Talha b. 'Ubayd Allah: Difference between revisions

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'''Ṭalḥa b. ʿUbayd Allāh''' (Arabic: طلحة بن عبیدالله) was one of the [[companions of the Prophet (s)]] and the early Muslims. He was the cousin of [[Abu Bakr b. Abi Quhafa]], the First [[Caliph]]. Talha was a gallant warrior in the battles of the early days of [[Islam]] in the army of Muslims. After the demise of [[the Prophet (s)]], he cooperated with the early caliphs and helped them in their conquests. He was appointed by the [['Umar b. Khattab|Second Caliph]] in the [[Six-Member Council]] as a candidate for occupying the position of [[caliphate]] after him. He was active in the story of killing [['Uthman b. 'Affan]], the Third Caliph, and encouraged people to kill him. After 'Uthman's murder, Talha pledged his [[allegiance]] with [[Imam Ali (a)]], but he breached his pledge after a while, launching the [[Battle of Jamal]] against Imam Ali (a) with the help of [[Zubayr b. 'Awam|zubayr]], [['Ayisha]], the Prophet (s)'s widow, and some [[Umayyad]]s; they came to be known among [[Shi'a|Shiite]]s as [[Nakithun]]. In this battle, Talha was killed by [[Marwan b. Hakam]] who was in the army of Nakithun.

Abu Muhammad Talha b. 'Abdullah b. 'Uthman b. 'Amr b. Ka'b b. Sa'd b. Taym b. Murra b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy b. Ghalib al-Qurashi al-Taymi was from the Banu Taym tribe and was born 10 years before the Prophet (s)'s [[bi'that]] (594). His mother Su'ba bt. Hadrami was alive in the period of the Prophet (s), and according to some relatives of Talha, she died a Muslim.

His wives were: Humna bt. Jahsh (the Prophet (s)'s cousin who gave birth to Muhammad and 'Imran), Umm Kulthum bt. Abu Bakr (who gave birth to Ya'qub, Isma'il, Zakariyya, and 'Ayisha), Su'da bt. 'Uf (who gave birth to 'Isa and Yahya), Khula bt. Qa'qa' b. Ma'bad b. Zurara b. Ads al-Tamimi (who gave birth to Musa), Umm Harith bt. Qusama from the Tayy tribe (who gave birth to Umm Ishaq), Umm Aban bt. 'Utba b. Rabi'a (who gave birth to Ishaq), and a woman from Taghlibiyya (who gave birth to Salih). Also two of his bind-women, Su'ba and Maryam, gave birth to children.

Talha b. 'Ubaydullah was persuaded by Abu Bakr to convert to Islam. According to a different account, Talha was on his way to [[Sham]] (or [[Levant]]) when a monk gave him the news of the imminent emergence of a prophet called Ahmad, son of 'Abd al-Muttalib. When Talha returned to [[Mecca]], he and Abu Bakr converted to Islam.

Talha and Abu Bakr were usually tormented in the early days of Islam by [[Nawfal b. Khuwaylid b. 'Adwiyya]] or [['Uthman b. 'Ubaydullah]] (Talha's brother). Nawfal (or 'Uthman) tied Abu Bakr and Talha to a tree in order to prevent them from saying their prayers.

Talha was among those [[Muhajirun]] who moved to [[Medina]] with their families before the migration of [[the Prophet (s)]]. He resided in the house of [[Habib b. Asaf]] from [[Banu Harath b. Khazraj]]. On one account, Talha brought two white clothes for the Prophet (s) and Abu Bakr from Sham, which they wore before they entered Medina.

People, such as his sons, Yahya, Musa and 'Isa, as well as [[Qays b. Abu Hazim]], [[Ahnaf b. Qays]], [[Sa'ib b. Yazid]], [[Abu 'Uthman al-Nahdi]] and [[Abu Silma b. 'Abd al-Rahman]], narrated hadiths from him.

Talha was not in Medina when the [[Battle of Badr]] occurred, since the Prophet (s) had sent him and [[Sa'id b. Zayd]] to Sham in order to get some information, and when he returned from Sham, the Muslims had already returned from Badr. When Talha returned from his travel to Sham, he went to the Prophet (s) and asked him for his share of booties from the battle, and the Prophet (s) gave him a share.

After the defeat of Muslims near the end of the battle and the spread of rumors about the Prophet (s) being killed, Talha and some people from [[Muhajirun]] and [[Ansar]], including [['Umar b. Khattab]], quit fighting. [[Anas b. Nadr]] went to them and said: "why are you sitting here?" They replied: "because the Prophet (s) is killed". Anas said: "so go on the path on which the Prophet (s) went and get killed with pride and honor".

Talha b. 'Ubaydullah was one of the first people who joined the First [[Caliph]], [[Abu Bakr]], in the battle against the apostates. And when Abu Bakr died, Talha, [['Umar b. Khattab]], [['Uthman b. 'Affan]] and [['Abd al-Rahman b. Abu Bakr]] entered Abu Bakr's grave before he was buried in it; they buried him beside the Prophet (s)'s grave.

Talha attended some Islamic conquests, including the [[Conquest of Iran]] alongside [['Abd al-Rahman b. 'Uf]] and [[Zubayr b. 'Awam]] during the [[caliphate]] of 'Umar b. Khattab. He also advised 'Umar in some of his conquests.

Along with [[Imam 'Ali (a)]], [['Uthman b. 'Affan]], [[Zubayr . 'Awam]], 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Uf, and [[Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas]], Talha was appointed in the [[Six-Member Council]] for the election of the Third Caliph. On some accounts, he was then outside of [[Medina]], but when he returned, he voted for 'Uthman. It is said that he returned to Medina when 'Umar died and he pledged his allegiance with 'Uthman.

Talha was one of the protestors who sieged 'Uthman's house in 35 A.H. (655) and locked out water supplies to the house. When [[Imam 'Ali (a)]] learned that water supplies were blocked, he got upset; he talked to the protestors and then they allowed some waterskins to be taken to 'Uthman's house. During the siege, Talha undertook the leadership of [[congregational prayers]] in [[Medina]].

Thus Talha, Zubayr and 'Ayisha launched the [[Battle of Jamal]] against Imam 'Ali (a) in 36 A.H. (656).

It is said that when Talha and Zubayr entered Basra, [['Abdullah b. Hakim al-Tamimi]] took to them the writings of Talha concerning the mobilization of forces against 'Uthman.

In this battle, Imam 'Ali (a) characterized Talha as a cheater, and characterized him, Zubayr, 'Ayisha and [[Ya'la b. Munya]], as the most recalcitrant of his enemies.

At the beginning of the battle, [[Marwan b. Hakam]] stated that he would no more avenge for 'Uthman's blood. At the beginning or in the middle of the battle when soldiers in the army of Jamal were running away, Marwan threw an arrow to Talha b. 'Ubaydullah's knee that led to his death. Talha was buried near a river in Basra. He was reportedly 64 or 63 when he was killed.

Talha is highly venerated by Sunni Muslims. They consider him as one of "'Ashara Mubashshara" (ten people to whom the Prophet (s) gave the good news of going to the Heaven). They also characterize him as "Talha al-Khayr" (Talha, the good), "Talha Fayyad" (Talha, the beneficent) and one of the 20 [[Sahaba]] who could issue [[fatwa]]s (after the 7 great issuers of fatwas among the Sahaba). He is also a prominent narrator of [[hadiths]] from the Prophet (s) from whom people such as his sons (Yahya and Musa), [[Qays b. Abu Hazim]], [[Abu Silma b. 'Abd al-Rahman]] and [[Malik b. Abu 'Amir]] narrated hadiths. Sunni Muslims take Talha to be among the Twelve Disciples of the Prophet (s) along with [[Hamza b. 'Abd al-Muttalib]], [[Ja'far b. Abi Talib]], [['Ali b. Abi Talib (a)]], [[Abu Bakr]], [['Umar b. Khattab]], [[Abu 'Ubayda Jarrah]], [['Uthman b. 'Affan]], [['Uthman b. Maz'un]], [['Abd al-Rahman b. 'Uf]], [[Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas]], and [[Zubayr b. 'Awam]].