The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), was commissioned to bear and proclaim the Divine Message in an age in which no prophets had been sent for a period of time, and humanity was teeming with disbelief, immorality and deviance. While this was true of the Arabian Peninsula in general, let us now focus on the specific region where the Da‘wah (propagation of Islam) began.
Makkah is located within a valley surrounded by mountains from nearly all sides. The Qu'ayqi'aan in the West and Abu Qubays in the East extend to form a crescent, enclosing the urban area of Makkah. The floor of the valley is known as Bat-haa', where the Sacred Mosque is located, and which used to be surrounded by the houses of Quraysh; the higher area is known as Mu‘allaah. At both ends of the arc-shaped mountains, were modest homes belonging to lower-class residents, who were considered inferior to those of their tribe in the valley, in terms of civilization, wealth and esteem.
The Quraysh could trace their lineage to the Kinaanah, who resided close to Makkah and were further associated to them through marriages and a strategic alliance. The Abyssinians nearby were also allies of Quraysh, who employed them to guard their caravans.
The coalition of the people of Makkah extended to include tribes inhabiting all commercial routes to the Levant, Iraq and Yemen. In order for their economy to flourish, the Quraysh required security for their business, which they achieved through diplomatic means, instead of aggressive policies. They rarely engaged in wars, barring the four battles, or more accurately, skirmishes, of Al-Fijaar, in which they were defeated by the Bedouins. The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), witnessed the last stages of that conflict when he was twenty years old.
The location of the Ka’bah with its three hundred and sixty statues in their city also helped the Quraysh achieve security, as it was venerated by the Arabs who journeyed to it for pilgrimage.
The chiefs of Quraysh were known for their rigid observation of their beliefs and customs, as it prevented infringement of their rights and served their social status and economic interests. Thus, they preferred to maintain their current state of affairs, which explained their severe resistance to Islam when it first appeared. To them, it symbolized a looming danger to their unity, which was compounded by the emigration of Muslims to Abyssinia and Madeenah.
Among the elite of Makkah were Qusayy and his descendants, whose high-profile efforts led to the prosperity of Makkah, and cemented their standing and mastery, by establishing their merit and nobility. Qusayy was the one who had united Quraysh, established its power base in and over Makkah and conducted its affairs. After he died, his sons assumed his charges, including Siqaayah and Rifaadah (offering water and food, respectively, to pilgrims), Hijaabah (bearing the keys of the Ka’bah and responsibility for its protection), Liwaa' (leadership in battles) and Nadwah (hospitality to pilgrims).
Another famous man, Haashim ibn ‘Abd Manaaf, was in charge of security; he established safety measures that helped expand the scope of Makkan trade from a local to an international level. He also dug many wells to provide water for Quraysh and the pilgrims.
His brother, ‘Abdul-Muttalib, was renowned for his religious observance; he would forbid injustice and oppression, and enjoin good morals. Hewas also reputed and praised for his generosity, and rose to further prominence after locating the spring of Zamzam that was larger than Makkah’s other water sources. Before that, the sons of Qusayy had to bring water from wells outside the city.
So, while ‘Abdul-Muttalib was neither the wealthiest man nor the chieftain of Makkah, his contributions to the services of the Sacred Mosque and its pilgrims rendered him among the dignitaries. In fact, he was the one who confronted Abrahah when the latter invaded Makkah.
One of his sons, Abu Taalib ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib, later assumed the posts of providing Rifaadah and Siqaayah . When he fell short of funds, he borrowed ten thousand Dirhams from his brother, Al-‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib. But, when he could not afford to pay his brother back, Abu Taalib relegated both responsibilities to him.
Thus, all these men who formed the kindred of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), had a special social status at the advent of Islam, even though they were not very wealthy and perhaps even inferior to the middle-class merchants of Makkah.
As for the dogma of this pre-Islamic era, the most authentic source that reveals it is the Quran, through its religious dialogue with the disbelievers and refutations of their beliefs.
In the Quran, Allah The Almighty explained that the Arab disbelievers worshipped gods, requesting their intercession to draw closer to Him. This was in rigid imitation of their forefathers; they were indifferent to any criticism of the legacy they inherited, precluding themselves from rational judgment and authentic sources of knowledge.
Hence, their incorrect doctrines led to misguided acts of worship, conduct and laws. The rites of pilgrimage, for instance, were saturated with paganism, with naked people sometimes circumambulating the Ka’bah which had statues around it. Further, instead of the mandatory rite in Hajj (pilgrimage) of standing at ‘Arafaat, the Quraysh would do so at Muzdalifah.
Thus, they initiated practices that Allah The Almighty never legislated, and especially not Ibraaheem (Abraham), may Allah exalt his mention, who they claimed to be following.
They had an incorrect concept of the Lordship and Attributes of Allah The Almighty, negating some of His Powers and attaching Names to Him with no Divine basis or with corrupt meanings. They would also attribute human imperfections to Him, such as bearing sons and being in need of things. Moreover, they claimed that the angels were the daughters of Allah The Almighty and the jinn His partners. They repudiated the concepts of resurrection and predestination, which they used as an argument against Allah The Almighty.
Their devoted acts of worship were for the idol, Al-Laat, whose pleasures they sought through dedicating offerings and vows to it. This was not intended for reward in the Hereafter, which most, but not all, disbelieved in, to begin with; rather, their intention was to gain worldly benefits, such as an increase of wealth and warding off evil and harm in the worldly life.
In general, people were not in a good condition before the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), was dispatched with the message of Islam. And when he was, people in Makkah, and elsewhere since then, adopted one of two attitudes: they accepted Islam, thereby reforming their affairs in both worlds, or rejected it and consequently, were doomed to wretchedness in both as well.
