Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 389
389 to him and said : "The world has abandoned the path of God and the earth has become corrupt with sin, so I appoint you as My Apostle that you may warn the people and invite them to God before Divine punishment should overtake them. " This message filled him with fear and he humbly said in reply that he was an illiterate person. Then God opened his heart and filled his breast with Divine wisdom and spiritual knowledge and illuminated his heart. His holy spiritual power attracted the lowly and the humble people towards him and they became his devoted servants but the great and the haughty girt up their loins to oppose him until at last they even determined to put him to death. Many of his followers, both male and female, were killed and at last the house of the Holy Prophet himself was besieged. But who can destroy a man whom God wishes to save ? God sent His Word to the Holy Prophet informing him of the intentions of his enemies, bidding him to leave the city and promising him His assistances at every step. The Holy Prophet, accordingly left the city in the company of Abu Bakr and the two hid themselves in a cave, called Thaur, where they stayed for two nights. The enemy pursued them by following their footsteps and tracked them would go no further saying either they were in the cave or they had accended to the heavens. But who can encompass the wonders of the Divine power ? God so showed His power that in a single night the spider covered the whole mouth of the cave with its web and a pigeon made its nest at the mouth of the cavern and laid its eggs there. So when the tracker persuaded men to go into the cave, an old man among them cried : " This man is a fool. This web was at the mouth of the cave even be- fore Muhammad was born. " Hearing this all dispersed and no body cared to examine the interior of the cave.