said, "Even if he does not come for war, the Arabs shall never be able to say that we received him because we could not help it." Mohammed was not permitted to visit the temple on this occasion, and had to content himself with a written compact containing this clause, "Mohammed is to go back this year without entering Mecca, but next year the Koreish are to vacate the city for three days, so that he and his companions may enter and remain there in the dress of pilgrims, and without any other weapon but a sheathed sword."

In the following year Mohammed and his followers returned to Mecca, which he found vacated, and they remained three full days. But at the end of this term the Koreish sent a deputation to them, reminding them of their stipulation to leave. Mohammed replied, "What harm is there, if I remain a little longer among you to celebrate my marriage and to prepare a wedding feast for you?" But they said, "We do not want your feast: depart from us." Accordingly Mohammed quitted Mecca in such a hurry that he had to leave his freedman, Abu Rafi, behind him, to follow with Meimuna, the newly engaged bride. They overtook the Prophet at Sarif, where the marriage was consummated.' (Ibn Ishak.)

bb. 'Although it had been stipulated in the pact of Hodeibia that there should be peace for ten years, yet as there happened acts of hostility between the confederates of the Koreish and the confederates of Mohammed, which led to bloodshed, the Prophet, already two years later, A.H. 8, determined to undertake an expedition of war and conquest against Mecca. According to the narratives of the biographers he started from Medina with his army in the month of Ramadan, proclaiming it optional for every one either to fast or not to fast on that occasion, and taking with him Om Salma from amongst his chaste wives. When the army encamped four parasangs from Mecca, it numbered 10,000 or 12,000 men. Abu Sofyan, through the mediation of Abbas, went out to Mohammed, and thus interceded for the city, "For God's sake, and for the sake of thy affinity with the Koreish, forgive them, and spare their blood, and show them kindness and favour; for thou art the best of

men, and most merciful towards relatives." That Excellency replied, "O Abu Sofyan, this is a day of mercy; a day in which God brings glory to the Koreish; and a day in which God's House, the Kaaba, shall be greatly exalted." After this he ordered the different commanders of his troops to advance against the city, and to enter it simultaneously, from seven different directions; but he enjoined on them all to fight with none who did not attack them. Only the troops commanded by Khalid were attacked, so that he had to fight, and his opponents lost twenty-four men in killed, or according to another account, seventy men, this being the number Mohammed had once vowed to slay from amongst the Koreish, in revenge for his uncle Hamza, who fell in the battle of Ohod. It is recorded that the remaining Meccan soldiers, on seeing the slain, fled ignominiously, without looking back.

'When Mecca was in the possession of the Mussulman army, Mohammed washed the dust off his face and hands, took a bath, then put on again his armour and helmet, and, accompanied by his friends, rode to the holy place of the temple, between drawn-up lines of cavalry. He first saluted the Black Stone, as it was usual, with the crooked stick he had in his hand, and, together with his fellow-Moslems, raised such a loud cry of "Allahu akbar, i.e. God is great!" that fear and trembling fell on all Mecca. Having performed his processional circumambulation of the sanctuary, he upset the 360 idols, set up around the Kaaba, by striking them with a javelin or club which he held in his hand, so that some of them lay prostrate on their faces, others on their backs. The large idols Hobal, Asaf, and Naila, were broken in pieces. A few great idols being placed so high that they could not be reached with the hand, Ali, God's favourite, said to the Prophet, "O Apostle of God, hadst thou not better stand on my shoulders and pull these idols down?" To this Mohammed replied, "O Ali, thou hast not strength enough to bear the weight of the prophetship that is in me: thou hadst better stand on my shoulders, and do this act thyself." Ali obeying, cast down those idols and broke them up into fragments. Then he threw himself down upon the ground in honour of the Prophet, and smiled; and his Excellency