the
Hegira, which means 'the going away;' and from it the Mohammedans reckon
their dates, as we do from the birth of Christ.

"The Prophet was attended by Abu Bekr, and followed by about a hundred
families of his Meccan adherents; and his going away was not without
danger, for his enemies were many and vindictive. But with his multitude
he made his way over the desert, and reached his destination in safety.
He was received for all he claimed to be by his converts there, and the
current of his fortunes as a religious leader was suddenly and entirely
changed. He was no longer a madman and an impostor. He had come out of
his former obscurity, and now all the details of his daily life became
matters of record.

"His modesty did not seem to stand in his way; and he now assumed the
functions of the most powerful judge, lawgiver, and ruler of the two
most influential Arabic tribes. He devoted his time and study to the
organization of the worship of God according to Mohammed, his sole
prophet. He was gathering in converts all the time, and his new home was
entirely favorable to this work.

"There were many Jews there to whom he turned his attention, preaching
to them, and proclaiming that he was the Messiah whose coming they
awaited; but they ridiculed his pretensions, and he became furious
against them, remaining their enemy till the last day of his life.
Whatever good precepts Mohammed promulgated, there appears to have been
but little of the 'meek and lowly' spirit of Him 'who spake as never man
spake;' for in the first year of the Hegira he gave it out that it was
the will of God, expressed by his chosen prophet, that the faithful
should make war on the enemies of Islam; which was a sort of manifesto
directed against the Meccans who had practically cast him out.

"But he had not the means to carry on war at his command at first in the
open field: he assailed the caravans through his agents on their way to
and from Syria, and succeeded in seriously disturbing the current of
trade. His employment of the sons of the desert enabled him to form
alliances with them, and thus obtain the semblance of an army. His first
battle was fought between 314 Moslems and about 600 Meccans, and the
inspiration of his fanaticism gave him the victory in spite of his
inferior force.

"This event gave him a degree of prestige, and many adventurers flocked
to his standard. With an increased force he continued to send out
expeditions against