68 Alfred von Kremer's edition of Wakidy. [Wo. I . 



of the prophet took the prisoners and goods and returned with them 

 victoriously to Madynah. 



There occur two verses in the iToran which, according to the 

 testimony of most authorities, bear on this expedition. They run: 



" They ask you regarding the sacred month [of Bajab], as con- 

 cerns fighting in it. Answer : Fighting in it is a serious matter, 

 but to obstruct the path (the religion) of God, to disbelieve in Him 

 and his sacred temple (the Ka'bah) and to expel its votaries (the 

 Moslims) from it, is a much more serious matter in the sight of 

 God. Farther, persecution is a more serious matter than killing a 

 man. They will never cease to make war against you, O Moslims, 

 nntil they turn you from your religion, if they be able ; but the 

 works of those among you who apostatise from their religion and die 

 as infidels, shall be vain in this world and in the next, and their 

 reward shall be the fire, in which they remain for all eternity." 



" Certainly those who believed and those who emigrated and 

 fought in the path of God, may hope for the mercy of God, for God 

 is forgiving and merciful." — (2, 214 and 215). 



Mohammad admits without reserve that his disciples have violated 

 the sacred month. His biographers do not exactly deny the fact y 

 but they give explanations which afford interesting specimens of 

 the manner in which they disguise facts discreditable to the Islam.* 



the Islam and is the mother of Talhdh b. 'Obayd Allah. The men whom they 

 took prisoners are: 'Othman b. 'Abd Allah b. al-Moghyrah Makhzumy he was 

 also captured at Badr and died an idolater; and al-#akam b. Kaysan a barber by 

 profession. The man who escaped is Nawfal b. 'Abd Allah, a brother of 'Othman, 

 * To understand what I have to say in this note, it is necessary to know that the 

 following is the order of the Arabic months : Jumada, II. Rajab, Sha'ban. Of these 

 three, only the Rajab is sacred. It is farther to be observed that the month begins 

 about sunset from the moment the new moon is observed, or might be observed if it 

 was not hidden in clouds. Ibn Ishak says, " This being the last day of Rajab, they 

 consulted among themselves whether to attack them or not. Some of them observ- 

 ed, If you do not attack them to-night they will slip into the sacred territory where 

 it is unlawful to attack them. On the other hand if you attack them you violate 

 the sacred month. They were long doubtful what to do, but at last they took 

 courage and attacked them." If this version were true, the question would be, did 

 the attack take place before or after sunset. From what he says lower down, it 

 would appear that it took place after sunset, for he states that the Moslims aft 



