Sykes' History of Persia Vol 2 (pdf) - Heritage Institute

XLV THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ISLAM 17
prestige was sensibly lowered. But his burning eloquence
gradually persuaded his followers that these reverses were
but to test them, and in the following year he strengthened
his position by driving out the second of the Jewish
tribes. The Beni Nazir were agriculturists, and when
they yielded and quitted Medina, the Prophet was able
to distribute rich lands and date-groves among
his chief
supporters.
The Siege of Medina and the Massacre of the Beni
Koreitza, A.H. 5 (627). Two years
after the battle of
Ohod a still larger army of the Kureish, 10,000 strong,
marched on Medina. There could be no thought of
meeting such an overwhelming force in the field so
;
by the advice of Salman, a Persian captive,
Medina was
fortified. This unexpected artifice, held to be unworthy
of Arabs, entirely
baffled the Kureish, who after making
some unsuccessful assaults broke up camp and marched
off.
Upon
their retirement Mohamed massacred the Beni
Koreitza, the third Jewish tribe residing in Medina, which
had had dealings with the invaders, and his followers benefited
by the rich booty thus acquired. By the repulse of
the Kureish the disgrace of Ohod had been wiped out,
and the position of Mohamed, whose enemies, the Jews,
had disappeared from Medina, was now supreme
in that
city.
The Truce of Hodeibia, A.H. 6 (628). The next important
step taken by the Prophet was to attempt the
pilgrimage to Mecca. This was in the sixth year after
the Hijra, and although the Kureish refused to permit
Mohamed and his followers to enter the Sacred City,
a
truce was made, known as the Truce of Hodeibia, and it
was agreed that the pilgrims would be admitted in the
following year.
The Embassies sent by Mohamed^ A.H. 7 (628). Few
events in the life of Mohamed are of greater interest than
the letters sent by him to Heraclius, to the Great King,
to the Governors of Yemen and of Egypt, and to the
King of Abyssinia. That to the Great is
King
said to
have run as follows
"
: In the name of God, the Merciful,
the Compassionate. From Mohamed, the Apostle of
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