Page:William Muir, Thomas Hunter Weir - The Caliphate; Its Rise, Decline, and Fall (1915).djvu/326

 661–80] Tradition tells us of the miraculous flight of wild beasts and reptiles with their young from its site at the conqueror's prayer; and also that the Berbers, convinced by the prodigy, at once accepted Islām and settled themselves upon the spot. But a few years later ʿOḳba was surprised by a joint Roman and Berber army, and miserably perished with his whole army. The Muslims were driven back on Barḳa.

On the side of Armenia and Greece, hostilities, suspended during the contest with ʿAlī, were resumed by Muʿāwiya at its close, and we read of a serious defeat sustained by the Greeks, 42. The Muslim army wintered in Armenia, and the campaign was prosecuted both by sea and land. In 50 a formidable expedition was directed against Constantinople. The army suffered severely from want of provisions, and sickness; and Muʿāwiya sent his pleasure-loving son Yezīd, much against his will, to join the army with large reinforcements. The force landed near Constantinople, the safety of which is ascribed by some to the use of Greek fire, discovered about the time. There was much fighting, and the Muslim loss was heavy. But misfortune notwithstanding, efforts against the city were not abandoned. We read of almost yearly expeditions, and in 53, the island of Cyzicus near Constantinople was seized and held by a Muslim garrison for seven years; but the position was abandoned by Yezīd on his father's death.

In the Grecian campaign a famous Companion, Abu Eiyūb, was killed under the walls of Constantinople, where his tomb was tended and visited by pilgrims for ages. He was the same who entertained the Prophet in his house for the first half-year after his arrival at Medīna. Early memories are also recalled by the death of Al-Arḳam, whose abode—thence called "the house of Islām"—was the resort of Moḥammad and his followers when he first began his teaching at Mecca. About the same time also we read of the death of ʿĀisha, nearly seventy years of age, and of four other of the "Mothers of the Faithful," also advanced in years.