city was one of rejoicing and praise to Allah
who had made such a victory possible.

Henceforward the dream of universal sovereignty took ever more
distinctive lineaments in his mind. He pictured first a great and united
Arabia, mighty because of its homage to the true God, and supreme because
of its birthing of the world-subduing faith. To say that these thoughts
had been with him since his first hazardous entry into Medina is to grant
him a long-sightedness which his opportunist rule does not warrant. The
creator of them was his boundless energy, his force of personality, which
kept steadily before him his unquenchable faith and led him from strength
to strength. By diplomacy and the sword he had carved out his kingdom,
and now he purposed to extend it by suasion and cunning, which
nevertheless was to be supported by his soldier's skill and courage. The
next phase in his career is one in which reliance is placed as much upon
statecraft as warfare, in which he tries with varying success to array
his state and his religion along with the great empires and
principalities of his Eastern world.

CHAPTER XVII

THE FULFILLED PILGRIMAGE

"O ye to whom the Scriptures have been given! Believe in what
we have sent down confirmatory of the Scriptures which is in your
hands, ere we efface your features and twist your head round backward,
or curse you as we cursed the Sabbath-breakers: and the
command of God was carried into effect."

The end of Dzul-Cada saw Mahomet safe in his own city, but with his
promises of booty and warfare for his followers unfulfilled. He remained
a month at Medina, and then sought means to carry out his pact. He had
now determined upon a pure war of aggression, and for this the outcast
Jews of Kheibar offered themselves as an acceptable sacrifice in his
eyes. In Muharram he prepared an expedition against them, important as
being the first of any size that he had undertaken from the offensive. It
is a greater proof of his renewed security and rapidly growing power than
all the eulogies of his followers and the curses of his enemies. The
white standard was placed in the hands of Ali, and the whole host of 1000
strong went up against the fortresses of Kheibar. The Jews were taken
completely off their guard. Without allies and with no stores of food and
ammunition they could make no prolonged resistance. One by one their
forts fell before the Muslim raiders until only the stronghold of