Allah Is with Us
In this way, they blocked all the holes, but one hole remained, and there was a snake inside it. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه placed his heel over that hole.
After this, the Noble Prophet ﷺ entered the cave. The snake saw the heel covering the opening of its hole and bit it.
Because of the intensity of the pain, tears came to the eyes of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه, but he did not allow any sound to escape from his mouth, because at that time the Prophet ﷺ was sleeping with his head resting on his lap. Despite being bitten by the snake, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه did not move his body even slightly, nor did he make any sound, lest the Prophet ﷺ should wake up. However, he could not stop the tears from flowing from his eyes. The tears fell upon the Prophet ﷺ, and their falling caused him to wake up.
When the Prophet ﷺ saw tears in the eyes of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه, he asked:
«“Abu Bakr, what happened?”»
He replied:
«“May my parents be sacrificed for you. I have been bitten by a snake.”»
The Prophet ﷺ applied his blessed saliva to the place where the snake had bitten him. The pain and effect of the poison immediately disappeared.
Morning came, and the Prophet ﷺ noticed that Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه no longer had his cloak. He asked:
«“Abu Bakr! Where is your cloak?”»
He replied:
«“O Messenger of Allah! I tore the cloak into pieces and used them to block the holes in this cave.”»
The Prophet ﷺ raised his hands in supplication and said:
«“O Allah, make Abu Bakr my companion in Paradise.”»
At that very moment, Allah Almighty informed him through revelation that his supplication had been accepted.
Meanwhile, the people of Quraysh reached near the cave while searching for the Noble Prophet ﷺ. Some of them quickly moved forward and began looking into the cave. They saw a spider’s web at the entrance of the cave. They also saw two wild pigeons nearby.
One of them said:
«“There is no one inside this cave.”»
According to one narration, Umayyah ibn Khalaf was also among them. He said:
«“Go inside the cave and look.”»
Someone replied:
«“There is no need to go inside. There are many spider webs at the mouth of the cave. If they had entered, these webs would not have remained, nor would there be pigeon eggs here.”»
When Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه saw those people at the entrance of the cave, he began to weep and said in a low voice:
«“By Allah! I am not crying because of my own life. I am crying because I fear that these people may harm you.”»
The Noble Prophet ﷺ said:
«“Abu Bakr! Do not grieve. Allah is with us.”»
At that very moment, Allah Almighty granted peace and reassurance to the heart of Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه.
In these circumstances, Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه felt thirsty. He mentioned this to the Noble Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said:
«“Go to the middle of this cave and drink some water.”»
Siddiq Akbar رضي الله عنه got up and went to the middle of the cave. There he found water that was exceedingly pure—sweeter than honey, whiter than milk, and more fragrant than musk. He drank some of it and returned.
The Noble Prophet ﷺ said to him:
«“Allah Almighty commanded the angel who is responsible for the rivers of Paradise to cause a spring from Jannat al-Firdaws to flow in the middle of this cave so that you could drink from it.”»
Hearing this, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه was astonished and asked:
«“Do I have such a high rank in the sight of Allah?”»
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«“Yes! Rather, O Abu Bakr, even more than this. By the One Who sent me as a Prophet with the message of truth, the person who bears hatred toward you will not enter Paradise.”»
In short, the Quraysh became disappointed and moved away from the Cave of Thawr. They went toward the coastal areas. At the same time, they announced:
«“Whoever captures or kills Muhammad or Abu Bakr will be given one hundred camels as a reward.”»
The Prophet ﷺ and Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه remained in that cave for three days.
During this time, Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه’s son, Abdullah رضي الله عنه, would also come and go to the cave. He was young at that time, but he understood the circumstances. After darkness spread, he would come to the cave and would return at dawn, at the earliest part of the morning. In this way, the Quraysh would think that he had spent the night at his home.
He would listen throughout the day to whatever conversations took place among the Quraysh, and in the evening he would go to the Prophet ﷺ and tell him everything he had heard.
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه had a servant named Hazrat ‘Amir ibn Fuhayrah رضي الله عنه. He had previously been the servant of a man named Tufayl. When he accepted Islam, Tufayl began mistreating him. Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه then bought him and set him free. He used to look after Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه’s goats.
During those days, he too would come and go to the cave. In the evening, he would arrive there with his goats and remain there during the night. At dawn, after Hazrat Abdullah رضي الله عنه had left, he would also take his goats back along the same route so that their footprints would be erased.
He continued doing this throughout those three nights. He did all this according to the instructions of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه.
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه had also instructed Hazrat Abdullah رضي الله عنه to listen to the conversations of the Quraysh throughout the day and inform them in the evening.
Hazrat ‘Amir ibn Fuhayrah رضي الله عنه was instructed to graze the goats during the day and bring their milk to the cave in the evening.
Hazrat Asma رضي الله عنها, the daughter of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه, would also bring food for them in the evening.
Apart from these three people, no one knew about the cave.
After three days and nights had passed, the Prophet ﷺ said to Hazrat Asma رضي الله عنها:
«“Now go to ‘Ali, tell him about the cave, and ask him to arrange a guide. After some part of tonight has passed, that guide should come here.”»
Accordingly, Hazrat Asma رضي الله عنها went straight to Hazrat ‘Ali رضي الله عنه and conveyed the message of the Prophet ﷺ to him.
Hazrat ‘Ali رضي الله عنه immediately arranged a guide in return for payment. His name was Urayqit ibn ‘Abdullah al-Laythi.
The guide arrived there at night. As soon as the Noble Prophet ﷺ heard the sound of the camel’s call, he immediately came out of the cave with Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه and recognized the guide.
The Prophet ﷺ and Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه mounted the camels.
During this journey, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه also sent word through his son, Hazrat Abdullah رضي الله عنه, to bring whatever money was present in his house. It amounted to four or five thousand dirhams.
When Siddiq Akbar رضي الله عنه had accepted Islam, he possessed forty or fifty thousand dirhams. In other words, he had spent almost all of this wealth in the path of Allah. Even when departing, he had whatever remained in his house brought to him.
His father, Abu Quhafah رضي الله عنه, had not yet accepted Islam at that time. He had lost his eyesight. When he came home, he said to his granddaughter, Hazrat Asma رضي الله عنها:
«“I think Abu Bakr has put you in difficulty because of himself and his wealth.”»
What he meant was that Abu Bakr had taken all the money with him when he left.
Hearing this, Hazrat Asma رضي الله عنها said:
«“No, Grandfather! He has left great goodness and blessings for us.”»
Hazrat Asma رضي الله عنها says:
«“After that, I put some pebbles into a pouch and placed it in the niche where my father used to keep his money. Then I covered the pouch with a cloth. I placed my grandfather’s hand over it and said:
‘Look! The money has been placed here.’”»
Abu Quhafah رضي الله عنه placed his hand there, felt it, and said:
«“If he has left this wealth for you, then there is nothing to worry about. This will be sufficient for you.”»
Although, in reality, my father had not left anything for us.