Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 133
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 133 no trace of him. They rough - handled Ali, but could discover nothing from him. They also went to the house of Abu Bakr and threatened his daughter, but could get no definite information from her. When it became generally known that Muhammad had escaped, Quraish announced an award of a hundred camels, which was great wealth, for anyone who would bring Muhammad back to them, dead or alive. Several people scattered in all directions to look for him in the hope of winning the award. Leading Quraish summoned their best tracker and followed the tracks of the fugitives to the mouth of Thaur, where the tracker announced that the tracks did not proceed any further. One of them suggested that someone should e nter the cave and see whether the fugitives had taken refuge in it. Another one ridiculed this suggestion, observing that no one in his senses would take refuge in the cave, which was full of poisonous insects and reptiles. Abu Bakr could hear their pursuers talking to each other outside the cave, and being much perturbed, whispered to the Holy Prophet, ‘Messenger of Allah, Quraish have arrived so close that I can see their feet outside the cave. Were any of them to bend down and look into the cave, he might discern us inside. ’ The Holy Prophet sought to reassure him with, ‘Be not anxious, Allah is with us. Abu Bakr, what do you think of two, with whom there is a third, even Allah?’ Their pursuers returned to Mecca frustrated. Before departing from his house, Abu Bakr had directed his son, Abdullah, who was a very intelligent young man, to keep