An Inquiry into the Verse of the Cave

Different Islamic sectsrefer to the Quran as the most important source of religion to prove the legitimacy of their beliefs and doctrines. For example, some Sunni writers rely onthe verse no. 40 of Sura "Repentance" (that is, the verse of the cave) to prove the precedence of Abu Bakr's character and caliphate. To prove their view, they focus their argument on the expression "he was the second of the two" considering, Abu Bakr as the second person nextto the holy Prophet (May the blessings and peace of God be upon him and his progeny) in that journey and on the expression" when he said to his companion: Grieve not, surely Allah is with us". Providing a sound interpretation for this holy verse, and a critical analysis of Sunni's proofs and reasons, the author concludes that the stated holy verse is devoid of any indication of Abu Bakr's precedence.