| Part of themyth series on Religions of the ancient Near East |
| Pre-Islamic Arabian deities |
|---|
| Arabian deities of other Semitic origins |
Manaf (Arabic:مناف) was apre-Islamic Arabian deity and given name that means "elevated".[1] Personal names incorporating the name Manaf such as "Abd Manaf" show that the deity was widespread among the tribes ofQuraysh,Hudhayl, andTamim.[2]
Although famous scholarAl-Tabari calls Manaf "one of the greatest deities ofMecca," very little information is available on the subject.[2] However, going by the inscriptions, the name was known inThamudic,Safaitic, andDadanitic inscriptions, and there were altars dedicated to him atHauran in theLevant and atVolubilis inMorocco.[2]
Some authors state that women, who normally touched hiscult image as a token of blessing, kept away from it duringmenstruation, but, according toEncyclopedia of Islam, a report fromIbn Al-Kalbi indicates that this practice was common to all idols.[2]
He is attested in theHauran as Zeus Manaphos, equated withZeus.[3] Some scholars suggest that Manaf might be a solar god.[4]
In the book "Kitabu'l-Asnam",Hisham ibn al-Kalbi claims that "We know little about the idol save that it was Hudhail, and had some sexual significance."[5] InKitab al-Bad'i wa al-Tarikh,al-Maqdisi wrote[6] that according to the ancient authority al-Qatada, the first son whomKhadija bore toMuhammad in theJahiliyya was named by him 'Abd Manaf.[a] TheQuraysh venerated Manaf, and at one time Manaf seems to have been the most important deity atMecca.[b][7] Muhammad, after his assumption of the prophetic office, showed considerable anxiety about the necessity of changing the names of those of his followers which were reminiscent of the oldPaganism. Margoliouth claims that "many of the visitor's names which were redolent of paganism, or were otherwise displeasing to the Prophet's delicate ear, were altered by him to something better."[8]
A bust of Manaf was once described as the following: "The muscular beardless face is surrounded by the two dangling pieces of wig, that hair that symbolizes thesolar deities. As for the eyelids and pupils, they are surrounded by lines. The neck is decorated with a Syrian deities necklace. We also notice the folds of thejilbab on the chest."[9]
Today, "Manaf" is a boy name infrequently given mostly in theArab world. Despite being a boy's name, it can also be given to girls; while "Abd Manaf" has since become virtually unused.
The name "Manaf" is a IVth formmaṣdar from the rootn-w-f is connected with theQatabanitenwfn “the exalted”, anepithet describing ʿAt̲h̲ar-Venus at its zenith, as opposed tos̲h̲rḳn “the eastern” andg̲h̲rbn “the western”. From the same root is derivedtanūf “that which climbs high in the firmament”, anepithet of the sun, as opposed toms̲h̲rḳtym “that which rises”, andtadūn “that which sets.”[2]