into two factions; and the family || three days after the death of this of Hashem all repaired to Abu great benefactor and patron, MaTaleb as their head; except on-homet had the additional mortifily Abd'al Uzza, surnamed Abu cation to lose his wife Khadijah, Laheb, who, out of inveterate who had so generously made his hatred to his nephew and his doc- fortune. For which reason this trine, went over to the opposite year is called the year of mourn party, whose chief was Abu So- ing. sian Ebn Harb, of the family of Ommeya.

The families continued thus at variance for three years; but, in the tenth year of his mission, Mahomet told his uncle Abu Taleb, that God had manifestly shewed his disapprobation of the league which the Koreish had made against them, by sending a worm to eat out every word of the instrument except the name of God. Of this accident Mahomet had probably some private notice; for Abu Taleb went immediately to the Koreish, and acquainted them with it; offering, if it proved false, to deliver his nephew up to them; but, in case it were true, he insisted that they ought to lay aside their animosity, and annul the league they had made against the Hashemites. To this they acquiesced; and, going to inspect the writing, to their great astonishment found it to be as Abu Taleb had said: and the league was thereupon declared void.

On the death of these two persons, the Koreish began to be more troublesome than ever to their prophet, and especially some who had formerly been his intimate friends insomuch that he found himself obliged to seek for shelter elsewhere, and first pitched upon Tayef, about sixty miles east from Mecca, for the place of his retreat. Thither, therefore, he went, accompanied by his servant Zeid, and applied himself to two of the chief of the tribe of Thakif, who were the inhabitants of that place; but they received him very coldly. However, he stayed there a month; and some of the more considerate and better sort of men treated him with little respect; but the slaves and inferior people at length rose against him; and, bringing him to the wall of the city, obliged him to depart, and return to Mecca, where he put himself under the protection of Al Motaam Ebn Adi.

In the same year Abu Taleb This repulse greatly discouraged died at the age of above four- his followers. However, Mahoscore: and it is the general opini-met was not wanting to himself; on that he died an infidel; though but boldly continued to preach to others say, that when he was at the point of death he embraced Mahometanism; and produce some passages out of his poetical compositions to confirm their assertion. About a month, or, as some write,

the public assemblies at the pilgrimage, and gained several proselytes; and among them six of the inhabitants of Yathreb, of the Jewish tribe of Khazraj; whc, on their return home, failed not

to speak much in commendation the whole. Which happy incident of their new religion, and exhort- not only retrieved the prophet's ed their fellow-citizens to embrace credit, but increased it to such a the same. degree that he was secure of beIn the twelfth year of his mis-ing able to make his disciples swalsion it was that Mahomet gave out low whatever he pleased to imthat he had made his night jour-pose on them for the future. And ney from Mecca to Jerusalem, this fiction, notwithstanding its and thence to heaven, so much extravagance, was one of the spoken of by all that write of most artful contrivances Mahohim. Dr. Prideaux thinks he in- met ever put in practice, and what vented it either to answer the ex-chiefly contributed to the raising pectations of those who demanded of his reputation to that great some miracle as a proof of his height to which it afterwards armission; or else, by pretending to rived. have conversed with God, to esta- In this year, called by the Mablish the authority of whatever he hometans the accepted year, twelve should think fit to leave behind by men of Yathreb or Medina, of way of oral tradition, and make whom ten were of the tribe of his sayings to serve the same pur-Khazraj, and the other two of pose as the oral law of the Jews. that of Aws, came to Mecca, But it does not appear that Maho- and took an oath of fidelity to met himself ever expected so great a regard should be paid to his sayings as his followers have since done; and, seeing he all along disclaimed any power of performing miracles, it seems rather to have been a fetch of policy to raise his reputation, by pretending to have actually conversed with God in heaven, as Moses had heretofore done in the Mount, and to have received several institutions immediately from him, whereas, before, he contented himself with persuading them that he had all by the ministry of Gabriel.

However, this story seemed so absurd and incredible, that several of his followers left him upon it; and had probably ruined the whole design, had not Abu Becr vouched for his veracity, and declared, that, if Mahomet affirmed it to be true, he verily believed

Mahomet at Al Akaba, a hill on the north of that city. This oath was called the women's oath; not that any women were present at this time, but because a man was not thereby obliged to take up arms in defence of Mahomet or his religion; it being the same oath that was afterwards exacted of the women, the form of which we have in the Koran, and is to this effect, viz. That they should renounce all idolatry; and they should not steal, nor commit fornication, nor kill their children (as the pagan Arabs used to do when they apprehended they should not be able to maintain them), nor forge calumnies; and that they should obey the prophet in all things that were reasonable. When they had solemnly engaged to all this, Mahomet sent one of his disciples, named

Masab Ebn Omair, home with them, to instruct them more fully in the grounds and ceremonies of his new religion.

declare their minds, and let him provide for his safety in some other manner. Upon their protesting their sincerity, Mahomet swore to be faithful to them, on condition that they should protect

Masab, being arrived at Medina, by the assistance of those who had been formerly converted, gain-him against all insults as heartily ed several proselytes, particularly as they would their own wives and Osaid Ebn Hodeira, a chief man families. They then asked him, of the city, and Saad Fbn Mo- what recompence they were to exadh, prince of the tribe of Aws; pect if they should happen to be Mahometanism spreading so fast, killed in his quarrel? he answerthat there was scarce a house ed, Paradise. Whereupon they wherein there were not some who pledged their faith to him, and so had embraced it. returned home; after Mahomet had chosen twelve out of their number, who were to have the same authority among them as the twelve apostles of Christ had among his disciples.

Hitherto Mahomet had propagated his religion by fair means; so that the whole success of his enterprise, before his flight to Medina, must be attributed to persuasion only, and not to compulsion. For before this second oath of fealty or inauguration at Al Akaba, he had no permission. to use any force at all; and in several places of the Koran, which he pretended were revealed during his stay at Mecca, he declares his business was only to preach and admonish; that he had no authority to compel any person to embrace his religion; and that, whether people believe or not, was none of his concern, but belonged solely unto God. And he was so far from allowing his fol

The next year being the thirteenth of Mahomet's mission, Masab returned to Mecca, accompanied by seventy-three men and two women of Medina who had professed Islamism, besides some others who were as yet unbelievers. On their arrival they immediately sent to Mahomet, and offered him their assistance, of which he was now in great need; for his adversaries were by this time grown so powerful in Mecca, that he could not stay there much longer without imminent danger. Wherefore he accepted their proposal, and met them one night, by appointment, at Al Akaba abovementioned, attended by his uncle Al Abbas; who, though he was not then a believer, wished his nephew well, and made a speech to those of Medina; wherein he told them, that, as Mahomet was obliged to quit his native city, and seek an asylum elsewhere, and they had offered him their protec-lowers to use force, that he extion, they would do well not to horted them to bear patiently deceive him; that if they were those injuries which were offered not firmly resolved to defend, and them on account of their faith; not betray him, they had better and, when persecuted himself,

chose rather to quit the place offensive and defensive which he his birth, and retire to Medina, had now concluded with those of than to make any resistance. But Medina, directed them to repair this great passiveness and mode- thither, which they accordingly ration seem entirely owing to his did; but himself, with Abu Becr want of power, and the great supe- and Ali, staid behind, having not riority of his opposers, for the yet received the Divine perfirst twelve years of his mission; mission, as he pretended, to for no sooner was he enabled, by leave Mecca. The Koreish, fearthe assistance of those of Medina, ing the consequence of this new to make head against his enemies, alliance, began to think it absothan he gave out, that God had lutely necessary to prevent Mahoallowed him and his followers to met's escape to Medina; and havdefend themselves against the in- ing held a council thereon, after fidels; and at length, as his forces several milder expedients had been increased, he pretended to have rejected, they came to a resoluthe Divine leave even to attack tion that he should be killed; and them, and destroy idolatry, and agreed that a man should be choset up the true faith by the sword; sen out of every tribe for the exefinding, by experience, that his cution of this design; and that designs would otherwise proceed each man should have a blow at very slowly, if they were not ut- him with his sword, that the guilt terly overthrown; and knowing, of his blood might fall equally on on the other hand, that innova- all the tribes, to whose united tors, when they depend solely on power the Hashemites were much their own strength, and can com-inferior, and therefore durst not pel, seldom run any risk: from attempt to revenge their kinsman's whence, says Machiavel, it fol- death. lows, that all the armed prophets have succeeded, and the unarmed formed, when, by some means or ones have failed. Moses, Syrus, other, it came to Mahomet's Theseus, and Romulus, would knowledge; and he gave out not have been able to establish the that it was revealed to him by the observance of their institutions angel Gabriel, who had now orfor any length of time, had they dered him to retire to Medina. not been armed. The first passage Whereupon, to amuse his eneof the Koran which gave Maho- mies, he directed Ali to lie down met the permission of defending in his place, and wrap himself up himself by arms is said to have in his green cloak, which he did; been that in the twenty-second and Mahomet escaped miracuchapter; after which, a great lously, as they pretend, to Abu number to the same purpose were Becr's house, unperceived by the revealed. conspirators, who had already assembled at the prophet's door. They, in the mean time, looking through the crevice, and seeing.

Mahomet, having provided for the security of his companions, as well as his own, by the league of

This conspiracy was scarce

Ali, whom they took to be Maho- | them, began to send out small met himself, asleep, continued parties to make reprisals on the watching there till morning, when Koreish; the first party consisting Ali arose, and they found themselves deceived.

From Abu Becr's house Mahomet and he went to a cave in mount Thur, to the south east of Mecca, accompanied only by Amor Ebn Foheirah, Abu Becr's servant, and Abd'allah Ebn Oreitah, an idolater whom they had hired for a guide. In this cave they lay hid three days, to avoid the search of their enemies; which they very narrowly escaped, and not without the assistance of more miracles than one; for some say that the Koreish were struck with blindness, so that they could not find the cave; others, that, after Mahomet and his companions were got in, two pigeons laid their eggs at the entrance, and a spider covered the mouth of the cave with her web, which made them look no farther. Abu Becr seeing the prophet in such imminent danger, became very sorrowful; whereupon Mahomet comforted him with these words, recorded in the Koran; Be not grieved, for God is with us. Their enemies being retired, they left the cave, and set out for Medina by a by-road; and having fortunately, or, as the Mahometans tell us, miraculously, escaped some who were sent to pursue them, arrived safely at that city; whither Ali followed them in three days, after he had settled some affairs at Mecca.

Mahomet, being securely settled at Medina, and able not only to defend himself against the insults of his enemies, but to attack

of no more than nine men, who intercepted and plundered a caravan belonging to that tribe, and in the action took two prisoners. But what established his affairs very much, and was the foundation on which he built all his succeeding greatness, was the gaining of the battle of Bedr, which was fought in the second year of the Hegira, and is so famous in the Mahometan history. Some reckon no less than twenty-seven expeditions, wherein Mahomet was personally present, in nine of which he gave battle, besides several other expeditions in which he was not present. His forces he maintained partly by the contributions of his followers for this purpose, which he called by the name of zacat, or alms, and the paying of which he very artfully made one main article of his religion; and partly by ordering a fifth part of the plunder to be brought into the public treasury for that purpose, in which matter he likewise pretended to act by the Divine direction.

In a few years by the success of his arms, notwithstanding he sometimes came off with the worst, he considerably raised his credit and power.

In the sixth year of the Hegira he set out with 1400 men to visit the temple of Mecca, not with any intent of committing hostilities, but in a peaceable manner. However, when he came to Al Hodeibiya, which is situated partly within and partly without the sacred territory, the