it still appeared in its best and purest form, as the natural outcome of its gradual development amidst the restrictions and persecutions of Mecca, and was not yet affected by the sunshine of worldly prosperity and power.

Ibn Ishak narrates 'the beginning of Islam amongst the assistants' in these words: 'When God wished to make His faith victorious, to glorify His Prophet and to fulfil His promise to him, Mohammed, at the time of the pilgrim festival, went as usual to the Kabiles to present himself to them as prophet, and on the eminence he met a party of Khazrajites by whom God intended something good. He asked them, "Who are you?" They answered, "We are Khazrajites." Then Mohammed inquired, "Are you friends of the Jews?" and they said "Yes." He then invited them to sit down with him, propounded to them the doctrine of Islam, and read out portions from the Koran. It belongs to God's works that the Jews, those men of Scripture and science, who lived amongst the idolatrous Khazrajites and were oppressed by them, often said in their brawls, "The time is nigh when a prophet will arise: we shall follow him and with his help destroy you, like Ad and Iram." Now, therefore, when Mohammed exhorted these people to believe in God, they said to each other, "Know, that this is the prophet with whom the Jews have threatened us: let us anticipate them." So it came to pass that they listened to Mohammed, believed in him, and accepted Islam. They also said to Mohammed, "We belong to a people amongst whom there is much ill-will and enmity; perhaps God will unite them through thee. We will invite them to the faith which we now possess; and if God unites them around thee, there will then be no more powerful man than thou." After this, they returned to their home as believers. They were six in number; and when they had reached Medina, they talked with their fellow-tribesmen about Mohammed and invited them to Islam, so that soon the Prophet of God was spoken of in every house.'

Thus, in the course of the year, the movement began to spread in Medina, and we are told that when the festival came round again, twelve Ansars, or 'Assistants,' were amongst the pilgrims to Mecca. They arranged a meeting

with Mohammed, which is known as 'the first meeting on the eminence,' and it was on the same occasion that they also took an oath of allegiance to him, 'after the manner of women,' that is, they did not yet engage to fight for Islam, but only to give up idolatry, stealing, fornication, and the killing of infants, and to obey Mohammed in all that is good. When they returned to Medina, Mohammed sent with them Mosab, for the express purpose of spreading the knowledge of Islam and the Koran amongst their countrymen; and it is in consequence of this, that he became generally known as 'the reading-master of Medina.' Asad, in whose house he lived, pointed out to him Saad, the lord of his people, saying, 'If he follows thee, not two of his clan will remain behind.' As soon as Saad was gained over, he said to his clan, 'I vow not to speak a word either with your men or your women, till you believe in God and His Prophet.' So it came to pass that, after a time, not a man or a woman of the clan remained who had not embraced Islam. Although these conversions, at the mere dictate of a chief, must have been very unspiritual and superficial, yet they were perfectly consistent with the external nature of Islam, and fully served the purpose of its Prophet.

(12.) The Spread of Islam amongst the People of Medina prepares the way for Mohammed and his whole Party to emigrate to that City.

At the pilgrimage festival of the following year, Mosab, who had been most successful in his missionary operations, returned to Mecca in the company of a caravan of pilgrims. On their arrival he lost no time in arranging another formal meeting, known as 'the second meeting on the eminence,' between Mohammed and those of his fellow-pilgrims who were converts to Islam. Kaab, one of the leading men present at the meeting, gives the following account of it 'We slept till a third part of the night was over. Then we left the caravan and crept silently to the ravine near the eminence. We were seventy-three men and two women. When we had waited a while, Mohammed arrived, accompanied by his uncle Abbas, who, though still a heathen, yet