Pourghorbani

At the summit of [[Mount Thawr]], there are two adjacent caves, both considered hiding places of the Prophet (PBUH) during the migration to Yathrib (Medina). Considering the companionship of [[Abu Bakr]] and also [[Amer bin Fuhayrah]], the guide of the route, it can be said that the larger cave served as the place of concealment. The dimensions of this cave are 5.3 square meters in length and width, with a height of 1.3 meters.<ref>Qāʾidān, ''Tārīkh wa āthār-i Islāmī-yi Makka wa Madīna'', p. 96.

"Apparently, in the 14th century AH (20th century CE), it was customary for the people of Mecca to visit this mountain on Saturdays, while the rest of the days were for others to visit.<ref>Ṣabrī Pāshā, ''Mawsūʿa mirʾāt al-ḥaramayn'', vol. 2, p. 912.</ref> At that time, stone markers were placed along the path and on top of the mountain to guide visitors.<ref>Ibrāhīm Rafʿat Pāshā. ''Mirʾāt al-ḥaramayn'', vol. 1, p. 61.</ref>

==Changes to the Cave Entrance==

Kurdi (d. 1400 AH/ 1979-80) claimed, referring to a phrase from the Qamus al-Muhit and Abu Bakr's account of staying in the cave, that the entrance to the cave was originally at its upper section during the Prophet's time and that the current entrances were later created.<ref>Kurdī, ''Al-Tārīkh al-qawīm li Makka wa bayt Allāh al-karīm'' , vol. 2, p. 394; Gāzī, ''Ifādat al-anām'', vol. 2, p. 18.</ref>

Ibn Jubayr (d. 612 AH/1215-6) mentioned two entrances for the cave, with one of them being wider, and people mostly used that entrance to access the cave.<ref>Ibn Jubayr, ''Riḥla Ibn Jubayr'', p. 124-125; Warthīlānī, ''Al-Riḥla al- Warthīlānīyya'', vol. 2, p. 475; Ibn Zahīra, ''Al-Jāmiʿ al-laṭīf fī faḍl-i Makka wa ahluhā wa bināʾ al-Bayt al-Sharīf'', p. 300.</ref>

Based on this report, apparently, during those periods, the second entrance was created for the easy access of pilgrims to the cave. This was because the main opening of the cave, which was located on the [[Qibla]] side, was very narrow, requiring a specific skill to pass through. Around the year 800 AH/1397-8, the main entrance of the cave was slightly expanded by cutting rocks.<ref>Fāsī al-Makkī, ''Shifāʾ al-gharām bi akhbār al-balad al-ḥarām'', vol. 1, p. 280-281;  Ibn Fahd, ''Itḥāf al-warā bi akhbār umm al-qurā'', vol. 3, p. 409.</ref>

 

"Nevertheless, subsequent reports still narrate the small size of the cave entrance. For instance, in the year 810AH/1407-8, the entrance to the cave was temporarily closed due to overcrowding.<ref>Fāsī al-Makkī, ''Al-ʿAqd al-thamīn fī tārīkh al-balad al-ʾamīn'', vol. 3, p. 255; Ibn Fahd, ''Itḥāf al-warā bi akhbār umm al-qurā'', vol. 3, p. 458-459.</ref>

"Another report indicates that during the time of [[Sharif Aun al-Rafi']] (r. 1299 AH/ 1881-2), the Emir of Mecca ordered the expansion of the cave entrance.<ref>Kurdī, ''Al-Tārīkh al-qawīm li Makka wa bayt Allāh al-karīm'', vol. 2; p. 395.</ref>