Talha

Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall describes how Abu Bakr, after embracing Islam, immediately urged his closest associates to do likewise. Among them were Talha, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, Uthman ibn Affan, and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas.[3] Talha was said to have been one of the first eight converts.[4]^: 115[1]^: 164

Among the converts in Mecca, Talha was given a shared responsibility as a hafiz, people who memorized every verse of the Quran, along with Abu Bakr, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas.[5] During the persecution of the Muslims in 614–616, Nawfal ibn Khuwaylid tied Talha to Abu Bakr and left them roped together. Nobody from the Taym clan came to help.[1]^: 164 Thereafter they were known as "the Two Tied Together".[4]^{: 127–128, 337}[3]

In September 622, when Talha was returning from a business trip to Syria, he met with the Muslims who had left Mecca and were emigrating to Medina.[6] Talha gave them some Syrian garments and mentioned that the Muslim community in Medina had said that their prophet was slow to arrive. As Muhammad and Abu Bakr continued to Medina, Talha returned to Mecca to put his affairs in order. Soon afterwards, he accompanied Abu Bakr's family to Medina, where he settled.[1]^: 164

At first he lodged with As'ad ibn Zurara, but later Muhammad gave him a block of land on which he built his own house. He was made the brother in Islam of Sa'id ibn Zayd.[1]^: 165 Talha and Sa'id missed fighting at the Battle of Badr because Muhammad sent them as scouts to locate Abu Sufyan's caravan. However, both were awarded shares of the plunder, as if they had been present.[1]^: 165

Talha distinguished himself at the Battle of Uhud by keeping close to Muhammad while most of the Muslim army fled. He protected Muhammad's face from an arrow by taking the shot in his own hand, as a result of which his index and middle fingers were cut. He was also hit twice in the head, and it was said that he suffered a total of 39[7] or 75[1]^{: 165–166} wounds. Toward the end of the battle, Talha fainted from his heavy injuries,[8] Abu Bakar soon reached their location to check Muhammad condition first, who immediately instructing Abu Bakar to check the condition of Talha, who already passed out due to his severe bloodloss.[9] and his hand was left paralysed.[7] For this heroic defence of Muhammad, Talha earned the byname "the living martyr".[10][7] Talha is said to be the anonymous believer counted as a "martyr" in Quran 33:23 ^{(Translated by Shakir)}.[11] Abu Bakr also called the battle of Uhud "the day of Talha".[7]

Talha fought at the Battle of the Trench and all the campaigns of Muhammad.[1]^: 166 During the Expedition of Dhu Qarad, Talha personally sponsored the operation through his wealth, thus causing Muhammad to give him the sobriquet "Talha al-Fayyad".[12]

Talha is included among the ten to whom Paradise was promised.[10][13]

In the third week of July 632, Medina faced an imminent invasion by the apostate forces of Tulayha, a self-proclaimed prophet. Abu Bakr scraped together an army mainly from the Hashim clan (the clan of Muhammad), appointing Talha, Ali ibn Abi Talib and Zubayr each as commanders of one-third of the newly organised force.

For the rest of his life, Talha served Majlis-ash-Shura as a council member of the Rashidun caliphate.[10]

In 635 to 636, caliph Umar assembled his council, including Zubayr, Ali and Talha, about the battle plan to face the Persian army of Rostam Farrokhzad in Qadisiyyah.[14] At first the caliph himself led the forces from Arabia to Iraq,[14] but the council urges Umar not to lead the army in person and instead appoint someone else, as his presence was needed more urgently in the capital.[14] Umar agreed and asked the council to suggest a commander. The council agreed to send Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas; Sa'd served as the overall commander on Persian conquest and won the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah.[14]

Later, the caliph heard that Sassanid forces from Mah, Qom, Hamadan, Ray, Isfahan, Azerbaijan, and Nahavand had gathered in Nahavand to counter the Arab invasion.[15] Caliph Umar responded by assembling a war council consisting of Zubayr, Ali, Uthman ibn Affan, Talha, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, and Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib to discuss the strategy to face the Sassanids in Nahavand.[16] The caliph want to lead the army himself, but Ali urged the caliph to instead delegate the battlefield commands to the field commanders, prompting the caliph decides instead delegate the reinforcement commands to Zubayr, Tulayha, Amr ibn Ma'adi Yakrib, Abdullah ibn Amr Al-Ash'ath ibn Qays and others under the command of Al-Nu'man ibn Muqrin to go to Nahavand,[17] to face the army of the Sasanian Empire in the battle of Nahavand.[18]

Tomb of Talha ibn Ubayd Allah at Basra, Iraq

Talha was killed at the Battle of the Camel on 10 December 656. Several conflicting narratives have been provided to explain how it happened. According to one account, during the battle, Marwan ibn al-Hakam, who was fighting on the same side as Aisha, shot Talha in the thigh. His motivations for killing Talha were because of Talha's involvement in the killing of Uthman.[19] Another account attributes Talha's death to being killed by Ali's supporters while retreating from the field.[20] Talha hugged his horse and galloped off the battlefield. He lay down using a stone as a pillow, while the auxiliaries tried to staunch the blood flow. Whenever they stopped pressing, the bleeding resumed. In the end, Talha said, "Stop it. This is an arrow sent by God." He died of this injury, aged 64.[1]^{: 170–171}