(Dr. Imran Khan & Mufti. Shah Rafi Uddin Hamdani)

After the people of Quraysh planned to martyr the Holy Prophet in the middle of the night, Allah Almighty permitted Prophet Muhammad to migrate from Makkah to Madinah. ¹ So he went to Abu Bakr's house and gave him the glad tidings. Hence, they made preparations for the journey and departed. ¹ When they were at the mouth of the cave at mount Thawr, Abu Bakr requested Prophet Muhammad to stay outside while he went inside to examine and clean the cave from any insects or snakes. Al-Bayhaqui narrates:

أما ليلته فلما خرج رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم هارب من أهل مكة خرج ليلا فتبعه أبو بكر، فجعل يمشي مرة أمامه، ومرة خلفه، ومرة عن يمينه، ومرة عن يساره، فقال له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: «ما هذا يا أبا بكر ما أعرف هذا من فعلك؟» قال: يا رسول الله أذكر الرصد فأكون أمامك، وأذكر الطلب فأكون خلفك، ومرة عن يمينك ومرة عن يسارك، لا آمن عليك، قال: فمشى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ليلته على أطراف أصابعه، حتى حفيت رجلاه، فلما رآه أبو بكر رضي الله عنه أنھا قد حفيت حمله على كاهله، وجعل يشتد به حتى أتى به فم الغار، فأنزله، ثم قال: والذي بعثك بالحق لا تدخله حتى أدخله، فإن كان فيه شيء نزل بي قبلك، فدخل فلم ير شيئا، فحمله فأدخله، وكان في الغار خرق فيه حيات وأفاعي، فخشي أبو بكر أن يخرج منھن شيء يؤذي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم، فألقمه قدمه فجعلن يضربنه ويلسعنه: الحيات والأفاعي، وجعلت دموعه تنحدر ورسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم، يقول له: يا أبا بكر! لا تحزن، إن الله معنا، فأنزل الله سكينته الاطمئنانية لأبي بكر، فهذه ليلته. ²

On that night, when the Messenger of Allah left Makkah to get away from its people, he left at night, and Abu Bakr followed him. Abu Bakr sometimes walked in front of him, sometimes behind him, sometimes to his right, and sometimes to his left. So the Messenger of Allah said to him, "What is this, O Abu Bakr ? I do not recognize this behavior from you." Abu Bakr replied, O Messenger of Allah , when I think about an ambusher (that he will come) from the front, so I walk in front of you, and then I remember the pursuers, so I am behind you, sometimes to your right and sometimes to your left. I cannot feel secure about you. The Messenger of Allah then walked all night on the tips of his toes until his feet became sore. When Abu Bakr saw that his feet were swollen, he carried him on his back and intensified his efforts until he brought him to the mouth of the cave. He then set him down and said, By the One who has sent you with the truth, do not enter it until I enter first. If there is anything harmful in it, let it harm me before it harms you. Abu Bakr entered the cave and did not see anything. Then Abu Bakr carried him and entered the cave. There was a hole in the cave with snakes and serpents in it. Abu Bakr feared that something might come out of it to harm the Messenger of Allah , so he placed his foot over it. The snakes and serpents started biting and stinging him (and due to the pain) his tears began to flow, and the Messenger of Allah said to him, 'O Abu Bakr , do not grieve. Indeed, Allah is with us." Allah sent His tranquility and peace to Abu Bakr . That was his night

Regarding this incident, Umar states that the rewards of the deeds of that single night of Abu Bakr was greater than the rewards of good deeds of Umar's family, combined. ³

The People of Quraysh Pursued Prophet Muhammad

The two of them stayed in that cave for three days. When the people of Quraysh realized that Prophet Muhammad and Abu Bakr had slipped past them, they started looking for them. When they were near the cave of Thawr, Allah commanded a tree to grow in front of the Holy Prophet which concealed him. Then, Allah Almighty commanded the spider, which spun its web at the mouth of the cave. Then, Allah commanded two wild pigeons, and they made their nest at the entrance of the cave. The youth of the Quraysh who were pursuing Prophet Muhammad and Abu Bakr , were armed with swords, clubs and sticks. When they were around 40 cubits from the cave, some of them noticed two pigeons and withdrew. When their companions inquired, they replied that they had seen two wild pigeons at the mouth of the cave, from which they concluded that there was no one inside it. The Holy Prophet, had heard his voice and realized that Allah had kept them away. Then Prophet Muhammad , wished good for the pigeons, and in reward they were shifted to the sanctuary of Allah (the Ka'bah). ⁴

Prophet Muhammad comforts Abu Bakr

When the polytheists were near the cave, Prophet Muhammad and Abu Bakr could see them. Abu Bakr became a little nervous, but the Holy Prophet comforted him and said that Allah would help them out of their difficult situation. This is mentioned in the Holy Quran as:

إِلَّا تَنْصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ اللَّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ثَانِيَ اثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِي الْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُ بِجُنُودٍ لَمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا السُّفْلَى وَكَلِمَةُ اللَّهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ 40⁵

If you do not help him (the Holy Messenger of Allah in the struggle for the dominance of Islam, then what!). Indeed, Allah helped him (also at the time) when the disbelievers drove him away (from Makkah, his homeland,) whilst he was the second of the two (emigrants). Both (the Messenger () and Abu Bakr) were in the cave (of Mount Thawr) when he said to his Companion (Abu Bakr): ‘Do not grieve. Allah is surely with us.’ So, Allah sent down His serenity upon him, and strengthened him by means of such armies (of angels) that you could not see, and He made the word of the disbelievers the lowermost, and Allah’s Word is (always) the uppermost and exalted. And Allah is Almighty, Most Wise.

Abu Bakr was not fearful for his life, but for Prophet Muhammad's , as the pursuers had come extremely close to their location and there was a danger that they could see and capture them. However, Prophet Muhammad was calm, as serenity was bestowed upon him Allah Almighty. Thus, he also reassured his companion that nothing would happen, as Allah was with them. ⁶

Departure from the Cave

After staying for three nights in that cave, Prophet Muhammad and Abu Bakr exited the cave and found their guide Abdullah ibn Uraiqat stationed at the agreed upon place, at the appointed time, with their camels. Abdullah ibn Uraiqat then led the way and guided them along the roads which were unknown and unused, hence, making it extremely difficult for the Quraysh to apprehend them. There onwards, Prophet Muhammad started his journey to Madinah. ⁷

• ¹  Safi Al-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri (2010), Al-Raheeq Al-Makhtum, Dar Ibn Hazam, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 182.
• ¹  Muhammad ibn Ismail Al-Bukhari (1999), Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith: 3905, Darus Salam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Pg. 656-658.
• ²  Abu Bakr ibn Al-Husain Al-Bayhaqui (1405 A.H.), Dalail Al-Nabuwah wa Ma’rifat Ahwal Sahib Al-Shariyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 477.
• ³  Abu Bakr ibn Al-Husain Al-Bayhaqui (1405 A.H.), Dalail Al-Nabuwah wa Ma’rifat Ahwal Sahib Al-Shariyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 476.
• ⁴  Muhammad ibn Saad Al-Basri (1968), Tabqat Al-Kubra, Dar Sadir, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 227-228.
• ⁵  Holy Quran, Al-Tawbah (The Repentance) 9: 40.
• ⁶  Sayyid Qutb (1965), In the Shade of the Quran (Translated by Adil Salihi), Islamic Foundation, Markfield, U.K., Vol. 8, Pg. 131.
• ⁷  Dr. Ali Muhammad As-Sallaabee (2005), The Noble Life of the Prophet Peace be upon Him (Translated by Faisal Shafeeq), Dar Al-Salam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Vol. 2, Pg. 662.