estors, legendarily free from
idolatry under the governance of Abraham and Ishmael. He realised, too,
that it rounded off the ceremonial side of his faith, giving his
followers an example and a material union with himself and his God. It
was the knowledge that this union would always be a living fact to his
descendants, so long as the sacred ceremony was performed, that caused
him to assert its necessity and to place it among the few unalterable
injunctions to all the Faithful.

Meanwhile a phenomenon had arisen inseparable from the activities of
great men. Wherever there are strong souls, from whose spirit flows any
inspiring energy, there will always be found their imitators, when the
battle has been won. Whether hypocrites, or genuinely led by a sheep-like
instinct into the same path as their models, they follow the steps of
their forerunners, and usually achieve some slight fame before the dark
closes around them.

Early in the year Badzan, Governor of Marab, Nazran, and Hamadan, died.
His territory was seized by Mahomet, in defiance of the claims of his son
Shehr, and divided among different governors. His success in the temporal
world, and especially this peaceful annexation of land, wrought so
vividly upon the imaginations of his countrymen that three false Prophets
arose and three separate bands of devoted fanatics appeared to uphold
them. Of these three men the most effective was Tuleiha of the Beri Asad,
who gathered together an army and was only repelled and crushed by Khalid
himself. But Tuleiha still persisted in spite of defeat, and was content
to bide his time until, under Abu Bekr, his faction rose again to
importance and constituted a serious disturbance to the rule of the first
Caliph.

Moseilama, of whom not so much is known, also attempted to usurp the
Prophet's power at the close of his life. Mahomet demanded his
submission; Moseilama refused, but before adequate punishment could be
meted out the Prophet was stricken down with illness, so that the task of
chastisement devolved upon Abu Bekr. Aswad, "the veiled Prophet of
Yemen," might have proved the most formidable of the three, had not
rashness of conduct and lack of governance caused his undoing. He cast
off the Muslim yoke while the Prophet was still alive, and proclaimed
himself the magician prince who would liberate his followers from the
tyrant's yoke. Najran rose in his favour, and he marched confidently upon
Sana, the great capital city