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and Jewish chieftains tendered their submission,
Mahomet
returned, and promulgated an indignant diatribe against the malingerers, who, by
their absence upon false pretences, had incurred the Divine displeasure. Those
who frankly confessed their fault were more leniently dealt with; and the
"Weepers," that is the indigent believers, who bewailed their
inability to equip themselves for the march, are mentioned with special
commendation.
The displeasure of Mahomet was about the same time kindled against a party,
who had built a mosque in the suburbs, with some disloyal purpose. He not only
caused the building to be dismantled,
but stigmatized its foundations as
"built on the brink of a crumbling bank to be swept away with the builder
into the fire of hell." The disaffected faction, however, had now but
little countenance at Medina, and Abdallah ibn Obey dying shortly after, it
disappeared entirely from the scene.
In the course of the year; Tâif having tendered submission, there was no
longer opposition anywhere in the Peninsula. Therefore, when the month of
pilgrimage came round, Mahomet deputed Ali to recite, before the multitude
assembled at Mecca,† the "Release,"
according to which, after the term
of four months, the Prophet was discharged from the obligations otherwise
devolving upon him, and commanded to wage war against all unbelievers failing to
submit themselves to Islâm. None but Moslems were ever after to approach the
holy Temple, nor (so it was declared) should any unbeliever enter paradise.*
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EXPLAINED BY THE LIFE OF MAHOMET
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In the latter period of the life of Mahomet little notice is taken either of
Jews or Christians. He had not received from them the countenance he claimed;
and, indeed, his object now attained, their support was no longer needed. When
not indifferent, his attitude was unfriendly towards the Christians; and towards
the Jews, embittered. A Christian embassy from Najrân, headed by their bishop,
visited Medina, and entered into argument with the Prophet. As the discussion
waxed warm, Mahomet defied his opponents to bring the matter to the test of an
oath: —"Come, let us call over the names of our sons and your sons, of
our wives and your wives, of ourselves and yourselves; then let us curse one the
other, and lay the curse of God upon those that lie.
" This strange
challenge is embodied in the Corân. At the last, Mahomet was directed to fight
against the recusant "people who possessed the Scriptures," that is,
both Jews and Christians, until they agreed to "pay tribute with their
hand, and were humbled." Both are cursed for their
"lying
vanities," the Jews for calling Ezra, and the Christians for calling their
Messiah, the Son of God; and the priests and monks, who on former occasions had
been spoken kindly of, are now bitterly condemned:—"These devour the
wealth of the people in vanity, and obstruct the ways of the Lord; . . . their
gold and silver shall be
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