318 MOHAMMED A PARODY OF CHRIST. [BK. II.

veil, so that they cannot see;" and then threw a handful of earth upon them, and thus, passing through them, escaped without being perceived by those erring ones.1

'At that time God thus addressed the angels Gabriel and Michael: "I have made you brothers by establishing a covenant of brotherhood between you, and have given to one of you a longer life than the other, which of you, then, prefers his brother's life to his own, by giving up as a present to his brother that part of his own life by which he might have survived him?" They both answered, "O God, we do not wish to give up our life for any one, we want it for ourselves, and what could we do with the life of another?" The Most High then spoke to them thus, "O Gabriel and Michael, why are ye not like Ali Ibn Abu Talib? I have made him and Mohammed brothers by a covenant of brotherhood, by virtue of which Ali has made a sacrifice of his life to Mohammed, and preferred his life to his own, therefore go ye both down to the earth and guard him against any harm from his enemies." In compliance with this command they descended to the earth and stood, Gabriel at the head and Michael at the feet of the well-beloved Ali; and Gabriel said to him, "O Ali, who is like unto thee, of whom the Most High boasts before His angels?"

'The infidels looking through a crack of the door, saw some one lying on Mohammed's bed, whom they took for his Excellency himself. Saying to themselves: "By God, Mohammed lies there covered with his clothes," they rushed into the room and stretched out their hands to seize him,

1 It is hard not to recognise in this, 'and thus, passing through them, escaped without being perceived,' a direct dependence on the, 'But he, passing through the midst of them, went his way,' used in the description of Jesus Christ's remarkable escape from his imminent danger. But what a contrast here, between Mohammed, exposing his dependent nephew Ali to a possible great danger, for the purpose of securing his own escape, and Jesus Christ in the garden of Gethsemane, manfully confronting his enemies and voluntarily surrendering Himself, in order to secure the safety of his disciples, by saying to his enemies, 'I have told you that I am he. If therefore ye seek me, let these go their way' (John xviii. 1-12)! Both behaviours are significant: Mohammed used his followers for his own protection, gratification, and aggrandisement; Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself for the protection, salvation, and glorification of His people. Hence the needed justification of Mohammed's conduct, implied in what immediately follows.
CH. I. 27.] HE AND ABU BEKR HIDE IN A CAVE. 319

when, lo, that very moment, Ali, the well-beloved, rose from the bed. Seeing that it was Ali, they asked him, "Where is Mohammed?" He answered, "I know not." They, feeling perplexed and ashamed, occupied themselves with searching after Mohammed and did nothing to Ali.

'Aisha, the true, narrated that on the day following, when it was already hot, Mohammed suddenly appeared at her father's house, and, on being informed that there were no strangers there, entered and said to Abu Bekr, "Know, that God has given me permission to flee." Abu Bekr answered, "I shall be thy companion." He also offered the prophet one of two fleet camels, which the latter accepted on the condition that he should be allowed to pay for it, and Wakidi states its price to have been 800 dirhems. During the remainder of the day they hastily prepared provisions for the journey, Aisha getting together a bag full of them, and Asma, in the absence of string, took off her girdle from her loins, tore it in half, and tied the bag with it. Abu Bekr took with him all the money that was found in the house, amounting, as Asma tells us, to 5000 dirhems. After Abu Bekr had directed his son, Abd Allah, to be amongst the Koreish during the day, and bring him news of them in the night, and ordered a liberated slave to furnish them regularly with milk, and likewise secured a guide for the journey, they left at night, through an upper window, for the cave Thaur, where the guide was to meet them, three days later, with the camels.

'It is also recorded that when they were on the way to the cave, the prophet took off his shoes and pressed them under his toes, so that his footprints might not be known, and when his blessed feet became sore, Abu Bekr took him on his shoulders, and thus brought him to the opening of the cave. That cave was known as a place where flocks took shelter, and lest anything unpleasant should meet the prophet, Abu Bekr went in first to get it ready, and stopped the little crevices with pieces torn from his clothes, and then called out: "O Apostle of God, come in." They spent the night in the cave, and in the morning, when the prophet saw Abu Bekr denuded, and asked of him the reason, he was told that it was because he had torn up his clothes to shut