From the widespread false stories amongst Muslims is the story of a spider spinning the web and the doves placing themselves at the entrance of cave Thawr to deceive those in pursuit of the Prophet (Ṣallallāhu-‘Alaihi Wa Sallam) and Abū Bakr Raḍi-Allāhu ‘Anhu, both of whom took refuge in the cave whilst on the journey of Hijrah to Madeenah.
سؤال : هل عش العنكبوت والحمامتين وارد يوم اختفى الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم في غار ثور؟
الشيخ ابن العثيمين رحمه الله : لا ، يذكر المؤرخون : أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم حين اختفى في غار ثور عششت عليه العنكبوت ووقعت الحمامة على غصن شجرة وهذا كذب لا صحة له ، ولا فيه آية للرسول عليه الصلاة والسلام ينقل، أي إنسان تعشش العنكبوت وتكون حوله حمامة إذا رآه من يراه يقول : ما في أحد ، لكن الرسول عليه الصلاة والسلام أعمى الله أبصارهم عنه ولهذا قال أبو بكر : يا رسول الله! لو نظر أحدهم إلى قدمه لأبصرنا لأنه لا يوجد مانع ، فالعنكبوت والحمامة لا صحة لذكرهما عند اختفاء النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في غار ثور ، ولهذا يحترم كثير من الناس العنكبوت ، يقول: لا تقتلها ؛ لأنها عششت على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فإذا كان الوزغ يُقتل ؛ لأنه كان ينفخ في النار على إبراهيم فهذه تكرم فنقول : لا ، العنكبوت تقتل إذا آذت مثل غيرها ، وهي تؤذي بعض الأحيان تعشش على الكتب وعلى الجدار فتقتل ، بل في حديث لكنه ضعيف الأمر بقتل العنكبوت
Q: Is the (story of) the spider and the two doves on the day the Messenger of Allāh hid in the cave of ‘Thawr’ (authentically) reported?
Sh. Ibn al-‘Uthaymeen Raḥimahullāh : “No, the historians mention that the Prophet — Ṣallallāhu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam – when he hid in the cave of ‘Thawr’, a spider spun a web to cover him, and the dove landed on the branch of a tree, this is a LIE which has NO AUTHENTICITY,
And it (the like of this story) with regards to the Messenger Ṣallallāhu-‘Alaihi Wa Sallam has not been mentioned in any Āyah (of Qur’ān), (Furthermore) any person, if a spider were to spin a web (to cover him) and if there was a dove nearby – anybody who saw that would say: ‘There is no one in here.’
However, with regards to the Messenger Ṣallallāhu-‘Alaihi Wa Sallam, then Allāh blinded them (the polytheists) from seeing him hence Abū Bakr (Raḍi-Allāhu ‘Anhu) said: ‘O Messenger of Allāh !! If one of them were to look at his feet they would have seen us.’ This is because nothing (except Allāh) was preventing them from seeing (them both),
So the spider and doves, there is NOTHING AUTHENTIC narrated regarding them covering and hiding the Messenger of Allāh (Ṣallallāhu-‘Alaihi Wa Sallam) in the cave of Thawr,
Because of this (story) many people respect the spider, saying: ‘Do not kill it; because it spun a web covering the Prophet Ṣallallāhu-‘Alaihi Wa Sallam.’ So if the gecko lizard should be killed as it was blowing into the blazing fire that Ibrāheem was thrown into, then for this very reason (the spider) shall be honored (as per their logic),
So we say: ‘No, the spider is to be killed if it harms, just like other than it.’ And it does cause harm occasionally, making webs on books and on the wall – so it is to be killed (in this case) rather there is even a narration in this regard, but it is weak – with an order to kill the spider; however it is weak.”
● [لقاء الباب المفتوح ٢٢٩]
Sh. al-Albānī Raḥimahullāh also classified this narration as ‘Munkar’ i.e (denounced) then said:
واعلم أنه لا يصح حديث في عنكبوت الغار والحمامتين على كثرة ما يُذكر ذلك في بعض الكتب والمحاضرات
“And know that there is NO AUTHENTIC narration regarding that (story of) spider of the cave and the two doves which is abundantly mentioned in some books and lectures.”
● [سلسلة الأحاديث الضعيفة ٣/٣٣٧]
Shaykh-ul-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah Raḥimahullāh said regarding this story:
هذا حديث باطل كذب
“This narration is a false lie.”
● [مجموع الفتاوى ١٨/١٢٤]
{Path of the Righteous} 