MUHAMMAD THE CONQUEROR
 
Medina's Chief and Muhammad's Marriage to 'Ayisha
 The first year of Muhammad's residence at Yathrib, now renamed Medina, was chiefly occupied in building the great Mosque and in providing houses for himself and his followers.  Shortly afterward he celebrated his marriage with 'Ayisha, then a ten year-old girl.

 The battle of Badr
 Muhammad heard that a rich caravan of the Quraish was on its way from Syria to Mecca, so he took 305 men out to plunder it.  The Quraish of the caravan, with others who joined them from Mecca, numbered about a thousand.  In the battle which took place at Badr, about fifty of the Quraish were slain and about as many taken prisoners, while Muhammad lost only fourteen.  Among those killed was the leader of the caravan, Abu Jahl, who had greatly opposed Muhammad at Mecca.  When his head was cast at Muhammad's feet, it is said that the prophet exclaimed, "It is more acceptable to me than the choicest camel of Arabia."  After the battle was over, two of the prisoners were executed.  Those who declared themselves believers in the one God Allah were set free.  The rest were kept as ransom.
 There was a sharp contention about the division of the spoil.  Muhammad, in the name of Allah, took one-fifth of the plunder and divided the remainder among his warriors.  It was Allah who had given the victory and to Allah the spoil belonged, Muhammad said.  Afterward he proclaimed an ordinance which is recognized to this day by the Muslims: "Know that whatsoever thing ye plunder, verily one-fifth thereof is for God and for the Prophet."
The battle of Badr is memorable as the occasion on which Muhammad first drew his sword in assertion of his claim as the commissioned apostle of the Most High Allah.  The ensuing victory was alleged to be a sign of this truth.  Hence Muhammad was received in triumph on his return to Medina.18
 The first blood shed at Medina under devotion to Muhammad was a woman's.  Asma, daughter of Merwan, belonged to a family which still clung to the ancestral faith.  She made no secret that she disliked Islam, and she composed verses on the folly of putting faith in a stranger who had slain so many of his own people in battle.
 These verses quickly spread from mouth to mouth.  The Muslims were offended, and 'Umair, a blind man of Asma's tribe, vowed that he would kill her.  In the dead of night, he crept to the apartment where Asma lay asleep with her children.  Stealthily, he removed her suckling baby and plunged his sword into her breast, pinning her to the couch.  The next morning, in the mosque at prayer, 'Umair acquainted Muhammad ( who was aware of the scheme ) with what he had done.  Muhammad turned to the bystanders and said, "Behold a man that hath assisted the Lord and His prophet.  Call him not blind, call him rather 'Umair,' the seeing."19  On his way home 'Umair encountered members of Asma's family who criticized him for the murder.  He defended it openly and threatened the whole clan with the same fate.  They were so alarmed that they pledged loyalty to the Muslim party to avoid a blood-feud.
 
  The Battle Against the Jewish Tribes
 Medina was founded by refugee Jews from Syria, and many still remained in the city.  At first Muhammad tried to win them over by representing himself as only a teacher of the creed of Abraham, but they refused to acknowledge him as a prophet.  Muhammad now felt himself strong enough to use force.
 The members of one the Jewish tribes were goldsmiths and lived in a fort outside the city.  Muhammad summoned them to acknowledge him as the apostle of God, lest they should suffer the fate of the Quraish.  The Jews refused, and an insult hurled at a Muslim maiden gave Muhammad the pretext to attack them.  Placing his great white banner, fresh from the field of Badr, in the hands of Hamza, he marched against the Jewish tribes and besieged their fort.
 After some time they surrendered.  One by one, as they came out of their fortress, they were pinioned for execution.  'Abdu'llah ibn 'Ubai could not bear the sight, and begged for mercy; but Muhammad turned away from him.  Then seizing Muhammad by the arm, 'Abdu'llah repeated his request.
 "Let me alone," retorted Muhammad.  But 'Abdu'llah did not relax his grasp.  "Wretch, let me go," cried the prophet.
 "Nay," answered 'Abdu'llah, "I will not let thee go until thou showest mercy on my friends who stood by me on the day of battle."
 "Then let them go," said Muhammad sullenly.  "The Lord curse them and him too!"
 They were all freed but banished, and all their houses and goods were distributed among Muhammad and his followers.20

 The Battle of Uhud
 At Mecca there was a burning desire to avenge the defeat at Badr.  Twelve months later, three thousand Quraish marched north and encamped at Uhud, a mountain three miles northeast of Medina.   Muhammad, clad in armor, led out his army of one thousand men, halted for the night, and at early dawn advanced on 'Uhud.  He was soon abandoned by 'Abdu'llah and three hundred men.  In the battle that ensued, the Muslims were defeated.  Khalid, commanding the right wing of the Quraish, raised the cry, "Muhammad is slain!"  The confusion of the Faithful was great and defied all Muhammad's attempts to rally them.  During this turmoil, Muhammad was wounded in the face.  The retreat, however, was still ably conducted, and the Quraish did not attempt a pursuit thinking that he was dead.  Several Muslims were slain, and Muhammad comforted their friends by declaring the dead martyrs in Allah's cause and now alive with Allah in Paradise.21