Emigration—From Makkah to Madinah

EMIGRATION—FROM MAKKAH TO MADINAH the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn Abbas. This is how the account goes: They (the Quraysh) followed close on the heels of the Prophet, but when they reached the mountain, they lost a trace of him. They then climbed the mountain and passed by a cave. Noting a spider’s web at the mouth of the cave, they said to one another, “If he had entered this cave, the spider’s web would not have remained intact.”139 It is not explicitly stated that they saw the cave of Thawr. Even if we accept that it was, all that is clear from this account is that they saw a spider’s web in the mouth of a cave. There is no mention of God commanding a spider to weave a web after the entry of the Prophet or of His making a dove lay its egg on top of the web. Such additions are fanciful and are the result of wishful thinking. The greatest damage caused by such interpolations is that they divert one’s attention to fantastic, far-fetched tales and cause one to miss the real lesson, which is to be derived from purely factual accounts. The Emigrants are Made to Feel at Home How the tribes of Madinah aided the Prophet is one of the most extraordinary events in history. Because of their assistance, they became known as the Ansar—the Helpers. Usually, when people give something, it is in return for some favour or to ingratiate themselves with someone. Some provide offerings for “holy men” because they think