DOES GOD ALLOW
THE INTRODUCTION
OF PAGAN RITUALS
INTO HIS NEW RELIGION?
The land of Canaan (now Palestine) was the most evil of lands in terms of idol worship, where children were sacrificed to idols, and a large number of females were dedicated to prostitution as part of worship, as well as the practice of male sodomy, which forced God to burn the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire. This led God to establish a new state as a model for a state where God would be its head, and the pattern of worship would be based on a very precise and organized system that reveals God's attributes (written in about two books). Therefore, God established the state of Israel and gave them the Law through the Prophet Moses, and granted them victory over the peoples of the earth at that time. He warned and cautioned them against idol worship, lest He do to them worse than what they did to other nations. But despite these commandments and warnings, they fell into the sin of idolatry, and the Lord would allow neighboring nations to dominate, humiliate, and enslave them. When they repented, the Lord would restore them to their former state, and their history confirms this until they were ultimately scattered throughout the world because they did not live according to the Law God gave them, as stated in:
Exodus 20:2
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 You shall have no other gods before me. 4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."
Deuteronomy 4:15
"Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, 17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or any fish that is in the water under the earth. 19 And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven."
Deuteronomy 12:29
"When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations whom you are going in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, 30 take care that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.' 31 You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. 32 Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it."
Deuteronomy 7:25
"The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God. 26 And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction."
Deuteronomy 7:5
"But thus you shall deal with them: you shall break down their altars and destroy their pillars and cut down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire."
Exodus 23:12
"Everything that I have said to you, be careful to observe. You shall not mention the name of other gods; it shall not be heard from your lips."
In Christianity, God also forbade going to pagan temples and eating meat sacrificed to idols if it was sold in the market and the buyer knew that the meat was sacrificed to idols:
1 Corinthians 10:14
"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. ... Are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What then shall I say? That an idol is anything, or that what is sacrificed to an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. ... 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For 'the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.' 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to a meal and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, 'This has been offered in sacrifice,' then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be condemned by someone else's conscience?"
Revelation 21:8
"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
As for Islam, the Prophet (peace be upon him) allowed the practice of pagan rituals. He kept the Kaaba in Mecca as a center of worship after removing 360 idols that were in it, and he kept all the pagan rituals related to the Hajj pilgrimage, which are: Sa'i between Safa and Marwah, circumambulating the House (seven circuits exactly as in pre-Islamic times), shaving or shortening the hair, standing at Arafat, offering sacrifices, providing water and food to pilgrims (rifadah), and kissing the Black Stone if possible, otherwise pointing to it as explained in its place. The majority of scholars have agreed on the permissibility of kissing the Black Stone during circumambulation, citing the narration from Omar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), who kissed the Black Stone and then said:
"Indeed, I know that you are a stone that neither harms nor benefits, and had I not seen the Prophet (peace be upon him) kiss you, I would not have kissed you,"
as in the following verses:
Al-Baqarah 2:144
"We have certainly seen the turning of your face toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do."
Al-Baqarah 2:158
"Indeed, as-Safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever performs Hajj to the House or performs 'Umrah, there is no blame upon him for walking between them. And whoever volunteers good—then indeed, Allah is Appreciative and Knowing. ... 196 And complete the Hajj and 'Umrah for Allah. But if you are prevented, then [offer] what can be obtained of sacrificial animals. And do not shave your heads until the sacrificial animal has reached its place of slaughter. And whoever among you is ill or has an ailment of the head [requiring shaving] —then [compensate by] fasting or charity or sacrifice. And when you are secure, then whoever performs 'Umrah [during Hajj season] followed by Hajj [without returning home] —then [offer] what can be obtained of sacrificial animals. But if he cannot find [one], then a fast of three days during Hajj and seven when you have returned [home]. Those are ten complete [days]. This is for those whose family is not in the area of al-Masjid al-Haram. And fear Allah and know that Allah is severe in penalty."
Also, the fasting of Ramadan was imposed, which the Sabeans used to fast with its times and ceremonies, and Eid al-Fitr. We know that the Sabeans are not from heavenly religions and are considered polytheists. God did not impose fasting on the Jews except for one day, the Day of Atonement, and He left Christians without specific times, but according to the person's need, ability, and the church's call in times of disasters, persecution, and dangers.
Al-Baqarah 2:183
"O you who have believed, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you that you may become righteous - 184 [Fasting for] a limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them] - then an equal number of days [are to be made up]. And upon those who are able [to fast, but with difficulty] is a ransom: the feeding of a poor person. And whoever volunteers good - it is better for him. But to fast is best for you, if you only knew. 185 The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful."
It is well known that the name of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is Muhammad ibn Abdullah, and this means that his father's name is Abdullah. From this, we know that "Allah" was a god worshipped in pre-Islamic times, and it is the name of the moon god whose symbol is the crescent, which Muslims place on their mosques and flags. When the Prophet Moses asked the God who appeared to him in the burning bush for His name, He answered that His name is (Yahweh). Does God accept changing His glorious name with the name of a pagan god?
It is known that the day of worship in Islam is Friday, which was not known in pre-Islamic times but was called Al-Arubah. Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy (the seventh ancestor of the Prophet) used to address the Quraysh on that day, so it was named Al-Jumu'ah (Friday) in Islam (because people gather for prayer on it, a name derived from gathering). From the foregoing, we conclude that the choice of Al-Arubah day for prayer is related to pagan pre-Islamic times.
From the above, we find that many Islamic rituals have a strong connection to pagan worship, and this is against the principles and laws of the Lord God, which He cannot approve.