6. Shiva Lingam in Abrahamic Religions
6.1 - Shiva Lingam and the Star of David
Some scholars believe that Jews were Indians and hence Hindus in origin. Clearchus of Soli, a pupil of Aristotle, wrote, “The Jews descend from the philosophers of India. The philosophers are called in India Calanians and Jews in Syria. The name of their capital is very difficult to pronounce. It is called "Jerusalem" (Against Apion, 1.176-183).
Image 6.1.1 – Star of David
According to some religious researchers, the upward-pointing triangle in the Star of David represents masculine energy, and the downward-pointing triangle represents feminine energy, which is similar to the symbolic representation of the Shiva lingam.
According to Jews, the Star of David symbolizes martyrdom and heroism. It was accepted as an emblem of Judaism in the 19th century in imitation of the cross of Christianity.
6.2 - Is Cross a Shiva Lingam?
Although it is a common notion that the Christian symbol “cross” is the instrument used to crucify Jesus, some scholars believe that it is inspired by the “ankh” or “key of life,” which is an Egyptian symbol that symbolizes “life”. Coptic Christians adapted it into the crux ansata, but instead of the original oval shape of the ankh, they used a circular one.
Some symbologists believe that the cross denotes the conjunction/copulation of the male principle with the female principle. The vertical stroke represents the male part and the horizontal stroke the female part.
Image 6.2.1 – Ankh or Key of Life
The Greek word, generally translated as “cross,” is stau ros. It basically means “an upright pale or stake.” Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus was not crucified on a cross but on a stake, and Constantine first used the cross as a Christian symbol who was a pagan emperor. For the first 300 years after the death of Jesus, Christians did not use the cross as their symbol.
The upper part of crux ansata looks similar to the Shiva lingam. If the cross is really inspired by the ankh, then it could be an altered symbol that represents the Shiva lingam.
Image 6.3.1 – Black Stone with a Silver Frame
Credit: Makkahmedinah
A few Hindu scholars claim that the Black Stone in Kaaba is actually a Shiva lingam. When Muhammad Paigambar attacked Kaaba and destroyed all the idols there, he did not destroy this Black Stone because he knew it was the symbol of Lord Shiva and represents Almighty God. That is why Muslims do circumambulation of the Kaaba
But Muslims believe that he did so because this stone was sent by Allah to the Earth to reduce the sins of humans. Some believe it was sent to pinpoint the place where Ibrahim was supposed to build a shrine. It was white initially but turned black because of the sins of people. Pilgrims at Kaaba touch it to reduce their sins. Also, they circumambulate Kaaba not to worship or venerate it but to symbolize their belief in and worship of the one true God, Allah.
The stone was set in the wall of the Kaaba by Muhammad Paigambar. It was originally a single stone but today consists of several pieces that are cemented together. They are surrounded by a silver frame and fixed to the outer wall of the Kaaba.
Muhammad Paigambar indeed destroyed 360 idols at Kaaba, but there is no proof that the Black Stone was originally a Shiva lingam. The shape of the silver frame and the black color of the stones look like it, but we cannot say that the Black Stone is a Shiva lingam unless there is some solid proof.
2. Stoning of the Devil:
See Image 2.6.
Before 2004, Muslims used to hurl stones at the structure shown in the picture that looks similar to a Shiva lingam. The structure is called jamarah and was in the city of Mina near Mecca. There were three Jamarat before, but they are now replaced with wall-shaped pillars. According to Muslims, the structure has nothing to do with the Shiva lingam. It is raised just to point to the place where Satan appeared before Ibrahim and tried to prevent him from sacrificing his son.
When Abraham left Mina and was brought down to (the defile called) al-Aqaba, the Devil appeared to him at Stone-Heap of the Defile. Gabriel said to him, "Pelt him!" So Abraham threw seven stones at him, and the devil disappeared from there. Then he appeared to him at the Middle Stone-Heap. Gabriel said to him, "Pelt him!" So he pelted him with seven stones again, and he disappeared from him. Then he appeared to him at the Little Stone-Heap. Gabriel said to him, "Pelt him!" So he pelted him with seven stones like the little stones for throwing with a sling. So the devil withdrew from him.
Although the structure looks like a Shiva lingam, it is not rounded at the sides, and there is no vent also.
3. Ihram clothing:
Image 6.3.2 – Ihram Clothing
Ihram clothing includes men's and women's garments worn by Muslims while in a state of Ihram (a sacred state), during either of the Islamic pilgrimages, Hajj, and/or Umrah. This clothing looks like clothes worn by some Hindu priests. Some Hindus believe that this shows the connection between Hinduism and Islam.
4. In 2015, a Muslim cleric, Mufti Mohammad Iliyas, claimed that Lord Shiva is the first prophet of Allah. It is not clear why he said so. Many other Muslim clerics said that there is no proof in Islam that Lord Shiva is the first prophet of Allah.
Although there is no solid proof that the Shiva lingam is associated with Islam, there are certainly some things that point in that direction. If you consider collectively, the Ihram clothing, the shape of Jamaraat, the circumambulation of Kaaba, the pagan culture before Islam, and the connection of Jews to Hindus and Muslims, there are too many similarities between Islam and Hinduism.