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624] condemned by public opinion that the Prophet found it necessary to give out that his orders had been misunderstood.

Two months later his followers achieved their first victory. A large caravan, laden with rich merchandise, was returning from Syria to Mecca under the leadership of Abū Sufyān, the chief of the Banū Umayya, one of the proudest families among the Ḳuraish. Mahomet determined to waylay it at Badr, a place south-west of Medina, a few miles from the Red Sea coast, and himself set out thither with rather more than 300 armed men, of whom about 80 were Emigrants and the rest Medinese. Abū Sufyān, however, received news of the intended attack, changed his route and despatched a messenger to Mecca asking for help. The Ḳuraish hastily fitted out an expedition consisting of about 900 men, among whom were most of the Meccan aristocracy. While they were on their way northward they learnt that the caravan had succeeded in reaching a point where it was out of danger; some of them therefore returned to Mecca, but the great majority, confident in their superior numbers and equipment, determined to advance, rather, it would seem, with the intention of overawing than of crushing their adversary. The two armies reached Badr almost at the same moment. Mahomet, ignorant of what had happened, was still expecting the caravan; on discovering his mistake he probably saw that a retreat would be extremely perilous, if not impossible, and accordingly resolved to fight. The Meccans, on this occasion, displayed an extraordinary slackness and absence of forethought. They allowed Mahomet to take possession of a well situated in their immediate neighbourhood and thereby to deprive them of their water-supply. Next morning, when they approached the well they found the bulk of Mahomet's army drawn up around it. But even then no general attack was made. One by one, or in small groups, a number of Meccan chieftains came forward and were killed in hand-to-hand combat by champions of the opposite side. Among the slain was one of the most formidable of the Prophet's enemies, Abū-l-Ḥakam, son of Hishām, usually known by the nickname Abū Jahl. Mahomet himself did not take part in the fighting but remained in a small hut which had been erected for him, praying with passionate fervour and trembling violently. At length, about noon, the Meccans, realising that nothing was to be gained by further bloodshed, began to retire. Being much better mounted than their opponents, they were able to escape with a loss of only 70 slain and 70 captured. Of the Muslims 14 had fallen.

Insignificant as this battle may appear from a military point of view,