5. Would you like to meet him outside the institution? (cont.)

Abu Sufyan was the head of this caravan. When he came to know of the Muslims' advancement, he paid a man called Dhamdham bin 'Amr al-Ghifari and said, "Go and inform Quraysh of the news." Dhamdham headed for Makkah. His journey to Makkah was to take a few days and the people of Makkah were unaware of any of the developments. One night, 'Atikah bint 'Abd al-Muttalib had a nightmare. The next morning, she called for her brother, al-'Abbas bin 'Abd alMuttalib and said, "Dear brother, last night I had a terrible nightmare! I feared that it may be indicative of what calamities are to befall your people, so please keep to yourself what I am about to tell you and do not disclose it to anyone." He said, "Ok. What did you see?" Keeping a secret She said, "I saw a man mounted on a camel who came to the valley of al-Abtah and said in a loud voice: 'March forth, O you who will depart to your own end in three days!'" She continued, "I saw the people gathered around him. He then moved on until he entered the Mosque whilst the people were following him. Whilst he was still in their midst, he climbed on top of the Ka'bah on his camel and said what he had said before: 'March forth, O you who will depart to your own end in three days!'" "He then climbed on top of Mount Abu Qays and said the same in a loud voice: 'March forth, O you who will depart to your own end in three days!'" He then lifted a rock and threw it from the top of the mountain. The rock fell from the top of the mountain, and when it landed at the bottom, it broke into small pieces, and fragments of it entered into every house in Makkah." Al-'Abbas was shocked and said, "By Allah, that was an astounding dream!" He feared that the news of this dream may spread and cause harm, so he warned her saying, "Please keep it a secret and do not mention it to anyone." Al-'Abbas then left with the dream on his mind. On his way, he met al-Walid bin 'Utbah, who was his friend. He shared the nightmare with him and said, "Please keep it a secret and do not tell anyone!" Al-Walid went off, met his son 'Utbah and told him of the nightmare. Keeping a secret It didn't take long until 'Utbah disclosed it to some of his friends, and from there the news began to spread amongst the people of Makkah until it became the subject of discussion in the gatherings of Quraysh. The next morning, al-'Abbas went to the Ka'bah to perform tawaf to find Abu Jahl sitting amongst a group of people from Quraysh under the shade of the Ka'bah, discussing 'Atika's nightmare! When Abu Jahl noticed al-"Abbas he said, "O Abu-Fadhl! Please come to us when you have finished your Tawaf." Al-'Abbas became surprised as to why Abu Jahl would like to speak to him. He could not have conceived that he would ask him about 'Atika's nightmare. Al-'Abbas performed his tawaf and went off to Abu Jahl's gathering. When he approached them and sat down, Abu Jahl said to him, "O Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib, when did you have this new prophetess?" "What do you mean?" asked al-'Abbas. Abu Jahl replied, "I am speaking of the nightmare 'Atika had." Al-'Abbas became alarmed and said, "What nightmare did she have?" Abu Jahl said, "O Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib! Isn't it enough that your men are claiming Prophethood. It seems that now even your women are doing so! 'Atika claims that she saw in a dream a man saying: 'March forth in three days!' So we will wait for three days, and if what you say is true, then we will see it happen. But if three days pass by and nothing happens, then we will write Keeping a secret a declaration saying that you are the most untruthful family in speech amongst the Arabs!" Al-'Abbas became worried and did not say anything in response. He also denied knowledge of the nightmare, and denied that she ever saw a dream. They then left the gathering. When al-'Abbas entered his house, every single woman in the Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib family came to him in anger saying, "You've allowed this evil and wretched man to insult your men, and now he begins to insult your women and you simply sit there, listening to all of this! Do you not have a sense of honour for your people?" Al-'Abbas became zealous and excited and said, "By Allah! If Abu Jahl says that again, I will do this and that!" Three days after 'Atika's nightmare, al-'Abbas entered the mosque in anger. Upon entering the mosque he saw Abu Jahl and decided to go to him to respond to his words. However, he noticed Abu Jahl leaving the mosque in hurry and was surprised. He had been ready to argue and quarrel with him.