The three nights in the cave of Thawr

The Prophet and Abu Bakr hid in the Cave of Thawr for three nights, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, while Quraysh searched the land and offered a reward of a hundred camels for each of them. ¹

Abu Bakr insisted on entering the cave before the Prophet ﷺ, so that if anything in it might harm him, it would harm Abu Bakr first. He cleared it out and blocked its hole with his waist-wrapper. Then he was stung in the foot and did not move, lest he wake the Prophet. ²

Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr would spend the night with them and set out before dawn, so that in the morning he was with Quraysh as one who had slept among them. Whatever he heard of plots against the two of them, he memorised and brought to them at night. Amir ibn Fuhayra would graze a milch flock for them, and the two would pass the night on its milk. He would drive his flock over Abdullah's tracks to obliterate them. ³

Quraysh struck Ali, dragged him to the Ka'ba and held him for an hour. They also struck Asma on the cheek, so that her earring flew off, when she denied knowing where her father was. They posted a reward of a hundred camels for whoever returned either of the two men, alive or dead. ³ The pursuers reached the mouth of the cave, and Abu Bakr said: "Messenger of God, if one of them were to lower his gaze, he would see us." The Prophet said: "What do you think of two whose third is God?" ^{4 5} Then the pursuit calmed down after three days, and they got ready to leave. ⁴

The Prophet and Abu Bakr stayed there three nights after leaving Mecca on the night of 27 Safar, until Quraysh's pursuit subsided (the Prophet's departure from his house and his hiding in the cave). ^{2 4}