By the fourth century, even before the birth of Muhammad, most Arabs in the Middle East were Jewish or Christians.
How did we know this?
If you study the history of the Byzantine Empire under Justinian I (527–565 CE), you will see the spread of Christianity through Turkey, and into what is modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and along the eastern coast of North Africa.
The popular St Augustine was born in Thagaste, Numidia, in modern-day Algeria. He was born in 354. He became the bishop of Hippo in Algeria.
The Arab tribes like Ghassanids and Banu Judham were not originally Islam. The Nabateans (in Jordan) were a Christian Tribe. The Kahlani Qahtanite tribes of Yemen who settled in Transjordan and Syria were Christians who did not convert to Islam. Check also the tribes of Tayy, Abd Al-Qais, and Taghlib. The tribes of The southern Arabian city of Najran were also a centre of Arab Christianity.
The Quran spent so many chapters talking about Christians and those described as the people of the book. In fact, it details how Muslims should interact with them. This is simply because Christianity was so common in the prophet Muhammed’s time. Another reason was Muhammad's encounter with a man I want you all to read about.
You may need to read about Waraka (or Waraqah) ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn Abd-al-Uzza ibn Qusayy Al-Qurashi. Yes, he has a long name. He was the paternal first cousin of Khadija, the first wife of the prophet Muhammad.
He was first a Jew, then converted to Christianity. He became a devout Christian and read the gospel in Arabic. He reportedly used to translate the gospel into his own version in Arabic. He was knowledgeable in Judaism and Christianity. He even knew how to read and write in Hebrew. Waraqah was regarded as a 'Nasara', a Christian cult akin to Jehovah's Witnesses.
Muhammad was influenced by him to whom he got to know a lot about Christianity, the Torah and the gospels. In fact, Waraqah is said to be the first to confirm Muhammad as a prophet.
The general conclusion drawn from scholars, which, after reading the Quran myself, I have no evidence to argue against, is that a significant portion of the Quran was copied/adopted from the Christians, the Jews, the Armenians, the Hindus and the Magians (Zoroastrians) all of which existed before and during Muhammad.
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