Part of Pictures from the lives of the Companions (series completed)
· Lesson 23 of 93
Pictures from the lives of the Companions - Episode (38) - Abu Talha Al-Ansari, may God be pleased with him
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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Mawaddah Association is pleased
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to present to you vignettes from the lives of the Companions,
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authored by 'Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha,
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may Allah have mercy on him.
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Abu Talhah al-Ansari,
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may Allah be pleased with him.
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Zayd ibn Sahl al-Najjari—
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known by his kunyah Abu Talhah—learned
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that al-Rumaysa' bint Milhan al-Najjariyyah,
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known by her kunyah Umm Sulaym,
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had become eligible for marriage following the death of her husband.
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He flew with joy at this news.
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And no wonder,
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for Umm Sulaym was a noble woman, chaste, dignified,
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wise, and possessed of complete virtue.
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So he resolved to hasten to propose to her
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before anyone else preceded him,
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among those who aspired to marry women like her.
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Abu Talhah was confident that Umm Sulaym
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would not prefer anyone over him among her suitors.
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For he was a man of complete manhood,
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of prominent status,
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and immense wealth.
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Moreover, he was the horseman of Banu al-Najjar
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and one of the recognized archers of Yathrib.
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Abu Talhah set off for the house of Umm Sulaym,
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and while he was on his way,
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he recalled that Umm Sulaym had heard the words of
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this Meccan caller,
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Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr,
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and had believed in Muhammad and followed his religion.
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But he soon said to himself,
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"What of it?
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Was not her husband who died
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clinging to the religion of his forefathers,
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turning away from Muhammad and the call of Muhammad?"
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Abu Talhah reached the home of Umm Sulaym
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and asked permission to enter,
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and she permitted him.
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Her son Anas was present.
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So he proposed marriage to her,
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and she replied,
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"Indeed, one like you, O Abu Talhah, is not turned away.
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But I will not marry you,
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for you are a disbelieving man."
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Abu Talhah thought that Umm Sulaym was merely making excuses to refuse him,
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and that she had preferred another man over him,
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one with more wealth or a grander clan.
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So he said to her,
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"By Allah, this is not what prevents you from accepting me, O Umm Sulaym."
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She said,
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"And what prevents me then?"
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He said,
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"The yellow and the white—
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gold and silver."
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She said,
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"Gold and silver?"
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He said, "Yes."
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She said,
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"Rather, I call you to witness, O Abu Talhah,
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and I call Allah and His Messenger to witness,
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that if you accept Islam,
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I will accept you as a husband without any gold or silver,
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and I will make your Islam my dowry."
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As soon as Abu Talhah heard the words of Umm Sulaym,
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his mind turned to his idol,
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which he had fashioned from precious wood
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and designated for himself,
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as the chieftains of his people used to do.
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But Umm Sulaym wanted to strike the iron
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while it was still hot,
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so she followed up by saying,
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"Do you not know, O Abu Talhah,
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that your god which you worship besides Allah
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grew out of the earth?"
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He said, "Yes."
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She said,
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"Do you not feel ashamed
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to worship the trunk of a tree,
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having made part of it your god,
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while someone else made the other part fuel for himself,
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warming himself by its fire or baking his dough upon it?
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Indeed, if you accept Islam, O Abu Talhah,
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I will accept you as a husband,
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and I desire no dowry from you other than Islam."
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He said,
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"And who will guide me to Islam?"
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She said,
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"I will guide you to it."
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He said, "How?"
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She said,
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"You utter the word of truth:
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you bear witness that there is no deity except Allah
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and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah;
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then you go to your house,
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smash your idol, and cast it away."
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Abu Talhah's face beamed with joy, and he said,
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"I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah,
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and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
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Then he married Umm Sulaym,
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and the Muslims used to say,
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"We have never heard of a dowry
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more noble than the dowry of Umm Sulaym,
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for she made her dowry Islam."
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From that day on,
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Abu Talhah rallied under the banner of Islam
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and placed all his formidable capabilities in its service.
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He was one of the seventy who pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) at the Pledge of 'Aqabah,
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accompanied by his wife Umm Sulaym.
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He was also one of the twelve leaders
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appointed by the Messenger (peace be upon him) that night over the Muslims of Yathrib.
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Furthermore, he participated with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in all his military expeditions,
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displaying the most honorable and noble valor.
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Yet the greatest of Abu Talhah's days with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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was the Day of Uhud.
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Here is the account of his deeds on that day:
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Abu Talhah loved the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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with a love that penetrated the core of his heart
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and flowed like blood through his veins.
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He could never satisfy his gaze looking at him,
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nor quench his thirst listening to his sweet speech.
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Whenever he sat with him, he would kneel before him
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and say to him,
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"May my soul be ransomed for your soul,
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and my face be a shield for your face."
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On the Day of Uhud,
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when the Muslims fell back away from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
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the polytheists closed in on him from every side:
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they broke his incisor tooth,
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fractured his forehead,
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wounded his lip,
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and caused blood to stream down his face,
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to the extent that the alarmists spread the rumor that Muhammad had been killed.
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Thus, the Muslims grew weaker and weaker
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and turned their backs to the enemies of Allah.
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At that juncture,
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none stood firm with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) except a small group,
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at the forefront of whom was Abu Talhah.
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Abu Talhah stood before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) like a firmly rooted mountain,
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while the Prophet (peace be upon him) stood behind him, using him as a shield.
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Then Abu Talhah strung his unbreakable bow
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and nocked upon it his unerring arrows,
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defending the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with them,
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shooting the troops of the polytheists one after another.
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The Prophet (peace be upon him)
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would stretch up from behind Abu Talhah to see where his arrows landed,
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but Abu Talhah would gently push him back out of fear for him, saying to him,
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"May my father and mother be ransomed for you! Do not look over them lest they hit you.
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My throat is before your throat,
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my chest is before your chest,
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and may I be made your ransom!"
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Whenever a man from the Muslim army passed by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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in retreat, carrying a quiver of arrows,
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the Prophet would call out to him and say,
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"Scatter your arrows before Abu Talhah,
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and do not flee with them!"
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Abu Talhah continued to defend the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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until he broke three bows
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and killed as many of the polytheist soldiers as Allah willed.
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Then the battle cleared,
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and Allah saved His Prophet and protected him with His protection.
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Just as Abu Talhah was generous with his life in the cause of Allah during times of distress,
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he was even more generous with his wealth in times of giving.
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For instance, he possessed an orchard of date palms and grapes,
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and Yathrib knew no orchard with grander trees, sweeter fruit, or fresher water.
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While Abu Talhah was praying beneath its thick shade,
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his attention was caught by a singing green bird with a red beak and dyed legs,
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hopping among the branches of the trees, joyful, singing, and dancing.
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He was delighted by its appearance, and his mind wandered with it.
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But soon he snapped back to himself, only to realize he did not remember how much he had prayed—
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whether two units or three, he did not know.
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As soon as he finished his prayer, he went to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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and complained to him about his soul, which had been distracted from prayer by the orchard,
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its lush trees, and its singing bird.
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Then he said to him, "Bear witness, O Messenger of Allah,
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that I have given this orchard as charity for the sake of Allah Almighty,
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so place it wherever Allah and His Messenger love."
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Abu Talhah lived his life fasting and striving in the cause of Allah,
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and he died likewise, fasting and striving.
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It is reported of him that after the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
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he remained fasting for nearly thirty years,
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breaking his fast only on the days of Eid when fasting is prohibited.
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His life extended until he became an elderly, decrepit man,
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yet his old age did not prevent him from continuing to strive in the cause of Allah
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and traversing the corners of the earth to elevate His word
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and honor His religion.
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Among such instances was that the Muslims resolved to embark on a naval expedition during the caliphate of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan,
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so Abu Talhah began preparing to set out with the Muslim army.
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His sons said to him,
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"May Allah have mercy on you, father!
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You have become an old man,
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and you fought alongside the Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr, and 'Umar.
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Will you not rest and let us fight on your behalf?"
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He replied, "Indeed, Allah Almighty says: ﴾Go forth, light and heavy!﴿—
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old and young,
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and He did not specify an age for us."
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Then he insisted on setting out.
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While the aged elder and his son
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and while the aged elder,
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Abu Talhah, was aboard the ship
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alongside the Muslim army in the middle of the sea,
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he fell severely ill, and passed away as a result.
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So the Muslims set about searching for an island to bury him on,
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but they did not find what they sought until seven days had passed,
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while Abu Talhah lay shrouded among them, completely unchanged,
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as if he were merely asleep.
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And in the open sea,
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far away from family and homeland,
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distant from kinsmen and home,
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Abu Talhah was buried.
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And what did his distance from people matter to him,
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so long as he was close to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic?
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We have never known a dowry more noble than Abu Talhah's dowry to Umm Sulaym,
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for her bridal gift was Islam itself.
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The women of Medina—
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the founders of this lofty edifice... O poetry,
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aid me to lavish praise upon them; can there be any more deserving?