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To what extent is the narration true that angels covered the entrance of the Cave of Hira with their wings during the Prophet's migration - may God bless him and grant him peace - instead of the story of the spider weaving its web? And what is the name of its narrator and its sources?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The Noble Qur’an and the Prophetic Sunnah mention the story of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and Abu Bakr spending the night in the cave. In the Qur’an, verse 40 of Surat At-Tawbah states that they were "the second of two, when they were in the cave," and that Allah granted them victory. As for the Sunnah, Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, mentioned that the Prophet and Abu Bakr stayed in the Cave of Thawr for three nights, and Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr would bring them news. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated his saying to the Prophet: "If any of them were to look beneath his feet, he would see us," to which the Prophet replied: "What do you think, O Abu Bakr, of two with whom Allah is the third?" As for the story of the spider weaving its web and the two doves, scholars have differed regarding its authenticity, and many have deemed it weak. The hadith about the angels shielding them has been reported with a chain of narration that contains discrepancies.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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