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The prophet placed his hand upon his head and said solemnly thrice: "I shall not enter except Allah cover me with his mercy!"

On another occasion he said: "I am no more than a man; when I order you any thing respecting religion, receive it; and when I order you about the business of this life, then I am nothing more than a man."

There was sadness in Medina when the news came to the people that the prophet was no more. “How can we let him die,-he who told us how to act and warned us of judgment to come?" "No, no, he is not dead," cried strong Omar, "he has but gone like Musa (Moses) to talk to Allah; we shall see him among us again." Abu Bekr hastened to the house of mourning, placed his hand upon the cold cheeks and the quiet heart, and then appeared before the throng, saying with Oriental vehemence:

"O Moslems, if ye would adore Mohammed, know that he is dead; if ye would adore Allah, know that he lives, and never dies! Do ye forget already the verse of the Koran, that he gave you aforetime? 'Mohammed is but a man with a mission; apostles have passed away in other days; what if he die or is killed, will ye then turn upon your heels?' (sura iii.). Do ye forget that other word, 'Verily, O Mohammed, thou shalt die, and they shall die '?" (sura xxxix.). The words of the old man calmed the multitude and showed Omar too that he was wrong.

Before the body could be buried, it was necessary to decide upon the successor (kalif) who should wield the power that death had wrested from the

prophet, and there were several claimants, but Abu Bekr had, they thought, been too plainly pointed out as the choice of Mohammed to allow him to be overlooked, and the authority was laid upon him after a slight discussion. Omar cried out to him, "Hold forth thy hand!" and seizing it, declared in a loud voice that he recognized him as chief, and swore to him allegiance.

The next morning Abu Bekr appeared as usual in the mosque, and Omar said to the people: “The apostle of Allah has been taken from us, but the Koran remains; Allah gave it as a guide to the prophet, it will continue to keep us in the right way! To-day Allah has placed at our head the best man among us, the friend of the prophet, his companion. in the cave. Come, then, take the hand of Abu Bekr, and solemnly swear obedience and allegiance to him!"

The multitude hastened to grasp the hand of the honored leader, and then Abu Bekr spoke:

"Behold me charged with the cares of governor. I am not the best among you; I need all your advice and all your help; if I do well, support me; if I mistake, counsel me. To tell truth to a person commissioned to rule is faithful allegiance; to conceal it is treason. In my sight the powerful and the weak are alike; to both I wish to render justice. As I obey Allah and his prophet, obey me: if I cast behind me the laws of Allah and the prophet, I have no more right to your obedience."

The successor, or kalif as he was called, thus peacefully inaugurated, the funeral ceremonies were

ISLAM'S FUTURE POLICY.

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the next care. They occupied parts of Tuesday and Wednesday, after which the body, honored in death, was placed lovingly in a tomb prepared in the house of Ayesha, the favorite wife. She continued to occupy a portion of the apartment afterwards, a division being made between the dwelling of the living and the dead, and there her father, Abu Bekr, was also buried when he died.

The first use that the kalif made of his new authority was prophetic, for it marked out the policy of Islam for the future. He sent Osama on his expedition of vengeance and conquest, and after twenty days he returned in triumph, having avenged his father's death at Muta by fire and blood. He had burned villages and crops, had slain all who ventured to oppose his progress, and had enslaved those who had remained at home, leaving behind him a whirlwind of fire and smoke. He was met by Abu Bekr and the citizens outside the town with loud acclamations, and together they marched to the mosque, the white banner of the prophet flying over them, and there they offered thanksgiving for the bloody success!

XXIV.

CAN ISLAM BE SHAKEN OFF?

THE new ruler, the Successor of the Prophet of Allah, as he was humbly called, was a man of about the same age as Mohammed. His principal recommendation for the office to which he had so suddenly been raised, was found in the fact that he had been with the founder of Islam in the cave, for which reason he had received the title, "the Other of the Two," a sobriquet of which he was exceedingly proud. Mohammed called him Al-Siddik, on account of his truthfulness, and that title also adhered to him through life, the people as well as their prophet always placing the utmost confidence in his integrity.

The form of Abu Bekr was spare, and he stooped; his face was thin, and his countenance gave the impression of a man of resolution and wisdom; but his expression was mild, truly representing his disposition, though on account of the firmness of his faith in the prophet he had become one of his most resolute and unyielding disciples. His handsome features. were smooth and fair, and his thin beard and hair, though naturally white, were, in accordance with an Oriental custem, dyed red.

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Though there were reasons for asserting that Abu Bekr had been indicated by Mohammed as his successor, there were not lacking grounds for thinking that Ali also had a good claim upon the office. Not only was he son-in-law of the prophet, but it will be remembered that he was, according to the traditionary story, the first one to rush to his support when the mission was announced, and had at that most critical moment received the title "kalif," joined with the promise that his commands should be obeyed.*

There was another strong claimant, the redoubtable Omar, whose conversion in the early days of the prophet's mission, had appeared almost miraculous. Since that moment he had been the right arm of Islam, and to his martial ability most of its victories in war were due. He showed a generosity that could not be forgotten in giving up his claims with so much cordiality in favor of Abu Bekr.

Othman was another who might well have expected recognition, for he had married two of Mohammed's daughters, and had received from him one. of those compliments that he was perhaps too much inclined to scatter promiscuously among his followers: "Each thing has its mate, and each man his associate; my companion in paradise is Othman." The prophet showed special consideration for this man at the time of the Oath under the Tree, for Othman was not present, but Mohammed took the oath for him, striking one of his own palms upon the other in token of his allegiance.

* See page 83.