ing it as it was delivered to him by the angel Gabriel. But now, learning from his friend Abdallah, that the Jews, besides the written law dictated by God himself, had also another law, called the oral law, given with it, as they pretend, to Moses himself, while in the mount; and understanding that this law, which had its whole foundation in the sayings and dictates of Moses, was in as great veneration with them as the other; he had a mind for the future to advance his authority to the same pitch, and to make all his sayings and dictates pass for oracles among the Mussulmans, as those which were pretended to proceed from Moses did araong the Jews; and for this end chiefly it was that he invented this story of his journey to heaven. The story, however, whatever advantages he might and did gain by it when his religion became more firmly established, was deemed at first so

Medina.

grossly ridiculous, that it occasioned the revolt of many of Retires to his disciples, and made his stay at Mecca no longer practicable. But what he lost at Mecca he gained at Medina, then called Yathreb, a city lying 270 miles north-west from Mecca ; which was inhabited, the one part by Jews, and the other by heretical Christians. These two parties did not agree at all, and feuds and factions rosé at length so high among them, that one party, exasperated against the other, went over to Mahomet. Thus we are told, that in the thirteenth year of his mission, there came to him from thence seventy-three men and two women. Twelve of these he retained awhile with him at Mecca, to instruct them in his new religion; then sent them back to Yathreb, as his twelve apostles, there to propagate it in that town. In this they laboured abundantly, and with such success, that in a short time they drew over the greatest part of the inhabitants; of which Mahomet receiving an account, resolved to go thither immediately, finding it unsafe to continue any longer at Mecca.

On the 12th day of the month, which the Arabs call the Former Rabia, that is, on the 24th of our September, he came to Yathreb, and was reThe Hejira, or ceived with great acclamations by the party which called him Era of Flight, thither. He first lodged in the house of Chalid Abu Job, A. D. 622. one of the chief men of the party, till he had built a house for himself. This he immediately undertook, and erected a mosque at the same time for the exercise of his religion; and having thus settled himself in this town, he continued there ever after, to the time of his death. From this flight of Mahomet, the Hejira, which is the era of the Mahometans, begins its computation: Hejira, in the Arabic language, signifying "flight." It was first appointed by Omar, the third emperor of the Saracens, and takes its beginning from the 16th of July, in the year 622. Indeed, the day that Mahomet left Mecca was on the first of the Former Rabia; and he came to Medina on the 12th of the same month, that is, on the 24th of our September; but the Hejira begins two months before, from the first of Moharram: for that being the first month of the Arabian year, Omar would make no alteration as to that, but anticipated the computation fifty-nine days, that he might commence his era from the beginning of that year, in which the flight of the impostor happened, from which it took its name*.

Nightingale's "All Religions."

Battle of Beder.

From the time Mahomet entered Medina, he found himself in reality a monarch, at the head of an army devoted to his person, obedient to his will, and blind believers in his holy office. Finding himself in a condition not only to defend himself against the insults of his enemies, but even to attack them, he began to send out parties to make reprisals on the Koreish. One of these, consisting of no more than nine men, intercepted and plundered a caravan belonging to that tribe. This small advantage animated the Moslems, and induced the Prophet to think he should gain as much reputation by his arms as by his revelations; but what mostly established his affairs at this juncture, and was the foundation on which he built all his succeeding greatness, was the gaining of the battle of Beder, a well on the confines of Arabia, which was fought in the second year of the Hejira, and is so famous in the Mahometan history. This victory was an invincible proof to the Arabians of the truth of Mahometanism. Having been informed by his spies, that the Koreish had a large quantity of valuable merchandise, carried on the backs of 1000 camels, coming from Syria, and escorted only by thirty or forty men, he resolved to advance at the head of a small detachment of his troops, to intercept it. But Abu Sofian, the conductor of the caravan, having notice of his designs and motions, immediately despatched a courier to Mecca, requesting his countrymen to send him speedy succours, upon which all the principal men of the city marched to defend the caravan, with a body of 950 men. Mahomet had no sooner received advice of this, than he drew together all his forces, which amounted to no more than 313 men, with which he advanced against the enemy. In the mean time, he took care to leave a proper garrison in Medina, to defend it in case of any disaster. Before the beginning of the battle, feigning himself in a trance, he pretended that God had promised him certain victory. After which, throwing a handful of dust towards the enemy, he said, May the faces of them be confounded! and then, exhorting his men to behave valiantly, he commanded them to fall upon the Koreish. They charged them with such bravery, that they soon put them to flight, having killed seventy of the principal of them on the spot, and taken as many prisoners, with the loss of only fourteen men. In imitation of Moses, Mahomet sat in a tent, and prayed for those that fought, for Gabriel would not permit him to engage. The Prophet pretends in the Koran, that not he, but God, by the ministry of his angel, threw the gravel towards the unbelievers; that the Moslem troops seemed to the infidels to be twice as numerous as themselves, which greatly discouraged them; and that God had sent down to their assistance, first 1000, and afterwards 3000 angels, led by Gabriel, mounted on his horse Haizum; and, according to the Koran, these celestial auxiliaries did all the execution, though Mahomet's troops could not perceive them. The battle was fought on a Friday, and on the 17th of the month Ramadan.

At the commencement of the second year of the Hejira, Mahomet altered the Kebla for his disciples, or the part of the world to which the Mahometans are to turn their faces in prayer. At first, Mahomet al- Mahomet declared it to be perfectly indifferent; afterwards, when he fled to Medina, he directed his followers to turn towards the temple of Jerusalem, (probably to ingratiate himself with

ters the Kebla,

the Jews,) which continued to be their Kella for seventeen or eighteen months; but, either finding the Jews too intractable, or despairing otherwise to gain the Pagan Arabs, who could not forget their respect to the temple of Mecca, he ordered that prayers, for the future, should be towards the east; that is, towards the Caaba, or temple of Mecca. This change occasioned many to fall from him, taking offence at his inconstancy. Again, he ordered that the Faithful should be called to prayers with a loud voice from the top of the mosques; whereas before he was, out of policy, inclined to the Jewish horn, and had actually made use of rattles, as Christians did. He likewise ordained the grand fast of Ramadan, in which month the Koran came from heaven, and made several regulations about alms, things lawful and unlawful, policy, &c.; all which were either inspired or confirmed by miracles.

It does not belong to the plan of this work to give an account of the military expeditions, by which, in successive years, the Prophet succeeded in establishing his religion in almost every part of his own country. One or two expeditions, however, are too important in the Prophet's history to be passed over without notice.

Concludes a

years.

In the sixth year of the Hejira, with fourteen hundred men, he undertook a pilgrimage to the holy temple of Mecca. But the inhabitants of that city, being jealous of his intentions, despatched a mestreaty with the Senger to the Prophet, while he halted several days at Meccans for ten Hodeibiya, saying, that if he entered the city, it must be at the point of the sword. Upon this, the Prophet summoned his men to attack the city; but, before this could be effected, the Meccans sent an ambassador to him to confer upon terms of peace. Finding it to be for their mutual advantage to enter into a treaty, one was formed, which stipulated that the Prophet and his followers should have free access to the city and temple, after one year, whenever they pleased, during the space of ten years, provided they came unarmed, as befitted pilgrims, and remained not more than three days at a time.

During the same year the Prophet led his army against Chaibar, a city inhabited by Arab Jews, who offering him a manly resistance, he laid Attacks Chai- siege to the place and carried it by storm. A great mibar, a city of racle is here said to have been performed by Ali, surnamed Arab Jews, where The Lion of God." A ponderous gate, which eight men he is poisoned. afterwards tried in vain to lift from the ground, was torn by him from its hinges, and used as a buckler during the assault! Mahomet, on entering the town, took up his quarters at the house of Hareth, one of the principal inhabitants, and here met with a reception which eventually cost him his life. Zeinab, the daughter of Hareth, while preparing a meal for the conqueror and his attendants, inserted a quantity of poison into a shoulder of mutton which was served up at the table. Bashar, a companion of Mahomet, had scarcely begun to eat of it, before he was seized with convulsions, and died upon the spot. Mahomet, by spitting out the greatest part of what he had taken into his mouth, escaped immediate death, but the effects of the fatal drug had entered his system, and, resisting every effort of medicine to expel or counteract it, in somewhat more than three years afterward it brought him to his end. If, as t1 reporters of Mahomet's miracles affirm, the shoulder of mutton infor

the Prophet of its being poisoned, it is certain the intelligence came too late. The seeds of death were henceforth effectually sown in his constitution; and his own decline ever after kept pace with his growing power. When Zeinab was asked, how she had dared to perpetrate a deed of such unparalleled enormity, she is said to have answered," that she was determined to make trial of his powers as a prophet; if he were a true prophet," said she," he would know that the meat was poisoned; if not, it would be a favour to the world to rid it of such a tyrant." It is not agreed among the Mahometan writers what was the punishment inflicted upon this second Jael, or whether she suffered any. Some affirm that she

was pardoned; others, that she was put to death*.

In the seventh year of the Hejira, the year stipulated in the beforementioned treaty being elapsed, Mahomet and his followers made the Al-Kadha, or visit of consummation or accomplishment, and pilgrimage of Mecca. At the distance of six miles from that town, they all took an oath to perform religiously all the ceremonies and rites prescribed in that visit. Being come nearer, they left their arms and baggage, and entered the holy city in triumph, devoutly kissed and embraced the black stone of the Caaba, and went seven times round the temple. They performed the three first rounds by running, jumping, and shaking their shoulders, to show their vigour after the fatigue of the journey; the other four, by walking gravely, not to over-tire themselves; and this custom is kept up to this day. Then prayer was proclaimed, and the Prophet, mounted on a camel, ran seven times between two hills, on which were to be seen, at that time, two idols of the Koreish. The Mussulmans were shocked at it; but their scruples were quieted by a passage of the Koran sent from heaven, in which God declared that those two hills were a memorial of him, and that the pilgrims who should visit them ought not to be looked upon as guilty of any sin. This same custom is still in use amongst the Arabians, who pretend that it is as ancient as their patriarch Ishmael, and look upon it as part of the religious worship practised by Abraham. The whole concluded with a sacrifice of seventy camels, and the Mussulmans shaved themselves.

The following year, Mahomet, accusing the Meccans of a violation of the treaty, summoned an army of ten thousand men, with a design to make himself master of the city. As he advanced towards it, he found all in consternation, increased his army with those who daily flocked to him; and by force, threats, or persuasion, he brought over to his party many proselytes of note, who were likely to procure the conversion of others. Then he attacked the Koreish, not like an apostle, but as a conqueror, and gave the signal, saying, "This is a day of slaughter, in which, if requisite, the most sacred place of refuge may be violated." His orders were obeyed; they entered Mecca sword in hand, and killed all the Koreishites they could find; but Mahomet pretended this barbarous execution was made against his intentions.

The apostle made his public entry next morning at sunrise, repeating aloud, with an affected humility, the chapter of the Koran called Victory, which came down from heaven at Hodaiba; he went directly to the

Bush's Life of Mahomet.