Friday Sermon
13 March 2020
Men of Excellence
After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
The name of the Badri companion whose accounts I will narrate today is Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah.
Hazrat Talhara belonged to the Banu Taym bin Murrah tribe. His father’s name was Ubaidullah bin Uthman and the name of his mother was Sa‘bahra, who was the daughter of Abdullah bin Imad Hadrami and was the sister of Hazrat Alaara bin Hadrami. Hazrat Talha’s title was Abu Muhammad. The name of Hazrat Alaara bin Hadrami’s father was Abdullah bin Imad Hadrami.
Hazrat Alaara was originally from Hadhramaut and was the confederate of Harr bin Umayyah. The Holy Prophetsa had appointed Hazrat Alaara as the governor of Bahrain and he served as the governor until his demise. Hazrat Alaara passed away in the fourteenth year after Hijra during the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra.
One of his brothers, Aamir bin Hadrami, who had not accepted Islam, was killed during the Battle of Badr. Another brother of his, Amr bin Hadrami was the first idolater to be killed by a Muslim. Furthermore, his possessions were the first to be acquired by the Muslims as part of the spoils of war. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 160, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 4, p. 71, Al-Alaa bin al-Hadrami ra, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2008)
Hazrat Talha’sra ancestry connects with the Holy Prophetsa from the seventh generation through Murrah bin Kaab and it connects with Hazrat Abu Bakrra at the fourth generation. His father, Ubaidullah did not witness the era of Islam, however his mother lived a long life. She had the opportunity to accept the Holy Prophetsa and was granted the honour of being amongst the companions of the Holy Prophetsa. She had accepted Islam prior to the migration to Medina. (Roshan Sitarey az Ghulam Bari Saif Sahib, Vol. 2, p. 128)
Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah did not participate in the Battle of Badr, however the Holy Prophetsa gave him a share from the spoils of war. The reason he did not participate in the Battle of Badr is that the Holy Prophetsa was aware that the caravan of the Quraish had departed from Syria and subsequently sent Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah and Hazrat Saeedra bin Zaid 10 days prior to his own departure, in order to gather information about this caravan. Both of them set off and reached Haura, where they stayed until the caravan passed by. Haura was a resting place situated along the Red Sea, where caravans travelling between the Hijaz and Syria would pass by.
Nevertheless, the Holy Prophetsa came to know of this before Hazrat Talhara and Hazrat Saeedra returned. The Holy Prophetsa assembled the companions and set off in pursuit of this caravan of the Quraish. However, the caravan escaped taking another route, i.e. it quickly set off on a path along the coast. This incident has been previously been mentioned as well. The people of the caravan continuously walked day and night in order to escape from those who were in search for them; that is the caravan of the disbelievers from Mecca. Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah and Hazrat Saeedra bin Zaid set off towards Medina in order to inform the Holy Prophetsa of this caravan. They were unaware that the Holy Prophetsa had already departed for the Battle of Badr. They reached Medina on the same day the battle between the Quraish and the Holy Prophetsa took place in Badr. Both of them set off from Medina in order to present themselves before the Holy Prophetsa and met with him at Turbaan, while he was returning from Badr. Turbaan is a valley at a distance of nineteen miles from Medina, which has an abundance of sweet water wells. The Holy Prophetsa stayed there on his journey towards the Battle of Badr.
Hazrat Talhara and Hazrat Saeedra did not participate in the Battle of Badr. However, as mentioned previously, the Holy Prophetsa gave them a share of the spoils of this battle. Thus, the two of them are counted amongst those who participated in the Battle of Badr. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 162, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Al-Sirat al-Nabawiyyah, Fi Daw al-QuranVol. 2, p. 123, Dar-ul-Qalam, Damascus) (Farhang Sirat, p. 75, Zawwar Academy Publications, Karachi, 2003)
Hazrat Talhara participated in the Battle of Uhud and all other battles alongside the Holy Prophetsa. He was also present during the treaty of Hudaibiyyah. He was among the ten people who the Holy Prophetsa had given the glad-tidings of paradise in their lifetimes. He was also among the first eight people to accept Islam and among the five who accepted Islam through the preaching of Hazrat Abu Bakrra. He was among the six members of the Shura Committee established by Hazrat Umarra. He was among those blessed individuals whom the Holy Prophetsa was pleased with at the time of his demise. (Al-Isti‘ab, Vol. 2, p. 317, Talha bin Ubaidillah, Dar-ul- Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut) (Al-Isabah Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahabah, Vol. 3, p. 430, Talha bin Ubaidillah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1995)
Yazid bin Rumaan relates that once, Hazrat Uthmanra and Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah followed Hazrat Zubair bin Awamra and when they reached the Holy Prophetsa, he conveyed the message of Islam to them and recited the Holy Quran before them, informed them of the rights within Islam and promised them the honour they were to receive from God Almighty. Hazrat Uthmanra and Hazrat Talhara then accepted Islam and testified to the truthfulness of the Holy Prophetsa. Hazrat Uthmanra then said, “O Messengersa of Allah, I have just returned from Syria and when I reached Ma‘an… (this is the name of a place situated just before Mu‘tah. At the time of the battle of Mu‘tah, it was when the Muslims reached this place that they came to realise that the Byzantines had prepared an army 200,000 strong to combat them, and so the Companionsra stayed there for two days.) Hazrat Uthmanra continues: “…when I reached the land between Ma‘an and Zarqah on my return (this too is a place near Ma‘an), we set up camp there. As we were sleeping, we heard a caller announce, ‘O ye who sleep, awaken! Ahmad has appeared in Mecca!’ We then returned [to Mecca] and heard news regarding you.” (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 40, Uthman bin Affan, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2012) (Farhang Sirat, p. 279, Zawwar Academy Publications, Karachi, 2003) (Mu‘jamul Buldan, Vol. 3, p. 173, Al-Zurqaa al-Maktabah al-Asriyyah, Beirut, 2014)
Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah relates, “I was in Busra (which is an ancient town of Syria, where the Holy Prophetsa also stayed when he went there to trade goods with his paternal uncle.” He further states, “I was in the markets of Busra when a monk was proclaiming from his Sawma‘ah (i.e. a synagogue), ‘Find out if there is anyone from among the travelling merchants who has come from Mecca.’ I told him that I was from there, so he asked, ‘Has Ahmad really appeared?’ I replied, which Ahmad do you refer to? He said, ‘The son of Abdullah bin Muttalib. This is the month in which he is to appear, and he will be the final Prophet; his advent will be in Mecca and his migration will be to a place with date-fields, where the land would be rocky, barren and saline. Do not forsake him.’” Hazrat Talhara states, “Everything he said deeply affected me, so I departed swiftly and reached Mecca. I asked the people if anything new had transpired, to which they answered, ‘Yes, Muhammadsa bin Abdullah, the Ameen [trustworthy] – (which was the title given to the Holy Prophetsa by the Meccans) – has made a claim to prophethood and Ibn Abi Qahafah (the title of Hazrat Abu Bakrra) has accepted him.’ Hence, I left and went straight to Hazrat Abu Bakrra and asked if he had truly become his follower. He answered, ‘Yes, and you should also go to him and accept him as he calls towards the truth.’”
Hazrat Talhara then related to Hazrat Abu Bakrra everything the monk had stated, subsequently he took Hazrat Talhara to the Holy Prophetsa. Hazrat Talhara then accepted Islam and informed the Holy Prophetsa in regard to what the monk had said. The Holy Prophetsa was pleased to hear this. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 161, Talha bin Ubaidillah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)
This is also mentioned in a book of history, Al-Tabaqaatul-Kubra. When Hazrat Talhara accepted Islam, Naufal bin Khuwailid bin Adawiyah tied him and Hazrat Abu Bakrra with a rope, which is why both of them are known by the title “Qareenain” i.e. the two fellow companions. Naufal was known in Mecca for his harsh treatment. Among those who tied them up was Uthman bin Ubaidillah, the brother of Hazrat Talhara. He tied them up to prevent them from seeing the Holy Prophetsa and in order for them to relinquish their faith in Islam. Imam Baihaqi has written that the Holy Prophetsa prayed, “O Allah, protect them from the harm of Adawiyah.” (Roshan Sitarey az Ghulam Bari Saif Sahib, Vol. 2, pp. 129-130)
Hazrat Masudra bin Khiraash relates, “One day I was walking between Safaa and Marwah, when I saw a large number of people following a young man whose hands were tied to his neck. I enquired as to who this was. The people told me that this was Talhara bin Ubaidillah, who had given up his faith and his mother Sa‘bah was following behind, whilst cursing him with rage.” (At-Tarikh as-Saghir li Imam Bukhari, Vol. 1, p. 113, Dar-ul-Ma’rifah, Beirut)
Abdullah bin Saad relates from his father that when the Holy Prophetsa was migrating to Medina, he reached Kharraz (this is the name of a valley situated near Hijaz, and it is also said that it is one of the valleys of Medina). When he was leaving Kharraz, he met Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah in the morning, who was part of the caravan returning from Syria. They gave the Holy Prophetsa and Hazrat Abu Bakrra Syrian clothes to wear and informed the Holy Prophetsa that the people of Medina had been eagerly awaiting his arrival for a long time. The Holy Prophetsa then went forth with greater pace, whilst Hazrat Talhara made his way to Mecca. When he completed his work there, he later migrated with the family of Hazrat Abu Bakrra and reached Medina. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 161, Talha bin Ubaidillah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Mu’jamul Buldan, Vol. 2, p. 400, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut)
When Hazrat Talhara and Hazrat Zubairra accepted Islam in Mecca, the Holy Prophetsa established a bond of brotherhood between them prior to the migration. After the Muslims migrated to Medina, the Holy Prophetsa established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Talhara and Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansarira. However, according to another narration, it is reported that the bond of brotherhood was established between Hazrat Talhara and Hazrat Saeedra bin Zaid and according to yet another narration, it was established between Hazrat Talhara and Hazrat Ubayra bin Kaab. After migrating to Medina, Hazrat Talhara stayed at the house of Hazrat Asadra bin Zurarah. (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 3, p. 85, Talha bin Ubaidillah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 161, Talha bin Ubaidillah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)
Owing to some of the financial sacrifices offered by Hazrat Talhara, the Holy Prophetsa had conferred him with the title of “Fayyaz” [the generous one]. On one occasion, during the Ghazwah of Dhi Qard, the Holy Prophetsa walked past a fountain and enquired about it. The Holy Prophetsa was informed that its name was “Bisan” and that its water was salty. The Holy Prophetsa replied, “No, in fact its name is Numan and its water is sweet and pure.” Subsequently, Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah bought the fountain and donated it and thereupon, its water became sweet. When Hazrat Talhara came before the Holy Prophetsa to relate this incident, the Holy Prophetsa stated, “Talha, you are extremely ‘Fayyaz’ (i.e. generous)”. Thereafter, he was known by the title of “Fayyaz”.
Musa bin Talha relates from his father, Talha, that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophetsa gave Hazrat Talhara the title, “Talha-tul-Khair” and on the occasion of Tabuk and Dhi Qard, he was granted the title, “Talha-tul-Fayyaz”, and on the occasion of Ghazwah Hunain, he gave him the title, “Talha-tul-Jud” – which also means one who is generous and openhearted. (Al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, p. 478, bab yudhkaru fihi Sifatuhu al-Batinah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 3, p. 85, Talha bin Ubaidillah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)
Saib bin Yazid relates that he spent time with Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah, whilst travelling and also at home, and there was no one who was more generous than Talhara in regard to granting money, clothes and food to others. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 167, Talha bin Ubaidillah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)
On the day of the Battle of Uhud, at a time when the Muslims had seemed to suffer defeat, the Holy Prophetsa took Bai‘at [oath] from a party among his companionsra to pledge on the condition of offering their lives. Subsequently, the companionsra stood resolutely and risked their lives in order to defend the Holy Prophetsa to the point that some of them were martyred. Amongst those who took the Bai‘at were Hazrat Abu Bakrra, Hazrat Umarra, Hazrat Talhara, Hazrat Saadra, Hazrat Sahlra bin Hunaif and Hazrat Abu Dujanara. (Al-Isabah Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahabah, Vol. 3, p. 431, Talha bin Ubaidillah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2005)
On the day of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Talhara took part in the battle alongside the Holy Prophetsa. He was among those who stood resolutely with the Holy Prophetsa and pledged on the condition of offering their lives. Malik bin Zuhair fired an arrow in the direction of the Holy Prophetsa but Hazrat Talhara protected the Holy Prophet’ssa blessed face with his hand. The arrow struck him on his little finger which consequently became incapacitated. When the first arrow struck him, he let out a small cry due to the immense pain. Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa stated, “If he had recited Bismillah [in the name of Allah], he would have entered paradise in a manner that people would be witnessing it before their very eyes.” In one of the books of history, it further states that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, an idolater twice struck a blow to Hazrat Talha’sra head; once when he was coming towards him and the second time when he was turning away from him. He lost a lot of blood as a result of this. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, pp. 162-163, Talha bin Ubaidillah Quraishi, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)
This same account has been mentioned in another narration in Seerat Al-Halabiyyah. Qais bin Abu Haazim relates that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, he saw the state of the hand of Hazrat Talhara which had become severely withered as he had placed it in front of the Holy Prophetsa to protect him from the arrows. According to one narration, he lost so much blood after an arrow pierced his hand that he lost consciousness. Hazrat Abu Bakrra sprinkled water on him and he eventually regained consciousness and even then immediately enquired about the Holy Prophet’ssa condition. Hazrat Abu Bakrra informed him that the Holy Prophetsa was fine and it was the Holy Prophetsa who had sent him to see to him. Hazrat Talhara replied:
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ کُلُّ مُصِيْبَةٍ بَعْدَہٗ جَلَلٗ
“All praise be to Allah! After knowing that the Holy Prophetsa is fine, every hardship becomes insignificant.” (Al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, p. 324, Ghazwah Uhud, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)
The account of this battle is also recorded in another tradition from a source of history. Hazrat Zubairra relates that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophetsa was wearing two chain armours. Owing to the weight of the armour the Holy Prophetsa was wearing and from weakness after having lost a lot of blood from the injuries he had sustained to his head and face – this account is relating to after the battle had concluded – the Holy Prophetsa was not able to climb a mound. The Holy Prophetsa made Hazrat Talhara kneel down and placed his foot on him and ascended onto the mound. Hazrat Zubairra narrates that he heard the Holy Prophetsa state, “Talhara has made paradise incumbent upon himself.” (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 3, p. 85, Talha bin Ubaidillah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, p. 321, Ghazwah Uhud, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)
In another narration, it states that Hazrat Talhara had a limp in one of his legs and as a result of this, he could not walk properly. When he lifted the Holy Prophetsa, he made every effort to ensure he placed every step carefully and walked straight so that owing to his limp, the Holy Prophetsa would not experience any discomfort. After this, he completely recovered from his limp. (Al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, p. 322, Ghazwah Uhud, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)
Aishah and Umm-e-Ishaq, who were the daughters of Hazrat Talhara, state that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, their father sustained 24 injuries, among which there was a large wound to the head and one of the blood vessels in his leg had been cut. Also, one of his fingers had become incapacitated and the rest of his body was full of wounds and he was in a state of semi-consciousness.
The Holy Prophetsa had also sustained injuries and his front two had broken and he had sustained many injuries to his blessed countenance and he was also semi-conscious. Hazrat Talhara carried the Holy Prophetsa on his back and walked backwards and whenever he encountered an idolater, he would fight against them and continued to walk in this way till they reached a valley and seated the Holy Prophetsa with his support. This is a reference from Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 163, Talha bin Ubaidillah Quraishi, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)
On the day of the Battle of Uhud, Khalid bin Waleed took the Muslims by surprise and launched a sudden attack on them, causing them to disperse. Based on various narrations, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has related these aforementioned incidents in further detail. His narration illustrates an astonishing account of the level of steadfastness and sacrifice of Hazrat Talhara. Even though this was evident in the earlier accounts, but nonetheless the details of this account he has related are as follows:
“A few companions rushed to the Holy Prophetsa and formed a ring around him. They could not have been more than thirty in total. The Meccan army attacked this ring fiercely, where the Holy Prophetsa was stood. One by one, the Muslims in the ring fell under the blows of Meccan swordsmen. Aside from the Meccans who were with swords, from the hill, the archers sent volleys of arrows towards the Holy Prophetsa. (Upon witnessing that the enemy was relentlessly firing arrows) at that time, Talha, one of the Quraysh and the Muhajirin (Meccan Muslims who had taken refuge in Medina), saw that the enemy arrows were all directed to the face of the Prophetsa. He stretched out his hand and held it up against the Prophet’ssa face. Arrow after arrow struck Talha’sra hand, yet this brave and valiant warrior did not allow his hand to move. With each shot, Talha’s hand was pierced through. Ultimately it was completely mutilated and Talhara lost his hand.
“Many years later, during the time of the Fourth Khalifa of Islam, when internal dissensions had raised their head, Talhara was tauntingly described by an enemy as the handless Talha. One companion replied, ‘Handless, yes, but do you know where he lost his hand? At the Battle of Uhud, in which he raised his hand to shield the Prophet’ssa face from the enemy’s arrows.’ Long after the Battle of Uhud someone asked Talhara, ‘Did not your hand hurt under the arrow shots and the pain make you cry in anguish?’ Talhara replied, ‘Indeed it hurt me, and it almost made me cry in anguish, but I resisted both because I knew that if my hand shook even slightly, it would expose the Prophet’ssa face to the volley of enemy arrows.’” (Deebacha Tafsir-ul-Quran, Anwarul Ulum, Vol. 20, p. 250)
On the occasion of Ghazwa Hamra-ul-Asad, whilst pursuing the enemy, the Holy Prophetsa met Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah. “Talha, where are your weapons?” asked the Holy Prophetsa. Despite the fact that at the time, Hazrat Talhara had sustained nine wounds to his chest alone from the Battle of Uhud, however he submitted that they were nearby and then quickly went and got hold of his weapons. There were a total of over 70 wounds on his entire body. Hazrat Talhara relates that he was more concerned about the Holy Prophet’ssa injuries than his own. He states that the Holy Prophetsa came to him and asked where he had seen the enemy. He replied that he had seen them in the area which was slightly low-lying. The Holy Prophetsa states that he also thought the same and stated, “As far as the Quraish are concerned, they will never have the opportunity to act in this manner again to the point that that Allah the Almighty shall grant us victory over Mecca through our hands.” (Al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, pp. 350-351, Ghazwah Uhud, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)
On the occasion of the Battle of Tabuk, the Holy Prophetsa learnt of the news that some of the hypocrites were gathering at the house of a Jew named Suwailam, which was near Jasum. Jasum was also known as Bir-e-Jasim, which was in the direction of Syria near Ratij and was a well that belonged to Abu Haitham bin Tayyihan. The water of this well was of an extremely good quality and the Holy Prophetsa had also drank from it. In any case, they were all gathering at his house and he was conspiring against the Holy Prophetsa by urging them to not go along with him for battle to Tabuk. The Holy Prophetsa sent Hazrat Talhara, along with some other companions, towards his house and instructed them to set Suwailam’s house alight. Hazrat Talhara acted accordingly. During this, Zihaak bin Khalifa broke his leg whilst trying to escape from the back of the house. Similarly, the other men also fled. (Al-Sirat al-Nabawiyyah li Ibn Hisham, Vol. 2, p. 517, Ghazwah Tabuk, Maktabah Matba’ah Mustafa Albani, Egypt, 1955) (Farhang Sirat, p. 84, Zawwar Academy Publications, Karachi, 2003)
Hazrat Alira relates that he clearly recalls that he heard the Holy Prophetsa say that Talhara and Zubairra will be his neighbours in paradise. (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 3, p. 86, Talha bin Ubaidillah Quraishi, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)
Among those who remained behind from travelling for the Battle of Tabuk was Hazrat Kaabra bin Malik. Consequently, he was boycotted and after 40 days, Allah the Almighty accepted his repentance and announced his forgiveness. When he came to the mosque to present himself before the Holy Prophetsa, it was Hazrat Talhara who came forward and met Hazrat Kaabra bin Malik and congratulated him. Apart from Hazrat Talhara, no one else stood up from the gathering and Hazrat Kaabra stated that he would never forget this kind gesture of Hazrat Talhara. (Roshan Sitarey az Ghulam Bari Saif Sahib, Vol. 2, p. 145)
Hazrat Saeedra bin Zaid states, “I can bear witness regarding nine people who were given glad tidings of paradise, and even if I mention the tenth person, I would not be wrong to do so.” He was asked how was this possible, to which he replied, “We were in the company of the Holy Prophetsa on mount Hira when all of a sudden it began to shake. Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa said, ‘O Hira! Steady yourself! For there is none upon this mount except for a Prophet, Siddique [truthful] and Shaheed [a martyr].’” Hazrat Saeedra was asked who those people were, to which he replied, “The Holy Prophetsa, Abu Bakrra, Umarra, Usmanra, Alira, Talhara, Zubairra, Saadra and Abdur Rahmanra bin Auf.” These were the nine men [who were given tidings of paradise] When he was asked about who was the tenth person, Hazrat Saeedra bin Zaid paused for a while and then said: “It is I”. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Abwab al-Manaqib, Bab Manaqib Abi al-A‘war…, Hadith 3757)
Hazrat Saeedra bin Jubair narrates, “The status and conduct of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, Hazrat Umarra, Hazrat Usmanra, Hazrat Alira, Hazrat Talhara, Hazrat Zubairra, Hazrat Saadra and Hazrat Abdur Rahmanra bin Auf and Hazrat Saeedra bin Zaid was such that during battles, they would stand right before the Holy Prophetsa and fight and during the prayers, they would stand right behind him.” (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 2, p. 478, Saeed bin Zaid, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)
Hazrat Jabirra bin Abdullah narrates that the Holy Prophetsa once said, “Whosoever wishes to see a martyr in person, they ought to see Talha bin Ubaidillah.”
Hazrat Musa bin Talhara and Hazrat Isa bin Talhara, narrate on the authority of their father, Hazrat Talha bin Ubaidillahra that the Companions of the Holy Prophetsa would say that a Bedouin once came to the Holy Prophetsa and asked who were the people referred to in the verse of the Quran:
مَنْ قَضٰى نَحْبَهٗ
“There are some of them who have fulfilled their vow”
Initially upon asking, the Holy Prophetsa did not answer. The Bedouin asked for the second time, but the Holy Prophetsa did not answer and again upon asking for the third time, the Holy Prophetsa remained silent.
Hazrat Talhara stated, “I entered through the door of the mosque and at the time I was wearing a green attire. When the Holy Prophetsa saw me (i.e. Hazrat Talhara) he asked, ‘Where is the questioner who asked about the people referred to in the verse, åîæò âîÖٰé æîÍòÈîçٗ i.e. “There are some of them who have fulfilled their vow.”’ The Bedouin replied, ‘It was I, O Messengersa of Allah.’” Hazrat Talhara then said, “The Holy Prophetsa pointed towards me and said; he is one of the people regarding whom it is said, مَنْ قَضٰى نَحْبَهٗ i.e. ‘There are some of them who have fulfilled their vow.’” (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 3, p. 86, Talha bin Ubaidillah Quraishi, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut)
Abdur Rahman bin Uthman states, “On one occasion, we were with Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah in a state of Ihraam [the intention to perform Umrah or Hajj]. One person brought a bird and presented it as an offering. At the time, Hazrat Talhara was resting. Some of us ate from it, while others abstained from eating it. When Hazrat Talhara woke up he agreed with the action of those who ate the offering and said, ‘We also ate the offerings that were hunted by others whilst in the company of the Holy Prophetsa.’” (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 3, p. 7, Musnad Abu Muhammad Talha bin Ubaidillah, Hadith 1383, Mu‘assisatul Risalah, 2001)
Aslam, the freed slave of Hazrat Umarra narrates, “Hazrat Umarra saw Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah wearing two garments that had been dyed using clay, despite the fact that he was in a state of Ihraam. Hazrat Umarra asked, ‘O Talha! What is the meaning of these clothes?’ (i.e. since he had dyed his clothes) he replied, ‘O Amir-ul-Momineen [Leader of the believers]! I have dyed them in clay.’ Hazrat Umarra replied, ‘O ye Companions! You all are leaders and people will follow your conduct. If an ignorant one sees you wearing these clothes, he will say that Talhara wears coloured clothes in a state of ihram.’” i.e regardless of whichever colour was used, people could raise an allegation that instead of wearing white clothes, he wore clothes that were coloured. In another narration, the following words are found in addition to the aforementioned hadith that Hazrat Umarra stated, “The best clothes to wear in a state of ihram are white, therefore do not place other people in doubt regarding this matter.”
Hazrat Hasanra relates that Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah sold a piece of his land to Hazrat Uthmanra bin Affan for 700,000 dirhams. When Hazrat Uthmanra paid the amount, Hazrat Talhara took the money home. He thought to himself that if one has this amount of money at home, no one knows what God Almighty has decreed with regards to life and death. Thus, throughout the night, with the help of others, they went around the streets of Medina and gave money to those in need. When day broke, Hazrat Talhara did not have even one dirham left from this amount. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, pp. 164-165, Talha bin Ubaidillah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Al-bidayatu wa al-Nihayah li Ibn Atheer, Vol. 4, Ch. 7, p. 208, 35A.H., Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)
Ibn Jarir narrates that Hazrat Talhara once met Hazrat Uthmanra when he was leaving the mosque. Hazrat Talhara said, “I have 50,000 dirhams that I owe to you, kindly send someone to collect it.” (i.e. he may have borrowed the amount off him in the past, and now had the money to pay him back). Hazrat Uthmanra replied, “I gave that to you as a gift owing to your kindness.” (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, pp. 167-168, Talha bin Ubaidillah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)
Hazrat Talhara was martyred in Jang-e-Jamal [Battle of the Camel]. With regard to this, there is a narration by Qais bin Abi Hazim in which he states:
“On the day of Jang-e-Jamal, Marwan bin Hakam shot an arrow which hit Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah in the knee, piercing a blood vessel. When he would apply pressure on the wound, the blood would stop, but when he would leave it, blood would gush out. Hazrat Talhara then said, ‘By God! We have not experienced their arrows as of yet.’ He then said, ‘Leave my wound, as this arrow was sent by God Almighty!’” Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah was martyred on 10 Jumad al-Thani, 36 AH, during Jang-e-Jamal. At the time of his martyrdom, Hazrat Talhara was 64 years old, whilst according to another narration he was 62 years old. (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 3, p. 88, Talha bin Ubaidillah Quraishi, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut)
Saeed bin Musayyib narrates that a man was once speaking ill of Hazrat Alira, Hazrat Talhara and Hazrat Zubairra. Hazrat Saadra bin Malik, i.e. Hazrat Saad bin Abi Waqas stopped him, saying, “Do not revile my brothers,” however, the man did not desist. Hazrat Saad stood up and offered two rak‘ats [unit] of prayer and offered the following supplication, “O Allah! If these things that he is saying are a means of incurring Your wrath, then send down your chastisement upon him in front of me so that he can be a lesson to others.” Thus, as soon as this individual left the gathering, a camel was charging towards him. The camel caught him in a rocky terrain and throwing him underneath, it crushed him, thereby killing him. The narrator states that the people went to Hazrat Saad saying, “O Abu Ishaq! Rejoice for your prayer has been accepted.” (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 3, p. 88, Talha bin Ubaidillah Quraishi, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut)
Ali bin Zaid narrates on the authority of his father that one person saw Hazrat Talhara in a dream who appeared to him and said to change the location of his grave, as the water disturbed him greatly. He appeared to him in the dream again and saw the same dream on three consecutive occasions. That person came to Hazrat ibn Abbasra and related his dream. When they went to his grave, the part of his body that was immersed in the ground had become green due to the water. Thus, the people moved Hazrat Talha’sra body and buried him in another place. The narrator states, “It is as if I can still witness the camphor that was on his eyes, which was completely unchanged. The only change was his hair that had moved from their place. The people bought one of the houses of Hazrat Abu Bakarah for 10,000 dirhams and buried Hazrat Talhara there.” (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 3, p. 88, Talha bin Ubaidillah Quraishi, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut)
Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah would earn 400,000 to 500,000 dinars from his different farms in Iraq. He would earn crops from the lands in different areas of Saraat, which was a mountainous region similar to an Island, to the west of the Arab peninsula and spanned from north to south. It was also known as Jabal as-Saraat. He would earn at least 10,000 dinar from the grain of this area and also from other lands he owned. There was not a single poor person from among the Banu Taim whose family did not benefit from the wealth of Hazrat Talhara and whose widows were not married from that wealth and whose needy were not granted assistance, i.e. he would help the poor and would pay the debts of those who were unable to pay them. Moreover, each year when he would earn from his produce, he would send 10,000 dirham to Hazrat Aishara. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 166, Talha bin Ubaidillah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Farhang Sirat, p. 147, Zawwar Academy Publications, Karachi, 2003)
Hazrat Muwaiyyara asked Musara bin Talha, “How much wealth did Abu Muhammad (i.e. Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah) leave behind?” He replied, “2.2 million dirham and 200,000 dinar.” All of his wealth was earned from the various lands he owned. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 166, Talha bin Ubaidillah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)
As mentioned, he was martyred in Jang-e-Jamal, the details of which, God Willing, I will narrate in the future, because the details are such that they ought to be mentioned separately so that the questions that arise in one’s mind can be addressed. God willing, I shall narrate it in future.
Now, as mentioned in the previous sermon, everyone ought to continue adhering to the precautionary measures against the current coronavirus pandemic. One should also take caution whilst attending the mosque. If one is suffering from a slight fever or is suffering from aches and pains, one ought to refrain from public places. They should protect themselves as well as others. We ought to pay particular attention towards prayers. May Allah the Almighty safeguard the world from this affliction.
(Original Urdu published in Al Fazl International, 3 April 2020, pp. 5-9. Translated by The Review of Religions.)
