aughter of them. And now all the Arabians of
Bahrain had become converts to his religion.

Among the captives taken at Khaibar was Safia, betrothed to the son of
Kenana, the king of the Jews. Mahomet took the former to wife, and put
Kenana to the torture to make him discover his treasure. In the action
at Khaibar, it is said, Ali, having his buckler struck out of his hand,
took one of the gates off its hinges, and used it for a buckler till the
place was taken. The narrator of this story asserts that he and seven
men tried to stir the gate, and were not able.

One of the articles of the peace being, that any Mussulman might be
permitted to perform his pilgrimage at Mecca, the prophet went to that
city to complete the visitation of the holy places, which he could not
do as he intended when at Hodaiba. Hearing, upon this occasion, the
Meccans talking of his being weakened by the long marches he had made,
to show the contrary, in going round the Kaaba seven times, he went the
first three rounds in a brisk trot, shaking his shoulders the while, but
performed the four last circuits in a common walking pace. This is the
reason why Mussulmans always perform seven circuits round the Kaaba in a
similar manner.

In the eighth year of the Hegira, Kaled son of Al Walid, Amru son of Al
As, and Othman son of Telha, who presided over the Kaaba, became
Mussulmans; this was a considerable addition to Mahomet's power and
interest. The same year Mahomet, having sent a letter to the governor of
Bostra in Syria, as he had to others, and his messenger being slain
there, sent Zaid, son of Hareth, with three thousand men to Muta in
Syria, against the Roman army, which, with their allies, made a body of
nearly one hundred thousand men. Zaid being slain, the command fell to
Jaafar, and, upon his death, to Abdallah son of Rawahas, who was also
killed.[62] Thereupon the Mussulmans unanimously chose Kaled for their
leader, who defeated the enemy, and returned to Medina with a
considerable booty, on which account Mahomet gave him the title of the
"Sword of God."

The same year the Koreishites assisted some of their allies against the
Kozaites, who were in alliance with Mahomet. This the latter resented as
an infraction of the peace. Abu Sofian was sent to try to make up
matters, but Mahomet would not vouchsafe to receive his explanation. But
having made his preparation to fall upon them before they could be
prepared to receive him, he advanced u