They would soon seek protection in this House, viz. Ka'ba (the defenceless), people who would have nothing to protect themselves in the shape of weapons or the strength of the people. An army would be sent to fight (and kill) them and when they would enter a plain ground the army would be sunk in it. Yusuf (one of the narrators) said: It was a people of Syria (hordes of Hajjaj) who had been on that day coming towards Mecca for an attack (on 'Abdulllah b. Zubair) and Abdullah b. Safwan said: By God, it does not imply this army.
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ سَيَعُوذُ بِهَذَا الْبَيْتِ يَعْنِي الْكَعْبَةَ قَوْمٌ لَيْسَتْ لَهُمْ مَنَعَةٌ وَلاَ عَدَدٌ وَلاَ عُدَّةٌ يُبْعَثُ إِلَيْهِمْ جَيْشٌ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانُوا بِبَيْدَاءَ مِنَ الأَرْضِ خُسِفَ بِهِمْ قَالَ يُوسُفُ وَأَهْلُ الشَّأْمِ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَسِيرُونَ إِلَى مَكَّةَ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ صَفْوَانَ أَمَا وَاللَّهِ مَا هُوَ بِهَذَا الْجَيْشِ قَالَ زَيْدٌ وَحَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ الْعَامِرِيُّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَابِطٍ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ أَبِي رَبِيعَةَ عَنْ أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ يُوسُفَ بْنِ مَاهَكٍ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَذْكُرْ فِيهِ الْجَيْشَ الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ صَفْوَانَ