Abu Talhah Dawud Burbank and his Wife have Died

[Abu.Iyaad]

May Allaah the Exalted grant Abu Talhah and his wife mercy, forgiveness and the loftiest place in Paradise. As has been mentioned by many of the brothers and sisters above, Abu Talhah and his wife were travelling to Hajj, were in ihraam, were making the talbiyah, and were both caught up in fire, being killed by it. Their funeral prayer was in Haram of Makkah, after Fajr prayer, with at least hundreds of thousands of people praying over them. What greater signs could there be of a good end than this? As the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said, (وإنما الأعمال بالخواتيم) "Verily, [all] the actions [of a servant (are judged)] in accordance with the actions [his life] is sealed [with]," and the actions with which his life was sealed - in what is known to those who knew him - (and we do no purify and praise anyone over and above what Allaah knows of him) were representative of the actions with which he was known to us during his life, a befitting recompense. The Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said (فإن أحدكم ليعمل بعمل أهل الجنة حتى لا يكون بينها وبينه إلا ذراع ، فيسبق عليه الكتاب ، فيعمل بعمل أهل النار فيدخل النار . وإن أحدكم ليعمل بعمل أهل النار ، حتى ما يكون بينها وبينه إلا ذراع ، فيسبق عليه الكتاب ، فيعمل عمل أهل الجنة فيدخلها), "Verily, one of you certainly works the deed(s) of the people of Paradise until there remains but an armspan (between him and it) and the Book (the decree) over takes him, and thereby he works the deed of the people of the Fire and enters the Fire. And verily, one of you certainly works the deed(s) of the people of the Fire until there remains but an armspan (between him and it) and the Book (the decree) over takes him, and thereby he works the deed of the people of Paradise and and enters it." So it is clear that Allaah honoured him with the greatest of signs of a good, noble (and envious) end, may Allaah shower him and his wife with abundant mercy. I recall exactly 20 years ago when Abu Talhah came to Middlesbrough to participate in a mini-conference, and he was ill and had been vomiting. I saw him lying outside (the venue) on the grass, on his side, vomiting, and then he was resting and he was totally content. That was the first time I saw him, I recall that picture vividly in my mind. As for Abu Talhah's character, he was the most loveable of people, and the most pleasant to share company with. As for the humility and abstinence of Abu Talhah, as an illustration, when we would go to Umrah together and would share a room or a flat, he would say, and it would be known by the rest of us, that as long as he has a place (on the floor) to sleep and some running water, he is satisfied and he cares not about anything else of the comforts and luxuries. Never, would you hear him complain about the circumstances. This is something known to those who have travelled with him and is in contrast to the generality of the people who start complaining, forgetting the bounties of Allaah. The people are tried not in ease, but in times of difficulty where some sacrifice is required, and it is here that those who worship Allaah, seeking His face and pleasure are distinguished from those who worship Allaah as if on an edge, and we ask Allaah to make us from those who seek His face and pleasure. I was informed by Abu Maryam Tariq yesterday that both his sons, Talha and Sa'd, showed great patience throughout the ordeal - may Allaah grant them patience and firmness, and make them follow in their father's footsteps - and that in this ordeal they behaved according to the Sunnah, (whereas others may have struggled to handle and overcome what they had witnessed). Abu Talhah was a man who venerated the Sunnah, was knowledgeable regarding and acted upon it, he possessed the best of characteristics, and was one of the humblest of people that I have known and met. No doubt, the characteristics of a man reflect in his children, so may Allaah reward him greatly for his efforts, and make his children inherit his legacy. I am certain this thread will be filled with many things about the character of our noble brother Abu Talhah and his great impact upon the da'wah, I ask Allaah once more to shower His abundant mercy upon Abu Talhah and Umm Talhah (rahimahumallaah).