merchandise, which they sold on their arrival at Bedr -in the first three days of the month Dhu-l-qa'dah-to such advantage that for each dinâr of the value they obtained one dinâr's profit. And after eight days they turned their faces beaming with joy and gladness again towards Madinah, but did not encounter the idolaters on that journey. Meanwhile Abu Sofyân had marched from Mekkah with two thousand men, and had gone as far as Wadi-tz-Tzuhrân, and had again returned, which happened as follows: When the enemies had arrived in the justmentioned place, Abu Sofyân said to them: This is a year of famine and scarcity, and the camels give no milk, therefore it will be convenient for us to return from this place.' Thereon the professors of futility accepted the advice of Abu Sofyan as wise, and returned to Mekkah. When the Qoraish heard of the success and prosperity of the professors of the orthodox religion, Ssafuwân Bin Ommiah said to Abu Sofyân: Thou hast made a promise to give battle to Muhammad, but wast unable to fulfil it; accordingly they [i.c., the Moslems] are impudent towards us.' Then they began to make preparations for the Battle of the Ditch,' which shall be described by-and-by, if it pleaseth Allah the Most High. As the opponents had for the campaign of the Bedr of promise' taken no other provisions to live upon except Sawyq,293 the inhabitants of Mekkah nicknamed the army' the companions of Sawyq.'

Among the events that took place during the fourth year after the Flight was also the stoning of a Jew and a Jewess who had been convicted of adultery, both of whom his holy and prophetic lordship-u. w. b.-caused to be lapidated according to the Law of the Toratah, which was also in accordance with the religion of U'zza. At first, however, the Jews manifested pity for their co-religionists, and asserted that all which was required, according to the Toratah, would be to blacken the face of the adulterer and adulteress, to seat them backwards on a camel, and thus to

293 The meaning of this word has already been explained; see footnote 262.

lead them in procession round the town. But from the researches of A'bdullah B. Sollâm, whose profession of Islâm has already been recorded in these pages, it became evident that the above assertion of the Jews was false. His holy and prophetic lordship had apprehended that the Jews would probably alter and falsify the words of the Toratah, and had ordered Zayd B. Thâbet to study it. Zayd obeyed, and accomplished that important business in fifteen days.

In this year also Ta'mah B. Abzaq had stolen a cuirass from the house of Qotâdah B. Nu'mân, the Anssâri, and had carried it to the house of a Jew named Zayd B. Alyemin. By some means or other, Qotâdah happened to discover the coat of mail, and accused Zayd, but he replied: 'I am guiltless! Ta'mah has brought this cuirass to my house as a deposit.' The people of Ta'mah, however, though they knew that during the time of [pre-Islâmitic] ignorance larceny had been his occupation, waited upon his lordship the refuge of apostleship-u. w. b.-and bore witness that the honour of Ta'mah was untarnished by this crime. Therefore that prince intended to punish the Jew Zayd; meanwhile, however, the blessed verse We have revealed to thee the book in truth, to judge among men,' to the end of this verse was revealed. Accordingly, his lordship released Ebn Yemin, and ordered the hand of Ta'mah to be cut off; the latter, however, fled from Madinah to Mekkah and brought eternal punishment upon his soul by the occupation of thieving to which he devoted himself. During this year also the verse concerning the prohibition of the use of wine was revealed,294 the circumstances whereof are recorded in biographical works.

EVENTS OF THE FIFTH YEAR AFTER THE FLIGHT. Some biographers have recorded that the Ghazwah of Dhatu-r-raqaa' took place during the month of Moharram

294 They will ask thee concerning wine and lots; answer, In both there is great sin.'-Qurân, ch. ii. 216. O true believers, surely wine, and lots, and images, and divining arrows, are an abomination and the work of Satan,' etc.-Ibid., ch. v. 92.

in this year in consequence of the information brought by a man who had come to Madinah with some sheep for sale, that the Bani Athmâr and Tha'labah had collected an army, and were about to attack the professors of Islam. When the apostle of God had become aware of this intention he appointed Dhu-n-nûryn to be his lieutenant in Madinah, and marched forth with four hundred, or, according to another tradition, with five hundred men on a Sunday night on the 10th of the above-named month, and halted after reaching a place belonging to the professors of idolatry and infidelity called Dhatu-r-raqaa', where the Musalmâns found only women, because all the men had gone to the mountain. The noble companions were afraid to plunder, lest the idolaters might make use of the opportunity and come out from their ambush. In that place his lordship held the prayer of fear,295 which was the first of this kind that had been held. Some assert that the reason for calling this the Ghazwah of Dhatu-r-raqaa' was because near the habitation of the professors of obstinacy and schism there was a mountain, a portion of which looked like the variegated patches [Raqa] which it is customary to mend garments with. In this expedition that prince was absent from Madinah for a fortnight, and after his return he did not march out with his army till the month Rabii' the first. Some say that the Ghazwah of Dhatu-r-raqaa' took place after the Ghazwah of Khayber.

THE GHAZWAH OF DUMATU-J-JANDAL.

It is recorded in the Mostagadza' that Dumatu-j-jandal with Dzamma over the Dâl and Fath over the Jim is the name of a place, the distance whereof from Kufah amounts to ten stages, and as many to Damascus. With Fath over the Dal [when the word must be read Damat] it is the name of the mother of Mukhtar B. Abu O'baydah Thaqafi.

295 But when thou [O prophet] shalt be among them, and shalt pray with them, let a party of them arise to prayer with thee, and let them take their arms,' etc.-Qurân, ch. iv. 103.

It has also been said that Dumatah is a fort, the foundations of which are stone; and the produce of that region consists of dates and barley. The reason for this Ghazwah was that Akydar B. A'bdu-l-malak, the governor of that place, who was a Christian and a subject of the Qaissar [i.e., Byzantine emperor], had collected an army and intended to attack his lordship the refuge of termination-u. w. b. When this news reached the exalted audition of the best of men, he started on Monday [date not given] of the month Rabii' the first, with one thousand men towards the fort and stronghold of the insurgents, and travelled by the aid of a guide during the night, resting during the day. When not more than the distance of one day's and night's march separated the victorious banners from Dumatu-j-jandal, information was brought to his lordship that the cattle of the opponents were near. Accordingly that prince issued orders to capture and to fetter them. The herdsmen fled, and carried the news to the fort of Dumatu-j-jandal, the people of which place dispersed, so that his lordship entered and sojourned therein several days, but sent out foraging parties in all directions, and Muhammad B. Moslamah captured and brought one of the enemies into the august assembly of his lordship the apostle-u. w. b.-who made inquiries about the inhabitants, and was told that they had all fled at his approach. After that this individual became a Musalman, and his lordship the apostle returned to Madinah, the expedition having lasted one month.

GHAZWAH OF RABYI', ALSO CALLED GHAZWAH OF THE BANI MOSSTTALAQ.

It is recorded in the Kazrâni that, according to the tradition of Murta', Rabyi' is the name of a well near which the Bani Mossttalaq were encamped, and in the Mostaqadza' we read that it is the water of a population between Mekkah and Madinah from the region of Qadid to the coast, and the Ghazwah is also called that of the Bani

Almossttalaq B. O'ru B. Rabia' B. Kharjah.' The cause of this Ghazwah was that Hâreth B. Abu Dharâr, the chieftain of that clan, had invited several Arab tribes to unite with him in attacking his lordship the asylum of the apostolate-u. w. b. His lordship the apostle despatched Buridah 296 B. Ahassib towards the opponents to bring correct information. He accordingly went among them, but they examined him about the prophet, and he gave gave them a reply appropriate to the circumstances, saying also I have heard that you intend to wage war against Muhammad, and I have come to offer you my aid, if this report be true.' The Bani Mossttalaq treated him very respectfully, and said: What thou hast heard is true.' Buridah continued: I am going to bring an army to join you.' After uttering these words he left them, hastened to Madinah, and made his report about them. Then his lordship the prophet-u. w. b.-prepared his army, gave the banner of the Mohajer to the lord A'li B. Abu Talebu. w. b.-and that of the Anssar to Sa'd B. A'bâdah, ordering O'mar to take charge of the vanguard, Zayd B. Hâreth of the left wing, and retained A'kramah B. Mohssan near himself. In that expedition the Mohajer had twenty horses, as also the Anssar; and many hypocrites, allured by the hope of booty, marched on that occasion with the Musalmâns. A spy was taken and brought before Farûq [i.e., O'mar], who was in command of the vanguard. After being closely pressed, this individual confessed that he had been sent by a chief of the Bani Mossttalaq to reconnoitre the Musalman army, for the purpose of enabling him to enter the lists of contention with open eyes. O'mar presented that spy also to the most exalted assembly of his holy and prophetic lordship, who examined him about his errand, and proposed to him to embrace monotheism, but that idolater refused to comply; accordingly O'mar liberated that man's soul, with the permission of his

296 Burid means courier in Arabic, but the word is originally Persian, because the mules used by couriers were dock-tailed. See footnote to Dr. A. Spreuger's Meadows by Gold,' of Masu'di, p. 331.