Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 12
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 12 allowed the merchants of Mecca to traffic in Iraq and Fars, and with the Kings of Himyar, who encouraged their commercial operations in the Yemen. Thus the affairs of Quraish prospered in every direction. Hashim established upon a uniform footing the merca ntile expeditions of his people, so that every winter a caravan set out for the Yemen and Abyssinia, while in the summer a second caravan visited Gaza, Ancyra and other Syrian markets. The success and glory of Hashim exposed him to the envy of Umayya, the second son of his brother, Abd Shams. Umayya was rich, and he expended his wealth in a vain attempt to rival the splendour of Hashim’s munificence. Quraish perceived the endeavour, and turned it into ridicule. Umayya was enraged and defied Hashim to a trial of superiority. Hashim was reluctant to enter into a contest, but consented at the urging of Quraish, with the stipulation that the vanquished party should lose fifty black - eyed camel s, and be exiled from Mecca for ten years. A Khuza’ite soothsayer was appointed umpire; and, having heard the pretensions of both, pronounced Hashim to be the victor. Hashim took the fifty camels, slaughtered them in the vale of Mecca, and fed with them al l the people present. Umayya set out for Syria, and remained there for the period of his exile. Hashim was advanced in years when, on a mercantile journey to the north, he visited Yathrab with a party of Quraish. As he traded there, he was attracted by the graceful figure of a female, who from an elevated position was directing her people beneath to buy and sell for her. Hashim inquired of the citizens whether she was single, and they answered that she had been married but was now divorced. They added that her dignity was so great