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The question

Is it true that Talhah ibn Ubaydillah defended the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, at Uhud and sustained over sixty wounds, then lived thereafter to be called "the martyr who walks on the earth," before being martyred at the Battle of the Camel?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 20263 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

A summary of what has been narrated about the Companion Talhah ibn Ubaydullah, may Allah be pleased with him:

First: An Introduction to Talhah ibn Ubaydullah: He is Talhah ibn Ubaydullah ibn Uthman Al-Taymi, one of the ten promised Paradise, one of the eight who were early converts to Islam, and one of the six members of the Shura (consultative council) whom the Messenger died pleased with. He embraced Islam at the hands of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq and was known as "Al-Qarīnān" (the two companions) with Abu Bakr. He was given the titles "Talhah Al-Khayr" (Talhah the Good), "Talhah Al-Jūd" (Talhah the Generous), and "Talhah Al-Fayyāḍ" (Talhah the Bountiful). He witnessed all battles with the Prophet except Badr, as he was absent in Syria, but the Messenger allotted him his share and reward. He fought valiantly on the Day of Uhud and his hand was injured, and the Companions said of him: "That day was all for Talhah." He was killed on the Day of the Camel in 36 AH at the age of 64.

Second: His Defense of the Prophet, peace be upon him, at Uhud: Jābir ibn Abdullah narrated that the Messenger was with eleven men from the Ansar and Talhah ibn Ubaydullah at Uhud. When the polytheists caught up with them, the Messenger would ask: "Who will face the people?" One of the Ansar would step forward and fight until he was killed, until only the Messenger and Talhah remained. Talhah then fought with the vigor of the eleven men until his hand was injured and his fingers were cut off. The Messenger then said: "Had you said 'Bismillah,' the angels would have raised you while people were watching." This hadith is good, at the very least, and it should be noted that Talhah did not die at Uhud, but rather at the Battle of the Camel.

Third: His Description as a "Martyr Walking on Earth": It was narrated from Jābir ibn Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Whoever is pleased to look at a martyr walking on the face of the earth, let him look at Talhah ibn Ubaydullah." This hadith has various chains of narration and reports. Some are very weak due to the presence of abandoned narrators like Al-Salt ibn Dinār, while others rise to the level of authenticity due to their multiple chains and corroborating evidence. Despite the disagreement on its authenticity, it is mentioned among the virtues of Talhah, may Allah be pleased with him, because leniency is shown in matters of virtues, and many biographers and hadith scholars have mentioned it.

Fourth: The Injuries He Sustained on the Day of Uhud: It was narrated from Aishah that Abu Bakr was the first to approach the Prophet on the Day of Uhud, and he saw Talhah fighting and protecting the Prophet, and he had sustained 33 injuries, including stabs, blows, and arrow shots. This hadith is very weak; its chain of narration includes Ishaq ibn Yahya ibn Talhah, who is weak in hadith.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy