promised anyone who brought him one hundred camels, and anyone who brought him together with Abu Bakr two hundred camels. This was a substantial reward. They reached the cave where the Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—and Abu Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—were hiding. We all know that if someone is inside an open cave, he will be seen. Yet they saw neither the Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him and his family—nor Abu Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him. Abu Bakr said, “O Messenger of Allah, if any one of them looked down at his feet, he would see us.” The Prophet replied, “Do not grieve; Allah is surely with us. What do you think of two whose third is Allah?” (1). Abu Bakr was reassured.
Those men who stood over the cave had no deficiency in their hearing, sight, or intelligence. Rather, Allah blinded their eyes to the Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him and his family—and his Companion. So do not be astonished that, as historians relate, he passed through the midst of those ten young men, scattering dust over their heads while reciting:
﴾We placed a barrier before them and a barrier behind them, then covered them, so they cannot see﴿.
Allah Most High also says in Surah al-Anfāl:
﴾And when the disbelievers plotted against you to detain you﴿—meaning, imprison you—﴾or kill you or drive you out. They plan, and Allah plans, and Allah is the best of planners﴿ [Al-Anfāl: 30].
﴾They are indeed plotting, and I too am planning﴿.
Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:
﴾So grant the disbelievers respite; give them a little while﴿.
The expressions mahhil (“grant respite”) and amhil (“give respite”) have the same meaning—that is, wait a while, but do not wait long. ﴾A little while﴿ means briefly. The word ruwaydan is the diminutive of rawd or irwād, and it denotes a short period.
This verse contains a threat to Quraysh, consolation for the Messenger—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him and his family—and a promise that he would be granted victory. Events unfolded just as Allah, Mighty and Majestic, had foretold. The Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—departed from among them as an emigrant, and wars took place between him and them. In the second year after the Hijrah, some of the stalwarts of Quraysh were killed