m whenever he took
command of his followers in battle. So the Muslim, flushed with victory,
laden with spoil, returned to Medina, whose entire population assembled
to accord them triumphal entry.

"Abu Jahl, the sinner, is slain," cried the little children, catching the
phrase from their parents' lips.

"Abu Jahl, the sinner, is slain, and the foes of Islam laid low!" was
cried from the mosque and market-place, from minaret and house-top.
"Allah Akbar Islam!"

The great testing day had come and was past. In open fight, before a host
of their foes, the Muslim with smaller numbers had prevailed. The effect
upon Medina and upon Mahomet's later career cannot be overestimated. It
was indeed a turning point, whence Mahomet proceeded irrevocably upon the
road to success and fame. Reverses hereafter he certainly had, and at
times the outlook was almost insuperably dark, but no misfortune or gloom
could dull the splendour of that day at Bedr, when besides his own
slender following, the hosts of the Lord, whose turbans glowed like
crowns, led by Gabriel in golden armour, had fought for him and
vanquished his foes. The glory of this battle was the lamp by which he
planned his future wins.

At Medina the Disaffected were triumphantly gathered beneath his banner;
his position became, for the time at least, established. No longer did he
need to conciliate, flatter, spy upon the various factions within his
walls. His prisoners were kindly treated, and some converted by these
means to the faith he had vainly sought to impose upon them. Affairs
within the city were organised and consolidated. Registers were prepared,
the famous "Registers of Omar," which were to contain the names of all
those who had given distinguished service to the cause of Allah, and to
confer upon them exalted rank. The three hundred names inscribed therein
were the embryo of a Muslim aristocracy, constituting, in fact, a peerage
of Islam. Mahomet's religious ordinances were strengthened and confirmed,
while his faith received that homage paid to success which had raised its
founder from the commander of a small hand of religionists to the chief
of a prosperous city, the leader of an efficient army, the head of a
community which held within itself the future dominion of Arabia, of
western Asia, southern Europe, in fact, the greater part of the middle
world.

More than ever Mahomet perceived that his success lay in the sword. Bedr
set the seal upon his accepta