Polytheism and Monotheism

Muhammad's techings were new to Arabs, beacuse before he was spoken to by the Angel, Arabs worshipped and believed in many Gods (Polytheism) at shrines, or a place at which people worship a saint or God. An example of a shrine is the Kaaba which is located in Mecca. People traveled there every year on a journey a.k.a the hajj every year on a pilgrimage, a journey to a sacred place. Muhammads teachings upset the people of Arabia. They did not like being told to stop worshipping their Gods and Godesses. Muhammads new religion seemed like threat to people who made money from the yearly visits to the Kaaba. Many merchants thought that they would lose business if people didn't worship their Gods in at the Kaaba.