النص المفهرس

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
Allâh Ta'âlâ's choice of words Iz Humâ Fil Ghâr (when
رضي الله عنه both of them were in the cave) depicts Abu Bakr
to be Yâre-Ghâr (beloved of the cave. From this incident,
the phrase Yâre-Ghar originates for a person who fulfils the
rights of love and devotion.
5. LiSahibihî (He told his companion).
Allâh Ta'âlâ has employed the words LiSahibihî as an
expression
of Abû
Bakr
S' رضي الله عنه
Sahabiyyat
(companionship) with Rasûlullah . The Shias as well as the
Sunnis unanimously agree that the person referred to in this
verse LiSahibihî is a reference to no another thaan Abû Bakr
And in the Arabic language, the word Sahib is. رضي الله عنه
synonymous with Sahabî. There is no difference between the
رضي الله عنه meanings of Sahib and Sahabi. And only Abu Bakr
was bestowed with this lofty status (of being mentioned in the
Qurân as a Sahâbî). Since Allâh Ta'âlâ mentions Abû Bakr's
Sahabiyyat (companionship) in the Holy Quran, the 'Ulamâ say
that the person who rejects the Sahabiyyat of Abu رضي الله عنه is
actually guilty of rejecting this verse and the rejection of any
verse of the Holy Quran is tantamount to kufr (disbelief).
In the same vein, the same rule applies to those Sahabah whose
Sahâbiyyat (companionship) is established by Ahâdîth
541

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
Mutawâtirah 186
or by Ijm'â (consensus). However, he who
rejects those Sahâbah whose Sahabiyyat is established by
Khabar Wâhid 87 alone will not be regarded as a disbeliever.
Yes, he will be referred to as a Mubtad 'i (heretic).
During the Caliphate of Hadrat Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه, a person
was reciting Sûrah Tawbah when he came to the verse "When
رضي الله عنه he said to his companion 'do not grieve', Abu Bakr
burst out crying saying: "By Allâh! I am the 'companion'
referred to in this verse." [Tafsîr Ibn Jarîr volume 10 page 96]
6. Lâ Tahzan (Do not grieve)
Whilst systematically searching for Rasûlullah , when the
polytheists of Makkah reached the mouth of the cave, Abû
Bakr رضي الله عنه's gaze fell on them and he started weeping. He
said: "O Prophet of Allâh! If I am killed, only one lone
individual will be eliminated but if you had to fall into the
hands of the enemy and you are martyred, the entire Ummah
will be eliminated." In an attempt to allay his anguish,
Rasûlullah % said: "Abu Bakr, do not grieve. Take comfort
186 A Hadîth narrated with an uninterrupted chain of upright and reliable
narrators of such vast numbers that their unanimity upon falsehood is
inconceivable.
187 A Hadîth narrated by just one person transmitted to another solitary
narrator and so forth until it reaches the final narrator.
542

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
from the fact that Allah is with us." [Rawdul-Anf volume 2
page 4]
Hujjatul-Islam Hadrat Maulana Qasim Nanotwî leali,
(the founder of Darul-'Ulum Deoband) writes in Hadiyatush-
Shî'ah: "The words 'Lâ Tahzan' which means 'do not grieve'
actually proves the heartfelt devotion and sincere faith of Abû
Bakr رضي الله عنه.Otherwise, what was the need for him to
grieve? In fact, according to the beliefs of the Shias, Allâh
Ta'âlâ forbid, Abu Bakr Lcalzò, was an enemy to Rasûlullah
. If he really was the enemy, this was not an occasion of grief.
This would have been an occasion of ultimate joy as Rasûlullah
was now in his absolute power. He could have mobilised the
enemy into the cave and finished him off. What better
opportunity was there than this occasion? Alas, if we could
procure 'eyes of justice' for the Shias, we would have procured
them long ago. At least they would have been able to behold
the close companionship of the first Caliph.
Urdu Stanza: "If love and affection were being sold around
here, we would have purchased them long ago for our
beloved."
They were all alone in the cave. Abu Bakr had an ideal
opportunity to assassinate his 'enemy'. There was nobody
around to question him. He could have vanished after doing his
job. Abû Bakr could have sent a message to the enemy with his
eldest son 'Abdullah bin Abu Bakr, who was appointed as their
(Rasûlullah and Abu Bakr's) secret scout at the cave of
Thaur. Or he could have sent a message to the enemy with his
daughter Asmâ, who used to bring food to them daily whilst
543

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
they were holed up in the cave. If this family of Siddique really
harboured an iota of revulsion against Rasûlullah , they
wouldn't have demonstrated such unassailable levels of self-
sacrifice.
In short, Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه's grief and anguished weeping at
the sight of the enemy was all due to his devoted love for
Rasulullah .If Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه was terrified of his own
life, the word 'fear' instead of 'grief' would have been used.
The word Huzn in the Arabic language is used to describe
sorrow or when separating from the beloved or it is used when
one's hopes have been dashed. And when the occasion
concerns fear of life, the word Khauf (fear) is used. When Mûsâ
Malade landed at Mount Tur where he was honoured with
prophethood, he was divinely instructed to throw his staff on
the ground. The moment he threw it, it turned into a python.
Mûsâ OUlade took flight with such horror that he didn't dare
turn back to look. This is when Allâh Ta'âlâ commanded him:
"O Mûsâ! Go ahead and do not fright. The messengers do not
fright before Me."
This verse clearly shows that Musa عليه السلام had feared for his
life from the perceptible menace of the python. This is why
Allâh Ta'âlâ consoled him with the words: "do not fear". Allâh
Ta'âlâ did not say: 'do not grieve'. Similarly, when Mûsâ
ALullade killed a Qibtî in error and the people of Fir'awn
wanted to execute him, Mûsâ OUlade fled from there
overwhelmed with dread. Describing this occasion, Allâh
Ta'âlâ says: "And so he escaped from there glancing about in
fear."
544

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
The word Khawf (fear) is mentioned scores of times in the Holy
Qurân. Wherever it is mentioned, this is clearly what is meant;
fear. And on occasions of sorrow, the word Huzn (grief) is
used.
When the brother's of Yusuf Aula de cautioned their father
Y'aqub ALlade that they fear he will perish in grief, he
replied:
"I lament of my sorrow and grief before Allâh Alone." [Sûrah
Yusuf verse 86]
On this occasion, the word grief was used, not fear.
Furthermore, a number of other verses attest to the fact that
word Huzn (grief) is used differently from that of Khawf (fear).
As Allâh Ta'âlâ says in another verse:
"(When sincere Muslims are about to depart from this world)
angels descend upon them saying: 'do not fear and do not
grieve'." [Sûrah Sajdah verse 30]
If grief and fear was the same thing, what was the need then to
repeat it in the aforementioned verse? Actually, fear is
something completely dissimilar to grief. Fear denotes anxiety
in relation to the future whilst grief implies the current loss of
one's heartfelt desires.
Furthermore, the word grief is used as an antonym to joy whilst
the antonym of fear is tranquillity and calm. For instance, when
a person loses a close relative and the distress he suffers at this
moment is referred to as grief. Nobody refers to this condition
as fear. On the other hand, if a child climbs up a wall and there
is fear of him losing his life, the anxiety the parent suffers at
545

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
this moment is referred to as fear. Not even a fool will refer to
this anxiety as grief. Yes, grief is referred to as the anxiety
within the actual adversity whilst fear implies the anxiety of
imminent danger that is yet still to come.
In order to placate the Shias, let us assume the sentence 'do not
grief' in the verse under discussion means 'do not fear', then
too it would not affect us in the least because then the verse
will mean: 'O Abu Bakr! Do not fear'. Obviously, his fear will
come to the fore only when he is terrified of his own life. And
this dread can only come about due to the disbelievers hostility
towards him and this hostility also was due to his sincere Îmân
otherwise there was no need for Rasûlullah % to pacify him and
that too with words like 'Allâh is with us'.
7. Allâh is with us
After consoling him with the words 'do not grief' Rasûlullah
further pacified Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه with the words 'Allah is
with us'. In other words, the favours of Allâh Ta'âlâ are with
us. And evidently Allâh Ta'âlâ sides with the Muslims on many
occasions as mentioned in the Quran: 'verily Allâh is with the
believers, verily Allâh is with the pious, verily Allâh is with
those who do good' and so forth.
So, within the context of the verse 'when he said to his
companion, do not grieve, certainly Allâh is with us' Allâh
Ta'âlâ draws our attention to the fact that Abu Bakr cale
also harboured enmity for the disbelievers otherwise why
would Rasûlullah { console him and why would Allâh Ta'âlâ
be with him? That Allâh Ta'âlâ is with him just as Allâh Ta'âlâ
546

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
is with Rasûlullah is more than sufficient for us. In the
aforementioned verse Allâh Ta'âlâ uses the phrase Ma'anâ
(with us). In the usage of a single phrase, Allâh Ta'âlâ
illustrates His assistance and support for both of them. He did
not use the words Allâh is with me and with you. This clearly
reveals that just as Allâh Ta'âlâ was with Rasûlullah , He was
. رضي الله عنه also with Hadrat Abu Bakr
Furthermore, the sentence Allâh Ta 'âlâ is with us is a nominal
clause, which underscores permanence and continuation. The
verse will consequently mean: 'Allâh's affiliation, support and
assistance will remain continuously with them. It would never
separate from them. Even if we assume that this sentence does
not display permanence, then too the Shias will have to
concede that at this particular moment in time, Rasûlullah
and Hadrat Abu Bakr Licalus, were both united in the
common goal of travelling in the path of Allâh Ta'âlâ and in
their comradeship. And it is not possible for Allâh Ta'âlâ to
abandon the companionship and support of Rasûlullah %. So, in
the verse Allâh Ta'âlâ is with us, the companionship and
support of Allâh Ta'âlâ in favour of Rasûlullah * is also
perpetual because the stake of both of them is coupled together
since the word used is with us simultaneously and not with you
and with us separately.
Furthermore, the fact that Allâh Ta'âlâ says Allâh Ta'âlâ is
with us clearly indicates that the companionship of Allâh Ta'âlâ
with Rasûlullah and Abu Bakr Licale, is with their
personal self. It is not subject to any prerequisite. After the
words do not grief, Allâh Ta'âlâ did not say Allâh Ta'âlâ is
with the believers etc. Had he said this, it would mean that
547

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
Allâh Ta'âlâ's companionship is subject to the proviso of Îmân.
In other words, if you have Îmân Allâh Ta'âlâ is with you
otherwise not. And in this case, where Allâh Ta'âlâ's
companionship is not restricted to any pre-condition, His
companionship is eternal. There is no possibility of this
companionship then vanishing. In short, since Allâh Ta'âlâ said
Allâh Ta 'âlâ is with us instead of saying Allâh Ta'âlâ is with
the believers or any other such descriptive words, suggests that
the companionship and intimacy of Allâh Ta'âlâ with Abu Bakr
and not رضي الله عنه is with the personal self Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه
with some attribute of his.
We have mentioned a summary of Maulana dealday's
explanation. For further details, refer to the original of
Hadiyyatush-Shi'ah.
When Fir awn was in pursuit of Musa عليه السلام, the followers
of Mûsâ exclaimed: "Verily we will be apprehended".
In reply, Mûsâ ALlade responded: "Never! Certainly my
Lord is with me. He will guide me."
Mûsâ Allade expresses the companionship of Allâh Ta'âlâ
with a singular word form. He did not say that my Lord is with
'us' but he said 'with me'. So Mûsâ Aula de restricted the
this divine companionship to himself only without including
any of his followers in this divine companionship. And
Rasûlullah % on the other hand, used the plural in the verse
'Allâh Ta'âlâ is with us. In other words, O Abu Bakr! Do not
grieve because Allâh Ta'âlâ is with both of us. Rasûlullah
did not restrict this divine companionship to himself
548

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
exclusively but he included his devoted friend and dedicated
companion Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه also within this company.
Furthermore, the companionship of Mûsâ Aulade was a
companionship of Rabbâniyyah (lordship) because he used the
word my Lord is with me, whilst the companionship of
Rasulullah and Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه was an Ilaht (divine)
companionship. Rasûlullah % expresses this companionship
with the words Allâh is with us instead of My Lord is with us.
He uses the name Allâh, which is a comprehensive name
including all the flawless divine attributes of Allâh Ta'âlâ.
Mûsâ
on the other hand, expresses his عليه السلام
companionship with Allâh Ta'âlâ with just one attribute of
Rabbâniyyah (lordship). [Mawâhib]
8. So Allâh Ta'âlâ transmitted His tranquillity upon him.
When Allâh Ta'âlâ transmitted this tranquillity upon Rasûlullah
رضي الله عنه due to the barakah of Rasulullah , Abu Bakr ,
was also bestowed a share of it. It appears in a narration of
.رضي الله عنه Bayhaqi that Rasulullah made Du a for Abu Bakr
Subsequently, this tranquillity descended upon Abû Bakr
[185 as well. [Khasaisu Kubra volume 1 page رضي الله عنه
Ibn 'Abbas رضى الله عنه says: "The word Sakinah in the above
verse refers to tranquillity."
'Allâmah Harawî says: "Sakînah is the name of a very unique
feature and it is made up of three components; Nûr, Quwwat
and Rûh.
549

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
Nûr (spiritual illumination) illuminates the heart. The proofs of
Îmân and the realities of faith become exposed to the heart. The
difference between truth and falsehood, between guidance and
deviation and between doubt and certainty are laid bare to the
heart. With Quwwat the heart develops determination and
perseverance. When engaged in devotion to Allâh Ta'âlâ, it is
predisposed to a distinctive zeal. And it is due to this very
Quwwat that the heart remains dominant over the carnal
demands of the Nafs. As for the Ruh, it adds dynamism to the
heart. Subsequently, the heart is roused from the sleep of
negligence becoming alert in the path of Allâh Ta'âlâ."
According to the narrations of Bukharî and Muslim, the
following couplet of 'Abdullah bin Rawahah رضي الله عنه was
gushing forth from the blessed tongue of Rasûlullah :
"O Allâh! If Your divine guidance was not with us, we would
not have been rightly guided. We wouldn't have offered charity
or Salâh. So send down upon us your special Sakînah
(tranquillity and comfort." [For further details refer to
Madârijus-Sâlikîn volume 2 page 278]
(Returning to the commentary on the aforementioned verse)
according to the more accepted opinion, the personal pronoun
in the word 'Alayhi (upon him) refers to Rasûlullah
.
According to Ibn 'Abbas رضى الله عنه, the personal pronoun
refers to the word Sahibihî (his companion) because it is
grammatically more appropriate to refer the personal pronoun
to the noun that is closer. And the word Sahibihî (his
companion, which refers to Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه) is closer than
550

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
the word 'Alayhi (upon him, which refers to Rasulullah ).
Furthermore, the letter Fâ in the sentence Fa-anzalallâhû
indicates that this sentence is a subsequence to the verse Lâ
Tahzan (do not grieve). In this manner, the verse will mean that
when Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه was overcome with grief, Allah
Ta'âlâ sent down His Sakînah (tranquillity) upon him in order
to soothe his heart and to allay his fear and anxiety. [Rûhul-
Ma'ânî volume 10 page 27]
Imâm Râzî in his Tafsîr Kabîr is also of the opinion that the
personal pronoun in the aforemtnioned verse refers to Abû
Bakr رضي الله عنه and not to Rasulullah
"Allamah Suhayli رحمة الله عليه says: "According to most
Mufassirîn, the personal pronoun in the word 'Alayhi is a
reference to Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه and not to Rasulullah g
because Rasûlullah % had already acquired tranquillity and ease
before this." According to some 'Ulama, the personal pronoun
refers to Rasûlullah and Abu Bakr dicail gio, is subordinately
included. According to the Mushaf (copy of the Quran) held by
Hadrat Hafsah رضى الله عنها, the verse reads as 'Alayhima (upon
both of them) with a dual pronoun instead of just 'Alayhi (upon
him).
9. "And We supported him with forces that you could not
distinguish."
In other words, Allâh Ta'âlâ assembled a force of defending
angels around the cave of Thaur, overwhelming the polytheists
with such awe that they didn't even muster the courage to steal
551

Sîratul-Mustafâ
Life of the Prophet
a glance into the cave. As in the case of the people of the cave
(Ashâbe-Khaf); due to a distinctive awe from Allâh Ta'âlâ,
nobody had the guts to peek into the cave. As Allâh Ta'âlâ
says: "Had you come across them, you would have turned away
from them in flight and you would have certainly been filled
with awe of them." [Sûrah Kahf verse 18]
رضي الله عنها In Mu jame Tabrani, Hadrat Asma bint Abi Bakr
narrates: "Following an exhaustive search for Rasûlullah ,
when the Quraysh ultimately landed at the mouth of the cave,
Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, who was quite shaken, submitted: "()
Rasûlullah ! The man standing right in front of the mouth of
the cave, he is bound to notice us." Rasûlullah * replied:
"Never! The angels are screening you and I with their wings."
In the interim, this man sat down right in front of the cave
relieving himself. Rasûlullah ¿ remarked: "Had this person
caught sight of us, he wouldn't have been passing water right
before us." [Rûhul-Ma'ânî volume 10 page 88] A similar
narration is reported in Musnad Y'alâ on the authority of
-رضي الله عنه from Hadrat Abu Bakr رضى الله عنها Hadrat 'Ayeshah
According to some 'Ulama, the personal pronoun in the
aforementioned verse 'We supported him ... ' refers to Abu Bakr
This is corroborated by the narration of Anas bin .رضي الله عنه
Malik رضي الله عنه who says that Rasulullah * once remarked:
"O Abu Bakr! Allâh has sent down His Sakînah over you and
supported you .
." [ibid]
552

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
10. And Allâh rendered the word of the disbelievers lowermost.
And the word of Allah is always uppermost. And Allah is all-
prevailing, all-wise.
'And Allâh Ta'âlâ demeaned the disbelievers' and failed them
in their calculating plots. He returned them utterly unsuccessful
right from the mouth of the cave and protected Rasûlullah
with unnoticed forces. Angels were appointed to guard the cave
and the web of a spider - which is referred to as the frailest of
houses - was rendered a source of protection more secure than
an ironclad fort. 'And the word of Allâh Ta'ala is enduringly
uppermost.' Allâh Ta'âlâ delivered His Nabî # together with
his beloved companion to Madînah Munawarrah safe and
sound. And Suraqah, who was waiting to capture Resulullah,
he himself was captured by the obedience and submission to
Rasûlullah . He turned out to become an eternal slave to
Rasûlullah. 'And Allah is all-prevailing, all-wise.' His
supremacy and wisdom encompasses everything. All the
aforementioned benefits like His undetectable support, divine
companionship and the descent of the angels with Sakînah
(tranquillity) are all the outcome of His wisdom and
supremacy.
It wouldn't baffle the intellectuals to understand that the
companion of the cave who was conferred with divine
companionship, spiritual tranquillity and angelic support in the
company of Rasûlullah , it is incredibly impossible for such a
personality to be a hypocrite.
So the Lord Who, without any tangible medium, protected His
Prophet % in this journey of Hijrah (migration) and on other
553

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
numerous occasions. People should not be under the
misconception that Allâh Ta'ala requires the assistance of
anyone else for the protection of His Rasûl and His Rasûl's
companion.
Persian couplet: "Do not brag about your service to the king.
Rather consider it a favour that he has allowed you to serve
him."
Summary
To sum up, in the aforementioned verses, the impressive
manner in which Allâh Ta'âlâ describes the companionship of
Abu Bakr cicala, on this journey of Hijrah is a conclusive
testimony to his tremendous virtues and indisputable sacrifices.
Even his most biased enemies concede to this fact.
Hereunder, we present a few poems of Hamla Haydarî:
"The narrator narrates that when the chief-general of the Dîn
(Rasûlullâh ) came into the divine protection of Allâh Ta'âlâ
from the evils of that deceptive community (the disbelievers),
he set out for Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه 's house.
Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه was all set for migration because he was
previously informed about their imminent departure.
رضي الله عنه When Rasulullah reached the door of Abu Bakr
and apprised him of the divine order enjoining them to depart,
Abu Bakr at once emerged from the house and joined
Rasûlullah.
554

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
Rasûlullahand Abu Bakr dicail, took the road to
Madînah and Rasûlullah removed his shoes,
Rasûlullah was walking barefooted whilst attempting to
conceal himself from the enemy.
As they pressed ahead into the desert, Rasûlullah 's blessed
feet developed painful lesions.
This is when Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه carried him over his
shoulders and this was a distinguished honour indeed.
Who has such ability to bear the momentous responsibility of
prophethood?
They pressed ahead for a short distance when dawn broke out.
So they leaped into a place of safety to shield themselves from
the eyes of the enemy.
In the darkness, then they caught sight of a cave that was called
'the cave of Thaur'.
They took refuge within the confines of this cave but first Abû
Bakr رضي الله عنه entered the cave,
And wherever he noticed a hole, he plugged it with a piece of
cloth torn from his cloak.
His cloak was insufficient to cover all the holes. He managed
plugging all except one on which he place his foot.
Nobody else would have managed doing such an astronomical
task as this is beyond the imaginable.
555

Sîratul-Mustafâ
Life of the Prophet
How did Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه manage looking at the holes in
the darkness of the night? This was the miracle of Abu Bakr
- رضي الله عنه
Nobody but Abû Bakr would have executed such a task.
Thereafter Rasûlullah # entered the cave and both companions
sat down."
This narrative confirms that Rasûlullah
took Hadrat Abû
Bakr رضي الله عنه along with him on this perilous journey. First
Rasulullah went to Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه's house and from
there both of them set out together. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه carried
Rasûlullah % on his shoulders. Before they could set foot into
the cave, Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه entered the cave first. He cleaned
the place up a bit and tearing strips of cloth from his own cloak,
he plugged all the holes. Just one hole was left which he
plugged with his heel. All these gallant sacrifices distinctly
prove Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه's sincerity and love for Rasulullah
. These are not gestures of hypocrisy and enmity (as the
Shi'as claim). If these are signs of hypocrisy and enmity
according to the Shi'as, I wonder what the signs of true love
would be?
They remained in the cave for three long days during which the
food was provided daily from Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه's house. On
the third day, Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه's son appeared at the cave
with two she-camels. Rasûlullah % mounted one of them with
Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه as his co-rider. 'Amir, the camel-driver
556

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
mounted the second camel. He was the emancipated slave of
Abu bakr رضى الله عنه.They set out for Madinah in this manner.
The author of Hamlah Haydarî describes this in the following
poem:
"As per divine instruction, Rasûlullah % remained in the cave
for three nights.
Abû Bakr's son would deliver their provisions daily and he
would also apprise Rasûlullah % of the conditions prevailing in
Makkah.
The polytheists were after all, searching every city, desert
region and mountain for him.
There was another man by the name of 'Amir. He would pass
the night in Baitul-Harâm and he was employed as a shepherd
by Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه. He had also embraced Islam and he
was inebriated with the love of Rasûlullâh .
Every morning he would graze his goats within the vicinity of
the cave. In this manner, he was able to provide milk for
-رضي الله عنه Rasulullah and Abu Bakr
Nobody else, neither friend nor foe, was aware of this furtive
-رضي الله عنه arrangement except Rasulullah and Abu Bakr
Addressing the son of Abu Bakr, Rasûlullah % said: 'O you
who are like his father in sincerity and devotion!
We require two camels to convey us to Yathrib.'
The son of Abu Bakr immediately got up to discharge this
request of Rasûlullah %.
557

Sîratul-Mustafâ
Life of the Prophet
And he informed the appointed person ('Abdullah bin Arîqat,
the guide) to meet them on a certain morning with the camels.
When he heard this, he promptly got two camels ready.
When the deserts and mountains were devoid of any sign of the
enemy, Rasûlullah # started travelling.
On the fourth morning, Rasûlullah # emerged from the cave
and as pre-arranged, the guide was waiting at its mouth with the
two camels.
Rasulullah and Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه mounted one of them
whilst the camel-man, 'Abdullan bin Ariqat and 'Âmir bin
Fuhayrah mounted the other."
Reverting to the story of the cave
For three long days, Rasûlullah # stayed hidden in the cave.
،Abdullah 188, the son of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه would spend the
188
The noble son of Hadrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه . He had already embraced
Islâm by this time. He passed away even before his father during his
Caliphate. [Isâbah volume 2 page 283]
'Abdullah bin Abî Bakr Licalò, remained in Makkah whilst 'Abdullah
bin Arîqat joined Rasûlullah % on this blessed journey as a guide. When he
returned from Madinah to Makkah, he informed 'Abdullah bin Abî Bakr of
558

Sîratul-Mustafâ
Life of the Prophet
day in Makkah amassing information about the polytheists and
in the evenings, he would give them a detailed report of the
happenings in Makkah and rapidly depart as early as possible.
'Âmir bin Fuhayrah
189
the emancipated slave of) رضى الله عنه
Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه) would come daily to the cave after 'Isha
when it was somewhat dark. He would come with a few she-
goats so that Rasulullah and Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه could drink
whatever milk they required. This is how they passed three
nights in the cave.
On the fourth morning, 'Abdullah bin Arîgat 190
(who was
appointed as their guide to Madînah), as per his pledge, turned
the safe passage of these two personalities. The moment he received this
news, he made preparations to take the whole family of Abu bakr dicale
to Madînah.
189 ،Amir bin Fuhayrah رضي الله عنه was also one of those Sahabah who
embraced Islâm right at the beginning. He was the slave of Tufail bin
'Abdullah, who subjected him to a great deal of physical maltreatment and
oppression. Abû Bakr purchased him from Tufail bin 'Abdullah and set him
free. He participated in the battle of Badr and Uhud. He was martyred in the
battle of Bîr Ma'ûnah. His body was raised to the sky and later lowered to
the ground. [Isabah]
190 Hâfiz 'Abdul Ghanî Muqadassî, 'Allâmah Suhaylî and 'Allâmah Nawawî
say that on the basis of authentic narrations, they are unable to determine
whether 'Abdullah bin Ariqat embraced Islam or not. And this is the
favoured opinion. However, Wâqidî says that he embraced Islâm. And Allâh
Ta'âlâ knows best. [Zarqânî volume 1 page 339, Isâbah volume 2 page 274]
559

Sîratul-Mustafa
Life of the Prophet
up at the cave with two she-camels. Casting aside the normal
route to Madînah, he took them on the more unfamiliar coastal
route to Madînah Munawwarah. [Bukhârî Bâbul-Hijrah]
رضي الله عنه Rasulullah mounted one camel whislt Abu Bakr
رضي الله عنه mounted the other. In order to serve them, Abu Bakr
also took his emancipated slave, 'Âmir bin Fuhayrah, along
with him and seated him behind him on the same camel.
'Abdullah bin Arîqat mounted his own camel and since he was
the guide, he would walk slightly ahead of them. [Zarqânî
volume 1 page 340]
Shaikh 'Abdul-Haq Muhaddithe-Dehlawi رحمة الله عليه says:
"Rasûlullah was mounted on one camel with Abu Bakr
seated directly behind him. 'Abdullah bin Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه
and 'Âmir bin Fuhayrah were mounted on the second camel."
[Madârijun-Nubbuwwah volume 2 page 85]
However, the previous opinion is more authentic because Hâfiz
explicitly mentions in Fathul-Barî that apart from 'Amir bin
Fuhayrah, nobody else accompanied Rasûlullah and Abû
Bakr رضي الله عنه on this journey. 'Abdullah bin Ariqat was on
the third camel and leaving aside the normal arterial route. he
chose an unfamiliar route to Madînah Munawwarah. 191
191 The actual words of Bukharî are: "So he came to them with their mounts
on the third morning." Muslim bin 'Uqbah adds from Ibn Shihab: "After the
ruckus died down, their friend came to the two of them with their camels.
Both of them set out with 'Âmir bin Fuhayrah to serve and assist them. Abû
Bakr seated him ('Âmir) behind him on the same camel. Beside him,
560