5 4
Mohammed wrote to the fame effect to the king of Ethiopia, tho’
he had been converted before, according to the Arab writers ; and
to Mokawkas, governor of Egypt, who gave the meffenger a very
favourable reception, and fent feveral valuable prefents to Mohammed,
and among the reft two girls, one of which, named Mary', became a
great favourite with him. He alfo fent letters of the like purport to
feveral Arab princes, particularly one to al Harcth Ebn Abi Shamer 1 king
■ of Gha[fdn, who returning for anfwer that he would go to Moham-
we^himfelf, the prophet faid, May his kingdom perijh-, another to Hawdha
Ebn A li, king of Yamama, who was a Chrijiian, and having fome time before
profeft ljlamifm, had lately returned to his former faith; this prince
fent back a very rough anfwer, upon which Mohammed curling him,
he died foon after; and a third to al Mondar Ebn Samoa, king of Bahrein,
who’ embraced Mohammedijm, and all the Arabs of that country followed
his example 1
•His forces The eighth year of the Hejra was a very fortunate year to Mo-
hammed. In the beginning of i t . Khdled Ebn al Waltd and Amru
r‘ " Ebn al As, both excellent foldiers, the firft of whom afserwards conquered
Syria and other countries, and the latter, Egypt, became pro-
felytes of Mohammedijm. .And foon after the prophet fent 3000 men
againft the Grecian forces, to revenge the death of one of his em-
baffadors, who being fent to the governor of Bofra on the fame errand as
thofe who went to the above-mentioned princes, was (lain by an Arab
of the tribe of Ghajfan at Muta, a town in the territory of Balkd in
Syria, about three days journey eaftward from Jerufalem, near which
•town they encountred. The Grecians being vaftly fuperior in number (for,
-including the auxiliary Arabs, they had an army of 100000, men) the
Mohammedans were repulfed in the firft attack, and loft fucceffively
three of their generals, viz. Zeid Ebn Haretha, Mohammed's freed-
man, Jaafar the fon o f Abu Ealeb, and Abdallah Ebn Rawaha; but
Khdled Ebn al Walzd fucceeding to the command overthrew the Greeks
with a great daughter, and brought away abundance of rich fpoil 4;
on occalion o f which adtion Mohammed gave him the honourable title
of S eif min foyuf Allah, one o f thefwords o f G od r.
He takes In this year alfo Mohammed took the city of Mecca, the inhabitants
***** whereof had broken the truce concluded on two years before. For
the tribe of Beer, who were confederates of the Koreifh, attacking
1 Tt is however a different name from that o f the Virgin Mary, which the Orientals always; write
Maryam or Miriam, whereas this is written Mariya. * This prince is omitted in Dr. Pocock's lift
of the kings of Ghajfan, Spec. p. 77. 3 Abnlfeda, ubi fup. p.94, See. 4 Idem ib. p. 99, 100,
fire. 1 Al Bokhari in Sonna.
thofe
thofe of Khozdah, who were allies of Mohammed, killed feveral of
them, being fupported in the adtion by a party o f the Koreifh them-
felves. The confequence of this-violation was foon apprehended;
and Abu Sofian hitrifelf made a journey to Medina orl pUrpofe to heal
the breach and renew the truce 1 ; but ih vain : for Mohammed, glad
of this opportunity, refufed to fee him; whereupon he applied to
Abu Beer and Ali, but they giving him no' anfwer, he was obliged
to return to Mecca as he came.
Mohammed immediately gave orders for preparations to be made,
that he might fbrprize the Meccans while they were unprovided to
receive him : in a little time he began his march thither; and by that
time he came near the city his forces’ were increafed to 10,060 men.
Thofe of Mecca being not in a condition to defend themfelves againft fo
formidable an army, furrendered at difcretion; and Abu Sofian faved his
life by turning Mohammedan. About twenty eight o f the idolaters were
killed by a party under the command of Khaled-, but this happened
contrary to Mohammed’s orders, who, when he entred the town, pardoned
all the Koreifh, on their fubmiflion, except only fix men and four
women, who were more obnoxious than ordinary (fome of them having
apoftatized) and were folemnly proferibed by the prophet himfelf;
but of thefe no more than three men and one woman were put to
death, the reft obtaining pardon on their embracing Mohammedijm, and
one of the women making her efcape 2.
The remainder of this year Mohammed employed in deftroying the
idols in and round, about Mecca, fending feveral of his generals on
expeditions for that purpofe, and to invite the Arab's to ljlamifm; iatry.
wherein it is no wonder i f they now met with fuccefs.
The next year, being the ninth of she Hejra, the Mohammedans T.he f iai'
call the year o f embajfies:. for the Arabs had bee4n hitherto expending |||||j
the iffue of the war between Mohammed and the Koreifh.-, but fo foon come in
as that tribe, the principal of the whole nation, and the genuine de-t0 him-
feendants of JJmael, whofe prerogatives none offered to difpute, had
fubmitted, they were fatisfied that it was not in their power to op-
pofe Mohammed, and therefore began to come in to him in great
numbers, and to fend embalfies to make their fubmiflions to him, both
to Mecca while he ftaid there, and alfo to Medina whither he returned
this year >. Among the reft five kings of the tribe of Hatri-
yar profefled Mohammedijm, and fent embaffadors to notify the fame *.
1 This circumftance is a plain proof that the Koreijh had actually broken the truce, and that it was
not a meer pretence of Mohammed's, as Dr. Prideaux infinaates. Life.of Mah. p. 94. * V. Abulfed.
ubi fup. c. 51, 52. 3 V. Gagnier, Not. ad Abulfed. p. 121. 4 Abulfed. ubikup. p. 128. -
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