Is it true that the spider and the pigeon nested when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) hid in the Cave of Thawr?
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The questioner : Is it mentioned that the spider and the two pigeons nested on the day the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) hid in the Cave of Hira?
The Shaykh : No. The historians mention that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) hid in the Cave of Thawr, a spider nested on it and a pigeon landed on a tree branch. This is a lie with no truth to it, and it is not a sign for the Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). Any person on whom a spider nests and who has a pigeon around him, if someone sees him, would say there is no one there. But the Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) had Allah blind their eyes to him. Therefore, Abu Bakr said, “O Messenger of Allah, if one of them had looked at his own foot, he would have seen us,” because there was no barrier. So, there is no truth to the spider and the pigeon having occurred when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) hid in the Cave of Thawr. For this reason, many people respect the spider and say, “Do not kill it, because it nested on the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).” If the lizard is killed because it blew on the fire of Ibrahim, then this is honoring [them]. We say: No, the spider is killed if it harms, like any other creature. It sometimes causes harm by nesting on books and on the wall, so it is killed. There is a hadith commanding the killing of the spider, but it is weak. Right.
The Shaykh : No. The historians mention that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) hid in the Cave of Thawr, a spider nested on it and a pigeon landed on a tree branch. This is a lie with no truth to it, and it is not a sign for the Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). Any person on whom a spider nests and who has a pigeon around him, if someone sees him, would say there is no one there. But the Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) had Allah blind their eyes to him. Therefore, Abu Bakr said, “O Messenger of Allah, if one of them had looked at his own foot, he would have seen us,” because there was no barrier. So, there is no truth to the spider and the pigeon having occurred when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) hid in the Cave of Thawr. For this reason, many people respect the spider and say, “Do not kill it, because it nested on the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).” If the lizard is killed because it blew on the fire of Ibrahim, then this is honoring [them]. We say: No, the spider is killed if it harms, like any other creature. It sometimes causes harm by nesting on books and on the wall, so it is killed. There is a hadith commanding the killing of the spider, but it is weak. Right.