, and ritual acts at Safa, Marwah, and Mina are all rooted in pre-Islamic idolatrous practices.
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These practices confer special status on physical objects, actions explicitly forbidden by the Second Commandment.
As scholar Samuel Zwemer writes in The Cross Above the Crescent (1941):
“Despite Islam’s professions of aniconism, its pilgrimages and reverence for stones, tombs, and relics reveal a deep-seated tendency towards material mediators in worship.”
Jesus Christ’s words in John 4:21-24 stand as the decisive Christian answer:
“...the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem... God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
Conclusion: Christian Engagement and Missional Implications
Given the overwhelming evidence from both Islamic and non-Islamic sources, it is clear that Muhammad’s establishment of Islamic ritual was not a total rejection of idolatry but a transformation and rebranding of existing pagan customs. For Christians, the Second Commandment remains inviolable, and true worship is entirely detached from physical objects.
The Christian’s duty is to present this biblical truth compassionately and courageously to Muslims and others, inviting them to the pure worship of the living God through Christ alone (Romans 10:9-13; Acts 4:12).
Bibliography
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The Holy Bible (NIV, ESV, NKJV).
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The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali, Pickthall, Saheeh International translations).
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Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Ibn Majah, Jami’ at-Tirmidhi.
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Guillaume, A., The Life of Muhammad (Oxford University Press, 1955).
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Crone, Patricia, Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam (Princeton, 1987).
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Watt, W. Montgomery, Muhammad at Mecca (OUP, 1953).
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Armstrong, Karen, Islam: A Short History (Modern Library, 2000).
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Hawting, G. R., The Idea of Idolatry and the Emergence of Islam (Cambridge, 1999).
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Goldziher, Ignaz, Introduction to Islamic Theology and Law (Princeton, 1981).
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Esposito, John L., Islam: The Straight Path (OUP, 1998).
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Zwemer, Samuel, The Cross Above the Crescent (Pickering & Inglis, 1941).
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Calvin, John, Institutes of the Christian Religion.
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Mishnah Avodah Zarah.
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Al-Azraqi, Akhbar Makkah.
Shalom,
Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute
Titus 2:13
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