Talhah ibn Ubaydullah (RA)
Early Encounter with Islam:
Once, Talhah ibn Ubaydullah returned to Makkah from a trading trip in Syria and asked his family: Has anything happened in Makkah since we left?
His family replied: Yes, Muhammad ibn Abdullah has emerged claiming that he is a Prophet and Abu Quhafah (Abu Bakr) has followed him.
Talhah then said: I used to know Abu Bakr, he was an honest and upright trader. We were quite fond of him and loved sitting in his company because of his knowledge of the Quraysh history.
Talhah ibn Ubaydullah Meets with Abu Bakr:
Talhah ibn Ubaydullah then 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? Abu Bakr replied: Yes.
Abu Bakr continued to tell Talhah ibn Ubaydallah about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Talhah then informed Abu Bakr about an encounter he had with a man in the market-place of Basra in Syria.
The man told Talhah ibn Ubaydullah that someone called ‘Ahmad’ would appear in Makkah and that he would be the last of the Prophets. He also told Talhah that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ would leave Makkah and migrate to a land of black soil, water and palm trees.
Abu Bakr was shocked when he heard this and he took Talhah to meet the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Conversion to Islam:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ informed Talhah ibn Ubaydallah about the religion of Islam and started to recite verses from Quran to him.
Talhah then explained the story of the encounter he had with the man from Basra and eventually, he took his Shahadah and accepted Islam.
He was the fourth person who accepted Islam from the dawah of Abu Bakr.
Reaction from the Quraysh:
The Quraysh were shocked by Talhah’s acceptance of Islam and some of them approached him in an attempt to stop him from the belief of Tawhid.
However, their attempts were unsuccessful so they decided to persecute Talhah ibn Ubaydullah instead.
Title and Virtues:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also called him ‘Talhah the Good’ and ‘Talhah the Generous’.
Talhah also received the title of ‘The Living Martyr’ which was given to him during the Battle of Uhud.
Absence at the Battle of Badr:
Talhah had missed the Battle of Badr, as the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ sent him and Sa’id ibn Zayd outside of Madinah on an expedition.
When they returned, the Prophet and his companions were already on their way back from Badr.
Despite missing out on the battle, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ gave Talhah ibn Ubaydallah the same reward as those who participated.
Battle of Uhud:
At the Battle of Uhud, when the Quraysh tried to attack the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, there were twelve men around him to protect him.
Talhah ibn Ubaydullah – The Only Muhajir to Defend the Prophet:
Out of these twelve men, there was one member from Muhajirin, and this was Talhah ibn Ubaydullah.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ shouted: The one who repulses these people from us will be my companion in Paradise.
Talhah shouted: I will, O Messenger of Allah. The Prophet responded: No, stick to your position.
A man from the Ansar volunteered and the Prophet agreed and this Ansari man fought until he was killed.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ went further up the mountain with the Quraysh still after him.
The Prophet then called out again: Isn’t there someone that can fight them? Talhah again volunteered but the Prophet once again, ordered him to stick to his position.
Another person from the Ansar immediately came forward, he fought and was eventually martyred.
This kept continuing until all eleven men from the Ansar, who were defending the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, were martyred.
Granted Permission to Fight the Quraysh:
Finally, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ then gave permission for Talhah ibn Ubaydullah to fight the members of the Quraysh.
Talhah confronted the Quraysh head-on and pushed them away from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He then turned back to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and carried him up the mountain on his shoulders.
Abu Bakr Recounts This Incident:
Abu Bakr said about this incident: At that moment, Abu Ubayd ibn al-Jarrah and I were far from the Prophet. When we came close to him to provide assistance to him, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: Leave me and go to your companion (referring to Talhah).
Talhah was bleeding a lot and he had many wounds.
The Prophet’s Testimony on Talhah ibn Ubaydullah:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ 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 Ubaydullah.
Abu Bakr’s Testimony on Talhah ibn Ubaydullah:
Whenever the Battle of Uhud was spoken about, Abu Bakr would say: That day, that entire day, belonged to Talhah ibn Ubaydullah.
Talhah ibn Ubaydullah – ‘The Living Martyr’:
This is how Talhah ibn Ubaydullah got the nickname ‘The Living Martyr.’
Generosity and Wealth:
Talhah ibn Ubaydullah was also a successful trader who travelled throughout the Arabian Peninsula. It is stated that after one of his trips to Hadramawt, he made a profit of 700,000 dirhams.
Conversation with His Wife:
One night, his wife Umm Kulthum, the daughter of Abu Bakr, said to him: What’s wrong with you, perhaps I have done something to hurt you.
Talhah replied: No, 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?
Umm Kulthum replied: Why should it bother you so much? What about all the needy ones in your community and all your friends? When you get up in the morning, share it among them.
Talhah then responded: May Allah bless you! You are really marvellous, the daughter of a marvellous man.
Distribution of Wealth:
In the morning, Talhah ibn Ubaydullah organised the money into bags and gave it to the poor Muhajirin and Ansar.
Political Turmoil and the Fitnah:
In the year 35 AH, a group of rebels murdered Uthman ibn Affan in his house while he was reading the Quran.
In the Battle of the Camel, Talhah ibn Ubaydullah fought as part of Aisha bint Abi Bakr’s army against the army of Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Ali ibn Abi Talib Convinces Talhah and Az-Zubayr to Withdraw from Fighting:
Ali ibn Abi Talib said to Talhah: O Talhah, have you come with the wife of the Messenger of Allah to fight along with her?
Ali then said to Az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam (who was also part of Aisha’s army): O Zubayr, I beg you, by Allah, do you remember the day when the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ passed by you and we were in such and such a place and he asked you: Do you love Ali? And you replied: Why shouldn’t I love my cousin and one who follows my religion.
After hearing Ali ibn Abi Talib say this, Talhah ibn Ubaydullah and Az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam withdrew from participating in this war.
Death of Talhah ibn Ubaydallah
It was reported that Talhah ibn Ubaydullah was killed in the Battle of the Camel by an arrow allegedly shot by Marwan ibn al-Hakam.
This arrow hit Talhah as he was retreating from the battle.
Ali ibn Abi Talib’s Reaction to Talhah’s Death:
Ali ibn Abi Talib said: I really hope, that Talhah, az-Zubayr, Uthman and I will be among those of whom Allah has said: ‘And We shall remove from their hearts any lurking sense of injury and rancour; they will be brothers joyfully facing each other on thrones of dignity.’ (Quran, 15:47)
Ali ibn Abi Talib then said: I have heard with these two ears of mine the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ saying: Talhah and az-Zubayr are my companions in Paradise!
Hadiths on Talhah ibn Ubaydullah:
Jabir ibn Abdullah reported that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: Whoever would be pleased to look at a martyr walking upon the face of this earth, let him look at Talhah ibn Ubaydullah. (Tirmidhi)
Az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam narrated: I was with the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and he said: Paradise is due for Talhah, when he did what he did for the Messenger of Allah (at Uhud). (Ahmad)