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TALHAH
IBN UBAYDULLAH Radhia
Allahu Anaha
Returning
to Makkah in haste after a trading trip to Syria, Talhah
asked his family: "Did anything happen in Makkah
since we left?" "Yes," they replied.
"Muhammad ibn Abdullah emerged alleging that he is a
Prophet and Abu Quhafah (Abu Bakr) has followed him."
"I
used to know Abu Bakr," said Talhah. "He is an
easy-going, amiable, gentle man. He was an honest and
upright trader. We were quite fond of him and loved
sitting in his company because of his knowledge of Quraysh
history and genealogy."
Later,
Talhah went to Abu Bakr and asked: "Is it true what
they say, that Muhammad ibn Abdullah has appeared as a
Prophet and that you follow him." "Yes,"
replied Abu Bakr and went on to tell Talhah about Muhammad
and what a good thing it would be if he too followed him.
Talhah in turn told Abu Bakr the story of his strange
recent encounter with an ascetic in the market-place of
Busra in Syria. The ascetic is said to have told Talhah
that someone called "Ahmad" would appear in
Makkah about that time and that he would be the last of
the Prophets. He also told Talhah, so the story goes, that
the Prophet would leave the sacred precincts of Makkah and
migrate to a land of black soil, water and palm trees...
Abu
Bakr was astonished by the story and took Talhah to
Muhammad. The Prophet, peace be on him, explained Islam to
Talhah and recited some portions of the Quran to him.
Talhah was enthusiastic. He related to the Prophet his
conversation with the ascetic of Busra. There and then,
Talhah pronounced the Shahadah - that there is no god but
Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. He was
the fourth person who had been introduced to Islam by Abu
Bakr.
The
Quraysh were astounded by the young Talhah's acceptance of
Islam. The one who was most dismayed and unhappy was his
mother. She had hoped that he would one day be a leader in
his community because of his noble character and his
outstanding virtues. Some of the Quraysh, anxious and
worried, went to Talhah as soon as they could to wean him
away from his new religion but found him firm and
unshakable as a rock. When they despaired of using gentle
persuasion to achieve their aim, they resorted to
persecution and violence. The following story is related
by Masud ibn Kharash:
"While
I was making saiy between as-Safa and al-Marwa, there
appeared a crowd of people pushing a young man whose hands
were tied behind his back. As they rushed behind him, they
rained down blows on his head. In the crowd was an old
woman who lashed him repeatedly and shouted abuses at him.
I asked: 'What's the matter with this young man?' 'This is
Talhah ibn Ubaydullah. He gave up his religion and now
follows the Banu Hashim man.' 'And who is the woman behind
him?' I asked. 'She is as-Sabah bint al-Hadrami, the young
man's mother,' they said.
The
Quraysh did not stop there. Nawfal ibn Khuwaylid,
nicknamed the 'lion of the Quraysh" bound Talhah with
a rope and with the same rope he tied up Abu Bakr and then
handed them over to the mindless and violent mob of Makkah
to be beaten and tortured. The shared experience no doubt
drew Talhah and Abu Bakr closer together!
Years
passed and events of great significance took place. Talhah
grew in stature as he bore the pain and suffering of being
tested in the path of God and His Prophet. He gained the
unique reputation among Muslims of being called the
"living martyr". The Prophet, peace be on him,
also called him "Talhah the Good" and
"Talhah the Generous".
The
name of the "living martyr" was earned during
the Battle of Uhud. Talhah had missed the Battle of Badr.
He and Said ibn Zayd had been sent outside Madinah on a
mission by the Prophet and when they returned, the Prophet
and his companions were already on the way back from Badr.
They were both sad at having missed the opportunity of
taking part in the first campaign with the Prophet but
were tremendously pleased when he told them they would get
the same reward as those who actually fought.
At
the Battle of Uhud, when the Muslims fell into disarray at
the beginning of hostilities the Prophet became
dangerously exposed. There were about eleven men of the
Ansar at his side and one Muhajir - Talhah ibn Ubaydullah.
The Prophet clambered up the mountain hotly pursued by
some mushrikin. The Prophet, peace be on him, shouted:
"The
one who repulses these people from us will be my companion
in Paradise." "I, O Messenger of god,"
shouted Talhah.
"No,
stick to your position," replied the Prophet. A man
from the Ansar volunteered and the Prophet agreed. He
fought until he was killed. The Prophet went further up
the mountain with the mushrikin still in close pursuit.
"Isn't there someone to combat these?"
Talhah
again volunteered but the Prophet ordered him to maintain
his position. Another person immediately came forward,
fought and was killed. This happened until all who stood
by the Prophet were martyred except Talhah.
"Now,
yes," signalled the Prophet and Talhah went into
battle. By this time, the Prophet's teeth had been broken,
his forehead had been slashed, his lips had been wounded
and blood was streaming down his face. He was drained of
energy. Talhah plunged into the enemy and pushed them away
from the Prophet. He turned back to the Prophet and helped
him a little further up the mountain and put him to lie on
the ground. He then renewed his attack and successfully
repulsed the enemy. About this occasion Abu Bakr said:
"At
that moment, Abu Ubayd ibn al-Jarrah and I were far from
the Prophet. When we came close to him to render
assistance to him, the Prophet said: 'Leave me and go to
your companion (meaning Talhah)."
There
was Talhah, bleeding profusely. He had numerous wounds,
from sword, spear and arrow. His foot had been cut and he
had fallen into a hollow where he lay unconscious.
Thereafter,
the Prophet, peace be on him, said: "Whoever is
pleased to see a man still walking on earth who had
completed his span (of life), let him look at Talhah ibn
Ubaydallah."
And,
whenever Uhud was recalled, As-Siddiq, may God be pleased
with him, would say: "That day, that entire day,
belonged to Talhah."
That
was the story of how Talhah became to be called the
"living martyr". There were unnumerabIe
incidents which led to him being called "Talhah the
Good" and "Talhah the Generous".
Talhah
was an astute and successful merchant who travelled widely
to the north and south of the Arabian peninsula. It is
said that after one of his trips to Hadramawt, he had
profits amounting to some seven hundred thousand dirhams.
His nights would be anxious and worried on account of this
vast wealth. On one such night, his wife, Umm Kulthum the
daughter of Abu Bakr, said to him:
"What's
wrong with you, O father of Muhammad? Perhaps I have done
something to hurt you.'?" "No ," replied
Talhah. "You are a wonderful wife for a Muslim man.
But I have been thinking since last night: How can a man
think of his Lord and Sustainer when he goes to sleep with
this wealth in his house?"
"Why
should it bother you so much ," remarked Umm Kulthum.
"What about all the needy ones in your community and
all your friends? When you get up in the morning share it
out among them."
"God
bless you. You are really marvellous, the daughter of a
marvellous man," said Talhah to his wife. In the
morning, Talhah gathered up the money in bags and
distributed it among the poor Muhajirin and Ansar.
It
is related that a man came up to Talhah requesting help
and also mentioning some common family connection between
them.
"This
family connection someone has mentioned to me
before," said Talhah who was in fact known for his
generosity to all members of his clan. Talhah told the man
that he had just sold a piece of land to Uthman ibn Affan
for several thousand dirhams. The man could have the money
or the land which could be re-purchased from Uthman. The
man opted for the money and Talhah gave it all to him.
Talhah
was well-known for helping persons who had debt problems,
heads of families who experienced hardship, and widows.
One of his friends, as-Saib ibn Zayd, said of him: "I
accompanied Talhah ibn Ubaydallah on journeys and I stayed
with him at home and I have not found anyone who was more
generous with money, with clothes and with food than
Talhah."
No
wonder he was called "Talhah the Good" and
"Talhah the Generous".
The
name Talhah is also connected with the first fitnah or
civil war among Muslims after the death of the prophet,
peace be on him.
The
seeds of trouble were sown during the caliphate of Uthman
ibn Affan. There were many complaints and accusations
against him. Some mischief-makers were not content with
accusations only but were determined to finish him off. In
the year 35 AH (656 CE) a group of insurgents stormed
Uthman's house and murdered him while he was reading the
Quran. It was one of the most shocking events in the early
history of Islam.
Ali
was persuaded to accept the responsibility of the
Caliphate and all Muslims swore allegiance to him,
including Talhah and Zubayr ibn al-Awwam. Talhah and
Zubayr were deeply shocked by the murder of Uthman. They
were horrified and felt strongly that the murderers should
be punished and that justice should be done. But the
punishment of the murderers was not an easy task in as
much as the crime was not just the work of a few
individuals but involved a large number of persons.
Talhah
and Zubayr sought Ali's permission to go to Makkah to
perform Umrah. They met Aishah the wife of the Prophet.
She was greatly shocked when she heard of the
assassination of Uthman. From Makkah, Talhah, Zubayr and
Aishah set off for Basrah where large numbers were
gathering to seek revenge for the death of Uthman.
The
forces gathered at Basrah seemed to present an open
challenge to Ali. As the caliph of the Muslims and the
head of the entire Muslim State, he could not tolerate any
insurrection or armed revolt against the State. But what a
difficult and awesome task he faced! To deal with the
revolt, he had to confront his brothers, his companions
and his friends-followers of the Prophet and his religion,
those who often fought side by side with him against the
forces of shirk, those whom he respected and loved.
The
forces clamoring for vengeance for Uthman and those
supporting Ali met at a place called Kuraybah, near
Basrah. Ali desired to avoid war and settle matters by
peaceful means. He used every means at his disposal to
achieve peace. He clung to every hope of avoiding
confrontation. But the dark forces at work against Islam
and how numerous were these, were determined that matters
should come to a terrible and bloody end.
Ali
wept. He wept bitterly when he saw Aishah, the
"Mother of the Believers" in her hawdaj or
palanquin astride a camel at the head of the army which
now emerged to fight him. And when he saw Talhah and
Zubayr, two close companions of the Prophet, in the midst
of the army, he shouted to them to come out to him. They
did and Ali said to Talhah:
"O
Talhah, have you come with the wife of the Messenger of
Allah to fight along with her...?" And to Zubayr he
said:
"O
Zubayr, I implore you, by God, do you remember the day
when the Prophet. peace be on him, passed by you and we
were in such and such a place and he asked you: 'Do you
love Ali?' and you said: 'Why shouldn't I love my cousin
and one who follows my religion...?'"
Ali
continued talking to them reminding them of the bonds of
brotherhood and faith. In the end both Talhah and Zubayr
withdrew from participation in this civil war. They
withdrew immediately when they saw the situation in a
different light. But they paid for that withdrawal with
their lives.
As
they withdrew, a man named Amr ibn Jarmouz followed Zubayr
and cowardly murdered him while he performed Salat. Talhah
was killed by an arrow allegedly shot by Marwan - a cousin
of Uthman who was too blinded by rage and the desire to
seek revenge for his kinsman to respond to the possibility
of avoiding war and bloodshed among Muslims.
The
murder of Uthman had become Talhah's tryst with destiny.
He did not participate in the fighting and killing that
followed that came to be known in history as the
"Battle of the Camel". Indeed, if he had known
that the fitnah would have degenerated into such insane
hatred and bitterness and resulted in such a bloody
outcome, he would have resisted it. He was not keen to
fight Ali. He was simply appalled by the murder of Uthman
and wanted to see justice done. Before the beginning of
the battle he had said in a voice choked with emotion:
"O
Lord, for the sake of Uthman, take from me this day until
You are pleased." Then when Ali faced him and Zubayr,
they saw the correctness of his position and withdrew from
the field of battle. Yet, in these difficult
circumstances, martyrdom was reserved for them.
The
Battle of Camel came to an end. Aishah, the mother of the
believers, realized that she had precipitated matters and
left Basrah for the Sacred Mosque and then to Madinah
distancing herself from the conflict. Ali provided well
for her journey giving her all the comfort and honor due
to her.
When
the numerous dead from the battle were brought together,
Ali led the funeral prayer for them all, those who were
with him and those who were against him. And when he had
finished burying Talhah and Zubayr he bade farewell to
them with a heavy heart, a heart filled with tenderness
and love.
"I
really hope," he said in simple and sublime words,
"that Talhah, az-Zubayr, Uthman and I will be among
those of whom God has said: 'And We shall remove from
their hearts any lurking sense of injury and rancor; they
will be brothers joyfully facing each other on thrones of
dignity.' "(The Quran, Surah al-Hijr, 15:47)
Then
he looked tenderly and sorrowfully on the graves of his
brothers in faith and said: "I have heard with these
two ears of mine the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, saying: "Talhah and
az-Zubayr are my companions in Paradise!"
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