[dennisw]

The center of the Islamic faith is the Arabian Peninsula characterized by desert and grasslands. Herding was historically the most important aspect of the region’s economy, carried on by Arabic nomads or bedouins scattered in separate clan/tribe groupings. Two predominant powers, the Byzantine and Persian empires, dominated the Middle East in the 6th century CE. Persia, North Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula were non-Christian followers of polytheistic religions, and many cities along the Middle Eastern trade routes developed reputations for drinking, fighting, and prostitution. Mecca itself had become a center of pagan belief, as hundreds migrated there each year on a pilgrimage to the ancient granite, rectangular stone in the city’s center, the Ka’ba, which was worshipped as a holy site and dominated by pagan statues and idols.

[Burkeman1]

Further- none of the "prophet's" words were even written down until 150 years after his death.