Page:William Muir, Thomas Hunter Weir - The Caliphate; Its Rise, Decline, and Fall (1915).djvu/115

 86 As on his first advance, so now he sought to recruit the diminished ranks from kindred tribes about him; and, before long, regained a firmer footing.

ʿOmar received with calmness the unhappy tidings. Abu ʿObeid’s levies kept on their flight till they reached home; and some who belonged to Medina returning thither, covered their faces with shame. The Caliph spoke comfortably to them thus:—"Verily, I am a defence to every believer that faceth the enemy, even if trouble overtake him. The Lord have mercy on Abu ʿObeid, and be gracious unto him. Had he survived, and taken refuge on some sandy mound, I surely would have been his advocate and his defender." Moʿādh, famous as a reciter of the Ḳorʾān, was among those who fled. Shortly after, in the course of public recitation, he came to the verse: "Whosoever in the field shall give his back to the enemy (excepting again to join in battle), or shall turn aside unto another party, verily he draweth the wrath of God upon himself; his refuge shall be hell-fire—an ill ending!" and he lifted up his voice and wept. ʿOmar addressed him kindly: "Weep not, O Moʿādh, thou hast not turned aside unto another party; thou hast turned aside to none but unto me." Such was the spirit of these Muslim heroes, even in defeat. The reverse had no other effect than to nerve the Caliph to redoubled effort. The fresh cry for a levy ex masse soon resounded all over the Peninsula. But reinforcements in response would have been too late to help Al-Muthanna if (fortunately for Islām) earlier succour had not reached him.

For the previous call was still drawing. Levies from every quarter daily reached Medīna, eager—now the ban against Apostasy was removed—to show the sincerity of their repentance, and share in the rewards of victory. Each band as it came, besought ‘Omar to send them to the favoured land of Syria. But the late victories in Syria had made him easy in that direction; and every available man must now be hurried forward to Al-ʿIrāḳ. A brave levy raised under the banner of Jarīr, urged that their ancestral relations were all with Syria; but ʿOmar was firm, and at last reconciled them to set out at once for Persia by the promise that they should have one-fourth of all the royal fifth of