I am reading Travels in Arabia Deserta by C.M. Doughty, first published in 1888, and it's quite clear that a nomadic desert culture had no use of street numbers or names. The people of whom he wrote, had no concept of any previous existing culture, they believed allah created the ruins and the evidence of irrigation/agriculture...and if allah didn't require them to have an address (they pulled up their tents and moved on) why would they, following the word of allah (sarc) think they need an address NOW? It's not in the koran.
Living in the seventh century has its drawbacks. Paul Theroux the travel writer came across the same problems during his trip through Africa. In Egypt, looking for an author he wanted to meet, he was surprised how difficult it was to find him, as the man had no address. In Cairo!
*sigh* I recall many a time when I had to give directions like "after gas station X, head north for a mile until you past the school/mosque with a white wall, then take the left fork in the road, and carry on for a couple of blocks until you see the big green house on the left with chevrons on the gates. Then take the very next right, and look for the large tan house with the 3 rocks placed on the compound wall, or green light outside, or the one with the blue chalk mark... if you see the shack with the tin roof, you've gone too far.
...they believed allah created the ruins and the evidence of irrigation/agriculture...
LOL... I believe it was allah's will that their neighborhoods got filled with craters too!
As for "innovations" and "innovators" (those guilty of "bidah") of things which are not in the koran or hadeeth, a humorous observation that some locals had about the salafi-types intimidation, demanding an end to harram western style influence, schools, institutions etc, on the grounds that they did not have or practice that during mohammads time - is the obvious fact that there were no AKs, Makarovs or car bombs in mohammads time either!