Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 9904

Abu Mus'ab al-Makki narrates: I met Sayyiduna Zayd bin Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), and they were narrating that on the night the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spent in the cave, Allah Almighty commanded a tree, and it grew a plant at the mouth of the cave, which concealed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah Almighty commanded the spider, and it wove a web over the mouth of the cave. Allah Almighty commanded two wild doves, and they came and sat at the mouth of the cave. The idolaters came from every direction until they were as close to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as a distance of forty cubits, carrying their bows and staffs. One of them went forward and saw the two doves, so he went back and said to his companions: "There can be nothing in the cave, because I have seen two doves at the mouth of the cave, from which I have concluded that there is no one inside." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard what he said and realized that Allah Almighty had turned the idolaters away from the two of them through those (doves). So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took care of those doves and fixed a recompense for them, and two of their chicks were kept in the Sanctuary of Allah Almighty. The narrator says: I think that the lineage of all the pigeons in the Sanctuary has come from these two chicks.
Al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani recorded it; their chain contains a group of narrators whom I do not know.