r ye gain any, a fifth part
belongeth to God, and to the apostle, and his kindred, and the orphans,
and the poor." The other four-fifths are to be divided among those who
are present at the action. The apostle, when he returned to Safra in his
way to Medina, ordered Ali to behead two of his prisoners.

The victory at Beder was of great importance to Mahomet; to encourage
his men, and to increase the number of his followers, he pretended that
two miracles were wrought in his favor, in this, as also in several
subsequent battles: first, that God sent his angels to fight on his
side; and second, made his army appear to the enemy much greater than it
really was. Both these miracles are mentioned in the _Koran_, chapter
viii. Al Abbas said he was taken prisoner by a man of a prodigious size
(an angel, of course); no wonder, then, he became a convert.

As soon as the Mussulmans returned to Medina the Koreishites sent to
offer a ransom for their prisoners, which was accepted, and distributed
among those who had taken them, according to the quality of the
prisoners. Some had one thousand drachms for their share. Those who had
only a small or no part of the ransom Mahomet rewarded with donations,
so as to content them all.

The Jews had many a treaty with Mahomet, and lived peaceably at Medina;
till a Jew, having affronted an Arabian milk-woman, was killed by a
Mussulman. In revenge for this the Jews killed the Mussulman, whereupon
a general quarrel ensued. The Jews fled to their castles; but after a
siege of fifteen days were forced to surrender at discretion. Mahomet
ordered their hands to be tied behind them, determined to put them all
to the sword, and was with great difficulty prevailed upon to spare
their lives and take all their property. Kaab, son of Ashraf, was one of
the most violent among the Jews against Mahomet. He had been at Mecca,
and, with some pathetic verses upon the unhappy fate of those who had
fallen at Beder, excited the Meccans to take up arms. Upon his return to
Medina he rehearsed the same verses among the lower sort of people and
the women. Mahomet, being told of these underhand practices, said, one
day, "Who will rid me of the son of Ashraf?" when Mahomet, son of
Mosalama, one of the helpers, answered, "I am the man, O apostle of God,
that will do it," and immediately took with him Salcan son of Salama,
and some other Moslems, who were to lie in ambush. In order to decoy
Kaab out of his castle, whic