ed upon for ten years, on the following
conditions: All within Mecca, who were disposed, were to be at liberty
to join Mahomet; and those who had a mind to leave him and return to
Mecca, were to be equally free to do so; but, for the future, if any
Meccans deserted to him, they should be sent back upon demand; and that
Mahomet or any of the Mussulmans might come to Mecca, provided they came
unarmed, and tarried not above three days at a time.

Mahomet was now so well confirmed in his power that he took upon himself
the authority of a king, and was, by the chief men of his army,
inaugurated under a tree near Medina; and having, by the truce obtained
for his followers, free access to Mecca, he ordained they should
henceforward make their pilgrimages thither.[59] Among the Arabs it had
been an ancient usage to visit the Kaaba once a year, to worship there
the heathen deities. Mahomet, therefore, thought it expedient to comply
with a custom with which they were pleased, and which, besides, was so
beneficial to his native place, by bringing a great concourse of
pilgrims to it, that when he afterward came to be master of Mecca, he
enforced the pilgrimage with most of the old ceremonies belonging to it,
only taking away the idols and abolishing this worship. Though he now
took upon himself the sovereign command and the insignia of royalty, he
still retained the sacred character of chief pontiff of his religion,
and transmitted both these powers to his caliphs or successors, who, for
some time, not only ordered all matters of religion, but used,
especially upon public occasions, to officiate in praying and preaching
in their mosques. In process of time this came to be all the authority
the caliphs had left, for, about the year of the Hegira 325, the
governors of provinces seized the regal authority and made themselves
kings of their several governments. They continued, indeed, to pay a
show of deference to the caliph, who usually resided at Bagdad, whom,
however, they occasionally deposed. At this present time most Mahometan
princes have a person in their respective dominions who bears this
sacred character, and is called the _mufti_ in Turkey, and in Persia the
_sadre_. He is often appealed to as the interpreter of the law; but, as
a tool of state, usually gives such judgment as he knows will be most
acceptable to his prince.

Mahomet used at first, when preaching in his mosque at Medina, to lean
upon a post of a palm-tree dr