they with their clients
counted more than 1000 men, were not able to maintain themselves, and
were allowed to depart only on condition of strict neutrality.

At last the patience of Yazid was exhausted. An army--the accounts about
the number vary from 4000 to 20,000--was equipped in all haste and put
under the command of Moslim b. 'Oqba, with orders first to exact
submission from the Medinians, if necessary by force, and then to march
against Ibn Zobair. Moslim, having met the expelled Omayyads at Wadi
'l-Qora, encamped near the city (August 683) and gave the inhabitants
three days in which to return to obedience, wishing to spare the city of
the Prophet and to prevent the shedding of blood. When, however, after
the lapse of three days, a final earnest appeal had been answered
insultingly, he began the battle. The Medinians fought valiantly, but
could not hold out against the well-disciplined Syrians. Moreover, they
were betrayed by the Medinian family of the Banu Haritha, who introduced
Syrian soldiers into the town. Medina lies between two volcanic hills,
called _harra_. After one of these the battle has been named "The Day of
Harra." For three days the city was given up to plunder. It is said that
a thousand bastards (the "children of the Harra") were born in
consequence of these days. The remaining citizens were compelled to take
the oath of allegiance to Yazid in a humiliating form; the few who
refused were killed. Ali b. Hosain, who had refused to have anything to
do with the revolt, was treated with all honour. Mahommed b.
al-Hanafiya, the son of Ali, and Abdallah b. Omar had likewise
abstained, but they had left Medina for Mecca.

Moslim then proceeded towards Mecca. He was already ill, and died about
midway between the two cities, after having given the command, according
to the orders of the caliph, to Hosain b. Nomair. It is quite natural
that the man who delivered up the city of the Prophet to plunder, and at
whose hands so many prominent Moslems fell, should have been an object
of detestation to the devout. Even some European scholars have drawn a
false picture of his personality, as has been clearly shown by
Wellhausen. About Medina also false statements have been made. The city
recovered very soon from the disaster, and remained the seat not only of
holy tradition and jurisdiction, but also of the Arabic aristocracy. In
no city of the empire, during the reign of the Omayyads, lived more
singers and musi