GENERAL
As Muhammad developed Islam he borrowed from the other regional religions present in the Mideast. These religions include Judaism, Christianity, Sabeanism, Zoroastrianism, and forms of paganism. Judaism is the largest contributor to Islam, followed by Christianity, then followed by the various pagan religions, and Muhammad’s mind. These pagan borrowings constitute significant facets of Islam and this article details some of these pagan contributions.
1) PAGANISM IN ISLAM
Islamic theology has some of its roots in various pagan beliefs. Primary to Islam is it's most holiest shrine: the Kaba.
THE KABA
The Kaba is now the most revered sanctuary of Islam. It is located in Mecca. Muslims throughout the world direct their prayers toward the Kaba.
PHYSICAL SHAPE
The Kaba's shape is somewhat cubical. Of note in the Kaba's structure is a black rock built into the wall in its eastern corner. The black rock's diameter is about 12 inches. It is reddish black in color, and has red and yellow particles. The black rock is kissed during the perambulation, (the circulation of the Muslims around the Kaba). The Kaba is about 50 feet high, and the walls are about 40 feet long. The facade contains the door, which starts at 7 feet off the ground, and faces N.E.. To enter the Kaba, a ladder must be used. Also built in the eastern corner, is another stone called "lucky". This stone is only touched, not kissed.
KNOWN PAGAN HISTORY
Apart from Muslim myths, little is really known about the history of the Kaba. About 60 years before Christ, the Roman historian Diodorus Siculus commented that there was in Arabia a temple greatly revered by the Arabs. It is probable that he had the Kaba in mind. It was later mentioned to have existed in the 2nd century; Ptolemy, the geographer mentions it in his work, calling it the 'macoraba'. The Kaba was a sanctuary dedicated to one or more pagan deities. The accounts of the campaigns of Abraha note that it was a place of pagan worship in the 6th century. Information on the distribution of the offices among the sons of Kusayy show that the worship of the sanctuary had developed into a regulated cult several generations before Muhammad.
One historian (Hurgronjes) said that sacred worship may have developed around the area because the Zamzam spring was found in this waterless place.
Pre-Islamic history tells us that many Arabian tribes were stone worshippers. This is also mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol 5, #661. The Old Testament even talks about Mideast pagan groups that worshipped stones. Muhammad incorporated the Kaba's paganistic roots into Islam to give the Muslims a sense of identity, legitimacy, and uniqueness. He also wanted to ease the Arab's strain of moving from paganism to Islam, by continuing the practices of their fathers.
PAGAN GODS AND RITUALS
There were 360 idols around the Kaba. The pilgrimages to the Kaba were all pagan pilgrimages, the ritual processions around the Kaba were part of pagan beliefs and custom, the white robes worn by the pilgrims were from pagan faiths, the veneration of the Kaba and black stone are derived from pagan rituals and beliefs. Pagans called out the names of their pagan gods as they circled the Kaba, today, Muslims call out Allah's name. Pagans ran between the nearby hills, Muhammad authorized Muslims to do that in the Quran, and probably ran between the hills himself.
The chief pagan god worshipped there was Hubal, who could be called the god of Mecca and of the Kaba. Hubal is not mentioned in the Quran. The goddesses al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat were also worshipped there and are mentioned in the Quran.
It is thought that the Kaba was originally set up for astral worship. Golden suns and moons are repeatedly mentioned as the votive gifts. Some pagans regarded the Kaba as a temple devoted to the sun, moon, and 5 planets.
THE BLACK STONE
The black stone played a prominent role in pagan worship. The pagans offered animal sacrifices there. But the idol of the black stone replaced the alter; on the black stone they smeared the blood of the sacrificed animals.
QURANIC MYTHS
Muhammad made up historical references for the Kaba. Muhammad claimed that Abraham and Ishmael laid the foundations of the Kaba (Q. 2:127). Muhammad claimed that God ordained the Kaba as a sacred house (Q. 5:97). Muhammad also claimed that it was the first temple ever built for mankind (Q. 3:97).
Only Muhammad claimed that it was a place built by Abraham. In looking in the O.T., we find no mention of Abraham traveling to Mecca to build a house of worship.
Further, the late Taha Hussein, one of the most famous Egyptian professors of Arabic literature said that the Islamic myth of Abraham building the Kaba came into vogue just before the rise of Islam. He comments:
"The case of this episode is very obvious because it is of recent date, and came into vogue just before the rise of Islam. Islam exploited it for religious reasons". Quoted in 'Mizar al-Islam' by Anwar al-Jundi.
THEOLOGICAL PROBLEMS
Every man living in Mecca before and during Muhammad's life had some relationship with the Kaba. If the Kaba was the house of God, why did Muhammad order his followers to face Jerusalem? Muhammad's 'revelation' in the Quran says that when Allah had Muhammad change prayer directions, it was a test of the Muslims. This sounds like a lame excuse on Muhammad's part. What's the test? Face another direction? That does not appear to be such an incredible challenge!
Probably the real answer is that through his early contacts with Christians and Jews, Muhammad knew that their faiths, centered in Jerusalem, where monotheistic. Muhammad abhorred polytheistic worship, consequently he aligned himself with faiths that he believed were from the true God. He selected Jerusalem as the direction of prayer. He hoped that the Jews would receive him as a prophet.
About a year and a half after the migration to Medina, after the Jews had thoroughly rejected him, he turned the direction of prayer to Mecca - the center of pagan worship in the Arabian peninsula (Q. 2:144). Just as he had compromised with the pagan idol worshippers in Mecca, by sanctioning and worshipping the pagan goddesses Lat, Uzza, and Manat, so now he hoped to gain favor with the pagan Arab tribes that worshipped at the Kaba in Mecca. He authenticated the pagan focus of attention.
After Muhammad took Mecca, he cleansed the Kaba. Inside the Kaba were many representations of the prophets. When his men began to cleanse the Kaba, and wash out the representations, Muhammad placed his hands on the pictures of Jesus and Mary, and said "Wash out all except what is below my hands". Again, Muhammad went against his own principles, and sanctioned his definition of idolatry.
Muhammad then sanctioned the pagan rituals concerning the Kaba, i.e. kissing the black stone, touching the Kaba, circling the structure, running between the two hills, etc. Later, Umar said to the black stone "I know that you are a stone, that neither helps nor hurts, and if the messenger of god had not kissed you, I would not kiss you". (Sahih al-Bukhari, volume 2, #667). But then he kissed the stone. Like Umar, many other Muslims follow the prophet in their practice of veneration of a pagan idol.
Before Muhammad, there was a group of people in Arabia who also abhorred idolatry. They were known as the Hanifites. Even the Hanifites saw that kissing the black stone was pagan idolatry. During one of the pre-Islamic Eids, the Qurayshi were worshipping their idols, slaying sacrifices, praying, and making circuits around the Kaba. Just as they did each year for this festival. Some Hanifites saw them, and stood apart from them, and said:
"By the Lord!, our people have nothing left of the faith of Abraham. What is this stone that we should encircle it? It can neither hear nor speak, neither hurt nor help. O our people, look out for your souls, for by the Lord are you altogether wanting."
One of the Hanifites was Obeidallah... later he embraced Islam. He immigrated to Abyssinia with other Muslims. Later he became a Christian. After his conversion, he said to his Muslim friends 'We (Christians) see, but you are only blinking' - that is, cannot see plainly.
So, why then does Muhammad kiss the black stone? Why did he incorporate paganism into his faith. There is even the Quranic story of Abraham - how he chided those who worshipped idols sura 6, 21, etc., and said it was sinful in God's sight. Yet here we have Muhammad walking around the Kaba, just like the pagans, kissing the stone, just like the pagans. Even Umar knew it was empty and false, yet he followed Muhammad in kissing the stone.
It cannot be denied that an entire pagan theology and ritual, was adopted by Islam, after Muhammad had one of his convenient 'revelations' and made it 'religiously' correct.
Another Muslim myth, concerning the Kaba, is that 'anyone who prays under the Kaba's water-pipe becomes as pure as on the day when his mother bore him'. Muslims have a hard time accepting Christ's atonement, but will allow for total forgiveness of sins by uttering a prayer under a spout!--From
http://answering-islam.org.uk/Silas/pagansources.htm