There remained now for the victors but the distribution of the spoil and
the decision of the fate of the prisoners. The less valuable of these
were put to death, their bodies cast into a pit, but the Muslim took the
rest with them, hoping for ransom. The spoil was taken up in haste, and
the Prophet repaired joyfully to Safra, where he proposed to divide
it. But there contention arose, as was almost inevitable, over the
distribution of the wealth, and so acute did the disaffection become that
Mahomet revealed the will of Allah concerning it:

"And know ye, when ye have taken any booty, a fifth part belongeth to God
and to the Apostle, and to the near of kin and to orphans and to the
poor, and to the wayfarer, if ye believe in God, and in that which we
have sent down to our servant on the day of the victory, the day of the
meeting of the Hosts." As part of his due, Mahomet took the famous sword
Dhul Ficar, which has gathered around it as many legends as the weapons
of classical heroes, and which hereafter never left him whenever he took
command of his followers in battle. So the Muslim, flushed with victory,
laden with spoil, returned to Medina, whose entire population assembled
to accord them triumphal entry.

"Abu Jahl, the sinner, is slain," cried the little children, catching the
phrase from their parents' lips.

"Abu Jahl, the sinner, is slain, and the foes of Islam laid low!" was
cried from the mosque and market-place, from minaret and house-top.
"Allah Akbar Islam!"

The great testing day had come and was past. In open fight, before a host
of their foes, the Muslim with smaller numbers had prevailed. The effect