together. Directly after he had expired, an unpleasant scene occurred between Omar and Abu Bekr, which is graphically narrated by Ibn Ishak. He tells us that, before the death had become known to the people generally, Omar thus harangued the dense congregation, assembled in the mosque: 'Some hypocrites assert that Mohammed is dead but, by Allah, Mohammed is not dead, he has only gone to his Lord, like Moses who remained away from his people for 40 days and yet returned, after he had already been reported dead. Surely the apostle of God will return like Moses, and cut off the hands and feet of those who reported him dead.' Whilst speaking in this way, Abu Bekr, who had just had ocular demonstration of his friend's death, entered the mosque, and called out to Omar: 'Gently, Omar! Listen to me!' But he took no notice of him and went on speaking as before. Abu Bekr seeing this, now also began to address the people, who soon turned away from Omar and listened to him. Abu Bekr said: 'O ye people, whoever of you worshipped Mohammed, let him know that he is dead; but whoever worshipped God, let him know that He lives and will never die.' Then he recited the following verse, now incorporated in the Koran as verse 138, or, according to another division, verse 144, of the third Surah. 'Mohammed is only an apostle, and other apostles have died before him. Now if he die or be killed, will ye turn on your heels? Who does so, will not harm God; but God rewards the grateful.' Ibn Ishak proceeds to remark: 'By Allah, it was as if the people had not known anything about the revelation of this verse, until Abu Bekr recited it on that day. Then the people received it of Abu Bekr, and still have it in their mouth.' This quite looks as if Abu Bekr had improvised the verse for the occasion; and if we combine this with the fact that he, directly after, took up and carried on the Prophet's plan, so exactly in the Prophet's way and in the Prophet's spirit, we shall probably not go far wrong by surmising that these are not the only instances where Abu Bekr contributed in giving shape and substance to Islam. But whoever may have been the real author of this verse, it proved very opportune in calming Omar and bringing him over to Abu Bekr's mode of thinking.

It was plainly necessary that these two influential men, as well as the rest of the refugees, should show a firm and united front, in the present critical moment. For already the 'helpers' of Medina were assembling in a court of the Beni Saida, in order to appoint a chief from amongst themselves, in the person of Saad Ibn Ubada. Abu Bekr and Omar hastened to them, the same afternoon, to prevent the threatening mischief. Matters indeed looked very grave. Mohammed had not yet grown cold, and was still lying on the couch where he had died, when his followers were already on the verge of separating into two antagonistic parties, the helpers and, the refugees, whilst Ali and his friends kept aloof from them both. The helpers, or natives of Medina, formulated their grievances thus: 'We are the helpers of Allah, the army of Islam: but you refugees have come upon us, in a body, to tear us away from our root, and to deprive us of our dominion.' Abu Bekr, speaking the mind of himself and his fellow-refugees, replied in a very conciliatory tone, and said: 'You helpers certainly deserve all the good which you claim for yourselves: but the Arabs will concede the right of sovereign dominion to none but the Koreish. These are the centre of the Arabs, both as regards descent and habitation. Therefore direct your choice to one of their number.'

The helpers now showed signs of readiness to come to a compromise, and their speaker, by boasting of their strength, hoped to succeed, at least, with a proposal of such a nature. He said in their name: 'I am the stem against which the camel rubs itself, the well-supported date-tree: let, therefore, one chief be chosen from amongst us, and one from amongst you, the Koreish.' Thereupon the noise became so great, and the voices grew so loud, that a violent collision and final rupture seemed imminent. But Omar, who doubtless acted in unison with Abu Bekr, and probably under his thoughtful inspiration, suddenly led the way to a peaceable solution, by saying to Abu Bekr: 'Stretch out thy hand!' Abu Bekr having done so, he seized it and instantly took the oath of allegiance to him. The refugees, all of whom seem to have followed Abu Bekr and Omar to the meeting, forthwith did the same; and their example drew even the helpers after