Chapter 16: The Plot and the Cave of Thawr
Permission to leave, a plan to kill him — and three nights in a cave
© 2026 Sheikh Mohamed Fawzy. All rights reserved. Version 1.7
“I have been shown the land of your emigration”
After the Second Pledge of al-‘Aqabah, the Muslims began leaving Makkah for Yathrib, quietly, in small groups. Abū Bakr wanted to go too…
Most of the Muslims left before him; he stayed in Makkah until Allah gave him permission, and Abū Bakr waited with him.
“They plan — and Allah plans”
Quraysh saw the Muslims gathering in Yathrib and were afraid. Their leaders met and decided to get rid of the Prophet ﷺ. Allah tells us what they were planning:
‘Alī in the bed
That night ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib slept in the Prophet’s bed, and the Prophet ﷺ left the house. The men of Quraysh watched the house all night, thinking that ‘Alī was the Prophet ﷺ. In the morning they rushed in — and found ‘Alī. Allah had turned their plot back on them.
al-Ḥākim also reports ‘Alī’s sleeping in the bed and called his chain ṣaḥīḥ, with al-Dhahabī agreeing; al-Arna’ūṭ, like al-Albānī, graded Aḥmad’s chain weak (one narrator, ‘Uthmān al-Jazarī, is disputed). The popular additions — such as the angels Jibrīl and Mīkā’īl guarding ‘Alī — are fabricated (al-Albānī, al-Silsilah al-Ḍa‘īfah 4946) and are not taught.
“The companionship?” — “Yes.”
Secrecy
At noon, with his head covered, he asked to speak privately — planning carefully is part of trusting Allah.
Honesty
Even from his closest friend he would not take the camel as a gift: “For its price.”
A waistband, a sack of food — and a cave
The name given to Asmā’ became an honour: Dhāt al-Niṭāq — a reminder that small acts of service are remembered.
A clever plan
- 1 Leave secretly — only the people who must know are told.
- 2 Go south to the cave of Thawr — the opposite direction from Yathrib.
- 3 Hide three nights until the search calms down.
- 4 ‘Abdullāh brings the news every night; ‘Āmir brings milk.
- 5 The guide brings the camels on the third morning and takes a road few people use: the coastal road.
“What do you think of two whose third is Allah?”
The story of the two doves at the cave has no reliable chain. The spider’s web comes in the same report of Ibn ‘Abbās in Musnad Aḥmad: Ibn Ḥajar and Ibn Kathīr graded its chain ḥasan, while al-Albānī and al-Arna’ūṭ graded it weak. The story of ‘Alī in the bed is shown because, besides Aḥmad’s report, it has a second chain (al-Ḥākim, ṣaḥīḥ, with al-Dhahabī agreeing); the spider’s web has no such support, so it is left to the teacher’s discretion and not put on a slide. The Qur’an and the Sahih tell us what matters — Allah’s help and the calm He sent down.
The team of the Hijrah
The Prophet ﷺ trusted Allah completely — and he also planned carefully and gave everyone a job. Tap each person:
Tap a name.
Abū Bakr — the companion
Fed two camels for four months, and put himself and his wealth at the service of the journey.
Asmā’ bint Abī Bakr — the supplier
Packed the food and tied the sack with a piece of her own waistband: “Dhāt al-Niṭāq”.
‘Abdullāh ibn Abī Bakr — the news-gatherer
Spent the nights at the cave, the days among Quraysh, and brought every plot back after dark.
‘Āmir ibn Fuhayrah — the shepherd
Abū Bakr’s freed slave. He grazed sheep near the cave and brought them fresh milk every night.
The guide — the expert
Not a Muslim, but trustworthy and skilled at finding the way. He led them along the coastal road.
A young man, a young woman, a freed slave, a friend and a hired expert — everyone can serve Allah’s cause.
What we learn
Plan and trust
He planned every detail — and put his full trust in Allah.
True friendship
Abū Bakr gave his wealth and risked his life for the Prophet ﷺ, and his family served the journey.
Allah is with us
“Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us” — with His help and protection. This is the believer’s calm in danger.
Quick quiz
Two in a cave — and Allah was the third
ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam ﷺ