158 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMADat others to the right." That account also states that when the feet of the
Messenger of God (SAAS) became sore, Abii Bakr would carry hi on his back.
Also, that when he went into the cave he blocked up all the crevices except one,
and over that he placed his heel. Snakes then struck at him and his tears ran
down. Seeing this, the Messenger of God (SAAS) told him, "Don't be sad; God
is with us!"
There are some strange and unsatisfactory aspects to the course of this anec-
dote.
Al-Bayhaqi stated, "The Aha 'Abd Allnh and Abii Sa'id b. Aba 'Amr
informed us as follows, 'Abii al-'Abbas d-Asamm related to us, quoting 'Abbns
al-Dciri, quoting Aswad h. 'Amir Shndhan quoting Isrs'il, from al-Aswad, from
Jundub h. 'Abd Allah, who said, "Aba Bakr was with the Messenger of God
(SAAS) in the cave when he hit his hand on a rock. He then spoke the following
verse:
'You are nothing but a finger that bleeds; what
happened to you was in God's cause!'""'
Imw Ahmad stated, "'Ahd al-Razznq related to us, quoting Mahar, quoting
'Uthmw al-Jazari, that Miqsam, the freed-man of Ibn 'Abbns, told him that Ibn
cAhb% made the following comment about the verse in the Qur'w. 'And when
those who disbelieve were scheming to imprison you' (siirat 41-Anfzl; VIII,
v.30). He said, 'Quraysh were engaged in discussion one night in MecLa and
some of them suggested, "In the morning imprison him in shackles.'' They were
referring to the Prophet (SAAS). Others of them said, "No; kill him!" Yet others
said, "No, exile him!" God made his Prophet (SAAS), aware of that and so 'Ali
spent the night on his bed, while the Messenger of God (SAAS) went to the
cave. The polytheists spent the night watching 'Ali, thinking him to be the
Prophet (SAAS). When morning came they attacked him and when they saw
'Ali, God turned their trickery against them. They said, "Where is that master
of yours?" He replied, "I don't know."
"'They followed his tracks, but these became too confused for them in the
mountains. They climbed on up the mountain and passed by the cave hut saw a
spider's web over its opening. They said, "If anyone had gone inside here, the
spider would not have put a web over its opening." And so he stayed there three
nights."'
The chain of authorities for this is good; it is one of the best accounts given
relating to the spider's web over the mouth of the cave, which was God's protec-
tion for His Messenger (SAAS).
The hzj? Aba Bakr Ahmad b. 'All b. Sa'id al-di stated in his collection
of traditions relating to Aba Bakr as follows, ''Bashsh%r al-Khaff~f related to
us, quoting Ja'far, quoting Sulaymm, quoting Abii 'Imran al-Jawni, quoting
al-Mu'alla b. Ziyad, that d-Hasan al-Basri said, 'The Prophet (SAAS) hurried
away with Abii Bakr to the cave. Quraysh came looking for him and when they