What were the conditions in Arabia before the emergence of Islam?

Agriculture was predominant in the south-west region of Arabia, the coastal region along the Red Sea. Before the emergence of Islam, the people of Arabia were divided into two main groups: the city dwellers or settled folk and the wandering Bedouins or dwellers of the desert. These people were divided into a number of friendly clans called tribes (qabila). These tribes were organised on the basis of blood relationships. The head of the tribes was called the 'Sheikh' and was partly chosen on the basis of his family connections and more on the basis of his courage, wisdom and generosity. These tribes were constantly at war with each other. Each tribe had its own God, who was worshipped as an idol (sanam) in a shrine (masjid).