Sayyiduna Talha Ibn Ubayd Allah is one of the ten companions promised Paradise, and he is one of the companions upon whom some Ayahs of the Quran were revealed due to their actions. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) referred to him as a martyr, and he gave him the title of Talha Al-Khayr (Talha the Generous) for his generosity and bravery. He was among the earliest eight companions to embrace Islam. When the Ayah of Surah Al-Ahzab,
”Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his chance]. And they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration.
(مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّن قَضَىٰ نَحْبَهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَنتَظِرُ ۖ وَمَا بَدَّلُوا تَبْدِيلًا)
It was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Whoever would be pleased to look at a martyr walking upon the face of the earth, then let him look at Talhah bin ‘Ubaidullah.”
His full name is Abu Muhammad Talha Ubayd Allah al-Qurashi al-Taymi, he was one of the nobles of Quraish. He was a wealthy merchant known for his courage and strength. He was one of the five companions who embraced Islam alongside Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq. His story of embracing Islam is a powerful testimony to the truth of Prophethood.
Embracing Islam
It was narrated that Sayyiduna Talha said ”During my tenure in trade at the bustling market of Busra, a Syrian town, I heard a monk in his hermitage saying ”Ask the people of this trade season, is there anyone here, in this market, who comes from Makkah Mukarramah?” I went to him and said ”Yes, I am”. Then the monk asked ”Tell me, has Ahmad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) appeared yet?” I said to him ”And who is Ahmad”. The man said ”Ahmad is the son of ‘Abdullah, who is the son of ‘Abdul Muttalib. This is the month when he is supposed to appear as the Nabi of Allah Ta‘ala. First, he will appear in Makkah Mukarramah, then he will move away to another land which has a lot of rocks and date palm trees. He is the last prophet of Allah Ta‘ala, so make sure that you follow him.” What he said entered my heart, and spurred by the monk’s words, I hastily returned to Makkah. Upon my arrival, I eagerly sought information, and the inhabitants confirmed the emergence of Muhammad ibn Abdullah, known as “Al-Ameen” (i.e., the honest), who declared that he was receiving divine revelations and said that Abu Bakr followed him. I headed towards Abu Bakr, and asked him ”Did you follow the religion of Muhammad”, Abu Bakr said, ”Yes, go to him, and follow him. He called for the pursuit of truth.” Talha told Abu Bakr what he heard from the monk, then they both went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and repeated the story of the monk to him, and I embraced Islam in front of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).”
Sayyiduna talha in the battle of uhud
The Battle of Uhud was intense; the conflict between Muslims and the infidels was raging that the Prophet’s (ﷺ) teeth had been broken, and his forehead had been slashed. When Talha saw this, he rushed fearlessly to the Prophet Muhammad to defend him with his body against the infidels. He took the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) to a safe side of the mountain, and when Abu Bakr saw the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), he rushed to him with the companions, but the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, “Go to your brother (Talha)” because he was bleeding heavily and had several wounds. This is one of the most significant virtues of Sayyiduna Talha that he shielded the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) with his hand while he was severely wounded.
Virtues of Talha Ibn Ubayd Allah
It was narrated by ‘Abdullah bin Az-Zubair: that Az-Zubair said:
“On the Day of (the battle of) Uhud, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wore two coats of mail. He tried to get up on a boulder, but was not able to, so Talha squatted under him, lifting the Prophet (ﷺ) upon it, such that he could sit on the boulder. So he said: ‘It (Paradise) is obligatory for Talhah.”
Also, Abu Huraira reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was on the mountain of Hira’ that it stirred; thereupon Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said:
”O Hira! be calm, for there is none upon you but a Prophet, a Siddiq, a Shahid, and there were upon it Allah’s Prophet (ﷺ), Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, Uthman, ‘Ali, Talha, Zubair, Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas (Allah be pleased with them).
Sayyiduna Talha was killed at the Battle of the Camel. He left behind him a legacy of courage, faith, and unwavering loyalty. His story teaches us that true greatness lies in serving the truth-even if it costs us our comfort or even our limbs.
