Question
The famous story of the spider web being at the cave where Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radiyallahu ‘anhu) stayed is well known and it says the Quraysh did not enter the cave as there was a spider web indicating nobody had entered it. I read this in books of Sirah but some claim it is a weak narration. What is the status of this narration?
Answer
This has been recorded in several Hadith books. Among them are the following sources which cite this narration via three different chains:
1) Musannaf ‘Abdur Razzaq, Hadith: 9743, vol. 5 pg. 389
2) Musnad Ahmad, vol. 1 pg. 348
3) Musnad Bazzar; Kashful Astar, 1741. See Majma’uz Zawaid, vol. 6 pg. 53
4) Dalailun Nubuwwah of Imam Bayhaqi (rahimahullah). vol. 2 pg. 482
5) Musnad Abi Bakr of Al Marwazi; See Subulul Huda War Rashad vol. 3 pgs. 240-241
The combined strength of these narrations make it suitable to quote. In fact Hafiz Ibn Hajar and Hafiz Ibn Kathir (rahimahumallah) have declared the chain of Musnad Ahmad as sound (hasan)
(Fathul Bari, Hadith: 3905 and Al Bidayah Wan Nihayah, vol. 3 pg. 444-445)
In light of the above, this narration is definitely suitable to be quoted.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best
Answered by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar