A R A, 
nict’s age, and the tenth of his miniffry, his followers,, 
the Mahometans, compute therr rime; and the era is called 
in Arabic, Hegira, “ thfFlight .” 
On Mahomet’s arrival at Medina, his firff care was to 
Build a mofque for his religious worfliip, and a houfe for 
himfetf. The city of Medina, at that time, was inhabited 
partly by Jews and partly by heretical Chriltians, that 
formed two factions which perfecuted each other with, 
great-violence. This gave Mahomet fuch an opportunity 
of propagating his new religion, that in a (liort time the 
eity was entirely at his command. Here he ffrengthened 
himfelf by marrying Ayeflra the daughter of Abu Beer; 
and gave his own daughter Fatima in marriage to Ali, the 
f'on of Abu Taleh.. The next point he had in view was 
the union of the Mohajerin, or thofe who fled from. Mecca 
on account of their religion, with the Anfars above-men¬ 
tioned. To facilitate this, after his mofque and houfe 
were finiflfed, he eflablifhed among tire Modems a frater¬ 
nity, the principal fratute of which was, that they fliould 
be confidered as brethren, and moft cordially love, and 
mutually cherifli, one another, to the utinofl of their power. 
This reconciliation took place at the vend- of the firff year- 
of the Hegira. 
Mahomet, now finding himfelf at the head of a very ror- 
midable party, began to make reprifals on his enemies the 
Koreifh. His firff exploit was the-taking of a caravan at¬ 
tended with a fmall guard-; and this being accomplilhed 
by a party confiding only of nine-men, contributed greatly 
to encourage the Modems. But- what mod: eflablifhed 
Mahomet’s affairs, and was indeed the foundation of all- 
his future greatnefs, was his gaining the battle of Bedr ; 
of which we have the following account. The prophet 
being informed' that Abu Sofi'an EbmHarb, who was at 
the head of the Koreifh, efcorted a caravan with, only 
thirty or forty men* he ref'olved to intercept it. To this 
lie was excited by the riches of the caravan*, which con¬ 
fided of the clioicefl merchandife of Syria, carried on the 
backs of a-thoufand-camels. But Abu Sofian, having no¬ 
tice of Mahomet’s motions, difpatched a courier to Mecca, 
requefling fuccours from his countrymen. Upon this, 
Mahomet drew together all his forces, which amounted 
to no more than 313, while his enemies confided of near a. 
thoufand. The M'ofiems, however* advanced to battle- 
with a fearlefs confidence* their leader having poffefled- 
their minds with an aflurance that paradife awaited thofe 
who died fighting for the caufe of their prophet; the gra¬ 
tifications of whichwere held out to be fuel! as bed fuited- 
the amorous complexions of the Arabians. Houries of 
black-eyed girls, refplendent in beauty, blooming youth, 
a-nd virgin purity ; every moment of pleafure was there to 
be prolonged to a thoufand years, and the powers of the 
man were to be increafed an hundred fold, to render him 
capable of enjoying fuch felicity. To thofe who furvived, 
rich fpoils, and the pofleflion of beautiful female captives, 
were to be their rewards on earth. Thus prepoflefled, 
they propofed, before the battle began, that three cham¬ 
pions, from each party, fhould engage each other in fingle 
combat. In this the Moflem champions were vi&orious, 
and the event greatly difeouraged the Koreifh. Mahomet 
now attacked them with fuch bravery* that they were foon 
put to flight, leaving feventy dead on the fpot, and having 
many more taken prifoners. The lofs on Mahomet’s fide 
was only fourteen men; and among the prifoners taken 
was Al Abbas, the prophet’s uncle. Though this adlion 
may feem of little confequence in itfelf, it was of very 
great advantage to Mahomet’s affairs. He was immedi¬ 
ately treated with the higheff relpeCt by the Najafhi, or 
king of Ethiopia, .who received a particular account of 
the victory foon after it was gained ; while the fuperfti- 
tious Modems did not fail to look upon it as an evident 
declaration of heaven in their favour. 
The Koreifli, to be revenged on Mahomet for their late 
defeat, fent Amru Ebn Al As, who afterwards conquered 
Egypt, with fome other of their principal people, on an 
evnbafly to the king of Ethiopia, to intereft him in their 
Vofo II. No. J4« 
B I. A. / s* 
quarrel, and to entreat him to deliver up the Modem, re- 
fugees then at his court. But the bad fuccefs that had- 
attended the arms of the Koreifh, joined to the excufes, 
made by tile refugees, not only .influenced the Najafhi from 
delivering them up, but alfo prompted him, to difmifs the 
ambaffitdors, : and-return the prefents they had brought, 
him. In the-mean time, Abu Sofian, who had fworn ne¬ 
ver to ufe perfumes or.enjoy women till he had another 
battle with Mahomet, fet out from Mecca with a body of 
200 horfe. He advanced to a poll within three miles of 
Medina, where lie burnt a.barn, with a man in it, that 
was winnowing wheat- Mahomet moved immediately to 
wards him, with a detachment of cavalry ; but Abu Sofian 
was fo intimidated at his approach, that he fled with pre¬ 
cipitation, leaving behind him all the hacks of flour that 
had been provided for the fubfiftence of his troops. In¬ 
tend therefore of coming to an ; engagement, as he had 
fworn, he contented- hint Rdf with alarming the country, 
and pillaging fuch as he fufpeffed of favouring Mahomet- 
anifm. This year Mahomet conquered the tribes called 
Sana Sdlatm, Ghntfan-, apd the Banu Kainoka ; and took a-, 
rich caravan belonging to the Koreifli, acquiring 25,000. 
dirhems for his own (bare of the plunder.—Thus ended, 
the fecond year of the Hegira. 
In the year of Chrift 625, being the third of the Hegira, 
the Koreifli aflembled an army of'3000 men, among whom 
were 200 horfe and 700 armed with coats of mail. The 
command was given to Abu Sofian, who was attended by 
his wife Henda Bint Otba, and fat down at a village fix 
miles from Medina. Mahomet marched outagainff them 
at the head of only 900 men ; of thefe 200 were curailTiers.; 
but had only one horfe befides his own in the whole army. 
He diftributed. three flandards among his troops; of which 
one was given to the tribe of Aws, another to that of- 
Khazraj, and the third to Mohajerin. The grand ffandard 
was carried before- the prophet by Mofaab jjji.bn Omar. 
With thefe forces Mahomet formed a camp ngar OljQd, a 
mountain about four miles north of Medina, which he 
contrived to have on his back ; and, the better to fecure 
his men from being ftirrounded, he placed fifty cholen 
archers in the rear, with Ariel orders not to quit their pofl.. 
The army of the Koreifli. was drawn up in form of a ere-, 
feent, the right wing being commanded' by Khaled Ebn 
Al- Walid, afterwards fo terrible to the Greeks; the left 
by Acrema Ebn Abu Jahl; and the centre by Abu Sofian. 
The corps de referve- was headed by Abu Sofian’s wife, 
accompanied by fifteen other matrons, who performed the' 
office of drummers, lamenting the fate of their country¬ 
men fiain at Bedr, in order to animate the troops to battle. 
The attack was begun by the Modems, who fell upon the 
enemy with fuch fury, that their centre immediately be¬ 
gan to give way. Ali flew Arta the enemy’s great fland- 
ard-bearer; which ftruck- them with fuch terror,.that they 
foon betook themfelves to flight, falling foul upon their 
own corps de referve. Victory had now been no longer 
doubtful, notwithflanding the vaft, inferiority of Maho¬ 
met’s troops, had not the fifty archers, contrary to the 
prophet’s exprefs command, quitted their port. Upon this 
Khaled, perceiving the. Moflem army to be greatly ex- 
pofed, attacked them in. the rear with fuch bravery, that 
he turned the fortune-of the day. After putting the troops 
in diforder, he cried out with all his might, “ Mahomet 
is (lain;” which had fuch an effect upon the. Modems, 
that they immediately fled, nor could the turnoff endea¬ 
vours of the prophet himfelf afterwards rally them. He 
was therefore obliged to quit the field of battle ; in doing 
which he was very near lofing his life, being ffruck down 
by a fftower of flones, and wQunded in the face, by two 
arrows, which occafioned the fofs of two of his fore-teeth. 
Of the Modems feventy were (lain ; among whom were 
Hamza the prophet’s uncle, and Mofaab the ffandard- 
bea,rer. Amongff the wounded were Abu Beer, Onsar, 
and Othman ; but, as foon as they underflood that the. 
prophet was fafe, they returned to the charge with great 
intrepidity, and, after an obffinate difpute, carried him 
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