was Othmân, with his wife Rockeya, the Prophet's daughter.
A few months after this emigration a strange episode occurred, in which
Mahomet sought' a compromise with his people, by admitting their gods into
his system, as intercessors with the supreme Divinity. While the Coreish sat
beneath the Káaba, he began to recite before them the LIII. Sura, in which,
after referring to his vision of the angel, he proceeds:
"And see ye not Lât and Ozza,
And Manât the third besides?
These are the exalted Females,
And verily their intercession is to be hoped for."
All were reconciled by the concession, and bowed themselves before the
God of Mahomet. But his heart smote him within; and, not long after, the
obnoxious lines (the two in italics) were recalled by Gabriel as suggested
by the Evil One; and there was substituted the uncompromising denunciation
of idolatry, from which he never after swerved:
"What! shall there be unto you male progeny, and female unto Him?
That were, indeed, an unjust partition!
They are naught but names which ye and your fathers have invented,"
&c.
Upon this, persecution was resumed by the Coreish more hotly than ever.
The emigrants had returned on the report of the compromise; they now again
fled to Abyssinia, where they were gradually increased by fresh arrivals
from Mecca to the number of above