The Meccans Deploy Expert Trackers and Reach the Cave of Thaur (Hazrat Musleh Mau’d’s (ra) Narration)
This was a reference from Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin. Whilst mentioning these details, in one instance Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) states:
“When the Holy Prophet (sa) was commanded by Allah the Almighty to migrate, he departed with Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) to Cave Thaur, situated 6-7 miles from Mecca. At the peak of this mountain was a cave in which they sat and hid. When the disbelievers saw in the morning that he was not present in his home, and that he had successfully escaped in spite of all the security measures in place, they immediately set off in search of him. They hired the best trackers of Mecca who had expertise in recognising footprints, who led them to the Cave Thaur. They said that Muhammad (sa) had to be here. There are no further footprints beyond here. At the time, the enemies were right at the mouth of the cave and the entrance was not narrow. It was not difficult to glance inside, in fact it was such an open and spacious entrance to the cave that it was easy to look inside and see if there was anyone sitting there or not. Yet despite this being the case, the Holy Prophet (sa) was never overcome with fear; in fact, due to the spiritual strength he possessed, the heart of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) also remained firm, and he did not say, like the companions of Moses (as), that they were going to be captured; rather, if he ever uttered something, it was this: ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, the enemies are so close that if they even lower their heads a little they would see us.’ However, the Holy Prophet (sa) stated:
أُسْكُتْ يَا أَبا بَكْرٍ إِثْنَانِ اللّٰهُ ثَالِثُهُمَا
“‘Remain quiet Abu Bakr, we are not just two in this moment, the third with us is Allah, so how will they be able to spot us?’
“Hence, this is what came to pass. Despite the enemy reaching the entrance of the cave, they were not able to move forward and look inside, and from there they wandered back.
“One aspect from this incident is that whereas the companions of Moses (as) panicked saying, ‘O Moses we have been captured,’ with the thought that even Moses (as) would be seized and they would all be captured by Pharaoh, the trust of Muhammad (sa) was such that the impact it had on his companion was such that his tongue would not even utter the words, ‘We have been caught.’ All he said was that the enemy was so close now that if they wished to they could spot us. Yet Muhammad (sa), Messenger of Allah, would not even tolerate this fear, and said, ‘Do not think that we are only two at this moment in time, for another Being is with us, Who is our God.’”
(Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 7, pp. 146,147)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) states in another instance:
“When the people of Mecca had intensified their injustices against the Holy Prophet (sa) to the extent that it was hindering their efforts to propagate their faith, Allah the Almighty commanded that they leave Mecca. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) was prepared to depart from Mecca alongside him. He was told prior to this on a number of occasions to make his way, but he was not prepared to leave without the Holy Prophet (sa). When the Holy Prophet (sa) was about to depart, he had Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) accompany him.”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) states:
“When they left in the night, there is a place in the mountains in which they remained – which I also saw during Hajj – where there is a small cave, the mouth of which is two to three yards wide. When the Meccans realised that the Holy Prophet (sa) had left [Mecca] they went in pursuit of him. There used to be very skilled trackers among the Arabs, and with their help, they managed to reach the exact spot where the Holy Prophet (sa) and Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) were sat. By divine decree, some bushes had grown in front of the mouth of the cave, the branches of which had intertwined. If the people had moved these branches aside, they would have easily seen the Holy Prophet (sa) and Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) sitting there. When the trackers reached this spot, they said that either they had ascended to heaven, or they are sat in there. They have not gone any further than here. Imagine at the time how delicate the situation was. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) became concerned, but not for himself; rather, for the sake of the Holy Prophet (sa). The Holy Prophet (sa) then said:
لَا تَحۡزَنۡ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَنَا
“‘Do not grieve, for Allah is with us.’
“Had the Holy Prophet (sa) not witnessed God Almighty with him, it would have been impossible to not worry in such a delicate situation. Even the most courageous of people would have panicked if the enemy had reached even close to their exact spot. Yet, when the enemies of the Holy Prophet (sa) – who had been after his life for the last 13 years – had reached the exact spot, and to whom the trackers were saying that he had either ascended to heaven or is sat in there, and has not gone any further, at that moment, the Holy Prophet (sa) uttered:
لَا تَحۡزَنۡ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَنَا
“‘Allah is with us so you have no reason to worry.’ It was due to his deep knowledge of God that the Holy Prophet (sa) stated this. The Holy Prophet (sa) felt the presence of Allah within himself and understood that with his own perishing, would perish the very cognisance of the Divine, which is why no one could cause him to perish.”
(Irfan-e-Ilahi aur Mahabbat Billah ka Aali Martabah, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 11, pp. 223-224)