在伊斯兰教降临之前的阿拉伯半岛，社会在民族和部落的界线上严重分化。居住在帐篷或房屋中的人组成一个家庭；若干家庭组成一个氏族；若干氏族则组成一个部落。每个部落都有自己的一套规则和条例，人们依据这些规则受到管理。荣誉、骄傲和忠诚为这些部落所极为重视。一切活动都局限于部落结构的框架之内，任何越出这些界限的人都会受到责备。以这种方式聚居在一起，既为本部落的成员提供了安全，也为前来投靠他们的人提供了庇护。

The Arabian peninsular, during the period leading up to the dawn of Islam, was heavily split on nationalistic lines. People living in a tent or a house formed a family; a group of families made a clan and a group of clans formed a tribe. Each tribe had its own set of rules and regulations according to which people were governed. Honour, pride and loyalty were held in high esteem by these tribes. All activities were confined within the framework of the tribalistic structure and anyone stepping outside these limits was reprimanded. Herding together in this fashion provided security for the individuals belonging to the tribe and also for anyone seeking refuge with them.

当时的主要部落包括：麦加的古莱什部落、耶斯里卜（麦地那）的奥斯部落和海兹拉吉部落及一些犹太部落，以及塔伊夫的赛给夫部落。

Some of the dominant tribes were Quraysh in Makkah, Aus, Khazraj and some Jewish tribes in Yathrib (Madinah) and Thaqif in Ta‘if.

强烈的部落忠诚常常导致部落之间的相互竞争。这些竞争往往发展为肢体冲突，进而引发部落战争，而这些战争往往因牧场、水源、马匹和骆驼等琐碎问题而爆发。蒙昧时期（jahiliyyah，无知时代）

The strong loyalties to the tribes often led to inter-tribal rivalries. These rivalries often culminated in physical clashes, which in turn led to tribal wars, fought over trivial issues such as pastures, water, horses and camels. The period of jahiliyyah (ignorance)

在5世纪，最著名的战争之一是“巴苏斯之战”，它起因于一头名叫巴苏斯的母骆驼受伤，该骆驼属于白克尔部落的一位老妇人。这场战争持续了三十年，期间双方不断互相袭击、掠夺和杀戮。“达利斯之战”则源于阿布斯部落与达比扬部落在阿拉伯中部的一场赛马中的不公正行为。这场战争持续了数十年。

is full of such examples. During the 5th Century, one of the well known wars was Harb al-Basus, which started from the wounding of a she-camel named Basus that belonged to an old woman of Banu Bakr. This war lasted for thirty years with reciprocal raids, plundering and killings. Harb al-Dalis arose from an unfair conduct in a horse race between the tribe of Abs and Dhabyan in central Arabia. This war lasted for decades.

在亚斯里卜（今称麦地那），奥斯和海兹拉杰两个部落曾卷入布阿斯之战；而在麦加，古莱氏及其盟友基南族与哈瓦津部落之间爆发的战争，则被称为法贾尔之战。

The two tribes of Aus and Khazraj in Yathrib (now called Madinah) were involved in Harb al-Bu‘ath, and in Makkah the Quraysh and their allies, the Kinanah, fought the Hawazin in the war known as Harb al-Fujjar.