Society in Muhammad’s Time

The world into which Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was born was chaotic. The Arabian Peninsula was an important trading centre.

The cities of Arabia acted independently. Different cities often raided trading caravans bringing goods to another city. Even within one city, different tribes carried on blood feuds.

To rise in society, a man needed the protection of a powerful tribe. Women had no rights; they were little more than possessions of their fathers and husbands.


Muhammad was a deeply moral man, who thought a great deal about ethical issues. How do you think an ethical person might have looked at the society of the day?