so he retreated to the Sacred House of God, and he and those who remained with him sought shelter in the inviolable precinct of the venerable Kaaba.

Just hours before he was killed, he visited his mother Asmaʾ—now a worn-out old woman whose sight had failed—and said, “Peace be upon you, Mother, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.” (1)

She answered, “And upon you be peace, ʿAbd Allah … What has brought you here at this hour, when the boulders al-Hajjaj’s catapults (2) are hurling at your men inside the Sanctuary are shaking the very houses of Mecca?!”

He replied, “I have come to consult you.”

She exclaimed, “To consult me?! … About what?!”

He said, “People have deserted me and turned away—some out of fear of al-Hajjaj, others lured by what he promises …”