Karen Armstrong, in her book entitled "Islam: A Short History," described Arabia during the 5th century AD like this:
"In the aggressive stampede for wealth [due to civilized society] some of the old tribal values had been lost. Instead of looking after the weaker members of the tribe, as the nomadic code prescribed, the Quraysh [Muhammad's tribe] were now intent on making money at the expense of some of the tribe's poorer family groupings, or clans. There was also spiritual restlessness in Mecca and throughout the peninsula. Arabs knew that Judaism and Christianity, which were practiced in the Byzantine and Persian empires, were more sophisticated than their own pagan traditions. Some had come to believe that the High God of their pantheon, Al-Lah (whose name simply meant "God") was the deity worshipped by the Jews and the Christians, but he had sent the Arabs no prophet and no scripture in their own language. Indeed, the Jews and Christians whom they met [for trade] often taunted the Arabs for being left out of the divine plan. It seemed to many of the more thoughtful people in Arabia that the Arabs were a lost race, exiled forever from the civilized world and ignored by God Himself. But that changed on the night of the 17 Ramadan, when Muhammad woke..."
When Ishmael's descendants were removed from the Promised Land and ushered into the peninsula that is today's Saudi Arabia, it is understandable that they would have felt abandoned by the former promise given to Ishmael:
"And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation." Genesis 17:20
How could they perceive that God had blessed them when they were now isolated to an uncivilized desert? Such is the dillema that allowed Muhammad to rise both in popularity and eloquence. Arabs were searching for a purpose and Christians had done little to reach across their civilized notions to a world that they deemed primitive.
Today's battles rage on in ways that modern man has ignored. The separation of Islam and the Jewish world has roots that go all the way back to Isaac and Ishmael. To whom has God promised to bless? To whom has God given which land? These are at the heart of present day conflicts.
As you take this study and consider the consequences of our traditional way of thinking, allow the Scripture to open your eyes to a battle much larger than the one we wish would just go away. Just imagine what might have happened if Christians had gone south from Antioch and reached their hands across the border to extend love where it might have seemed undeserved (to those in Arabia). Only Paul, according to Galatians 1, spent time in Arabia (though we know nothing of his time there). History has already been written and it is our responsibility to consider how we will proceed forward knowing our place in the present dispensation of God's grace. Do we condemn the faith of a historical group (now known as Islam) who still believe God has not fulfilled His promises to them of being a great nation? Or do we seek to share the grace of God with any and all, including those of the Muslim world? The conflicts are very real, but our call is not to condemn. Our call is to walk worthy of the gospel, testifying of Christ and His ultimate sacrifice.