Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
To be honest, after the words of our noble brother Abu Khadeejah and Abu Iyadh, what can one mention that has not already sufficed us regarding our dear brother Abu Talha Dawood Burbank, may Allah have mercy upon him. However, just as has been reported by the messenger of Allah, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam
“ The likeness of the believer in their mutual love, their togetherness and the mercy they have between one another is the likeness of one body. If one of the body parts complains, the rest of the body calls out with fever and sleeplessness.”
So I say when the news reached me regarding the passing of Abu Talha and Umm Talha, it felt like I loss a close relative. Even though I only met Abu Talha once, I loved him for the sake of Allah due to what had reached me from the likes of our brother Abu Idris Muhammad ibn Aslam and Abu Ummayah Abdul Mateen from the firmness of Abu Talha upon the sunnah, and his zuhud in worldly affairs and his consistency in the call to tauheed and salafiyyah. I remember sitting in high school in the heart of North Philadelphia, reading the beneficial translation of The three fundamental priniciples by Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen.
I met Abu Talha if my memory serves me correct in the summer of 2004 in front of Shaykh Rabee’s – may Allah preserve him- house. I did not know who he was because I never saw him before and he was standing alone, shy and humble with his head down. One of the brothers I was with, Yusuf Eritree from Sweden, recognized Abu Talha due to him travelling to Birmingham before and mentioned to me that that was Abu Talha, so we went and embraced him, and he smiled and I felt nothing but sincere brotherhood from him, Rahimahullah. Just recently where I work in the prison I was going through with the brothers there the abridgement of the Prophets prayer described. During my preparations I would stumble through some words and I would return back to the translation of Abu Talha and he would hit the translation right on the mark. I ask Allah with His perfect names and Lofty attributes to reward Abu Talha with a good reward and make him and his wife from those who are raised up on the day of resurrection reciting the talbiyyah and to continue to bless his children to be upon righteousness and steadfastness upon Tauheed and Sunnah. Ameen.
Wa salla Allahu wa sallam ala nabiyyanaa Muhammad.
Abu Suhayl Anwar Wright