This article responds to the claim that the Prophet’s ﷺ hiding in the Cave of Thawr was borrowed from the story of Saint Felix.

Some critics claim that the Islamic report about the Prophet ﷺ hiding in the Cave of Thawr resembles, or was borrowed from, the Christian story of Saint Felix.

This Arabic scan summarizes the story of Saint Felix of Nola from a Christian source. It states that Felix was from Nola in Italy, near Naples. During the persecution under Emperor Decius around the year 250, Christians were being pursued and tortured. Felix refused to escape permanently because he believed his place was to serve the Church and help the sick and needy. When persecution intensified, he withdrew to the mountains and hid there, not out of fear of death, but to continue serving his people. Later, soldiers were sent to arrest him after the governor learned that Felix was encouraging people to remain firm in the Christian faith. The scan presents the background of Felix as a persecuted Christian figure, not as a prophet hiding with a companion in a cave during a migration.

This Arabic scan continues the biography of Saint Felix. It explains that after Saint Maximus died, people wanted Felix to become bishop, but he refused and preferred that Quintus, who was older in priesthood, be chosen instead. It then describes Felix’s humility, generosity, and refusal to reclaim his confiscated property after persecution ended, except for a small piece of land. He spent his possessions on the poor and lived simply. The scan also says Felix died in old age, around January 14 in the year 260, and that Paulinus of Nola later honored him greatly. This page does not present any strong similarity to the Cave of Thawr narrative; it mainly discusses Felix’s later life and character.

This Arabic scan contains the closest part of the Felix story to the comparison. It says Felix was arrested, threatened, and tortured, then imprisoned. Later, an angel appeared and told him to leave the prison to care for Saint Maximus, who was hidden in a forest. Felix’s chains fell off, the prison doors opened, and he went to Maximus, who was near death. Felix carried him until they reached a ruined wall. The scan then states that Felix hid inside a hole in that wall, and a spider quickly built a web over the entrance. When the pursuers arrived, they saw the spider web and assumed no one could be inside, so they left. This is the section being compared to the Islamic cave story. But even here, the setting is a hole in a ruined wall, not the Cave of Thawr, and Felix is not shown hiding with a companion while enemies stand directly above them.

Saint Felix | Felix | St-Takla.org

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As for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, the spider and the dove appeared later, and this story is not even established in the Sunnah.

Secondly, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was accompanied by Abu Bakr, while this saint had no one with him.

In other words, it’s a completely different story.

Fourthly, anyone who wanted to escape from people at that time would flee to a cave or grotto; this is obvious.

As for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, the spider and the dove appeared later, and this story is not even established in the Sunnah.

But does this saint’s story have any basis?

It doesn’t.

So how can one use a weak hadith to support an authentic one?

This is the kind of misguided comparison critics make.

The story of Saint Felix is not the same as the Cave of Thawr report:

• Felix hid in a hole in a ruined wall, not in a cave.
• Felix was alone, while the Prophet ﷺ was with Abu Bakr.
• The pursuers in the Islamic report reached the cave directly, while Felix’s pursuers were not in the same situation.
• The spider-and-dove detail is not established in the Sunnah.
• The authentic Cave of Thawr report does not depend on the spider-and-dove story.
• Similarity in the general idea of hiding from enemies does not prove borrowing.

Therefore, the claim that the Cave of Thawr story was borrowed from Saint Felix is a forced and weak comparison.