Allāt or al-Lāt (Arabic: اللات) was a Pre-Islamic Arabian goddess who was one of the three chief goddesses of Mecca. She is mentioned in the Qur'an (Sura 53:19), which indicates that pre-Islamic Arabs considered her as one of the daughters of Allah along with Manāt and al-‘Uzzá.
The shrine and temple dedicated to al-Lat in Taif was demolished by Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, on the orders of Muhammad, during the Expedition of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, in the same year as the Battle of Tabuk[1] (which occurred in October 630 AD).[2][3] The destruction of the idol was a demand by Muhammad before any reconciliation could take place with the citizens of Taif who were under constant attack.[4]
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Descriptions [link]
Especially in older sources, Allat is an alternative name of the Mesopotamian goddess of the underworld,[5][6] now usually known as Ereshkigal. She was reportedly also venerated in Carthage under the name Allatu.[7]
The goddess occurs in early Safaitic graffiti (Safaitic han-'Ilāt "the Goddess") and the Nabataeans of Petra and the people of Hatra also worshipped her, equating her with the Greek Athena and Tyche and the Roman Minerva. She is frequently called "the Great Goddess" in Greek in multi-lingual inscriptions.[8] According to Wellhausen, the Nabataeans believed al-Lāt was the mother of Hubal (and hence the mother-in-law of Manāt).
The Greek historian Herodotus, writing in the 5th century BC, considered her the equivalent of Aphrodite:
According to Herodotus, the ancient Arabians believed in only two gods:
In the Qur'an, she is mentioned along with al-‘Uzzá and Manāt in Sura 53:19–23. The tribe of ʿād of Iram of the Pillars is also mentioned in Sura 89:5–8, and archaeological evidence from Iram shows copious inscriptions devoted to her for the protection of a tribe by that name.[11]
Al-lāt is also explicitly attested from early Islamic records discussing the pre-Islamic period. According to the Book of Idols (Kitāb al-ʾAṣnām) by Hishām ibn al-Kalbi, the pre-Islamic Arabs believed Al-lāt resided in the Kaʿbah and also had an idol inside the sanctuary:{{quote|Her custody was in the hands of the Banū Attāb ibn Mālik of the Thaqīf, who had built an edifice over her. The Quraysh, as well as all the Arabs, venerated al-Lāt. They also used to name their children after her, calling them Zayd al-Lāt and Taym al-Lāt. [...] Al-Lāt continued to be venerated until the Thaqīf embraced Islam, when the Apostle of God dispatched al-Mughīrah ibn-Shu‘bah, who destroyed her and burnt her temple to the ground.[12][13][14]
Demolition of statues and shrine [link]
The shrine and temple dedicated to al-Lat in Taif, was demolished by Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, on the orders of Muhammad, during the Expedition of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, this occurred in the same year as the Battle of Tabuk[1] (which occurred in October 630 AD[2] ). Muhammad sent Abu Sufyan with a group armed men to destroy the Idol al-Lat (also referred to as al-Tagiyyah) that was worshipped by the citizens of Taif.[3]The destruction of the idol was a demand by Muhammad before any reconciliation could take place with the citizens of Taif who were under constant attack and suffering from a blockade by the Banu Hawazin, led by Malik, a convert to Islam who promised to continue the war against the citizens of the city which was started by Muhammad in the Siege of Taif.[4]
Bibliography [link]
- Strong's Hebrew and Aramaic Dictionary of Bible Words
- Georgii Wilhelmi Freytagii : Lexicon Arabico-Latinum. Librairie du Liban, Beirut, 1975.
See also [link]
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References [link]
- ^ a b Tabari, Al (25 Sep 1990), The last years of the Prophet (translated by Isma'il Qurban Husayn), State University of New York Press, p. 46, ISBN 978-0887066917, https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=XxG8BsHNw-MC&pg=PA46
- ^ a b Hawarey, Dr. Mosab (2010). The Journey of Prophecy; Days of Peace and War (Arabic). Islamic Book Trust. https://www.islamic-book.net/ar/Rihlat-Alnobowwah.htm.Note: Book contains a list of battles of Muhammad in Arabic, English translation available here, and archive of page here
- ^ a b Muir, William (August 1878), The life of Mahomet (Full free digitized version), Kessinger Publishing Co, p. 207, https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YTwBAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA207
- ^ a b Muir, William (August 1878), The life of Mahomet (Full free digitized version), Kessinger Publishing Co, p. 205, https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YTwBAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA205
- ^ The Dawn of Civilisation, by: Gaston Maspero
- ^ «A History Of Art In Chaldæa & Assyria» Georges Perrot, Professor in The Faculty of Letters, Paris; Member of The Institute, and Charles Chipiez. New York, 1884.
- ^ Encyclopedia of Gods, Michael Jordon, Kyle Cathie Limited, 2002
- ^ Healey, John F. (2001). "4". The Religion of the Nabataeans: A Conspectus. Religions in the Graeco-Roman World. 136. Boston: Brill. pp. 107–119. ISBN 90-04-10754-1.
- ^ Histories I:131)
- ^ Histories III:38
- ^ Healey, John F.. "4". The Religion of the Nabataeans: A Conspectus. Religions in the Graeco-Roman World. 136. Boston: Brill. p. 111. ISBN 90-04-10754-1.
- ^ Faris 1952, pp. 14–15.
- ^ Oxfordislamicstudies.com
- ^ Mify narodov mira 1984. Article: Allat
- Ibn al-Kalbī (Translation and Commentary by Nabih Amin Faris) (1952). Book of Idols, Being a Translation from the Arabic of the Kitāb al-Asnām. Princeton University Press. Library of Congress #52006741.
- Herodotus (Translated by David Grene) (1987). The History. Chicago University Press. ISBN 0-226-32770-1.
- The Book of Idols (Kitāb al-Asnām) by Hishām Ibn al-Kalbī
- Allah, the unique name of God
- Herodotus 1:131 online
- Herodotus 3:8 online
- Sunni account from witness-pioneer.org
External links [link]
https://wn.com/Al-lāt
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The following is a list of fictional Star Wars ground vehicles, including tanks, landspeeders, and assault units.
Armored Assault Tank (AAT)
The AAT is a Trade Federation vehicle that appears in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the Star Wars expanded universe, and The Clone Wars. Early drafts of The Phantom Menace described the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo being led by "armored attack craft" that resembled helicopters. The final version's forward curve is based on the curve of a shovel, and parts of it are intended to suggest animalistic traits.LEGO released an AAT model in 2001.
AT-AT
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The BARC speeder appears in Revenge of the Sith and is a playable vehicle in Star Wars: Battlefront, Battlefront II and Star Wars Galaxies. They perform cavalry, scouting and mounted infantry roles and are armed with a single, or sometimes two, blasters. Inexpensive, lightweight, easy to maintain and able to fill various functions, they are a widespread mainstay of many armed organisations, governments and major armed forces.
Serge
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Serge (fabric)
Serge is a type of twill fabric that has diagonal lines or ridges on both sides, made with a two-up, two-down weave. The worsted variety is used in making military uniforms, suits, great coats and trench coats. Its counterpart, silk serge, is used for linings. French serge is a softer, finer variety. The word is also used for a high quality woolen woven fabric.
Etymology and history
The name is derived from Old French serge, itself from Latin serica, from Greek σηρικός (serikos), meaning "silken". The early association of silk serge, Greece, and France is shown by the discovery in Charlemagne's tomb of a piece of silk serge dyed with Byzantine motifs, evidently a gift from the Byzantine Imperial Court in the 8th or 9th century AD. It also appears to refer to a form of silk twill produced in the early renaissance in or around Florence, used for clerical cassocks. A reference can be found in Don Quixote: "I am more pleased to have found it than anyone had given me a Cassock of the best Florentine serge" (The Curate, Book I, Chapter VI).
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Initially the circus director John Beautour pressed charges. However, the photos went viral on the internet, leading to a lot of publicity for the circus. Beautour subsequently dropped the charges.
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