Acts17apologetics too hasty; Idols in the Kaaba prove its pagan origins?

In answer to the video "Muhammad Was Influenced by Paganism; Paul Wasn't (PvM 11)"

the Kaaba, to the pre-islamic Arabs, belonged to their supreme God Allah who commanded his prophet Abraham to settle in Mecca a monotheistic temple. As the early generations of Mecca passed, they were replaced by others who slowly started innovating in their rituals, worship, and beliefs transmitted from the previous generations. Their assimilation into the regional polytheistic systems was such that when they were reminded of the original and pure way, they qualified it as

27:68"stories of the ancients".

This phrase, contrary to what the critics of Islam try to portray, actually means that these Ishmaelites vaguely recalled the Abrahamic ways, but found no other constructive argument in their opposition but by denigrating it based on its ancienty and supposed obsolescence, inaplicability to the current circumstances, ie ancient, old useless stories. They never qualify these stories as "false". It was in fact one of the Quran's oft repeated functions, to "remind" the people of the truth they were still somewhat aware of but that had been supressed by falsehood. The Quran openly states that

26:196"most surely the same is in the scriptures of the ancients".

Just as happenned to the Temple of Jerusalem that slowly became transformed into a pagan shrine and idols were introduced in it 2kings21 the prime symbol of monotheism in Mecca became thus radically transformed through pagan influence. As the Ishmaelites, like the Israelites throughout their history, drifted from the original path of monotheism, the Hajj pilgrimage became a celebratory occasion, and the Kaaba was stocked with idols and false deities supposed to bring the worshipers closer to the One God, Allah, whom they believed in. Men and women would run naked throughout the holy precinct. Merchants from all over would travel to the Kaaba and set up shop during the pilgrimage. People and tribes from all over Arabia would make the journey to Mecca to take part in the festivities.

But this annual pilgrimage had nothing to do with the worship of Allah or the practices of Ibrahim and Ismail. It was simply a time to make money, drink alcohol, and commit immoral acts. It would not be until the conquest of Mecca by Prophet Muhammad, a descendant of Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, that the Kaaba would be returned to its monotheistic purposes. But before that time came, idol worship continued to flourish among them and even spread to the centers inhabited by their Christian and Jewish neighbors, namely Najran and Yathrib.

The Jews of Yathrib tolerated idol worship, coexisted with it, and finally befriended it so as to develop their trade with the pagan Arabs. Although idolatry was important to the pre-Islamic Arabs, yet they did not develop any elaborate mythology around their gods and goddesses as did ancient people around the world such as the Greeks, Romans or Hindus. No trace of such things can be found in the pre-Islamic poetry and traditions. This fact further indicates that polytheism and idol worship were not indigenous to the Ismailite Arabs but were grafted on to the Abrahamic tradition. One of such polytheistic influences came from Noah's descendants. For instance it is documented in Arab history as well as the Torah that some of them -such as the branch descending from Ham- inhabited the region of Canaan. This Noahide branch reverted to idol worship.

This is why in the HB they are, along with all pagan tribes including the Philistines who apprently knew God despite their perverted spirituality 1Sam4:7, systematically slaughtered by the Israelites. The Canaanites and Noahide descendants had reached the utmost of their spiritual depravation Gen15:16,Deut9. This is the way of God in a land declared sacred and dedicated to monotheistic worship.

The same would be done through the IShmaelite prophet Muhammad, commanded to uproot, willingly or forcefully, those who had disfigured the religion of their forefather Abraham, who had perverted the purpose for which a settlement was established on that land of Mecca 8:34-35,53. The Quran names the idols brought by these Noachide descendats, and the Arabs of the peninsula adopted them 71:21 among other gods mostly because of the Nomadic migrations throughout the peninsula. It is well documented archaeologically that most gods of the Arabian peninsula were introduced into the Southern kingdoms of Saba and Himyar in the 2nd century BC, through these nomadic routes. This also led to the Arabization of these idols' names. Some of these idols of Noah's times who were associated with the One God 23:24 include the Nisr, which is the "vulture-god". It was worshipped all throughout the Middle East, whether it went by this name or another. After Noah, generations after generations kept returning to polytheism all the while they worshipped the One supreme God 23:31-44,11:53-4,46:21-2. The names of these idols were thus preserved, just as the Israelites in their books carried on the name of Baal and other regional gods whom they started worshipping again at different portions of their history.

The Meccans were thus originally monotheists, who lapsed into idolatry. Just as the Israelites lapsed into idolatry as recounted in the Hebrew Bible even intermarrying with polytheist Canaanites.