panion, and we may flee together."¹ In those days Abu Bekr had a dream in which he saw the moon descending on Mecca, and illuminating that mother of cities. Then that shining moon rose again and, moving towards Medina, alighted and abode there, ² illuminating with its brightness the whole neighbourhood of Yathreb. There the moon was joined by a multitude of stars, and, after a time, it rose with many thousands of them into the air and descended upon the temple of Mecca, whilst Medina remained as bright as before, with the exception of 360 or, according to another account, 400 houses. After a while it rose again towards heaven and returned to Medina, where it abode in Aisha's dwelling, and illumininated the whole land of Yathreb with its radiant light, those innumerable stars being still with it. Then the earth was divided, and a hole was formed in which that moon disappeared. ³ When Abu Bekr awoke, he began to weep; for he was renowned amongst the Arabs for his knowledge in the interpretation of dreams, and therefore knew that the moon he had seen signified the prophet; the stars, his companions and relatives; their return to Mecca, the conquest of that city; its descent upon Aisha's dwelling, that Aisha alone should be ennobled in Medina with the nobility of that Excellency's bed; and its disappearance in a hole, that the prince of the prophets should die in Medina.

The biographers record that as soon as the companions of the apostle of God had learned that they might flee to so near a place, as the city of Medina, they went thither. The unbelievers of Mecca, knowing that his Excellency would join his companions, and that the Medinites would protect him, formed a plan to prevent this. To this end they assembled together and carefully shut the door, lest any of the Beni Hashim should be present and become aware of the plan.

Still, Satan, in the form of an old man, dressed in old clothes, made his appearance in their assembly, and, as on being asked who he was, he professed to be a stranger from Nejd, who sympathised with the object of their meeting, he was allowed to remain and to join in their deliberations. After the danger had been pointed out that Mohammed, finding confederates and helpers in Medina, might one day return with them and make war against Medina, the assembly were invited to suggest means for preventing such an eventuality. To put him in fetters and cast him into a dungeon, or to expel and banish him from the city, were the measures successively proposed, but objected to by the old man from Nejd, on the ground that, in the first case, his relatives might set him at liberty again; and, in the second, that his persuasive speech might gain adherents for him abroad. Upon this, the wicked and ill-reputed Abu Jahl Ibn Hisham said, "My proposal is this, that we choose a courageous young man from each of our clans and provide them with sharp swords, so that they may fall upon him and kill him together, in which case his family will be obliged to accept the blood-money from us, as they will not be able to fight all the other clans united." The old man from Nejd fully approving this proposal, the assembly broke up, forthwith to carry it into execution.

'But the faithful Gabriel came to the Lord of the two worlds and informed that prince of what had taken place, at the same time also delivering to him the Divine command to flee, and telling him not to sleep that night in his usual bed, but to leave next day for Medina. As soon as it was night, the infidels assembled about the door of his house, in order, after he had gone to sleep, to fall upon him as one man and kill him. The prophet being cognisant of this, said to the well-beloved Ali: "The infidels having formed an evil design against me, I leave this place: do thou rest to-night upon my bed, and cover thyself with my green cloak, and be confident they will not be able to play thee any trick." Then Ali laid himself down on the prophet's bed, and drew his cloak over him for a cover. His Excellency himself rehearsed the 36th Sura as far as the verse, "We have set a barrier before them, and we have set a barrier behind them, and we have enshrouded them with a