could direct
the battle, and where he could retire for counsel with Abu Bekr, and for
prayer.

Both sides had now made their dispositions, and there remained nothing
but to wait till daybreak. That night the rain descended upon the doomed
Kureisch like the spears of the Lord, whelming their sandy soil and
churning up the rising ground in front of the troops into a quagmire of
bottomless mud. The clouds were tempered towards the higher Muslim
position, and the water drained off the hilly land.

"See, the Lord is with us; he has sent his heavy rain upon our enemies,"
declared Mahomet, looking from his hut in the early dawn, weary with
anxiety for the issue of this fateful hour, but strong in faith and
confident in the favour of Allah. Then he retired to the hut for prayer
and contemplation.

"O Allah, forget not thy promise! O Lord, if this little band be
vanquished idolatry will prevail and thy pure worship cease from off the
earth."

He set himself to the encouragement and instruction of his troops. He had
no cavalry with which to cover an advance, and he therefore ordered his
troops to remain firm and await the oncoming rush until the word to
charge was given.

But on no account were they to lose command of the wells. Drawn up in
several lines, their champions in front and Mahomet with Abu Bekr to
direct them from the rear, the little troop of Muslim awaited the
onslaught of their greater foes.

But dissent had broken out among the Kureisch generals. Obi, one of
their best warriors, perhaps feeling the confident carelessness of the
Kureisch was misplaced, wanted to go back without attacking. He was
overruled after much discussion and some bad feeling by Abu Jahl, who
declared that if they refrained from attack now all the land would ring
with their cowardice. So a general advance was ordered, and the Kureisch
champions led the way.

The battle began, as most battles of primitive times, by a series of
single combats, one champion challenging another to fight. The glory of
being the first Muslim to kill a Meccan in this encounter fell to Hamza.
Aswad of the Kureisch swore to drink of the water of those wells guarded
by the Muslim. Hamza opposed, and his first sword stroke severed the leg
of Aswad; but he, undaunted, crawled on until at the fountain he was
slain by Hamza before its waters passed his lips. Now three champions of
the Kureisch came forward to challenge three Muslim of equal birth.
Hamza, Ali, and