Talha ibn Ubaydullah and a history

There are thousands of people around you, and the air is filled with the sound of swords. You also hear thousands of takbirs coming from the same mouths. You recognize many of them; you even have friends among them. This army is composed of Muslims, and it is fighting against you. Yet, you are a Muslim too, and have been since the very early days.

In that moment, you would think, “What is this war about, why are we here?” wouldn't you? At the very least, you should think about it. We do not know if Talha ibn Ubaydullah, one of the leaders of the war, thought about these things on the Day of the Camel. According to some accounts, it is said that he was in such a state of mind.

Let us take a short journey today into the history of Talha ibn Ubaydullah. Let us briefly recall the process from the early days of Islam to the Battle of the Camel.

Talha ibn Ubaydullah was one of the leaders of the battle that took place in 656 in Basra, which is within the borders of modern-day Iraq. According to accounts, he was over sixty years old when he lost his life in that battle. Based on this calculation, he must have been born before Ali. We know that he was a close friend of Abu Bakr, and later he married his daughter, Umm Kulthum. I will come to that subject in a moment, but before I do, let me say this: Talha’s conversion to Islam came through Abu Bakr. Like Abu Bakr, Talha was one of the prominent merchants of the period. In this sense, I believe that Abu Bakr made a significant contribution to the merchant class becoming Muslim in those years. Let us come to the matter of the marriage.

Umm Kulthum is the youngest daughter of Abu Bakr. According to historical records, it is said that she was born in 634. We also learn from those same records that one of the first people who wanted to marry Umm Kulthum was Caliph Umar. However, her older sister, who was also the Prophet’s wife, Aisha, opposed this marriage. There are two reasons for this: First, she says, “Umm Kulthum is still too young.” Second, she says that Umar has a stern temperament and that she does not consider this marriage suitable for either Umar or her sister. In the end, the marriage does not take place, but Umm Kulthum marries Talha ibn Ubaydullah at a “very early age” nonetheless. And three children are born from this marriage: Zakariyya, Yusuf, and Aisha.

Like other men of the period, Talha was one of those who chose polygamy. It is stated that he had a total of nine wives and fourteen children, four of whom were girls. Historical sources also report that in four of these marriages, he was a brother-in-law to the Prophet of Islam.

As we have stated, Talha is one of the first Muslim names. A companion who participated in battles starting from the period of Uhud, he was also honored with the Prophet’s praise for the sacrifice he showed in that battle, and his hand remained crippled because he protected the Prophet during the fighting. The account goes that the Prophet said to him at that moment, “Paradise has become mandatory for Talha.”

After these words, the Prophet lived for seven more years and then passed away from this mortal world. Talha, on the other hand, narrated 38 hadiths from the Prophet. Why Talha, who is said to have been close to the Prophet and even served as his scribe, narrated so few hadiths from him is a subject in itself. Because we know that there were companions who narrated hundreds or even thousands of hadiths despite not being close to the Prophet.

Let us return to Talha ibn Ubaydullah.

Talha was one of the greatest merchants of the period. He was very wealthy. When he died, he left behind a fortune consisting of millions of dirhams and mansions. He is also a name recorded in history for this aspect. While we are on the subject, let us also state this: One of the common characteristics of the names nominated for the caliphate by Umar—excluding Ali—is that they were very wealthy.

From the caliphate of Abu Bakr onwards, Talha always approached elections with caution. For example, he pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr late. When Abu Bakr announced that he would appoint Umar as caliph, he said to him: “Did you appoint Umar as caliph over the people? Did you not see that people were wary of him even when you were with him? What will you do if Allah asks you about your subjects when you leave the people alone with Umar and go to your Lord?”

On the other hand, during the period of Caliph Uthman, he was among those who criticized the caliph. Even though he later “said that they set out to find Uthman’s killers” when he stood against Ali, we know that he was among the opponents of Caliph Uthman. This was exactly the situation, especially in the second six years of Uthman’s caliphate.

From the time of Abu Bakr, Talha remained on the periphery of power, and although he did not undertake significant duties, he was in close contact with ruling circles. When it came to the caliphate of Ali, the situation changed. Specifically, Ali, who came to power during the days of chaos that emerged with the death of Uthman, also requested pledges of allegiance from the important names of the period. Talha was one of these names. Accounts diverge exactly at this stage. According to some, Talha reluctantly accepted Ali’s rule. According to others, the situation was the opposite. On the other hand, it is stated that Talha wanted the governorship of Basra and that Ali opposed this, or in other words, did not appoint him as governor of Basra. It is after this that events unfolded.

On one side of the process are Talha, his close friend Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, and the Prophet’s wife Aisha. These three names we mentioned unite against Ali. The reason is to find Uthman’s killers. When we look at historical realities and facts, this may only be a pretext. Because the criticisms and statements of all these names, including Aisha, during the process of Uthman’s killing are confirmed by sources. Of course, there can be criticisms, but those who make them also have the opportunity to read the process and the events with an inclusive and structural eye. In this respect, if those who have the opportunity to read historical truth with an objective eye move completely away from this possibility, they cast doubt on their own realities. This is the deep void into which the front we mentioned has fallen.

Another aspect of the matter is the power struggle between Talha, Zubayr, and Aisha. According to historical accounts, even during the preparation process for the war (the Battle of the Camel), while Aisha took the side of Zubayr, Talha put forward his own name for power. In this respect, it was a struggle for power. Moreover, if they had won this struggle, a possible war could have taken place between Talha and Zubayr, which is another truth pointed to by history.

As a result, on the Day of the Camel (the Battle of Basra), Talha lost his sixty-year life while fighting against Muslims. According to some accounts, it is said that in his final moments, he regretted fighting against Ali. It is unknown how true the account is, but there must have been a questioning that comes from setting out with the Prophet, walking the path with his friends, and then dying while fighting against them. When we see that this questioning is not done even hundreds of years later, let alone on that day, we can understand the reasons for that war. You cannot solve problems whose causes you do not address.