Then he said,'O Messenger of Allah, these are the two
camels which I have kept ready for this.' And so, the two of
them left for a cave in Thawr, a mountain to the south of
Mecca where they intended to hide.
When they were out of the city the Prophet (pbuh) looked
back and said, 'Of all Allah's earth, you are the dearest place
to Allah and to me and if my people had not driven me out I
would never have left you.'
When Quraysh found out that the Prophet (pbuh) and his
companion had gone, they set out after them, searching in every
direction. Three days later they finally reached the cave where the
Prophet (pbuh) and Abu Bakr were hiding, but a strange and
wonderful thing had happened. A spider had woven its web right
across the entrance to the cave and a dove was nesting with her
mate nearby. As the Meccans stood in front of the cave, with only
the spider's web separating them from the fugitives, Abu Bakr
began to fear for their safety. He whispered to the Prophet (pbuh),
they are very close. If one of them turns we will be seen.' But he
was comforted by the Prophet's reply: “What do you think of two
who have with them Allah as their third? 'Grieve not, for verily Allah
is with us”. (Koran ix.40) . After a few moments the search parry
decided that no one could have entered the cave recently, or the
spider's web would not have been complete and the dove would not
have nested there, and so they left without searching inside. Three
days later the Prophet (pbuh) and Abu Bakr thought it safe to leave
the cave. Abu Bakr's son, 'Amir, had arranged for three camels and
a guide to help them continue their journey to Yathrib. 'Amir would
ride behind his father. The leaders of Quraysh, meanwhile, returned
to Mecca and offered a reward of one hundred camels to whoever
captured the Prophet (pbuh). Among those who went in search of
him was a famous warrior. He was, in fact, the only one to catch up
with him, but whenever he came close, his horse would suddenly
sink up to its knees in the sand. When this had happened three
times, he understood that the Prophet (pbuh) was protected by a
power stronger than anything he had known, and so he went back
to Mecca. On arriving there he warned everyone against continuing
the search, relating what had happened to him.
camels which I have kept ready for this.' And so, the two of
them left for a cave in Thawr, a mountain to the south of
Mecca where they intended to hide.
When they were out of the city the Prophet (pbuh) looked
back and said, 'Of all Allah's earth, you are the dearest place
to Allah and to me and if my people had not driven me out I
would never have left you.'
When Quraysh found out that the Prophet (pbuh) and his
companion had gone, they set out after them, searching in every
direction. Three days later they finally reached the cave where the
Prophet (pbuh) and Abu Bakr were hiding, but a strange and
wonderful thing had happened. A spider had woven its web right
across the entrance to the cave and a dove was nesting with her
mate nearby. As the Meccans stood in front of the cave, with only
the spider's web separating them from the fugitives, Abu Bakr
began to fear for their safety. He whispered to the Prophet (pbuh),
they are very close. If one of them turns we will be seen.' But he
was comforted by the Prophet's reply: “What do you think of two
who have with them Allah as their third? 'Grieve not, for verily Allah
is with us”. (Koran ix.40) . After a few moments the search parry
decided that no one could have entered the cave recently, or the
spider's web would not have been complete and the dove would not
have nested there, and so they left without searching inside. Three
days later the Prophet (pbuh) and Abu Bakr thought it safe to leave
the cave. Abu Bakr's son, 'Amir, had arranged for three camels and
a guide to help them continue their journey to Yathrib. 'Amir would
ride behind his father. The leaders of Quraysh, meanwhile, returned
to Mecca and offered a reward of one hundred camels to whoever
captured the Prophet (pbuh). Among those who went in search of
him was a famous warrior. He was, in fact, the only one to catch up
with him, but whenever he came close, his horse would suddenly
sink up to its knees in the sand. When this had happened three
times, he understood that the Prophet (pbuh) was protected by a
power stronger than anything he had known, and so he went back
to Mecca. On arriving there he warned everyone against continuing
the search, relating what had happened to him.