Atikah bint Abd al-Muttalib had, three nights before Damdam arrived in Mecca, seen a dream that alarmed her. She sent for her brother, al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, and said to him, “My brother, by Allah, I saw a dream last night that frightened me, and I fear that some evil and calamity may befall your people because of it. So keep confidential what I am about to tell you.”

He asked her, “What did you see?”

She said, “I saw a rider approaching on his camel until he stopped at al-Abtah. Then he cried out at the top of his voice: ‘March forth, O people of treachery (1), to the places where you will fall in three days’ time!’ I then saw the people gathering around him. He entered the Sacred Mosque with the people following him, and while they stood around him, his camel bore him up onto the roof of the Ka'bah. He then cried out again at the top of his voice: ‘March forth, O people of treachery, to the places where you will fall in three days’ time!’ Then his camel bore him up to the summit of Abu Qubays, and he cried out the same words. Then he took a rock and sent it hurtling down. When it reached the foot of the mountain, it shattered, and not a house or dwelling in Mecca remained except that a fragment of it entered it (2).”

Al-Abbas said, “By Allah, this is indeed a momentous dream that you have seen. Keep it secret, and do not mention it to anyone.”

Then al-Abbas went out and met al-Walid ibn Utbah ibn Rabi'ah ibn Abd Shams, who was his friend. He told him of it and asked him to keep it confidential. But al-Walid told his father, Utbah, and the report spread until Quraysh began speaking about it.

Al-Abbas said: “The next morning, I was circumambulating the House, while Abu Jahl ibn Hisham was sitting with a group of Quraysh, discussing Atikah’s dream. When Abu Jahl saw me, he said, ‘O Abu al-Fadl, when you have finished your circumambulation, come over to us.’ When I had finished, I came and sat with them. Abu Jahl said to me, ‘O Banu Abd al-Muttalib, when did this prophetess arise among you?’

“I said, ‘What do you mean?’

“He said, ‘The dream which Atikah saw.’

“I said, ‘And what did she see?’

“He said, ‘O Banu Abd al-Muttalib, was it not enough that your men should claim prophethood, so that now your women do as well? Atikah has claimed in her dream that he said, “March forth in three days.” We shall wait these three days. If what she said is true, then it will come to pass; but if the three days pass and nothing of this occurs, we shall draw up a document against you declaring that you are the most mendacious household among all the Arabs.’

Al-Abbas said: “By Allah, there was no serious exchange between him and me, except that I denied it and insisted that she had seen nothing. Then…”