Abu Talha al-Ansari

Islam as a Dowry

Abu Talha al-Ansari was of Banu Najjar. When he sought to marry Umm Sulaym, she refused gold or silver and asked only that he accept Islam — and his embrace of Islam became her dowry, the Prophet ﷺ noting the light of faith between his eyes. 1 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 1 · pp. 213 — Kandhlawi — Umm Sulaym's dowry is Abu Talha's acceptance of Islam.

Shield of the Prophet ﷺ at Uhud

A master archer, Abu Talha stood before the Prophet ﷺ at Uhud loosing arrows in his defence, raising his own chest as a shield and saying his neck was there to be struck rather than the Prophet’s ﷺ. 2 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 2 · pp. 353 — Kandhlawi — Abu Talha shields the Prophet at Uhud with his bow and body.

He broke two or three bows that day. He said:

“May my parents be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah — let an arrow strike my chest instead of yours.”

And the Prophet ﷺ kept directing the incoming quivers to him. 3 Seerat-e-Mustafa · Vol 2 · pp. 68 — Idris Kandhlawi — Abu Talha breaks two or three bows at Uhud; 'let an arrow strike my chest instead of yours.'

Virtues in the Hadith

When “You will not attain righteousness until you spend of what you love” (Qur’an 3:92) was revealed, Abu Talha gave away Bayruha, his most beloved garden by the mosque:

بَخٍ، ذَلِكَ مَالٌ رَابِحٌ

”Excellent! That is profitable property” — and the Prophet ﷺ bade him divide it among his kin.

Sahih al-Bukhari 1461 · Book 24 (Obligatory Charity), Hadith 63 · USC-MSA: Vol. 2, Book 24, Hadith 540 · narrated by Anas ibn Malik