Editing Al-Uzza (section)

== Destruction of temple ==
{{Main|Expedition of Khalid ibn al-Walid (Nakhla)}}
{{See also|Destruction of the Dhu'l-Khalasa}}
Shortly after the [[Conquest of Mecca]], Muhammad began efforts to eliminate the last cult images reminiscent of pre-Islamic practices.

He sent [[Khalid ibn Al-Walid]] during [[Ramadan (calendar month)|Ramadan]] 630 AD (8 AH) to a place called Nakhlah, where the goddess al-ʻUzzā was worshipped by the tribes of Quraish and Kinanah. The shrine's custodians were from [[Bani Shaiba]]. Al-ʻUzzā was considered the most important goddess in the region.

[[Arabs|Arab]] Muslim historian [[Hisham ibn al-Kalbi|Ibn al-Kalbī]] ({{circa|737–819}} [[Common Era|CE]]) tells how [[Muhammad]] ordered [[Khalid ibn al-Walid|Khālid ibn al-Walīd]] to kill the pre-Islamic Arabian goddess al-ʿUzzā, who was supposed to inhabit one of three trees:
: Khalid destroyed the first one, returned to Muhammad to report. Muhammad replied, asking whether something eventful happened, which Khalid denied. The same thing happened after cutting down the second tree. When Khalid was about to destroy the last tree, a woman with wild hair appeared, who is called "al Uzza" by al-Sulami the custodian of al-Uzza, and ordered to kill Khalid. Khalid struck the woman down with his sword, and chopped her head off at which she fell down in a pile of ashes. Khalid went on to kill Sulami and cut the last tree. When he returned to Muhammad, Muhammad is supposed to have said that the woman was al-Uzza, and she shall never be worshiped again.<ref>{{cite book |author=Elias, J.J. |year=2014 |title=Key Themes for the Study of Islam |place=London, UK|publisher=Oneworld Publications}}</ref>