Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 16.djvu/585

Rh MOHAMMED.] were driven in chains to the house of Osdma b. Zaid, whence on the following morning Mohammed caused them to be brought one by one to the market-place of Medina, and there executed. This continued till late in the even ing. They were six or seven hundred in number, and among them was the Nadirite Hoyay b. Akhtab, the author of the War of the Fosse, who had left the Meccans to join his fortunes with those of the Koraiza. By accepting Islam these men could have saved their lives, but they preferred death. No more magnificent martyrdom is known to history. The women and children were sold into slavery ; one young woman only, Banana, suffered the penalty of death for having broken the head of a Moslem with a millstone during the siege. With joyous heart and smiling face she went to meet her death, never forgotten by Aisha, with whom she was when her name was called. The Prophet selected for himself the fair Raihana, and married her, after having caused her to become a convert to Islam. The War of the Fosse was the last attack made by the Koraish upon Medina ; Mohammed now began to take the offensive towards Mecca. This he at first set about with extreme diplomacy, utilizing the festival, and the truce of God subsisting at the time of the festival, for the purpose of paying a visit to his native town. Although unsuccess ful in winning to his side the neighbouring tribes of Bedouins, it was nevertheless with a considerable following (1500 men) that in Dhii 1-ka da A.H. 6 (March 628), 1 he set out on his journey. In a dream he had had the key of the Ka ba delivered to him ; on the strength of this his followers believed firmly in the success of the expedition. But the Koraish were determined that the pretext of pil grimage should not avail their adversary ; they summoned their allies and formed a camp to the north of their town for the purpose of preventing the entrance of the Moslems. Hodai- Mohammed was forced to halt at Hodaibiya on the borders kiy a - of the sacred territory, and it was in vain that by fair speeches he sought to obtain permission to make the circuit of the Ka ba. He felt himself too weak to force his way, and accordingly preferred to treat. While the envoys were passing to and fro, there suddenly arose an alarm in the Moslem camp ; they apprehended a sudden act of treachery on the part of the Meccans. It was on this occasion that the famous Homage under the Tree took place, when Mohammed pledged his followers by striking hands that they would stand by him and go to death for his sake. Some of the Koraish agents witnessed the scene, and were immensely impressed by it ; such an enthusiastic obedience as Mohammed received, such an ascendency over the minds of men as he exercised, they had never before conceived to be possible, and on their return they urged their people in the strongest way not to permit matters to come to extremities. The Koraish accordingly judged it best to offer a bargain with Mohammed, the terms being that for this year he was to withdraw, so that the Arabs might not say that he had forced an entrance, but that on the following year he was to return and be permitted to remain three days within the sacred territory for the purpose of sacrifice. After some discussion Mohammed accepted this proposal, although zealous Moslems detected a discreditable shortcoming in matters of faith, in so far as it involved turning back within sight of the Ka ba without being allowed to accomplish the sacred circuit. When the agreement was to be committed to writing, Mohammed dictated the words : &quot; In the name of Allah, the merciful Rahman&quot;; 2 but the Meccan plenipotentiary, Sohail b. Amr, declared that he knew nothing about Rahman, and 1 Noldeke, Tabari, p. 303, note 1 ; Vakidi, p. 18. 1 Rahman is a name of God which Mohamme d had taken from the Jews and used with special preference. 557 insisted upon the customary formula &quot; In thy name, Alla- hpmma!&quot; The Moslems murmured, but Mohammed yielded. He then went on to dictate : &quot; This is the treaty of peace between the apostle of God. . . . Sohail anew protested ; to acknowledge Mohammed as the apostle of God, would be to declare himself his follower; the de signation ought to be simply Mohammed b. AbdallAh. The Moslems murmured louder than before, and refused to consent to the change. The heads of the two tribes of Medina, Osaid b. Hodair and Sa d b. Obdda, held the hand of the scribe and declared that &quot;Mohammed the apostle of God &quot; must be written, or the sword must de cide. The Meccan representatives whispered to one another words of amazement at the spirit displayed by these men. But Mohammed made a sign to the zealots to hold their peace, and again gave way (sur. xvii. 110). The writing which now took shape ran as follows : &quot; In thy name, God ! This is the treaty of peace concluded The by Mohammed b. Abdallah and Sohail b. Amr. They have agreed treaty, to allow their arms to rest for ten years. During this time each party shall be secure, and neither shall injure the other ; no secret damage shall be inflicted, but uprightness and honour prevail be twixt us. Whosoever wishes to enter into treaty and covenant with Mohammed can do so, and whosoever wishes to enter into treaty and covenant with the Koraish can do so. But if a Koraishite comes without permission of his guardian (Wali) to Mohammed, he shall be delivered up ; but if, on the other hand, one of Mohammed s people comes to the Koraish he shall not be delivered up. This year Mohammed with his companions must withdraw from us, 3 but next year he may come amongst us and remain for three days, yet without other weapons than those of a traveller, the swords remaining in their sheaths.&quot; The first result of the treaty was that the Khoza a de clared for alliance with Mohammed ; while, on the other hand, the Bekr b. Kinana joined themselves to the Koraish. To compensate his followers for the apparent resultless- War with ness of this expedition, Mohammed immediately after Kliaibar - their return led them out against the rich Jews of Khaibar (northwards from Medina), whither the Banii Nadir had migrated, and from which place they had unceasingly stirred up opposition against the Prophet. Hitherto he had contented himself with putting out of the way, by means of assassination, some of their leading men who seemed to him to be particularly dangerous, such as Abii Rafi and Yosair b. Razim, 4 but now he resorted to whole sale measures. In Moharram, A.H. 7 (May 628), he made his appearance before Khaibar with a powerful army ; in the plunder only those who had taken part in the expedi tion of Hodaibiya were to share, but many others besides accompanied them. The Jews, although aware of the hostility of Mohammed s intentions, were nevertheless taken completely by surprise when one morning they saw him and his troops encamp before their strongholds. One of their leaders had given them the excellent advice not to shut themselves up by families in their quarters, but to construct a common camp in the fields, otherwise they were likely to share the fate of their coreligionists in Medina. But they replied that their strongholds were of a different sort, perched on impregnable summits, and they remained shut up within them. They had neither discipline nor order, courage nor devotion. As they were wanting in community of feeling, so also were they lacking in leaders. Their best man, Salarn b. Mishkam, lay on a sick-bed ; his place was by no means supplied by Kinana b. b. Abf 1-Hokaik. When they suddenly became aware that they had been completely abandoned by their Arab allies, the Ghatafan, their heart utterly failed them. When besieged in any of their citadels, they hardly ever waited 3 The &quot; us &quot; is remarkable, and sounds as if the treaty had been dictated by the Meccans. Vakidi, pp. 170, 239.