J. F. Campbell Collection > Koran: or, Alcoran of Mohammed

3G FIIELIMINAKY DISCOURSE. sect. n.
they came to a resolution that he should be killed ; and agreed tliat a man
should be chosen out of eveiy tribe for the execution of this design, and tliat
each man should have a blow at him with his sword, that the guilt of his
blood might fall equally on all the tribes, to whoio united power the
Hashemites were much inferior, and therefore duint not attempt to re-
venge their kinsman's death.
This conspiracy was scarce formed when by some means or other it came
to Mohammed's knowledge, and he gave out that it was revealed to him
by the angel Gabriel, who had now ordered him to retire to Medina.
Whereupon, to amuse his enemies, he directed Ali to lie down in his place
and wrap himself up in his green cloak, which he did, and Mohammed
escaped miraculously as they pretend,^ to Abu Beer's house, unperceived by
the consjnrators, who had already assembled at the prophet's door. They
in the mean time, looking through a crevice and seeing Ali, wJiom they
took to be Mohammed himself, asleep, continued watching there till
morning, when Ali arose and they found themselves deceived.
From Abu Beer's house Mohammed and he went to a cave in Mount
Thur, to the south-east of IMecca, accompanied only by Amer Ebu Foheirah,
Abu Beer's servant, and Abd'allah Ebn Oreikat, an idolater, whom they
had hired for a guide. In this cave they lay hid three days to avoid the
search of their enemies, which they very narrowly escaped, and not
without the assistance of more miracles than one ; for some say that the
Koreish were struck with blindness, so tliat they coald not find the cave ;
others, that after Mohammed and his companions were got" in, two jngeons
laid their eggs at the entrance, and a spider covered the mouth of the cave
with her web," which made them look no farther.^ Abu Btcr seeing the
prophet in such imminent danger became very son-owful, whereupon
Mohammed comforted him with these words, recorded in the Koran,^ —
" Be not grieved, for God is with us." Their enemies being retired, they
left the cave and set out for Medina, by a by-road, and having fortunately,
or as the Mohammedans tell us, miraculously escaped some who were sent
to punsue them, arrived safely in the city; whither Ali followed them in
three days, after he had settled some affdrs at Mecca.^
The first thing Mohammed did after his arrival in Medina was to build
a temple for his religious wor.ship ; and a house for himself, \\ hich he did on
a parcel of ground which had before served to put camels.in, or as others tell
us, for a burying ground, and belonged to Sahal and Soheil the sons of
Amru, who were orphans.' This action Dr. Prideaux exclaims against,
representing it as a flagrant instance of injustice, for that, says he, he vio-
lently dispossessed these poor orphans, the sons of an inferior artificer,
(whom the author he quotes* calls a carpenter) of this ground, and so
founded the first fabric of his worship with the like wickedness as he did his
religion.' But to say nothing of the improbability that Mohammed should
act in so impolitic a manner at his first coming, the Mohammedan writers
bet this aftair in a quite difierent light; one tells us that he treated with the
lads about the price of the ground, but they desired he would accept it as
' See the notes to chan. 8. am! 36.
"It is oliservable that the Jews have a like tradition concerning Darid, when lie
fled from Saul into the cave; and the Targum paraphrases these words of the se-
cond verse of Fsalm Ivii., (which was composed on occasion of that deliverance, i
"I will pray hefore the most high God that performeth all things for mc," in this
manner; " I will pray before the most high God. who called a spider to weave a web
for my sake in the mouth of the cave." 7 Al Beidawi in Kor. cap. 9. Vide d'Herbel.
liibl. Orient, p. 445. » Chap. 9. » Abulfeda Vit. ]\Ioham. p. 50, &c. Kbn Shohnali.
^Abulfeda, ib p. 52. .'SS. 'Dis^atatiD Christian] contra Sai'aceu. cap. iv.
* Prideaux's Life of Moham. p 58