>>19558069Some tribes began to worship ʾal-Lāt as Allah's consort, while others saw her as a daughter. At least in Meccan tradition, she was a daughter. And she became the goddess of war and peace. In this form, she also had two sisters, Manāt and al-ʾUzzā, who remind me of the Triple Goddess Artemis-Selene-Hecate of Greek-Roman Mythology, who are also associated with the phases of the Moon. In any case, this Trinity was worshiped jointly by the entire Peninsula, together with Allah. Near Mecca there was a large structure that housed hundreds of statues, including those of the three sisters. This was called Kaaba, you may already know, the word literally means cube. In Mecca, they shaved their heads and circled around the Kaaba chanting the name of ʾAl-Lāt together with their sisters seeking her blessings, especially her. Part of this chant was:
>“These are the exalted gharāniq, whose intercession is expected.”When Muhammad brought Islam to Arabia, he was questioned by the pagan inhabitants of Mecca whether al-Lāt, Manāt and al-ʾUzzā should be worshiped because they are daughters of Allah, the Qur'an says:
>“Now, have you considered the idols of Lāt and ʾUzza and the third, Manāt as well? These are the exalted gharāniq, whose intercession is expected. Would you rather have sons while ascribing to Him daughters? So this is actually a biased distribution! These idols are mere names that you and your ancestors invented, a practice that Allah has never authorized.” 