We were halfway through our journey to Yathrib — the city you may know today as Madinah — when Abu Bakr, the close companion of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, turned to me and whispered, “We won’t make it far in the daylight.”
I am Salim, the servant of Abu Bakr, and though you won’t find my name in any hadith, I lived through the Hijrah — the migration of the Prophet ﷺ from Mecca to Yathrib. I watched history change from shadows beneath desert stones.
The Quraysh tribe of Mecca had placed a price on the Prophet’s ﷺ head. They were angry because he called people to worship only Allah, instead of their many idols. The Prophet ﷺ had quietly left Mecca in the dark of night. I had helped prepare the camels and gather supplies. But we couldn't head to Yathrib directly — not when the Quraysh were hunting him.
So we turned in the opposite direction — south, into the mountains — and climbed until we reached a small cave called Thawr. It sat high on rugged stone, hidden well.
The Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr entered first. Then I brought provisions and guided a shepherd named Amir to wipe away our tracks with his flock of sheep. We hoped the Quraysh would never think to look here.
I waited nervously at the base of the mountain that night. The path down was steep, and fear filled my chest like heavy air. The Quraysh were ruthless. If they found the Prophet ﷺ, they would show no mercy.
Later, Abu Bakr told me what happened inside the cave. He had pressed close to the Prophet ﷺ, listening to every whisper from outside — boots and voices nearing the entrance. Abu Bakr was terrified they would look just a little lower and spot them. But the Prophet ﷺ reminded him gently, “Do not be sad. Indeed, Allah is with us.”
This line would one day be preserved forever in the Qur’an — Surah At-Tawbah, verse 40.
And then, something incredible happened. A spider spun its web across the mouth of the cave. A wild dove laid its eggs near the entrance. The Quraysh arrived but turned away. “No one could be inside,” they thought, “not with the web unbroken and the eggs undisturbed.”
That’s how Allah protected His messenger — with the simplest signs. Not armies. Not swords. But a spider and a pair of birds.
When Abu Bakr and the Prophet ﷺ emerged days later, the road to Yathrib opened before them. A new chapter was about to begin — the Muslim community would grow strong in Madinah, free to worship Allah.
I never forgot that night in the mountain, when fear trembled in our bones yet faith stood firm. I had seen what trust in Allah looked like — not just in words, but in action, in stillness, in a cave wrapped in silence.
Faith isn't always loud. Sometimes, it hides in the mountain, waiting for morning.
---
Inspired by Surah At-Tawbah (9:40) and accounts of the Hijrah from classical Seerah traditions like those of Ibn Hisham and Ibn Kathir.
We were halfway through our journey to Yathrib — the city you may know today as Madinah — when Abu Bakr, the close companion of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, turned to me and whispered, “We won’t make it far in the daylight.”
I am Salim, the servant of Abu Bakr, and though you won’t find my name in any hadith, I lived through the Hijrah — the migration of the Prophet ﷺ from Mecca to Yathrib. I watched history change from shadows beneath desert stones.
The Quraysh tribe of Mecca had placed a price on the Prophet’s ﷺ head. They were angry because he called people to worship only Allah, instead of their many idols. The Prophet ﷺ had quietly left Mecca in the dark of night. I had helped prepare the camels and gather supplies. But we couldn't head to Yathrib directly — not when the Quraysh were hunting him.
So we turned in the opposite direction — south, into the mountains — and climbed until we reached a small cave called Thawr. It sat high on rugged stone, hidden well.
The Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr entered first. Then I brought provisions and guided a shepherd named Amir to wipe away our tracks with his flock of sheep. We hoped the Quraysh would never think to look here.
I waited nervously at the base of the mountain that night. The path down was steep, and fear filled my chest like heavy air. The Quraysh were ruthless. If they found the Prophet ﷺ, they would show no mercy.
Later, Abu Bakr told me what happened inside the cave. He had pressed close to the Prophet ﷺ, listening to every whisper from outside — boots and voices nearing the entrance. Abu Bakr was terrified they would look just a little lower and spot them. But the Prophet ﷺ reminded him gently, “Do not be sad. Indeed, Allah is with us.”
This line would one day be preserved forever in the Qur’an — Surah At-Tawbah, verse 40.
And then, something incredible happened. A spider spun its web across the mouth of the cave. A wild dove laid its eggs near the entrance. The Quraysh arrived but turned away. “No one could be inside,” they thought, “not with the web unbroken and the eggs undisturbed.”
That’s how Allah protected His messenger — with the simplest signs. Not armies. Not swords. But a spider and a pair of birds.
When Abu Bakr and the Prophet ﷺ emerged days later, the road to Yathrib opened before them. A new chapter was about to begin — the Muslim community would grow strong in Madinah, free to worship Allah.
I never forgot that night in the mountain, when fear trembled in our bones yet faith stood firm. I had seen what trust in Allah looked like — not just in words, but in action, in stillness, in a cave wrapped in silence.
Faith isn't always loud. Sometimes, it hides in the mountain, waiting for morning.
---
Inspired by Surah At-Tawbah (9:40) and accounts of the Hijrah from classical Seerah traditions like those of Ibn Hisham and Ibn Kathir.
