Lessons from Nahjul Balagha [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

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Sermon
173

SERMON 173

About Talhah ibn Ubaydillah

Delivered when he received the
news that Talhah and az-Zubayr had already left for Basrah to
fight against him.

As for me, I would
never be frightened of fighting or be made to fear striking
because I am satisfied with Allah's promise of support to me. By
Allah, Talhah has hastened with drawn sword to avenge Uthman's
blood for fear lest the demand for Uthman's blood be made against
himself, because the people's idea in this matter is about him,
and, in fact, he was the most anxious among them for his killing.
Therefore, he has tried to create misunderstanding by collecting
forces in order to confuse the matter and to create doubt.

By Allah. he did not
act in either of three ways about Uthman. If the son of Affan
(Uthman) was in the wrong, as Talhah believed, it is necessary
for him to support those who killed (1)
him or to keep away from his supporters. If Uthman was the victim
of oppression. then Talhah should have been among those who were
keeping (the assaulters) away from him or were advancing pleas on
his behalf. If he was in doubt about these two alternatives, then
it was incumbent upon him to leave him (Uthman) and retire aside
and leave the men with him (to deal with him as they wished). But
he adopted none of these three ways, and came out with a thing in
which there is no good, and his excuses are not acceptable.

(1).
It means that if Talhah considered Uthman an oppressor, then
after his assassination, instead of getting ready to avenge his
blood, he should have supported his killers and justified their
action. It is not the intention that in the case of Uthman being
in the wrong Talhah should have supported the attackers because he
was already supporting and encouraging them.