so Allah blinded their eyes. He went out while sleep had overcome them, scattered dust over their heads, and departed. In the morning, ‘Alī came out to them and told them that no one remained in the house. They then knew that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had escaped them and reached safety.
“Abū Bakr used to ask the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for permission to migrate, but he would tell him, ‘Do not be hasty; perhaps Allah will provide you with a companion.’ Abū Bakr hoped that he himself would be that companion, so he bought two riding camels and prepared them for that purpose. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, never failed to visit Abū Bakr’s house either early or late in the day.
“On the day when Allah gave him permission to migrate, he came to Abū Bakr at midday. When Abū Bakr saw him, he said, ‘Something must have happened to bring him at this hour.’ When he entered, Abū Bakr made room for him on his couch, and he sat down. He, peace be upon him, informed him that Allah had given him permission to migrate. Abū Bakr said, ‘May I accompany you, Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless you and grant you peace?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ Abū Bakr wept with joy and told him that he had prepared the two riding camels for that purpose.”
He sent the two camels with ‘Abd Allāh ibn Arqat to graze them. No one knew of the plans for the migration except Abū Bakr, ‘Alī, and Abū Bakr’s household. The Prophet instructed ‘Alī to remain behind to return the belongings that had been entrusted to him. Then he and Abū Bakr left through a small doorway at the back of his house and went to the cave on Mount Thawr, in the lower part of Mecca. They entered it at night. Abū Bakr instructed his son ‘Abd Allāh to listen to what people were saying and bring them the news in the evening. He also instructed his freedman, ‘Āmir ibn Fuhayrah, to graze his sheep and bring them to the cave in the evening. Asmā’, the daughter of Abū Bakr, would bring them food in the evening.
They remained in the cave for three days, and Quraysh offered a hundred she-camels for him. After three days, when the search for them had subsided, the man they had hired brought them the two riding camels. Asmā’ brought the food bag, but had forgotten to have a fastening cord provided for it, so she used her waistband. She was therefore called the Woman of the Two Waistbands. It is also said that she tore it in two, using half for the food bag and wearing the other half.
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mounted the better of the two camels, insisting on paying for it. Abū Bakr took his freedman, ‘Āmir ibn Fuhayrah, behind him on his mount to serve them on the journey. Their guide was ‘Abd Allāh ibn Arqat.
Mālik, may Allah have mercy on him, said that their guide was Ruqayt and that he was an unbeliever. Mūsā ibn ‘Uqbah said that his name was Urayqit. Surāqah ibn Khash‘am pursued them on his horse, since the polytheists had offered a hundred she-camels for bringing him back. He said, “When the travellers came into view, my horse stumbled beneath me, its forelegs sank into the ground, and I fell off. Then it pulled its forelegs out of the ground, and smoke like a whirlwind rose after them. When I saw that, I knew that he had