Mishkat al-Masabih
Mishkat al-Masabih 5934
وَعَن ابْن عبَّاس قَالَ تَشَاوَرَتْ قُرَيْشٌ لَيْلَةً بِمَكَّةَ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِذَا أَصْبَحَ فَأَثْبِتُوهُ بِالْوِثَاقِ يُرِيدُونَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَلِ اقْتُلُوهُ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَلْ أَخْرِجُوهُ فَأطلع الله عز وَجل نَبِيَّهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ فَبَاتَ عَليّ عَلَى فِرَاشِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ وَخَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى لَحِقَ بِالْغَارِ وَبَاتَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ يَحْرُسُونَ عَلِيًّا يَحْسَبُونَهُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَلَمَّا أَصْبحُوا ثَارُوا إِلَيْهِ فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا عَلِيًّا رَدَّ اللَّهُ مَكْرَهُمْ فَقَالُوا أَيْنَ صَاحِبُكَ هَذَا قَالَ لَا أَدْرِي فَاقْتَصُّوا أَثَرَهُ فَلَمَّا بَلَغُوا الْجَبَلَ اخْتَلَطَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَصَعِدُوا فِي الْجَبَلَ فَمَرُّوا بِالْغَارِ فَرَأَوْا عَلَى بَابِهِ نَسْجَ الْعَنْكَبُوتِ فَقَالُوا لَوْ دَخَلَ هَاهُنَا لَمْ يَكُنْ نَسْجُ الْعَنْكَبُوتِ عَلَى بَابِهِ فَمَكَثَ فِيهِ ثَلَاثَ لَيَال. رَوَاهُ أَحْمد
Ibn ‘Abbas reported: One night in Makkah, Quraysh consulted together. Some said, ‘When morning comes, bind him securely’—meaning the Prophet ﷺ. Others said, ‘Rather, kill him.’ Others said, ‘Rather, expel him.’ God, mighty and majestic, informed His Prophet ﷺ of this. That night ‘Ali slept in the Prophet’s bed, while the Prophet ﷺ went out and reached the cave. The polytheists spent the night guarding ‘Ali, thinking he was the Prophet ﷺ. When morning came, they rushed toward him. When they saw ‘Ali, God frustrated their plot. They said, ‘Where is your companion?’ He replied, ‘I do not know.’ They followed his tracks. When they reached the mountain, the tracks confused them. They climbed the mountain, passed by the cave, and saw a spider’s web at its entrance. They said, ‘If he had entered here, there would not be a spider’s web at its entrance.’ He stayed there for three nights. [Ahmad transmitted it]