The news of the prophet's death had no sooner been made public, than his habitation was surrounded by his faithful adherents ; who, in the mingled accents of con fidence and grief, loudly exclaimed, " How can our apos tle be dead ? Our intercessor, our mediator, has not en tirely left us ; he is taken up to heaven, as was Isa ; therefore, he shall not be buried." The stern Omar, with his drawn sword, seconded their exclamations. "The apostle of God is not dead, but only gone for a ceason, as Moses, the son of Amram, was gone from the people of Israel for forty days, and then returned to them again." But the calm expostulations of the venerable Abu Bekr appeased the clamorous sorrow of the multi tude, and restored reason to the mournful disciples of Islam : " Do you worship Mahomet or the God of Ma hornet? If the latter, he is immortal, and liveth for ever ; but if the former, you are in a manifest error, as he is certainly dead." This assertion he confirmed by several quotations from the Koran, which satisfied Omar, and calmed the tumult of the people. The election of a suc cessor to the prophet, however, had nearly proved fatal to the cause of Islam. The Ansars and Mohajerins asserted their respective merits, and each claimed the right of nomination. An open rupture would have ensued, had not a proposal, for choosing two indepen dent caliphs, amused for a time the contending parties. Ali, who had claimed the high honour of being the first of believers, from his eminent services, and his alliance with the prophet, could not but look with confidence to the vacant throne of Arabia. The son of Abu Taleb was, by birth, the chief of the family of Hashem, and the hereditary guardian of the Caaba. He had been lion oured by the prophet with the distinguished title of brother and vicegerent. But the high-spirited Ali dis dained to solicit what he considered his lawful inheri tance. The son-in-law of the prophet depended on the justice of his cause, and confided in the honour of his countrymen. But the Koreish were already too jealous of the high distinction of the house of Hashem, to acknowledge a hereditary succession in that family. An aristocracy of elders cherished the flattering idea of a free and frequent election ; and the rightful claim of Ali yielded to the mild and unassuming virtues of Abu Bekr. Omar was the first who swore allegiance to the new caliph ; and both parties acquiesced in saluting him the lawful successor to the apostle. The chief of the Hashe mites retired indignant to his habitation ; and, in spite of the menaces of Omar, who threatened to consume his house, and its inhabitants, with fire, maintained his refusal to acknowledge the validity of the election. But time, and the death of Fatima, subdued the proud spirit of Ali ; and he condescended to bow before that throne to which his birth and character authorised him to aspire.
A general revolt, with which Arabia was threatened upon the death of Mahomet, was soon quelled by the sanguinary Caled, whose severity in this enterprise drew down upon him the anger of Abu Bekr. But the intercession of Omar, and his eminent services in the field, restored him again to the favour of his master.
The new caliph, freed from the apprehensions of do mestic insurrection, now directed his arms against the emperor Heraclius ; and seemed determined to carry into execution the sanguinary commands of his prophet, —" To wage eternal war against the enemies of their faith." The Koran, the tribute, or the sword, were the only alternatives held out to the opposing nations ; and few were able to resist the ferocious courage, and the religious zeal, of the faithful. But to follow the arms
of the Mahometan caliphs, in Asia, Africa, and Europe, would carry us too far into the history of the particular kingdoms of these countries. Under the articles SYRIA, PERSIA, the northern kingdoms of Africa and SPAIN, will be found a more minute account of the Moslem successes. In the remainder of this article, we shall confine ourselves to a general sketch of their conquests, during the reigns of the successors of Mahomet ; and to those events and circumstances which are more parti cularly connected with the Arabian peninsula.
Abu Bekr had no sooner established tranquillity in Arabia, than he dispatched circular letters to the Ma hometan chiefs, acquainting them, that he intended to take Syria out of the hands of the infidels; at the same time, reminding them, that to fight for the true religion was an act of obedience to God. In a short time, Me dina was surrounded with the tents of the believers, who were eager to prove their attachment to their reli gion, and to their master. Abu Bekr, having reviewed his troops, put up a fervent prayer for their success ; and accompanied them a part of their journey on foot. His instructions to the chiefs of the expedition, at their departure, deserves to be recorded as an instance of the humanity and prudence of the faithful friend of the pro phet : "You fight," said the venerable caliph, " in the service of God, and for the propagation of our faith. Treat your soldiers as brethren, and encourage them to attack the infidels with bravery and resolution ; but stain not your victories with the blood of the aged, of women, or of children. Destroy not the fruits of the earth, nor slay the cattle, unless what is necessary for your own subsistence. Let your oaths be sacred and inviolate. Respect the persons of the servants of God, and profane not their holy temples. But cleave the skulls of those vile members of the synagogue of Satan, who shave their crowns, and give them no quarter, unless they pay tribute, or embrace the profession of Islam." Caled, who had advanced to the banks of the Eu phrates, had reduced ?inbar, and overturned the king dom of Hira, was transferred to the more arduolis war fare in Syria. After the reduction of Bosra, the Mos lems encamped on the plains of Damascus, where many a spear was broken by the champions of the contending armies, till the Damascenes were reduced to the narrow circuit of their own walls. The Greeks made every effort in its defence ; and an army of 100,000 men, which had been dispatched, under Werdan, to its relief, was completely routed by Caled, and Damascus soon after surrendered to the victorious Moslems. (A. D. 634.) Abu Bekr died on the same day that his standard was planted upon the walls of the capital of Syria. Setting aside the better title of Ali, he bequeathed the sceptre to the valiant Omar. " I have no occasion for the place," said the modest warrior; "But the place has occasion for you," replied Abu Bekr; "and may the God of Ma hornet ratify my choice, and direct the Moslems in the way of concord and obedience." His choice was sanc tioned by the people, and Omar was the same day in vested with the regal and pontifical dignity. The son of Abu Taleb bore his second disappointment with magnanimity. Secluded from the bustle of the world, he repined not at the good fortune of his rival, who con soled him for the loss of empire, with the most flattering marks of confidence and esteem.