The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, mentioned ten companions who were granted Paradise while they were still alive and Talhah ibn Ubaydullah was one of them – may Allah be pleased with him. Another time the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that Talhah is one of his companions in Paradise. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also said that whoever wishes to see a man from the people of Paradise, he should look at Talhah. Furthermore, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Talhah: Glad tidings, Allah has forgiven all your sins! May Allah be pleased with Talhah ibn Ubaydullah.
However, it might not be those narrations that make Talhah most well known in the history of Islam. Rather, it is his participation in the battle of Uhud when he used his own body to shield the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), after which he was given the title: Talhah al Khayr. During that battle he suffered at least ten sword strokes to his body, may Allah be pleased with him. Two other names he was given by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) include: Talhah the kind, Talhah the generous.
Talhah was foretold about a coming Prophet by an ascetic while he was working in Busra. When he returned to Mekkah he was told that Muhammad ibn Abdullah (peace and blessings be upon him) claimed Prophethood and that abu Bakr had followed him in that. Talhah investigated this matter with abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them). After that, abu Bakr took him to the Prophet to share the experience he had and also to hear the Qur’an. Talhah ibn Ubaydullah became a Muslim right then and there, may Allah be pleased with him. As a result, he faced great trails even from within his own family. Masud ibn Kharash narrates:
"While I was making saiy between al 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 on his 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. He gave up his religion and now follows the Banu Hashim man.' 'And who is the woman behind him?' I asked. 'She is al Sabah bint al Hadrami, the young man's mother,' they said."Talhah was a man of average height with broad shoulders and a whiteish-red completion. His hair was in-between straight and curly. His father was Ubaydullah ibn Uthman and his mother was Saba bint Abdullah – may Allah be pleased with them all.
Talhah was also a successful businessman and trader, which he used to give in charity. One time when he had amassed a large amount of wealth he felt a great feeling of stress, so his wife, Umm Kulthum the daughter of abu Bakr, advised him to give it in charity. He said to her: "God bless you. You are really marvelous, the daughter of a marvelous man." One of his companions, al Saib ibn Zayd, said about Talhah: "I accompanied Talhah ibn Ubaydullah on journeys and I stayed with him at home and I have not found anyone who was more generous with money, with clothes and with food than Talhah." The stories of his generosity, such as freeing slaves, caring for orphans and giving for the sake of Allah, are too plentiful to mention. May Allah be pleased with him.
The death of Talhah ibn Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him) was related to the fitna and conflict that emerged after the leader of the Believers Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was murdered. The funeral prayer was led by Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). After which, Ali said: ‘I really hope that Talhah, al 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 rancor; they will be brothers joyfully facing each other on thrones of dignity” (15:47).’He then 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 al Zubayr are my companions in Paradise!’
May Allah be pleased with Talhah ibn Ubaydullah.
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