Amr ibn Luhay al-Khuza'i
Chief of Khuza'a who first introduced idolatry to Arabia.
CE c. 1st century CE
The chief of Khuza’a whom the classical sources name as the man who first introduced idolatry into Arabia, corrupting the monotheism of Ibrahim & Ismail (as).
What he did (EP 004)
- Chieftain of Khuza’a, then in charge of Mecca (~1st century CE, roughly contemporary with Fihr, founder of Quraysh — ~500 years before the Prophet ﷺ).
- Travelled to Syria, admired the powerful, idol-worshipping Amalekites, and brought back the idol Hubal, placing it at the Ka’bah — the first idol of Arabia.
- Corrupted the talbiyah to affirm “partners” to Allah, and (per reports) revived the five idols of Nuh’s people (Wadd, Suwa’, Yaghuth, Ya’uq, Nasr — Quran 71:23).
Reliability
The Prophet ﷺ said (Sahih Muslim) he saw Amr ibn Luhay being punished in the Fire — an authentic report. Yasir Qadhi notes some hold the talbiyah change came a few generations later. His dating is necessarily approximate (the Arabs kept no calendar).
Cross-references
Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic Arabia) · The Ka'bah · Mecca · The Hunafa'
Sources
- S003 — Yasir Qadhi Seerah EP 004.