Nahjul Balagha Part 1, The Sermons

Sermon 218: Abu Muhammad (Talhah) lies…..

When Amir al-mu’minin passed by the corpses of Talhah ibn `Ubaydullah and `Abd ar-Rahman ibn `Attab ibn Asid who were both killed in the battle of Jamal, he said:

Abu Muhammad (Talhah) lies here away from his own place. By Allah, I did not like that the Quraysh should lie killed under the stars. I have avenged myself with the descendants of `Abd Manaf, but the chief persons of Banu Jumah[^1] have escaped me. They had stretched their necks towards a matter for which they were not suited, and therefore their necks were broken before they reached the goal.

Alternative Sources for Sermon 219

(1) Abu al-Faraj, al-'Aghani, XXI, 246;

(2) al-Mubarrad, al-Kamil, I, 126;

(3) al-Bayhaqi, al-Mahasin, II, 53;

(4) Ibn `Abd Rabbih, al-`Iqd, II, 279;

(5) Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, I, 192;

(6) al-Baladhuri, Ansab, II, 261;

(7) al-Mas`udi, Muruj, II, 371.

[^1]: In the battle of Jamal a group of Banú Jumah was with `Á’ishah, but the chief men of this group fled away from the battle-field. Some of them were: `Abdulláh al-Tawíl ibn Safwán, Yayá ibn Hakím, `Ámir ibn Mas`úd and Ayyúb ibn Habíb. From this group (Banú Jumah) only two persons were killed.