oselyte, his wife, he regularly received the
visits of the angel Gabriel. This tale his wife believed, or affected to
believe. The next on the list of true believers were Zeid, the servant
of the prophet, and Ali, the son of his uncle, Abu Taleb. The impetuous
youth, disdaining his two predecessors in the true faith, proudly styled
himself the first of believers. The next and most important convert was
Abu Bekr, a powerful citizen of Mecca, by whose influence a number of
persons possessing great authority were induced to profess the religion
of Islam. Three years were spent in the arduous task of converting six
of these men. They were afterward his chief companions, and with a few
others, were the only proselytes to the new religion before it became
publicly known.

The apostle, who was at first derided, came at length to be feared. The
people flocked to hear his doctrines, and as they retired, wondering and
believing, general consternation reigned among the governors of Mecca.
Frightened by his growing influence, they imprudently endeavored to
arrest the evil by punishing the offender. For some time, however, the
power of Abu Taleb, the prophet's uncle, defended him against these
hostile attacks, which served, by manifesting the alarm and hatred of
the nobles, to increase Mahomet's fame and importance. Persecution gave
him strength by bringing him before the public. Once known, he gained
sympathizing listeners among the benevolent, because a persecuted man;
and blindly believing votaries among the ignorant and fearful, because a
bold and vehement declaimer against wickedness, as well as an eloquent
describer of the horrible torments attached to unbelief. In the seventh
year of his mission, the heads of the tribe of Koreish made a solemn
league one with another, engaging themselves to have no commerce or
connection with the families of Hashem and Al Motalleb. While Abu Taleb
lived the league was of no avail; the power of the uncle defended the
nephew against the designs of his enemies. At length, at the end of the
seventh year, Abu Taleb died; and a few days after his death Mahomet was
left a widower, by the decease of Cadijah. In his affliction he termed
this fatal year the year of mourning.

The unprotected prophet was now completely exposed to the attacks of his
enemies. His only safety was in flight, and had not the city of Medina
been friendly to his cause, the religion of Islam would have been
crushed in the bud.