How did early Arabs organize their lives?

Early Arabs organized their lives around several key structures and institutions that were a response to the environmental and social challenges they faced. Before the emergence of Islam, Arab life was broadly divided between two main social contexts: the nomadic or Bedouin lifestyle and the sedentary lifestyle of those living in towns and agricultural communities.

1. Tribal Structure: The pivotal unit of social organization was the tribe. The tribe provided its members with identity, protection, and a support system. Each tribe had a sheikh or leader who was responsible for making major decisions, often with the consultation of a council of elders.

2. Family and Kinship Bonds: Extended family and kinship bonds were of utmost importance. Lineage was traced through bloodlines, and families would band together to form clans within a tribe. These familial ties dictated responsibilities such as childcare, education, and property ownership.

3. Economic Activities: The economy of the early Arabs was primarily based on pastoralism (raising livestock), agriculture, and trade. Nomadic people moved with their herds in search of pasture and water, while those in settled areas engaged in farming and often participated in local and long-distance trade.

4. Religious Practices: Religion played a significant role in social organization. Many Arabs practiced a form of polytheism with a pantheon of deities. Site-specific worship, such as at the Kaaba in Mecca, was common, and religious leaders or priests held significant social influence.

5. Legal Systems: Customary law called 'urf' and tribal law governed Arab society. Justice was administered according to tribal customs, which included practices such as blood money (diyah) to settle disputes over killings or injuries.

6. Housing and Settlements: Nomadic Arabs lived in tents made from animal hides or woven hair, which were easily transportable. Sedentary Arabs built houses from mud-brick or stone depending on the availability of materials and often fortified their towns.

7. Cultural Practices: Poetry, oral storytelling, and genealogy were vital aspects of Arab culture that helped transmit history, values, and social norms across generations.