Mohammed or Muhammad or Mahomet

Although the transactions with the people of Yathrib had been carried on with profound secrecy, the nature of Mohammed's contract with his new adherents was somehow divulged to the Meccan magnates, and the danger of allowing an implacable enemy to establish himself on the high-road of their north bound caravans flashed upon them. The rule which forbade bloodshed in the sacred city had at last to be suspended; but elaborate precautions were to be taken whereby every tribe (except Mohammed's own clan) should have their share in the guilt, which would thus be spread over the whole community fairly. When the committee appointed to perpetrate the crime reached Mohammed's house, they found that it was too late; Mohammed had already departed, leaving Ali in his bed.

Accompanied by Abu Bekr only, Mohammed took refuge

in a cave of Mt. Thaur. The date at which he reached Kuba, on the outskirts of Yathrib, is given as 8 Rabia I., of the year A.H. I the fact that he arrived there on the Jewish Day of Atonement gives us the date Sept. 20, 622.

Mohammed as Despot of Yathrib.

The safe arrival of Mohammed at his destination marks the turning-point in his career, which now became one of almost unbroken success ; by defeat little less than by victory. His policy appears to have been to bind his followers to himself and then to each other by every possible tie; he instituted brotherhoods between the Refugees and Helpers, which were to count as relationships for legal pur poses, and having himself no sons, he contracted numerous marriages partly with the same end in view ; e.g., with the infant daughter of Abu Bekr, Ayesha (`A'ishah), whose ability he appears to have discerned; and the unamiable Hafsa, daughter of Omar. Of his own daughters three were given to faithful allies, the one by whom his line is supposed to have been continued to our time, Fatima, was reserved for his cousin. Coming in the capacity of the prophet of the Israelitish God, Mohammed at first seems to have courted alliance with the Jews, but finding no possibility of compromising with them on religious questions or of obtain ing their loyal support, he seems to have reacted towards pagan ism, and after about a year's residence at Medina the direction of prayer, which till then had been towards Jerusalem, was turned southward to the pagan temple at Mecca. With this change we may perhaps couple the adoption of the name Allah for the Deity. In general any practice taken over from some other sect was modified so as to render the Muslim method absolutely distinct; but on the subject of food Mohammed was satisfied with the regulations of the Council of Jerusalem, recorded in Acts xv., which were observed by few, if any, Christian sects. The prohibition of wine, which was enacted in A.H. 3, is said

to have been occasioned by the riotous conduct of one of his fol lowers when under the influence of liquor. As the system spread outside of Medina both conversion to Islam and persistence therein were reduced to simple tests; the pronunciation of the double formula of belief in Allah and Mohammed was sufficient to indicate conversion, whilst payment of an income-tax was evi dence of loyalty.

The Campaigns of Mohammed.—The industries in which the Meccan refugees had been engaged were not of a sort which they could exercise at Medina, and hence a fresh source of revenue was sought in the attacking of Meccan caravans. After a year of futile attempts, Mohammed resolved to send an expedition to attack a caravan at the beginning of the sacred month of Rajab, a season when raiding was unknown among the Arabs. The violation of the sacred month seems to have caused con siderable scandal in Arabia, but led to no serious consequence; on the other hand the shedding of blood created a feud between the Meccans and the refugees, whom they declined to identify with the people of Medina. Some months later another attack for which the Prophet had organized a party of some 30o men led to the battle of Badr (Ramadan 19, A.H. 2, usually made to synchronize with March 17, 624) in which the Meccans number ing about a thousand were badly defeated. The day is called in the Koran by a Syriac expression the "Day of Deliverance," and both for internal and external politics was of incalculable advantage to Islam, whilst Mohammed in the popularity acquired by his victory was able to strike forcibly at his enemies in Medina.

The defeat at Badr naturally led to efforts on the part of the Meccans to avenge their dead and besides to secure the corn merce by which they lived, from an enemy who was gradually getting all the seaboard that lay between Jeddah and Yanbo within his sphere of influence ; and the year after Badr (A.H. 3), when Abu Sofian led a force of some 3,00o men against Medina itself, part of it was under Khalid b. al-Walid, one of the greatest of Arab captains, afterwards conqueror of Syria. A battle was fought under Mt. Uhud (or Ohod), north-west of Medina, wherein Mohammed's forces were defeated. The Meccans considering their task finished when they had killed as many as those who had fallen at Badr on their own side, instead of pursuing their victory went home. Two years later, they, with their allies, the tribes Fazarah, Asad, Murrah, etc., to the number, it is said, of ro,000, attempted to stamp out Islam, but Mohammed resorted to the expedient of defending his city by a trench and employed agents to sow dissension among the confederates. After a brief stay and scarcely striking a blow, the confederacy dispersed.