The dream of ʿĀtikah (aunt of the Prophet ﷺ) forewarning the Battle of Badr and surrounding events

[Machine] Atika, the daughter of Abdul Muttalib, saw a dream that alarmed her. It was about a man named Dammam bin Amr Al-Ghifari. He appeared to be a terrifying figure to the Quraysh in Makkah for three consecutive nights. Atika became greatly disturbed by this dream and sent a message to her brother, Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, informing him about it.

She said, "Oh, my brother, I had a dream last night that frightened me. It indicated that your people will face harm and calamity. The man in the dream approached on a camel and stopped at Aabtah. He then called out, 'O deceitful family of Ghadr, prepare yourselves in three.' I saw people gathering around him, and then he entered the mosque with his camel. The people gathered around him again. Suddenly, he reached the top of the Kāba and called out, 'O deceitful family of Ghadr, prepare yourselves in three.' Then his camel appeared on top of Abi Qubays, and he called out once again, 'O deceitful family of Ghadr, prepare yourselves in three.' He then picked up a rock and sent it rolling down the mountain. It kept rolling until it reached the bottom, destroying every house and building of your people.

Al-Abbas said, "By Allah, this is indeed a vision. Conceal it." She said, "And you, conceal it. If this reaches the people of Quraysh, they will harm us." So Al-Abbas left her and met Walid ibn Utbah, who was his friend. He mentioned it to him and entrusted him with it. Walid mentioned it to his father, and the news spread. Al-Abbas said, "By Allah, I will go to the Kāba to circumambulate it." When I entered the mosque, there was Abu Jahl with a group from Quraysh talking about Aatikah's vision.

Abu Jahl said, "O Abu al-Fadl, when did this prophetess say this to you?" I replied, "And what is that?" He said, "A vision seen by Atika, the daughter of Abdul-Muttalib. Have you, sons of Abdul-Muttalib, consented that your men should prophesy until even your women prophesy? We will wait for these three that Atika mentioned. If it is true, it will happen, and if not, we will write a document against you, for you are the most lying household in the Arab land. By Allah, there is no significant matter except that I have denied what she said. I said, 'She saw nothing, and I heard nothing like this.'"

By evening, every woman from the Banu Abdul Muttalib came to me, blaming me for not preventing this corrupted man from causing harm to our men and approaching our women. They said, "Didn't you have any sense of honor?" I replied, "By Allah, you speak the truth. I had doubts, but if he repeats this, I will handle him."

I sat there, waiting for the third day to confront him and make him say something. I cursed him in my heart, thinking that it was better to confront him than to curse him. Suddenly, I heard Ḍamḍam bin Amr reciting verses while standing on his camel at Aabtah. He had unraveled his turban and torn his shirt. He referred to the people of Mecca, saying, "Oh, deceitful and sinful Quraysh, your wealth is with Abu Sufyan, and your trade has been taken by Muhammad and his companions. Seek help from the devil." He then continued to recite for some time. This distracted me, and I only had my device until we left the city.

Quraish suffered a great loss that day, as they had in the Battle of Badr. They lost many noble people and their best warriors. Atika, the daughter of Abdul Muttalib, said, "Wasn't the dream true and did it not warn you? You said that it wasn't true, and I didn't lie. Whoever denies the truth is indeed a liar."  

رَأَتْ عَاتِكَةُ بِنْتُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ فِيمَا يَرَى النَّائِمُ قَبْلَ مَقْدَمِ ضَمْضَمَ بْنِ عَمْرٍو الْغِفَارِيِّ عَلَى قُرَيْشٍ بِمَكَّةَ بِثَلَاثِ لَيَالٍ رُؤْيَا فَأَصْبَحَتْ عَاتِكَةُ فَأَعْظَمَتْهَا فَبَعَثَتْ إِلَى أَخِيهَا الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ

فَقَالَتْ لَهُ يَا أَخِي لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ اللَّيْلَةَ رُؤْيَا أَفْزَعَتْنِي لَيَدْخُلَنَّ عَلَى قَوْمِكَ مِنْهَا شَرٌّ وَبَلَاءٌ فَقَالَ وَمَا هِيَ؟ فَقَالَتْ رَأَيْتُ فِيمَا يَرَى النَّائِمُ أَنَّ رَجُلًا أَقْبَلَ عَلَى بَعِيرٍ لَهُ فَوَقَفَ بِالْأَبْطَحِ فَقَالَ انْفِرُوا يَا آلَ غَدْرٍ لِمَصَارِعِكُمْ فِي ثَلَاثٍ فَأَرَى النَّاسَ اجْتَمَعُوا إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ أُرَى بَعِيرَهُ دَخَلَ بِهِ الْمَسْجِدَ وَاجْتَمَعَ النَّاسُ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ مَثَلَ بِهِ بَعِيرُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ عَلَى رَأْسِ الْكَعْبَةِ فَقَالَ انْفِرُوا يَا آلَ غَدْرٍ لِمَصَارِعِكُمْ فِي ثَلَاثٍ ثُمَّ إِنَّ بَعِيرَهُ مَثُلَ بِهِ عَلَى رَأْسِ أَبِي قُبَيْسٍ فَقَالَ انْفِرُوا يَا آلَ غَدْرٍ لِمَصَارِعِكُمْ فِي ثَلَاثٍ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ صَخْرَةً فَأَرْسَلَهَا مِنْ رَأْسِ الْجَبَلِ فَأَقْبَلَتْ تَهْوِي حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتْ فِي أَسْفَلِ الْجَبَلِ أَرْفَضَتْ فَمَا بَقِيَتْ دَارٌ مِنْ دُورِ قَوْمِكَ وَلَا بَيْتٍ إِلَّا دَخَلَ فِيهِ بَعْضُهَا

فَقَالَ الْعَبَّاسُ وَاللَّهِ إِنَّ هَذِهِ لَرُؤْيَا فَاكْتُمِيهَا قَالَتْ وَأَنْتَ فَاكْتُمْهَا لَئِنْ بَلَغَتْ هَذِهِ قُرَيْشًا لَيُؤْذُونَنَا فَخَرَجَ الْعَبَّاسُ مِنْ عِنْدِهَا وَلَقِيَ الْوَلِيدَ بْنَ عُتْبَةَ وَكَانَ لَهُ صَدِيقًا فَذَكَرَهَا لَهُ وَاسْتَكْتَمَهُ إِيَّاهَا فَذَكَرَهَا الْوَلِيدُ لِأَبِيهِ فَتَحَدَّثَ بِهَا فَفَشَا الْحَدِيثُ قَالَ الْعَبَّاسُ وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لَغَادٍ إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ لِأَطُوفَ بِهَا إِذْ دَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ فَإِذَا أَبُو جَهْلٍ فِي نَفَرٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ يَتَحَدَّثُونَ عَنْ رُؤْيَا عَاتِكَةَ

فَقَالَ أَبُو جَهْلٍ يَا أَبَا الْفَضْلِ مَتَى حَدَّثَتْ هَذِهِ النَّبِيَّةُ فِيكُمْ؟ قُلْتُ وَمَا ذَاكَ قَالَ رُؤْيَا رَأَتْهَا عَاتِكَةُ بِنْتُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ أَمَا رَضِيتُمْ يَا بَنِي عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ أَنْ يَتَنَبَّأَ رِجَالُكُمْ حَتَّى تَنَّبَّأَ نِسَاؤُكُمْ فَسَنَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمْ هَذِهِ الثَّلَاثَ الَّتِي ذَكَرَتْ عَاتِكَةُ فَإِنْ كَانَ حَقًّا فَسَيَكُونُ وَإِلَّا كَتَبْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ كِتَابًا إِنَّكُمْ أَكْذَبُ أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ فِي الْعَرَبِ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا كَانَ إِلَيْهِ مِنِّي مِنْ كَبِيرٍ إِلَّا أَنِّي أَنْكَرْتُ مَا قَالَتْ فَقُلْتُ مَا رَأَتْ شَيْئًا وَلَا سَمِعْتُ بِهَذَا

فَلَمَّا أَمْسَيْتُ لَمْ تَبْقَ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ بَنِي عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ إِلَّا أَتَتْنِي فَقُلْنَ أَصَبَرْتُمْ لِهَذَا الْفَاسِقِ الْخَبِيثِ أَنْ يَقَعَ فِي رِجَالِكُمْ ثُمَّ تَنَاوَلَ النِّسَاءَ وَأَنْتَ تَسْمَعُ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ عِنْدَكَ فِي ذَلِكَ غَيْرَةٌ؟ فَقُلْتُ قَدْ وَاللَّهِ صَدَقْتُنَّ وَمَا كَانَ عِنْدِي فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ غَيْرَةٍ إِلَّا أَنِّي قَدْ أَنْكَرْتُ مَا

قَالَ فَإِنْ عَادَ لَأَكْفِيَنَّهُ فَقَعَدْتُ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ أَتَعَرَّضُهُ لَيَقُولَ شَيْئًا فَأُشَاتِمُهُ فَوَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لَمُقْبِلٌ نَحْوَهُ وَكَانَ رَجُلًا حَدِيدَ الْوَجْهِ حَدِيدَ الْمَنْظَرِ حَدِيدَ اللِّسَانِ إِذْ وَلَّى نَحْوَ بَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ يَشْتَدُّ فَقُلْتُ فِي نَفْسِي اللَّهُمُ الْعَنْهُ كُلَّ هَذَا فَرَقًا مِنْ أَنْ أُشَاتِمَهُ وَإِذَا هُوَ قَدْ سَمِعَ مَا لَمْ أَسْمَعْ صَوْتَ ضَمْضَمَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو وَهُوَ وَاقِفٌ عَلَى بَعِيرِهِ بِالْأَبْطَحِ قَدْ حَوَّلَ رَحْلَهُ وَشَقَّ قَمِيصَهُ وَجَدَعَ بَعِيرَهُ يَقُولُ يَا مَعْشَرَ قُرَيْشٍ اللَّطِيمَةُ اللَّطِيمَةُ أَمْوَالُكُمْ مَعَ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ وَتِجَارَتُكُمْ قَدْ عَرَضَ لَهَا مُحَمَّدٌ وَأَصْحَابُهُ فَالْغَوْثُ فَشَغَلَهُ ذَلِكَ عَنِّي فَلَمْ يَكُنْ إِلَّا الْجِهَازُ حَتَّى خَرَجْنَا

فَأَصَابَ قُرَيْشًا مَا أَصَابَهَا يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ مِنْ قَتْلِ أَشْرَافِهِمْ وَأَسَرِّ خِيَارِهِمْ فَقَالَتْ عَاتِكَةُ بِنْتُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ [البحر الطويل] أَلَمْ تَكُنِ الرُّؤْيَا بِحَقٍّ وَعَابَكُمْ بِتَصْدِيقِهَا قَلَّ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ هَارِبُ فَقُلْتُمْ وَلَمْ أَكْذِبْ كَذَبْتِ وَإِنَّمَا يُكَذِّبْنَ بِالصِّدْقِ مَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبُ وَذَكَرَ قِصَّةً طَوِيلَةً