5 A R A 
■off. The good retreat madediy thefe champions fo difcon- 
raged the troops of Abu Sotian, tiiat they did not purfue 
the flying-enemy, but contented them'felveswith reniain- 
ing mafters of the field of battle-; nor did that general, 
though he exulted in his victory, make any farther ufe of 
it tlptn to give Mahomet a challenge to meet him the next 
year at Bedr, which was accepted; but, after his return 
'to Mecca, he deftred a truce with the Modems, which 
was readily granted. 
The next year (A.T). 626.-) Mahomet, befides feveral 
■other lefs confiderable fucceffes, reduced a fortrefs belong¬ 
ing to the Jewifh tribe of A 1 Nadir, who had revolted. 
At this time he forbade his followers the ufe of wine, or 
to play at games of chance, on account of the disturbances 
and quarrels which were often excited by that means 
among them. This year alfo he marched his army to 
Bedr, to meet Abu Sofian, as he had promised the year 
before : but, that general’s heart failing him, he returned 
home without‘facing the prophet; and this a£t of coward¬ 
ice the Modems did not fail to impute to a terror lent im¬ 
mediately from God. The year following, however, the 
Koreifh, in conjunction with the tribe of Ghatfcn, and the 
Jews of A 1 Nadir and Koreidha, affembled an army of 
i2,coo men, with which they formed the fiege of Medina; 
thus threatening Mahomet and his followers with utter 
deftruCtion. On the enemy’s approach, Mahomet ordered 
a deep diteii to be dug round the city, and went out to 
defend it with 3000 men. The Arabs-having inverted the 
town, both (ides remained in a rtate of inactivity for fome 
time ; w hich w as fo well employed by Mahomet, that he 
found means to corrupt fome of the leading 3 men in the 
enemy’s camp. The good effects of this foon appeared ; 
for a champion having advanced to the Mortem entrench¬ 
ments, and challenged the belt man in their army to fight 
him in fingle combat, the challenge was accepted by Ali, 
who flewhim and another that came to his.affi fiance; af- 
' ter which, thofe who had been corrupted by Mahomet 
defected their camp; foAhat the refidue were obliged to 
raife the fiege, and return home. 
Mahomet now continued to’be fuccefsful, gradually re¬ 
ducing the Arab tribes one after another. In 628, he fent 
an agent to Conftantin-ople, defiring leave of the Greek 
emperor to trade with his fubjedts, which was immedi¬ 
ately granted. The fame year alfo he concluded a peace 
with the inhabitants of Mecca, and obtained liberty to 
perform his devotions at the Caaba. In 1629, he began 
'to think of propagating his religion beyond the bounds of 
Arabia, and lent meffengers to feveral neighbouring princes 
to invite them to embrace Mahometanifm: but, before 
fending the letters, he caufed a filver feal to be made, on 
which were engraved the following words: “ Matiomet 
the Aposti.f, of-God.” This feal, lie-believed, would 
procure the letters a more favourable reception at the 
courts of thofe princes whither they were directed. The 
firft he addreffed was Khofru Parviz, king of Perfia ; who, 
-finding that Mahomet had put his own name before his, fore 
the letter, and difmiffed the meffenger very abruptly. He 
alfo fent a letter to the fame purpol'e to Cohftantinople ; 
but, though theempercr Heraciius difmiffed his meffengers 
honourably, he refufed to abandon the- Chriftian faith. 
Befides thefe, he wrote- other letters, which he diftributed 
among thofe whom he thought mod likely to acknowledge 
him for an aportle. We do not find, however," that, by 
means of letters,-he ever introduced his religion into afio- 
' reign country. While Mahomet was thus employed, he 
very narrowly-efcaped being poifoned by a Jewefs, who 
wanted, as-the faid, to make an experiment whether he 
was a prophet or not. This was done by communicating 
fome poifon to a fhoulder of mutton, of w-hich one of his 
companions,- named Baffiar Ebn A 1 Bara,- eating heartily, 
- died upon the fpot; and Mahomet himfelf, though he 
-lived three years after, never enjoyed perfect health. Not- 
withftanding this misfortune, however, he ftill continued 
his enterprifes. The year 630 was urtiered in by the con- 
•'Verfion.-of Khalid Ebn A 1 Walid, Amru Ebn A 1 As, and 
B I A, 
Othrnan Ebn Telha, three of the mod confiderable per- 
fons among the Koreiih ; and this foon enabled him to be¬ 
come mafter of the w-hole peninfula of Arabia. This year 
alfo the inhabitants of Mecca took it into their heads to 
violate the treaty concluded with Mahomet; for the tribe 
of Beer, who were the confederates of the Koreiih, at¬ 
tacking thofe of Khozaab, who-.were in alliance with Ma¬ 
homet, maflacred twenty of them, and were affified by.a 
party of the Koreiih themfelvbs-. The confequence of this 
violation was ealily foreleen, and Abu Sofian made him¬ 
felf a journey to Medina, in order to heal the breach, and 
■renew the truce : 'but in vain; for Mahomet refufed to fee 
him. Upon this he applied to Abu Beer, Ali,-Omar, and 
Fatima, to intercede with the prophet; but fome of them 
giving him rough anfwers, and others none at all, he was 
obliged to return to Mecca as he came. Mahomet gave 
orders to fet off immediately, and take the Meccans by 
furprife, who were by no means in a condition to receive 
them. As he drew near to Mecca, he fet up his ftandard, 
and advanced in order of battle to Mar A 1 Dharan, where 
the whole army encamped. Here he o.Jered 10,000 fires 
to be lighted, and committed the defence of the camp to 
Omar, who-cut off all communication with the town, fo 
that the Meccans could receive no certain advice of their 
number. Among others that came from Mecca to recon¬ 
noitre the Mdflem camp, Abu Sofian, Hakenr Ebn Hezam, 
and Bodail Ebn Wafka, fell into Omar's hands ; and, being 
conduced to Mahomet, were obliged to embrace Maho- 
metanifm, in order to fave their lives. 
The rumour of this expedition had not a little terrified 
the Koreifh, though they were not apprized that the pro¬ 
phet had refolved-upon a war ; but perceiving now, upon 
the report of Abu Sofian, who had been fent back to them, 
that the enemy was at their gates, they were thrown into 
the utmOfi: confiernation. Of this Mahomet refolved to 
take the advantage. He therefore firfi difpatched Hakem 
and Bodail to the -Meccans, inviting them to take an oath 
' of-allegiance to him, *and become converts to his new 
•religion ; after which, he made the following difpofition 
of his forces : A 1 Zobier was ordered to advance with a 
detachment rewards the town, on the fide of mount Cada. 
Saad Ebn Obad, prince of the tribe Kbazraj, marched with 
another detachment towards the height of Coda, which 
commands the plain of Mecca. Aii commanded the left 
•wing, confiding Of Anfars and Mohajerin. The prophet 
put into his hands the great ftandard of Mahometanifm, 
with orders to port himfelf upon mount A 1 Hajun, and to 
plant the ftandard t-here ;■ ftrictly enjoining him not to ftir 
from thence till he himfelf arrived, and till a proper fignal 
fiiould be given him from Saad for that purpofe. Khaled 
led the right wing, confiding of the Arabs lately converted, 
with which he was to poffefs himfelf of the plain of Mecca. 
Abu Obeidah commanded in the centre, which confided 
■entirely of infantry ; the prophet-himfelf-remained in the 
-rear, to difpatch his orders to the different generals, as 
occafion fiiould require. He exprefsly prohibited Khaled, 
.and all his other officers, to adt offenfively, unlefs they 
were firft attacked. Things, being thus prepared, the ar¬ 
my, upon the fignal given, put itlelf in motion. The 
prophet mounted lvis.camel with great alacrity, and was 
that day clothed -in fcarlet. A 1 Zobier purfued the route 
affigned him without oppofition ; nor did Saad difeover the 
fainted traces of an enemy. Ali took poffeflion of his port: 
without the lofs of a-man ; and in like manner Abu Obei- 
dah foized on the fuburbs. Khaled, however, in his march 
to the plain, was attacked by a large body of Koreifh and 
their confederates, whom he defeated, putting twenty-eight 
ref them to the fword; he purfued them into the town, and 
maflacred a great number of the inhabitants ; which fo 
terrified the reft, that the prophet foon- became mafter of 
the city, with the lofs only of two men. Mahomet made 
his public entry into it exactly at fim-rifing. When the 
firft tumult was- over, he went in procellion round the 
Caaba feven times, touching the corner of the black ftonq 
with, the wand in his hand, as often as lie palled it, with 
