more important accession to the number of the disciples was Omar Ibn al Khattâb, Abu-Jahl's nephew, who, intending to revenge his uncle by assassinating Mahomet, and even on his way to the house, was accidentally arrested at the dwelling of his sister and her husband by a passage from the Koran; became a convert; and repaired to the prophet to enrol himself among the faithful. The adhesion of such a man, inflexible in courage, fierce, awe-inspiring, of uncommon strength and stature, gave a powerful impetus to the new religion; especially as he persuaded the prophet to accompany him to the Caaba, a band of disciples following, and there avowed his conversion publicly. In consequence of this new victory Abu-Taleb, fearing for his nephew's life, entreated him with some leading disciples to withdraw to a castle in the neighbourhood of the city. Abu-Sofian, head of the rival branch of the Koreishites, now took occasion to effect a schism between the Haschemites and his own line, because the former protected the prophet in his heresy. He procured a decree, forbidding all intermarriage or intercourse between them till Mahomet should be given up to punishment. This decree was hung up in parchment in the Caaba, and pressed sorely on the prophet, because it was rigorously enforced by the Koreishites. The castle was like a besieged city, with a starving garrison, whom hunger might finally compel to surrender. During the months of pilgrimage, however, the law freed the suffering inmates from the hostility of their enemies. Mahomet and his disciples could then return to Mecca. The prophet, true to his aim, also mingled with the pilgrims who came to worship in the Caaba, preached to them, proclaimed his revelations and doctrines, and made converts, some of them heads of tribes. Thus the new sect increased in numbers and strength, from the quenchless enthusiasm of its head, and his inflexible determination to persevere. After the ban of intercourse had existed three years, a sudden discovery was made, that the parchment it was written on in the Caaba was destroyed, and all the writing effaced, except the initial words. Hence Mahomet and his followers were allowed to return to Mecca. Soon after his return his aged uncle, Abu-Taleb, died in the faith of his nephew according to some accounts, but probably the reverse; for though exhorted to profess the faith necessary to a happy resurrection, the pride of the old man seems to have prevented him. The death of the prophet's wife Chadidscha immediately followed. He mourned the loss with sincere grief. During the twenty-four years of their marriage he is said to have carefully refrained from polygamy. After her death, however, he gave the rein to his libidinous temperament, and freely indulged his appetite. Though restricting his followers to four wives each, he did not think it necessary to put a limit to the number of his own; deeming the prophet a privileged mortal, though in truth he degraded him by such license. Aïscha, daughter of Abubekr, was the first wife he took after Chadidscha. After being betrothed to him two years, he married her at the age of nine. In the period of betrothal he also took Sawda, widow of one of his followers; a woman whom he seems never to have truly loved.
Meanwhile his foes did not abate their enmity. Abu-Sofian and Abu-Jahl continued to persecute him. Leaving his native place, he went to Tayef, about seventy miles from Mecca, where he remained about a month, unsuccessful in his attempts to make proselytes, because the inhabitants were wholly given to idolatry. Having met with rough usage, and been even hunted from the place by the multitude, he continued in the desert till his faithful servant Zeid should find an asylum for him in Mecca, which he did in the house of one of his disciples. During the month of pilgrimage Mahomet went forth from his retreat, and earnestly sought for some tribe or the inhabitants of some city, with whom he might be safe during the work of proselytism. Such a tribe he soon after found in the Khazradites of Medina, who heard him preach, were struck with his eloquence, and concluding that he was the promised Messiah of whom they had heard the Jews often speak, avowed their belief in him. On their return to Medina Mahomet sent with them Musab, one of his ablest disciples, to instruct them in the faith and make converts. Notwithstanding the grave opposition encountered by this zealous missionary, he persevered and was successful. Several of the leading men of the city were converted. The ranks of the disciples were also swelled by many who fled from persecution in Mecca, and took up their abode in Medina, disseminating the new faith among the inhabitants. When the way had been prepared for the prophet, more than seventy converts, headed by Musab, went to Mecca with the pilgrims during the sacred month of the thirteenth year of the mission, to ask him to settle in Medina, and promising him a safe asylum there. The meeting between them and Mahomet took place at midnight on a neighbouring hill, where both parties entered into a compact, binding them indissolubly to one another. Twelve were chosen from among the disciples present to be the prophet's apostles. After the Ansarians or auxiliaries, as the Moslems of Medina were afterwards called, had departed to their home, and the holy month was expired, dangers thickened around the prophet and his adherents at Mecca. The Koreishites, with Abu-Sofian at their head, now entered into a plot to assassinate him, each partaking of the guilt of the deed by thrusting his sword into the body of Mahomet. But the prophet was apprised of their design and escaped in time, climbing over the wall behind the house by the aid of a servant while the conspirators were in front. At Abubekr's dwelling it was resolved that they should proceed forthwith to Medina, first taking refuge in a cave in mount Thor, about an hour from Mecca. Travelling by night the two came to the place at daybreak, pursued by their enemies—who fortunately did not enter—and remained in it for three days. On the fourth they started for the city of their destination, on camels brought the night before by Abubekr's servant. But they were overtaken by the warlike Soraka at the head of a troop of horse, who, from some unexplained cause, was so superstitiously affected in presence of Mahomet as to entreat forgiveness and depart. On coming to Koba, near Medina, the prophet remained there four days, and was gratified with the professed adhesion of many proselytes; among others with that of Salman the Persian, who is said to have assisted the prophet in compiling or composing his doctrines. On the morning of Friday, the day previously appointed for his entrance into the city, after prayer and preaching he marched into it in procession, honourably escorted by many followers and saluted with the acclamations of the people. Soon after he was followed by Ali, who had walked on foot from Mecca, then by Aïscha and the rest of Abubekr's family, together with Mahomet's own household. This is the Hedschra or flight of the prophet; the era whence the Arabian calendar dates, answering to the 622nd year of the christian era.
Being now settled in a place where he had numerous disciples, consisting of Mohadjerins or fugitives from Mecca, and Ansarians, he built a place of worship or mosque, very plain and unostentatious, in the construction of which he assisted with his own hands. There he preached and prayed, inculcating benign precepts on his attentive hearers. The Christians of the place seemed more inclined to embrace his doctrines than the Jews. To the latter he made various concessions, imitating several of their institutions and fasts; and ordained that all Moslems should turn their faces towards Jerusalem in prayer. The Jewish metropolis was to be the Khebla. Having espoused Aïscha in her ninth year, the betrothing of his youngest daughter, Fatima, with Ali followed soon after. For each of his wives he prepared a separate house near the mosque, where he visited them in turn. Meanwhile his followers increased in number; so that he saw himself at the head of an army. Proselytes from the tribes of the desert, as well as exiles from Mecca, swelled the ranks of his adherents, and led to a change in his doctrines and procedure at once marked and vicious. The sword was taken as an instrument against unbelievers. When the prophet was poor, weak, struggling against opposition, and despised by the great majority of his countrymen, his religion breathed the spirit of patient meekness and benevolence; but when he attained to considerable influence and saw a host of restless, warlike, predatory spirits at his disposal, evil passions got the ascendancy within him, and prompted to unwarrantable measures in the extension of the faith. Temporal power is sweet to the human mind; the prophet was but a man, fallible and frail like others. His greatest persecutors had been his own tribe, the Koreishites; and against their caravans in particular his first excursions were directed. Abdallah Ibn Jasch, whom he sent into the desert, took the first caravan even in the holy month. In the second year of the Hedschra a severe fight took place at Beder between the Moslems and Koreishites with Abu-Sofian at their head, as the latter were conducting back to Mecca a rich caravan. Here was the first victory of the Saracens under Mahomet's standard. Soon after this the Jews in Medina were harshly treated by the prophet; one Jewish tribe being punished with confiscation and
