Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 9902

Urwah narrates: After the Hajj, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained (in Makkah) during the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, the month of Muharram and the month of Safar. Then the idolaters of Quraysh settled on this matter and devised this scheme when they learned that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would leave from here, and they came to know that Allah Almighty had made Madinah a place of refuge and protection for him. News of the Ansar's acceptance of Islam also reached them, and they also learned of the Muhajirun who had gone there. So they decided that they would seize the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and then either kill him, or imprison him, or put him in chains (this doubt is from the narrator Amr bin Khalid), or force him to leave, or tie him up. Allah Almighty informed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) of their plan. Allah Almighty has said: "And when those who disbelieved were plotting against you, to imprison you or kill you or drive you out (of your native land); they were plotting, and Allah Almighty was planning (His hidden plan), and Allah Almighty is the best of planners." On the day he (peace and blessings be upon him) received this news, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to the house of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him); (he had been informed) that when he was on his bed in the evening, they would attack him by night. Then at night the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) went towards the Cave of Thawr; this is the cave which Allah Almighty has mentioned in the Qur'an. Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) came and slept on the bed of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he remained hidden from their eyes. The idolaters of Quraysh spent the night disagreeing and arguing among themselves: "Shall we attack the person sleeping on the bed and tie him up?" Morning came while they were still talking about this. In the morning Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) got up from that bed. They asked Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) told them that he had no knowledge of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). At that moment the disbelievers realized that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had already left. So they rode out in every direction searching for him. They sent messages to the people (staying at) various watering places and told them that they would be given a large reward (if they had the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, captured). They also came to the Cave of Thawr, in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) were present, until they could even be seen above the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) even heard their voices. At that moment Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) became worried and was overcome with fear. At that moment the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not grieve! Indeed, Allah Almighty is with us." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated, and tranquility (sakinah) from Allah Almighty descended upon him (which is mentioned in the Qur'an in these words): "So Allah Almighty sent down His tranquility upon His Messenger and upon the believers, and He sent down armies which you do not see, and Allah Almighty made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, and the word of Allah Almighty is the highest, and Allah Almighty is Mighty and Wise." Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had a milk-giving goat that would come in the evening to him and his family in Makkah. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) sent his slave Amir bin Fuhayrah, who was a trustworthy, reliable man of good Islam, to hire for payment a man belonging to Banu Abd bin Adi, named Ibn al-Urayqit. This man was an ally of Quraysh and belonged to Banu Sahm, which is a sub-branch of Banu al-As bin Wa'il. At that time that Adawi man was an idolater, but he knew the route. They kept themselves hidden during those nights. Abdullah bin Abi Bakr would come to the two of them in the evening with all the news that occurred in Makkah, and Amir bin Fuhayrah would also come in the evening bringing the goats; this happened every night. They would milk them and slaughter them, and then in the morning he would leave and be with the people's shepherds, so no one could find out about him. When the voices about them had died down and the two of them learned that the matter had now cooled down, their man brought their two camels. These two had stayed in the cave for two days and two nights, and then they set out. Amir bin Fuhayrah also set out with them; he would sing camel songs (huda) for them, serve them and help them. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) would seat him behind himself on his mount. With them were only Amir bin Fuhayrah and that man from Banu Adi who was showing them the way.
Al-Tabarani recorded it as a mursal narration; its chain contains a narrator, Ibn Lahi'ah, about whom there has been criticism, and his hadith is hasan (good).