In those days idol worship was popular in Mecca, and even the Ka’bah, the sacred sanctuary thought to have been built by Abraham, had idols and goddess statues in it. Muhammad’s travels gave him an opportunity to meet and talk to many different kinds of people from various cultures and religions. He was especially interested in talking with monks, priests, and rabbis at the various trading posts he visited. It is said that even as a teenager, he was occasionally recognized by a traveler as being a messenger from God. During these years he had many experiences which showed him a world beyond the idol worship so prevalent in his own culture.

At about age 25, Muhammad married a wealthy woman. He began living a life of affluence, and his honesty in business served him well. He continued to travel, and learned more about different kinds of people, with their various religions and customs. Little by little, Muhammad became uncomfortable with his life of wealth, as he saw so many others living in poverty. He began to spend time alone, thinking, sometimes even spending weeks wandering in the desert and sleeping in a cave at night.