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
aboutMuhammad 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 ofBusra 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 toldTalhah, 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 mostdismayed 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 theydespaired of using gentle persuasion to achieve their
aim, they resorted to persecution andviolence. 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 onhis 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. Hegave 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 greatsignificance took place. Talhah grew
in stature as he bore the pain and suffering of being tested in the
path of God and HisProphet. 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 theway back
from Badr. They were both sad at having missed the opportunity of
taking part in thefirst 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 ibnUbaydullah. 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 wasdrained 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 puthim 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 ibnal-Jarrah and I were far from
theProphet. When we came close tohim 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 andhe 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 andsouth 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 Allan 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 whoexperienced 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
wasmore 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 afterthe 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'shouse 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 allegianceto him, including Talhah and Zubayr ibn
al-Awwam. Talhah and Zubayr were deeply shockedby the murder of
Uthman. They were horrified and felt strongly that the murderers
should be punished and that justice shouldbe 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 ofUthman. 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 nottolerate 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
foughtside 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 andhow
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 whenhe 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 namedAmr 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 inthe fighting and killing that followed that came to
be knownin 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 themwith 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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And Allah Knows the Best!
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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
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