254 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMADdream. When Aba Jahl saw me, he said, "Aba al-Fadl, why don't you come and
join us when you finish your circumambulation?" When I had finished I went
over to him and sat down among them. Aha Jahl then asked me, "How long has
your family of 'Abd al-Muttalib had this prophetess?" "How do you mean?" I
asked. "I'm talking about the visions 'Atika saw," he replied. "What were they?"
I enquired. He responded, "Aren't you 'Abd al-Muttalihs satisfied with having
your men become prophets? Has it got to be your women too? 'Atika claims that
in her vision a man said, 'Come forth in three days!' We're going to watch you
closely for these three days and if what you say is true, so be it. But if three days
pass with nothing happening, then we'll judge you the biggest liars of all the
temple-worshippers among the Arabs!"'
"Al-cAbbas commented, 'I swear, I've never had any problem with hi before.
Ail I did was repudiate what he said and deny that she had seen anything.'
"He went on, 'We then parted company. That night every woman of the 'Abd
al-Muttalib clan came to see me and said, "Have you agreed to let that dirty old
reprobate attack first your men and then your womenfolk while you just listened?
Didn't anything you heard hi say offend you?" I replied, '7 would have done
something, hut I never had a problem with him before. I swear I will confront
him and if he repeats it, I'll take care of him for you!"'
"He went on, 'On the morning of the third day after 'Atika's vision, I was
extremely angry, feeling I had let him get away with something I should have put
a stop to. I went into the mosque and saw him. I swear I was making towards him
to confront hi to get hi to retract what he had said - he was a slight man, with
a face, voice and gaze that were all sharp - when he hurried off towards the door
of the mosque. I asked myself what could he the matter with the fellow, and
whether he was doing this because he feared I was about to confront hi. But he
had heard something I had not - the voice of Damdam b. 'Amr al-Ghifwi who
was out in the centre of the valley, standing by his camel. He had lopped its ears
and turned its saddle back to front, rent his shin and was yelling, ''0 Quraysh!
The baggage camels! The baggage camels! Your goods being brought by Aha
Sufyw have been waylaid by Muhammad and his men! I don't think you can
save them! Help! Help!"'
"Ibn 'Abbas concluded, 'And so all this diverted us both from our personal
conflict.
"'The Meccans then made quick preparations commenting, "Do Muhammad
and his men think it's going to turn out as it did with the raid on the caravan of
Ibn al-Hadrami? No way! By God, they'll find out differently!""'
Masa b. Wqba related the vision of 'Atika in much the same terms as did Ibn
Ishaq. He stated, "And when Damdam h. 'Amr spoke in this fashion the
Meccans were very worried about 'Atika's vision and went forth to battle feeling
insecure and fearing the worst."
Ihn Ishaq stated, "The Meccans used to respond in two ways. They either
went forth themselves or sent another in their place. Not one of their leaders