And Dhū al-Khalasa was the idol of Daws that they worshipped during the pre-Islamic period (1).

What the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—foretold in this hadith did indeed come to pass. When ignorance returned to that region, the tribe of Daws and the surrounding Arab tribes became enthralled by Dhū al-Khalasa. They revived the former practices associated with it and worshipped it besides Allah. This continued until Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhāb—may Allah have mercy on him—arose to call people to monotheism, revived what had faded from the religion, and Islam returned to the Arabian Peninsula. Imam Abd al-Azīz ibn Muhammad ibn Saūd—may Allah have mercy on him—then sent a group of preachers to Dhū al-Khalasa. They laid it waste and demolished part of its structure. When the rule of the House of Saūd over the Hijaz ended during that period, the ignorant resumed worshipping it. Later, when King Abd al-Azīz ibn Abd al-Rahmān Āl Saūd—may Allah have mercy on him—gained control of the Hijaz, he issued orders to his governor there, who dispatched a detachment of his army. They demolished it and eradicated every trace of it. All praise and gratitude are due to Allah (2).

Manifestations of polytheism still persist in some lands, and the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—spoke the truth