spread most rapidly now. At last it seemed as if the Arab people would be
united as they had never been before: at last the patriotic feelings of the
Prophet seemed near their realization, and Arabia united and freea political
and a religious wholewould more than resist the enemies who but a few years
before had been encroaching on her territories, and threatening her very
existence.
Whilst, however, serious opposition was now at an end, yet a few places still
held out, and within a fortnight Muhammad had to march against the Huwazin
Bedouins, who with the people of Ta'if saw in the fall of Mecca a danger to
their own independence. A battle was fought in the valley of Hunain. At first a
panic seized some of the Muslim troops and they gave way and the whole army
began to take to flight. The position was critical, and Muhammad bade his uncle
'Abba's cry out: 'O! Men of Madina! O! Men of the tree of fealty! 1
Ye of the Sura Al-Baqarah!' and so on. The flight of some was arrested, when
Muhammad ascending a mound and taking some gravel in his hand cast it towards
the enemy, saying, 'Ruin seize them!' The tide of battle turned and the enemy
were at last utterly routed. As usual, a revelation came in connexion with this
battle and the initial reverse is attributed to the vain-glory the Muslims
showed in their numbers. Thus:
Now hath God helped you on many battle-fields, and on the day of Hunain, when
ye prided yourselves on your numbers; but it availed you nothing, and the earth
with all its breadth became too strait for you;