The Cave of Thawr is located on the southern side of the Haram Mosque, approximately 4 km away, on the road to Arafat. The base to the summit of the mountain is 458 meters, and it takes about 1.5 hours to reach it on foot. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and Hz. Abu Bakr Siddiq (RA) took refuge in this cave for three nights while migrating. First, Hz. Abu Bakr entered the cave to check if there was any danger, and then the Prophet (SAW) entered. During their stay, Abdullah, the son of Hz. Abu Bakr, would move among the polytheists during the day and bring information at night. Their servant, Amr ibn Fuhayra, would lead his sheep in the vicinity, both to erase Abdullah’s tracks and to offer milk.
Three miracles occurred in this cave:
A snake bit Hz. Abu Bakr’s foot, and Prophet Muhammad (SAW) applied his blessed saliva, instantly relieving the pain and providing a cure.
After they entered, spiders spun webs and pigeons built nests at the mouth of the cave by the command of Allah.
The polytheists reached the entrance of the cave. One of them wanted to search inside. Umayya bin Khalaf advised him against it, saying: “What are you doing there? Have you lost your mind? Spiders have woven their webs and birds have built nests there even before Muhammad was born.” Hearing this, they abandoned the idea of entering. Hz. Abu Bakr remarked, “When the polytheists approached the cave, their feet were visible. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, if they lower their heads, they will see us.‘” Prophet Muhammad (SAW) responded, “Be silent, O Abu Bakr, for the third among us is Allah.” The Prophet (SAW) spent the nights of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the cave. This three-day hiding was a precaution. The polytheists would assume that they had already left the vicinity of Mecca. After three days, Abdullah bin Urayqit, the guide who had been appointed earlier, arrived at the foothill of Sevr Mountain at dawn on Monday. Accompanied by two camels and riding his own camel, he set out towards Medina using the coastal route.
