he had one of those singular revelations which were but expressions of the thoughts and bent of his own mind. He exclaimed, 'Good news for thee, Aisha! God has revealed thy innocence.' Aisha herself was surprised, and when narrating the story in after life, modestly confessed, 'I considered myself too mean and insignificant to hope that on my account God would reveal what thenceforth had to be read in the mosques and recited at prayers, as part of the Koran.'

About the same time, the scandalous affair also took place between Mohammed and Zeinab, his adopted son Zeid's wife, which is already recorded (p. 82-3). That conduct, marked by such loose morality and such thinly disguised deception, did not at once prove ruinous to Mohammed's assumed character as a prophet and his general influence, plainly shows the indiscriminating credulity of his followers and the ascendency he had already gained in Medina, by the support of a compact body of warriors and the secret terrorism of his system of government. A fresh stroke was now about to be aimed at him from Mecca, more threatening than any previous one; but he dexterously parried it, and the storm only served him to strike the roots of his power more deeply and widely.

Abu Sofyan, especially since the Moslems had appeared in great force at Bedr and he been obliged to break his engagement of meeting them there, had been very busy preparing for a decisive blow against Medina. He collected money from house to house, accepting no contribution under one ounce of gold and bringing all possible pressure to bear upon the people, so that soon a considerable sum was at his disposal. Thus it had become possible to raise a great army and to secure the co-operation of many Bedouin tribes. Sufferers from Mohammedan oppression, such as Abd Allah Ibn Obei and sundry Jews, especially from the lately expatriated Nadhir tribe, zealously assisted in promoting these objects, hoping the complete destruction of the Moslem cause might thus be brought about. Ibn Ishak narrates that the Koreish said to these Jews, 'You are the men who possess the ancient Scripture and know what we contend about with Mohammed; now tell us which religion

is the best, ours or his?' They, incensed by his unjustifiable religious pretensions, and smarting under the recent effects of his political violence, unscrupulously replied, 'Your religion is the better of the two, and you are nearer the truth than he.' Wily Abu Sofyan gladly accepted any assistance in promotion of his plan, and Mecca resounded with the din of preparations for war. Even if the Moslem historians exaggerate in estimating the hostile army at 10,000 strong, its number was no doubt a formidable one. Mecca alone raised 4000 men, including 300 horse and 1500 camels; the Bedouins of the Beni Soleim, Ghatafan, Fezara, Asad, Ashja, and Morra, joined with several thousands more. The chief command naturally was in the hands of Abu Sofyan; but the chieftains of the different tribes retained much independence, a circumstance which did not enhance the efficiency of the army. It was in spring 627 that these hosts began to move northwards, in the direction of Medina.

Mohammed had received full information of what was going on in Mecca, and prepared to ward off the threatening blow. At the battle of Ohod he had acted contrary to the wise counsel of his rival Abd Allah Ibn Obei, by marching forth to meet the enemy, and suffered defeat by so doing; now he benefited by past experience and kept his men close to the town, leaving the attack to the enemy. It was evidently a wise disposition, to assign to his army, which was by far the smaller of the two, consisting of only 3000 men, the less onerous task of acting strictly on the defensive. The town, with its houses built of stone and closely joining each other, was comparatively easy of defence, and this advantage was heightened at the suggestion of Salman, a Persian resident, by the formation of a deep ditch, lining an open space on which the army could be collected, secure against any sudden surprise from the enemy's cavalry. As soon as the confederate army had reached the neighbourhood, Mohammed and his warriors took up their position in the wide open space, bordered by the city on one side and by the newly made ditch and rampart on the other. The city had thus been converted into a sort of fortified camp, which was quite a new thing in Arab warfare. The confederates taunted the Moslems with the innovation, as an intended substitute for