In today’s sermon, His Holiness - Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) related accounts from the life of Hazrat Talha (ra) bin Ubaidullah.
Hazrat Talha (ra) belonged to the Taym bin Murrah tribe. His father’s name was Ubaidullah bin Usman and his mother’s name was Sa’ba (ra). Hazrat Talha’s (ra) father passed away prior to the advent of Islam, whereas his mother had the opportunity to accept Islam. Hazrat Talha (ra) was known by the title of Abu Muhammad.
Although Hazrat Talha (ra) was not present during the Battle of Badr, however, the Holy Prophet (sa) granted him a share from the spoils of the battle. The reason why he did not take part in the Battle of Badr was because the Holy Prophet (sa) sent Hazrat Talha (ra) along with Hazrat Saeed bin Zaid (ra) to gather information about the Meccan Caravan that was returning from Syria. They returned to Medina on the day of the Battle of Badr. However, he took part in all the subsequent battles alongside the Holy Prophet (sa)
Hazrat Talha (ra) was among the ten Companions (ra) who were given glad tidings of paradise during their lifetime by the Holy Prophet (sa). Hazrat Talha (ra) was among the first eight Companions to accept Islam and also among the five Companions (ra) who accepted Islam through Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)
His Holiness (aba) then narrated various faith inspiring incidents in the life of Hazrat Talha (ra) bin Ubaidullah. Hazrat Talha (ra) is famously known for his bravery during the Battle of Uhud in which he stood in front of the Holy Prophet (sa) and shielded him using his hand from the arrows of the enemy.
His Holiness (aba) then quoted a passage from the writings of Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) which gives details about this incident. With regards to the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) stated:
“From the hill, the archers sent volleys of arrows. At that time, Talha (ra), one of the Quraysh and the Muhajirin (Meccan Muslims who had taken refuge in Medina), saw that the enemy arrows were all directed to the face of the Prophet. He stretched out his hand and held it up against the Prophet’s face. Arrow after arrow struck Talha’s (ra) hand, yet it did not drop, although with each shot it was pierced through. Ultimately it was completely mutilated. Talha (ra) lost his hand and for the rest of life went about with a stump. In the time of the Fourth Khalifah of Islam when internal dissensions had raised their head, Talha (ra) was tauntingly described by an enemy as the handless Talha (ra). A friend of Talha (ra) replied, "Handless, yea, but do you know where he lost his hand? At the Battle of Uhud, in which he raised his hand to shield the Prophet’s face from the enemy’s arrows." Long after the Battle of Uhud friends of Talha (ra) asked him, "Did not your hand smart under the arrow shots and the pain make you cry?" Talha (ra) replied, "It made me smart, and it almost made me cry, but I resisted both because I knew that if my hand shook but slightly, it would expose the Prophet’s face to the volley of enemy arrows."
His Holiness stated that Hazrat Talha (ra) was martyred on 10 Jumad al-Thani, 36 AH, during Jang-e-Jamal [The Battle of the Camel]. At the time of his martyrdom, Hazrat Talha was 64 years old, whilst according to another narration he was 62 years old. His Holiness then stated that in the future sermons, he will give a detailed account of Jang-e-Jamal in order to dispel many questions surrounding this period of history.
In the end His Holiness (aba) stated that as he mentioned in the previous sermon, that one ought to continue adhering to the precautionary measures against the current Coronavirus pandemic. One should also take caution whilst attending the mosque. If one is suffering from a slight fever or is suffering from aches and pains, one ought to refrain from public places. They should protect themselves and others. His Holiness (aba) then stated to pay particular attention towards prayers, may Allah the Almighty safeguard the world from this affliction.
Summary prepared by The Review of Religions