The beginnings of Islam

Islam began in the 6th century AD in what is now Saudi Arabia. This country was and still is for the most part of harsh land of scorching sun, baking deserts and bare mountains interspersed with a few oases. As there was a little fertile and near the coast which lay on the trading routes between eastern Asia and he west, a few small towns developed there.

The Early Makkah

The people were mainly nomadic Arabs who wandered with their camels and goats searching for water and food and raided other tribes and the rare fertile areas. The Arabs of the time had a highly exchange of goods. The city of Makkah was at one of the trading crossroads of the world. There could be no united country under one ruler as the people were always moving from place to place, but they did share of language and had common interests in literature 
and poetry.

These people worshiped many different gods, usually connected with water, crops and nature, but over all of these was a single chief god called Allah. The most sacred shrine for all the tribes of Arabia was a windowless room built by Hazrat Ibrahim (S) which contained in one corner of black stone given to Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) by the angel Hazrat Jibrail (AS). In the holy month all the tribes migrated to Makkah to worship their different gods at the Kaabah and to hold competitions in reciting poetry.