A brief history of gods

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

و قالوا لا تذرون آلهتكم و لا تذرون ودا و لا سواء لا يغوث و يعوق و نسرا...

And they said 'Never leave your gods, and never leave Wadd, nor Suwa' nor Yaghooth or Ya'ooq or Nasr'... (Al-Qur'an 71: 23)

Shortly after the dawn of humanity, people were already affirming their love and allegiance to their gods, when Nooh⁽¹⁾ عليه السلام came to them asking to shun these gods. They enumerated their gods as an act of defiance - Wadd, Suwa', Yaghooth, Ya'ooq and Nasr. These were names of noble men who had lived before them, known for piety, loved by people and had following among them. When they died, Satan advised people to make their images and statues to remind themselves of their goodness and to motivate themselves to be like them. As generations passed, purpose of these images and statues was forgotten and the knowledge of what these noble men had preached faded away. At this point, Satan inspired people saying that their forefathers used to worship these images and idols. Consequently, in the footsteps of Satan, divinity was accorded to these pious dead, invocations were directed to them, and they became objects of worship - thus very first gods came into existence.⁽²⁾

This passage of Qur'an and its explanation, gives us key insight into origin of gods, which essentially lies in going to extremes in someone's love, veneration and exaggeration of stature. There are examples of this phenomenon occurring throughout the history, as it is said - 'history repeats itself'. Below is a mention of few more well known gods from recent history.

Before 1st Millennium BCE⁽³⁾

There appeared a charismatic leader in Indian subcontinent, named Krishna⁽⁴⁾. At birth, he had to be smuggled out of his town to avoid being killed at the hands of his own uncle. Spending his childhood away from hometown, he returns only after growing up to reclaim the kingdom and put an end to tyranny of his uncle. Established as a successful leader, statesman and religious scholar, he helps Pandavas to victory in a war against their cousins Kauravas, advising them on strategy and religious wisdom. Although being quite successful initially, his career comes to a tragic and abrupt end when his clan is engulfed in a civil strife and destroyed, and he himself is shot and killed mistakenly.⁽⁵⁾

Centuries that followed his death, saw him being elevated to a divine being, who was thought capable of answering the prayers of those who invoked him, although he lived and died a human in all respect.

1st Millennium BCE ⁽³⁾

Rama⁽⁴⁾, a just king of Indian subcontinent, became famous for his piety, valor and asceticism. He advises his father to fulfill a promise, even if that entails exile of Rama himself to forests for fourteen years, and deprivation of all royal luxuries and potential kingship. During his exile he displays nobility, courage, humility and adherence to high moral standards, even more so when he gathers and leads an army to victory against his rivals⁽⁶⁾.

With all these praiseworthy traits, he must have been loved and praised by his subjects; but generations that came later, exaggerated in his praise and made him divine. Soon they started calling upon him for their needs and worshiping him, though he never asked anyone to worship him nor claimed divinity. Once he was made divine, his wife Sita, brother Lakshmana and Hanuman⁽⁷⁾ soon followed him on path to divinity.

5th Century BCE - 1st Century CE
During this period many Greek rulers and heroes were being worshiped as divine beings, each signifying attributes which they were known for like strength, knowledge etc. These Greek gods were later adapted and absorbed into Roman society as well and worshiped. Next to follow in suite were angelic figures whose mention could be found in scriptures. Abaddon, for example, an angel mentioned in Jewish texts, was taken as a god by Greeks. Similar examples from eastern religions include Indra, Agni, Surya, Yamaraj, each responsible for certain forces of nature similar to angelic figures⁽⁸⁾. After all these, any gaps in divine realm were filled by imagination. Many attributes of God mentioned in scriptures, like the Creator, the Protector, all-Mighty, were taken as deity in itself, with separate idols for each. Female counterparts of these gods were also added to the growing list of deities. With the appearance of multitudes of gods and goddesses, divinity itself became cheap and was easily accorded to anyone or anything which was seen beneficial or even harmful. Eventually, even animals like cow, snake and rat found a place in divine realm.

1st Century CE

Isa عليه السلام, son of Maryam⁽⁹⁾, exhorted people to worship God alone, emphasized prayer, charity, observance of sacred laws, doing good and simplicity in life. As he preached these, he himself lived by these principles to the highest standards, and had an indelible influence on his companions, who furthered his message faithfully after he left them. However, it was not long, before those who claimed to follow his message exaggerated in his praise, threw what he preached behind their backs and made his divinity central theme of their religion. Some called him son of God, and others called him God Himself! Those who came next added angel Gabriel to the list of divine beings as well and ended up having three gods instead of One, as preached by Isa عليه السلام himself. To solve this issue of numbers they said 'all three are one', thus introducing concept of trinity, which they struggled with and for, for centuries to come. Although, emphasis that Isa عليه السلام placed on worshiping God alone and admonition against excessive praise of himself, still reverberates in existing Christian texts⁽¹⁰⁾.

3rd Century CE

Around this time, Mary, mother of Jesus, was already being worshiped as divine and being invoked for removal of distress. Soon to follow in her wake, were companions of Jesus, like Peter, Thomas James, and host of other individuals who were granted sainthood⁽¹¹⁾ and were assumed capable of answering the prayers of those who invoked them or at least interceding with God on their behalf.

6th Century CE

In pre-Islamic era, many gods appeared and flourished in Arabian peninsula. Many of these were adopted from neighboring countries, some were made out of feminized attributes of Allah, and yet others from names of pious dead. Most famous of these were Al-Laat, Al-Manaat and Al-Uzza. As for Al-Laat, it is said, he was a man from tribe of Quraysh, known for generosity towards pilgrims who would come to Makkah. Al-Manaat and Al-Uzza were feminine names perhaps derived from attributes of Allah, or were supposed name of angels whom they assumed to be daughters of Allah⁽¹²⁾. The origins of these names were getting obscure, none the less, they were worshiped in different forms, as idols, trees, humans etc., with an assumption that they could help them in getting closer to God and in getting their prayers answered.

7th Century CE

Ali ibn Abi Talib, a prominent companion of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم , was well known for his piety, wisdom and valor. Trying to steer a nation in times of great turmoil, as the third Caliph of Islam, he made many enemies and earned displeasure of some friends. On the other hand, some of those who joined his camp went overboard in his praise during his own lifetime and equated him with Allah Himself. Ali ibn Abi Talib opposed these ideas and those who upheld them as vehemently as he opposed his enemies, to the extent of executing and burning the founder of this ideology⁽¹³⁾. After his assassination, however, people persisted in exaggeration, some making him infallible whose words and actions are like divine laws, while others adopted the concept of trinity and made him a part of it, and yet others called him Supreme being⁽¹⁴⁾.

Around 1000 CE

Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم , condemned exaggerating in his praise in strongest terms and said 'I'm only a slave (of Allah), so call me His slave and His messenger'⁽¹⁵⁾ and warned against taking graves as places of worship even at the time of his death⁽¹⁶⁾! His sayings along with explicit verses from Qur'an where he is commanded by Allah to declare himself only human just like any other⁽¹⁷⁾ and free himself of any claim to divinity⁽¹⁸⁾, made it difficult to make a god out of him.Nevertheless, people do whatever they like and even find justifications for it.

Near the end of 1st Millennium CE groups emerged in Islamic world, which went to extremes in their love of Prophet Muhammad  صلى الله عليه وسلم and exaggerated in his praise and status. As a result, contrary to his  صلى الله عليه وسلم preaching and admonition, they started invoking him for help and relief, believing that he صلى الله عليه وسلم can still hear their grievances and alleviate them, either directly or by interceding with Allah on their behalf⁽¹⁹⁾.

2nd Millennium CE

Once people took to the worship of Prophet Muhammad  صلى الله عليه وسلم, floodgates were opened for other claims to divinity. Soon, scores of deceased individuals were granted the status of awliyaAllah⁽²⁰⁾. These were again believed to be capable of performing miracles at will and relieving the grievances of their devotees, either directly or by interceding with God on their behalf. Prominent examples include Abdul Qadir Jeelani⁽²¹⁾, sometimes referred to as al-ghauth (the savior) and Moiniddin Chishti⁽²²⁾, whose grave lies in Ajmer, India and is frequently visited by devotees with hope that he might listen and respond.

It is amazing how after death, individuals are thought to possess divine powers, although they could not avert their own death or any harm while they were alive! All these gods were created by those who loved them with a love that was deserving for Allah alone. Generations that came later, followed their forefathers blindly, perhaps assuming they cannot err?!

And your diety is only One diety! There is none worthy of worship besides Him; He is the Most Merciful, Most Beneficent.	و إلهكم إله واحد لا إله إلا هوا الرحمن الرحيم
Surely, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, succession of the night and the day, and the ship that sails in the sea carrying that which benefits people, and what Allah sends down from sky of water then brings to life with it the earth after its death and had spread in it all kinds of animals and variation of winds and clouds held between sky and earth, are signs for those with intellect.	إن في خلق السموات والأرض و اختلاف الليل والنهار والفلك التي تجري في البحر بما ينفع الناس وما أنزل الله من السماء من ماء فأحيا به الأرض بعد موتها وبث فيها من كل دابة و تصريف الرياح والسحاب المسخر بين السماء والأرض لآيات لقوم يعقلون
And from people are those who take others as equals with Allah, loving them as they love Allah. But those who believe love Allah more (than anything else). If only wrong doers could see, when they will be seeing the torment (and realize) that all power belongs to Allah (alone) and that Allah is severe in punishment.	و من الناس من يتخذ من دون الله أندادا يحبونهم كحب الله ، والذين آمنوا أشد حبا لله . ولو يرى الذين ظلموا إذ يرون العذاب أن قوة لله جميعا وأن الله شديد العذاب
When those who were followed will free themselves of those who followed them and they will see the torment and all means will be cutoff. And the followers will say 'if only we had one more chance, we would free ourselves of them, just as they have freed themselves of us'. That is how Allah shows them their deeds, as grief for them and they will not be able to escape from the fire.	إذ تبرأ الذين اتُبعوا من الذين التبعوا و تقطعت بهم الأسباب و قال الذين اتبعوا لو أن لنا كرة فنتبرأ منهم كما تبرأوا منا!كذالك يُريهم الله أعمالهم حسرات عليهم، وما هم بخارجين من النار
O mankind! Eat from the permissible and good that is in the earth, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Surely, he is a plane enemy to you. He only commands you the evil, the obnoxious and that you say against Allah that which you know not!	يآ أيها الناس كلوا مما في الأرض حلالا طيبا ولا تتبعوا خطوات الشيطان ، إنه لكم عدو مبين. إنما يأمركم السوء والفحشاء و أن تقول على الله ما لا تعلمون
And when it is said to them 'believe in what Allah has revealed', they say 'rather, we will follow that upon which we found our fathers'.  Even if their fathers did not understand a thing and were not guided?!	و إذا قيل لهم آمنوا بما أنزل الله قالوا بل نؤمن بمآ ألفينا عليه آبائنا. أولو كان آبآءهم لا يعقلون شيئا ولا يهتدون؟
The example of those who disbelieve is like that of one who shouts at what hears nothing but calls and cries (cattle or sheep). (They are) deaf, dumb and blind, so they do not understand.	مثل الذين كفروا كمثل الذي ينعق بما لا يسمع إلا دعاء و نداء، صم بكم عمي فهم لا ي.قلون

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1. known as Noah English audience.
2. Refer Sahih Muslim 2552. Also Tafsir Ibn Katheer, explanation of Al-Qur'an 71:23.
3. Dates are speculative and subject to controversy.
4. Assuming that he was an actual historical figure which may not be unlikely.
5  Adapted from Hindu religious texts (Ref: Mahābhārata, Harivamsa, Bhagavata Purana, and Vishnu Purana).
6. Adapted from Ramayana.
7. Devoted helper of Rama, who supported him with his army.
8. Indra for rain, Agni for fire, Surya for sun, Yamaraj for death.
9. popularly know as Jesus and Mary to English audience.
10. Refer John 5:30, John 14:28, John 10:29, Luke 18:19.
11. Idea of sainthood is essentially of Catholic origin. Saint is thought to be a person considered close to God, and due to this closeness is able to intercede with God on behalf of those who pray to them.
12. See Tafseer Ibn Katheer and Tafseer At-Tabari, explaination of 4:117.
13. Referring to Abdullah ibn Saba, leader of Saba'ei group, who saw Ali as God and himself as a prophet (ref: Ahwaal ar-Rijaal pg.37)
14. These views are held by Shi'ites, Alawites and Ali-ilahism respectively.
15. Refer Sahih Al-Bukhari 3445.
16. Refer Sunan an-Nasa'i 703.
17. Refer Al-Qur'an 17:110.
18. Refer Al-Qur'an 72:20 - 22.
19. These exaggerations are found in abundance in works by Sufi authors like Ibn Arabi, Mansu Al-Hallaj, Fariduddin Attar.
20. AwliyaAllah literally means friends of God. Ideas is same as that of Catholic saints mentioned in note 11.
21. The Qadiriyya Sufi order is said to be based on his teachings.
22. Founder of  Chishtiyya sufi order. He was originally from Sistan, Persia, but later migrated to India.