The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 2 of 4

IMAM ABO AL-FID& ISMA'TL IBN KATHfR 145
"'I was entirely alone. But eventually, at al-Tan'im, I met Wthman b. Talha
b. Abii Talha, a relative of the Banii 'Abd al-Dar, and he asked, "Where are you
going, daughter of Abii Umayya?" I replied, "I'm heading for my husband in
Medina." He said, "And there's no one with you?" "There is no one with me
except God and this son of mine," I replied.
"'He commented, "You shouldn't he left like that."
"'He then took the camel's halter and began accompanying me. And, I swear,
I was never in the company of any Arab more honourable than him. When we
made a stop, he would make my camel kneel and then he would move away until
I had dismounted. When I made a halt he would take my mount away, unload it,
and tie it to a tree. He would then move off and make his bed beneath a tree.
When it was time to leave, he would get my camel, lead it up, saddle it and then
stand away from me. He would then say, "Do mount!" And when I mounted and
was secure, he would come and take its halter and lead me away until we next
stopped.
"'He continued behaving in this way until he brought me to Medina. When
he saw the village of the Banii 'Amr b. 'Awf at Quba', he said, "Your husband is
in this village. Abii Salama is living here. Go on in, with God's blessings." He
then left, returning to Mecca.'
"She used to say, 'I know of no other family in all Islam who suffered like that
of Aba Salama. And 1 swear I never had a more honourable companion than
Wthmnn b. Talha."'
This man, Wthman b. Talha b. Aha Talha al-'Abdari, accepted Islam after
the Hudaybiyya truce. He emigrated along with Khalid b. al-Walid. His father
and brothers, al-Hsith, Kiiab and Mus@, were killed at Uhud, along with his
uncle 'Uth111an b. Abii Talha. The Messenger of God (SAAS) handed over to
him and to his cousin Shayba, head of the Banii Shayba, the keys of the kacba on
the "conquest of Mecca"; he affirmed their being in their care in Islam as they
had been in the jahrly-ya. On that subject the Almighty revealed, "God orders
you to give over matters of trust to those entitled to it" (scrat al-Nzsa'; IV, v.58).
Ibn Is& stated, "The first of the emigrants to go there after Aba Salama was
'Amir b. Rabi'a, an ally of the Bana 'Adi. With him went his wife Layla,
daughter of Abti Hathma al-'Adawiyya. Then followed 'Abd All& b. Jahsh h.
RiQb b. Yacmur h. Sabra b. Murra b. Kabir b. Ghanm b. Diidan h. Asad b.
Khuzayma, an ally of the Banfi Umayya b. 'Abd Shams, accompanied by his
family and his brother 'Abd, that is Abii Ahmad."
Ibn Ishnq gives his name as 'Abd, though it is also said to have been
Thamwa. Al-Suhayli stated that the first of these names was correct.
"Aba Ahmad was blind; however, he used to make his way all over the length
and breadth of Mecca without any guide. He was a poet and had a wife named
al-Farica, daughter of Abii Sufym b. Harb. His mother was Umayma, daughter
of 'Abd al-Mugalib b. Hashim.