invitation to three hundred.

Some biographers have narrated that the same benefactor added one thousand mithqâls of pure gold to the camels; others, however, assert that he engaged himself to provide for one third of the army, the whole of which amounted to thirty thousand men. Then his lordship the best of men said: 'Hereafter O'thmân will never feel the want of property for what it has now effected.' In some books we read that when O'thmân brought the thousand mithqâls of gold into the joyous assembly of the apostle of God, his lordship said: 'O God, be pleased with O'thmân B. O'ffân, for I am pleased with him.'

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There is a tradition that A'bdu-r-rahman B. A'wuf had brought a sum of four thousand dirhems to the apostle of God, and said: 'I possessed eight thousand dirhems, and I have brought one half of that sum, wishing to gain the approbation of Allah, but the other moiety I have left for [the use of] my family and children.' His lordship replied, with his wonderfully eloquent tongue: May the Most High bless thee for what thou hast given, and for what thou hast retained.' This wish of the apostle-u. w. b.-was responded to, and the wealth of that man became so great, that when he departed from the perishable to the imperishable world, each of the four wives whom he left after his death received eighty thousand mithqâls of gold for her share when the time of mourning had elapsed. All the noble Anssâr and Mohajer also disbursed large sums of money, and many ladies parted with their trinkets and ornaments to fit out the army. When all the troops were in readiness, his holy and prophetic lordship assembled and reviewed them outside of Madinah, in the place called Thânyȧtu-lwodâa', on which occasion he appointed Abu Bakr to be Commander-in-chief and Emâm of the army, which, however, a number of hypocrites, and also three Musalmâns, refused to join.

It is related that A'bdullah B. Abu Salûl, the hypocrite, came out from Madinah with his confederates and encamped at Dhabûb, but again returned with a number of hypocrites

and Jews as soon as his holy and prophetic lordship had marched away from Thânyâtu-l-wodâa', and said: 'Muhammad has gone to fight the Greeks, and thinks it will be an easy matter; but I swear by God that I am of opinion that his companions will be scattered about the world as prisoners, dragging their yokes and fetters.' When the retreat of A'bdullah had been brought to the august notice of his holy and prophetic lordship, he said: 'Had he been knowing, he would not have stayed away from us.' Another company of hypocrites associated with the army in that campaign for the sake of plunder; but with reference to their arrival and return unfavourable reports became current, which shall be narrated if it pleaseth God the Most High. It is related that when the apostle of Allah-u. w. b.-marched from Madinah he left A'li B. Abu Ttaleb there to watch over the mothers of the Musalmâns; but as the hypocrites of that city had said, Muhammad has not taken A'li with him, because he is on bad terms with him,' the Commander of the Faithful went after his lordship as soon as he had heard the gossip of the hypocrites and heretics, and obtained the felicity of an interview in the place called Jarf, where he explained what had taken place, and wished to participate in that campaign, but his lordship replied: 'O A'li, art thou willing to stand in the same relation to me as Harûn [Aaron] stood to Mûsa [Moses], only that there will be no other prophet after me?'

It is certain that in Thânyâtu-l-wodâa' the lord of apostleship-u. w. b.-distributed the standards, and conferred the great banner on Abu Bakr Ssiddyq, another on Zobayr B. Ala'wwâm, and another on Awus. The flags of the Khazraj he bestowed on Asad B. Alkhattyr and on Abu Dujâjah the Anssary. When the army was reviewed in that locality it was found to amount to thirty thousand men, as mentioned above. Some allege that it consisted of eighty, and a few assert that it numbered one hundred thousand combatants, ten thousand of whom were mounted on horses, and that they had twelve thousand camels with them. In

this expedition Khâled B. Alwolyd commanded the vanguard, Abu Jaud Ttolhah B. A'bdullah the right, and A'bdu-r-rahman B. A'wuf the left wing. After the army had started from Thânyâtu-l-wodâa', a number of soldiers deserted in every halting-place, so that the friends and companions used to say, 'Such-and-such a man has returned;' but that prince replied: Do not mind him. If there be any good in him, the Most High will probably cause him to join you again; but if not, Allah has shown you a favour by delivering you of his company.'

When the army had marched the required distance it arrived at Tabuk, where it halted two months by order of his holy and prophetic lordship-u. w. b.-resting from the toil and fatigue of the evening and morning [marches]. Meanwhile it became evident that the rumours current in Madinah about the intention of the Greeks to attack the professors of Islam had no foundation whatever; nor could the least sign of the Qayssar or of the Greek army be perceived. Accordingly his lordship the refuge of prophecy— u. w. b.-consulted the chief Anssâr and Mohajer about invading Syria and attacking the inhabitants thereof; and among the companions O'mar B. Alkhattâb rose, saying: 'O apostle of God, if thou orderest us to proceed in that direction we shall obey, because we are all in attendance on thy heaven-aspiring stirrup.' His lordship replied: If I had received [Divine] orders I would not have consulted you.' O'mar continued: O apostle of Allah, the Emperor of Greece has great armies, numerous as locusts, provided with all the appliances of war, and they are assembled in the shadow of his sovereign power. There is not a single Musalmân among them; thou hast this year arrived near them; the rumour of thy power and dignity must have spread in that country, so that fear and trepidation have overpowered the Greeks. Nevertheless, if thou returnest this time and undertakest the war next year, it will be more suitable.' This opinion of Farûq the greater being in conformity with that of the prophet, his holy and prophetic lordship-u. w. b.-concluded to march back to Madinah.

It is related that when Heraclius, the Byzantine emperor, heard that the apostle of God had arrived in Syria and was encamped in Tabuk, he appointed a man of the Bani Ghusân to pay a visit to the camp of the Musalmâns and to bring information about the qualities and characteristics of the lord of prophecy-u. w. b.-such as the redness of his eyes, the seal of prophecy, the giving and receiving of alms, and the like. The man obeyed, went to Tabuk, and returned to Heraclius after having made full inquiries, and described to the Qayssar all the properties and circumstances of the apostle of God. Heraclius thereon assembled the nobles and magnates of Greece, and ordered them to abandon Christianity and to embrace the sublime religion; but the Greeks were so amazed at the words of the Qayssar that they feared his sovereignty was drawing to an end; therefore he no longer pressed his views upon them, but secretly made his profession of the Faith, and was blessed with felicity in both worlds.

KHALED B. ALWOLYD GOES TO DAUMATU-J-JANDAL.

At the time his holy and prophetic lordship-u. w. b.—— was staying in Tabuk he ordered Khâled B. Alwolyd to march with four hundred and twenty troopers against Akydar B. A'bdu-l-melik, the governor of Daumatu-jjandal, and Khâled replied: 'O apostle of God, sendest thou me among the Bani Kallab with a few companions?' That prince, however, replied with his wonderfully eloquent tongue Thou wilt probably soon capture Akydar in the hunting ground without the toil of war.' Khâled accordingly obeyed, and marched to the fort of Daumatu-j-jandal, and arrived one night in a fine moonshine in the vicinity of the fort of Akydar, who happened at that time to be engaged on the top of it in eating and drinking wine with his spouse. On that occasion a [wild] mountain-cow happened to arrive near the gate of the fort, which it commenced to butt against with her horns. The lady, whose name was Rabâb, approached the margin of the platform, and perceiving what was going on beneath, she said to her

husband: Hast thou ever beheld such a sight?' He replied: 'No.' Rabâb further asked: 'Hast thou ever allowed such game to escape?' He said: 'No.' Then Akydar, being very fond of hunting mountain-cows, came down from the terrace of the kiosk, and ordered a horse fit to pursue the cow to be saddled, whereon he departed with his brother and several other men to chase the mountainCOW. Not aware that he was about to fall into the hands of Khâled, and into the grasp of the hunter of fate, Akydar left the fort, and the cow fled, he pursuing her on horseback. Khaled, however, who had been watching his opportunity, attacked and captured Akydar, whose companions ran away and took shelter in the fort, which Modzbâr, another brother of Akydar, then put in a state of defence.

As his holy and prophetic lordship-may Allah bless him and his family-had ordered Khâled to bring Akydar alive in case he should capture him, unless he refused, Khaled said to him: If thou art willing, I grant thee thy life, and shall convey thee to his lordship the refuge of prophecy on condition that thy people deliver the keys of the fort to me and open the gate thereof, and that thou surrenderest to me one thousand camels, eight hundred horses, four hundred spears, and four hundred cuirasses, whereon I shall allow thee to retain thy fort as before.' Akydar complied with the proposal of Khâled. His brother first refused, but at last opened the gate of the fort, and both brothers hastened, in the company of Khâled, to kiss the feet of the Lord of apostleship-m. A. b., etc.— According to one tradition, the brothers attained the felicity of professing the Faith as soon as they had arrived in Madinah, but according to another, that prince settled the poll-tax386 upon them, and allowed them to depart. But Allah knows best.

386 This is the Jazyah paid by Christians, Jews, etc., in Musalmân countries.

VOL. II.

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