during Omar's Califate. Ten traditions are derived from her, of which one is generally recognised.

II. Meimuna Bint el Harith, whose previous name was Bere, had in the time of ignorance been the wife of Masud Ibn Omar, and after their separation was married by Abu Dehm, or by Khuwaitab, or by Furuwet, or by Sibret, or by Abd Yalil. After her second husband's death, the Prophet desired her; and he married her, A.H. 7, during his return from the Omra expedition, in the station of Serf, not far from Mecca. It is a strange incident that Meimuna afterwards died in the same place, and was buried on the spot where her nuptial bed had been. The account concerning her, deserving preference to the rest, is this, that at the time the Prophet married her, there was no legal impediment in the way, but according to other accounts she was not lawful to him. It is said that Meimuna was that lady who made a present of herself to the Prophet. When the news reached her that the Prophet desired her in marriage, she was mounted on a camel, and at once said, 'I and the camel I am riding upon are God's and His Prophet's.' Then the verse came down, 'And a believing woman has made a present of herself to the Prophet.' But, according to another account, the lady who gave herself as a present to the Prophet was Zeinab Bint Jahsh, or Zeinab Bint Khazima, or a lady from amongst the Beni Amir.

Meimuna narrated as follows: 'One night, when it was my turn, the Apostle of God rose up from my side and went out. Then I rose up and locked the door. After a while his Excellency returned and knocked, but I did not open. When he swore at me, to open, I said, "O Apostle of God, thou goest to thy other wives in the night of my turn." His Excellency answered: "I did not go to them, but went somewhere else."'

According to some accounts Meimuna died A.H. 51, and according to others, A.H. 61 or 63 or 60. According to these latter it was Meimuna who died last of all Mohammed's wives, and not Om Selma. The traditions derived from her amount to seventy-six, of which seven are generally agreed upon.

The wives above mentioned are the eleven favoured ladies with whom the Prophet consummated marriage; and not one of the Biographers dissents from this statement. Only two of them, viz., Khadija and Zeinab Bint Khazima, departed this world during the Prophet's life, and after them that prince went to eternity, whilst the remaining nine were still living.

Besides these, there are thirty other ladies, with some of whom that Excellency contracted a marriage, without consummating it, whilst others he asked in marriage, without the engagement being carried out. One of them was Fatima Bint Dhahak, to whom the Prophet left the choice, after having married her, and who thereupon left him, preferring the world. She at last became so destitute that she had to gather camel-dung in the street for fuel. She used to say, 'Take a warning from my misfortune, because I preferred this world to God and His Apostle.'

Another was Sena, or Saba, or Asma Bint Zalat. Soon after she had been informed of the glad news that the Prophet had accepted her in marriage, she also received the sad tidings that the object of her joy had died.

Another was Melika Bint Kaab, on whose thigh the Lord of the world observed something white, when he was alone with her. This gave him a loathing, and he said to her, 'Dress again, and return to thy people.'

Another was Asma Bint Noaman. Her father, the chief of his tribe, on coming to the Prophet and professing belief in him, said 'O Apostle of God, I have a daughter, the most beautiful of the women of Arabia. She is as yet without a husband, and has a strong desire to be ennobled with the nobility of thy bed.' The Prophet accepted her, and gave her father Noaman 12 1/2 pounds of money for her dower. Noaman asked for a higher dowry; but on the Prophet assuring him, that he had not given more to any of his wives, nor asked more for his own daughters, he consented; and his daughter was sent for by one of the Prophet's confidential men. As soon as the fame of her beauty had spread in Medina, the ladies of the city came to see her. The mothers of the believers instructed one of the women to convey this message to her: 'Thou art the daughter of a chief: if therefore thou wishest to find more luck here, thou hadst better say to him, as soon as he is alone with thee, "I take refuge with God from thee!" for this will multiply his inclination and love towards thee.' According to another account, the Prophet's pure wives were very jealous of Asma from the moment she had arrived; and, feigning affection for her, sought to mislead her. Aisha said to Hafza, 'Do thou burn henna on her hands, and I will dress her hair.' So when her head was being dressed, one of them said to that unfortunate one, 'The Prophet exceedingly loves any woman, who, as soon as they are alone, turns her back upon him, and says, " I take refuge with God from thee!"' So when that prince was alone with Asma, and wished to kiss her,