You had people who'd settled and started agriculture around oases. Remember, most of the Arabian Peninsula is really desert. And Muhammad was born into a fairly, or a very prominent family in Mecca. He was born to the Quraysh tribe. And the Quraysh tribe was essentially in control of Mecca. And Mecca was a very powerful city to control because it was a religious center for the region. This is the Kaaba, which exists today, and is a center of Islamic worship.