Abu Talhah Dawud Burbank and his Wife have Died

[S.bint.Ahmed]

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

''Verily, those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, the Most Beneficent (Allaah) Will bestow love for them (in the hearts of the Believers.)'' Surah Maryam 19:96


Book Love and Hate for the Sake of Allaah: Translated by Abu Talhah Dawood ibn Ronald Burbank.

Allah’s messenger (Salallaahu alayhi wa salaam) said:
A deceased who you praise will be granted Jannah. And He whom you condemn will be granted the Fire. The angels are Allaah’s witnesses in the heavens; and you the (believers) are Allaah’s witnesses on earth; you are Allaah’s witnesses on the earth; you are Allaah’s witnesses on earth!

Verily Allaah has angels who speak upon the tongues of the human beings, telling of any good or evil that is in a person.” A combined report recorded by Al- Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmed, and others.

Whenever four (Muslims) testify on behalf of a (dead) Muslim, Allaah will let him into Jannah. Recorded by al Bukhari, an Nasai and others from Funerals: Regulations and Exhortations.

We cannot enumerate the blessing of Allaah. From among those blessing is that He gives us companions upon the Quraan and Sunnah. I thank Allaah above His Arsh that I was blessed to have known Umm Talhah. Truly this was a great blessing as we were in different cities and then in different countries. We never physically met. Their deaths came as an absolute shock as I was preparing to meet her for the first time.
Qadr Allahu wa masha fa'aal.

Umm Talhah Khaalidah Dost (rahimah ullah).

Umm Talhah was a devoted mother and wife.

She was also a seeker of knowledge and a propagator and support to her husband in dawah Salafiyyah. She remained obscure from mention with regards to her direct efforts for dawah Salafiyyah. She was like so many brothers and sisters who work from behind the scene but whose efforts are integral to the success of the dawah.

What I write now is difficult (I do not like to expose my private relationships with sisters on such a public forum) but I feel her efforts also need to be recognized,mentioned and appreciated. From this, I hope that what I write will inspire others to seek knowledge and strive for the pleasure of Allaah…..

So, who was it that typed up all those beautifully handwritten articles and manuscripts ? Who was it that got questions answered patiently and promptly from her husband the many questions that the sisters had regarding minute details about the practice of their religion/deen? No doubt you can realize the answer.

Umm Talhah loved Allaah and she loved His Messenger immensely. She loved the Book of Allaah and she loved the Sunnah of the Messenger (Salallaahu alayhi was salam).

Umm Talhah was a mother of eight children who she gave her time to, home schooling them and nurturing them upon good manners and adherence to the Sunnah. When I would speak to her in Ramadaan she would tell me her children were fasting.

She placed importance on spending the precious moments that we have in life to increase in seeking knowledge. She encouraged sisters to do likewise. She would listen to tapes while she cooked. She was an example that being married with many children does not stop you from learning. It just means that you adapt ways to fit that learning into your life in a way that can be managed. She listened to the lessons on the internet that Abu Talhah gave at the Masjid which were lessons in aqueedah and manhaj, clarifying tawheed from shirk, sunnah from bidah, people of sunnah from the people of bidah and she read books when she had the time. She gave books and tapes as gifts.

I was amazed how she would fit everything in her time.

One of the last books to be published by Abu Talhah was the “Tafseer of Sooratin- Naba” a lot of time and effort had gone into the production of this book.

http://www.salafitalk.net/st/viewmes...=19&Topic=9649

Umm Talhah sent me the book last year and emailed me when I had received the copy, as follows:

<<I am so happy that you have the book and I am sure you will find it very beneficial and the biographies at the end are just amazing. I know this book is very special to you. I remember when I used to read the tafseer to you and you would say things like 'Khaalidah you should get it printed', or 'it really should be printed', as we both appreciated the knowledge contained within it.>> she lamented << I don't know what it is with people these days they just don't have the time to read or make the time to read.>>

As mentioned in the email, she offered to read the tafseer of the surahs from Juzz ‘Amma. She could have posted me the manuscript which would have saved her time and effort. When, I mentioned I knew she was busy she insisted she would read it as it would help her too. She would call when all her household chores and duties were completed at night, once a week. She slowly read each ayah at a time, followed by the tafseer. She read while, I took notes, often repeating each sentence or even paragraphs and never complaining if I asked her to slow down or didn’t understand her accent!! If I didn’t understand something she would go back to Abu Talhah and return with a fuller explanation and if I still didn’t understand she would email me with evidence and proofs. She kept to her level of understanding and never claimed to know what she didn’t know. She read to me she didn’t explain.

One time I waited for her call but she didn’t call. I didn’t call until the next day as I thought she must have been busy. She told me she had forgotten and apologised. Two days later I got a parcel in the post. A card with an apology, a pen with the words 'I love you' and a little miniature book called ‘For my friend’. When I received the post and read the card I remember I cried tears of love and amazement. She took keeping an appointment as a trust. I hadn’t known anyone like her, her generosity and kindness. She was really really really special.

She called the tafseer a ''unique piece of work'' and it was her ''dream'' to see it in print. It was part of what was hoped to be a series of the tafseer of Juzz 'Amma. The printing of the second book had been holted because the first book was not selling as well as expected. I pray that her dream and a dream I shared too of the rest of the series being published comes true one day. All success lies with Allaah.

Those are/were precious moments and memories I shall treasure forever.

These moments were a treasure because she was giving me her precious time so we could understand the Book of Allaah. This is what Salafiyyah is about. It is about helping each other to worship Allaah upon knowledge and insight with compassion, mercy and steadfastness and offering.

This is just a glimpse of Umm Talhah’s character and how she loved the Qur’aan and how she made you feel special on a personal level. I know I am not the only sister she made feel special or helped to understand the deen better. I know there were probably other projects she initiated incognito to benefit others and sisters that she helped.

Her love for Allaah, His Book, His Messenger and the Sunnah was shown in her actions, kindness and character.

There are some people in life who touch you more than others and she was one of them (rahimah ullaah).

Two very very special, noble, kind, generous, trustworthy, dependable, humble seekers and propagators of knowledge have returned to Allaah our Lord (May Allaah have Mercy on them). We console ourselves with the reminder of the death of the Prophet (Salallaahu alayhi wa salaam) and (our scholars) and how the Companions had patience and continued spreading the deen.

We praise none above Allaah but we relate what we witnessed.

Recently, much of Abu Talhah’s translations began to be posted on the website set up by the family http://alitisaambissunnah.wordpress.com/.


I pray that this is a time to reflect upon the purpose for which we were created and prepare for our own deaths. I pray that the deaths of Umm Talhah and Abu Talhah is a cause to unite the Salafis upon the truth when people read these threads. I pray that their efforts continue to be a benefit for the people.

As I finish writing this I think about it being Yaumal Arafat and the Ayah:
“This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion.” Suratul Ma’idah 5:3

Alhumduillaah…. and all the muslims including Abu Talhah and Umm Talhah’s, Talhah and Saad standing at Arafah completing the rites for Allaah that they came for. May Allaah grant them Hajj Mabroor and accept the Hajj of all the muslims ameen.


‘’Verily, those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, the Most Beneficent (Allaah)Will bestow love for them (in the hearts of the Believers.) Surah Maryam 19:96

He (Salallaahu alayhi wa salaam) says in what he reports from His Lord:
“Allaah the Mighty and Magnificent, says;

Those who have mutual love for the sake of My Glory will have Pillars of light and will be envied by the Prophets and martyrs.
Reported by at-Tirmidhee [no.2390] and Ahmed [5/236-237] its isnaad is Saheeh.

I thank Allaah that He has blessed me to know Umm Talhah and Abu Talhah (through her). I thank Allaah for the Salafi and non Salafi sisters and brothers that are dear to me that have helped me in my deen and dunyah. May Allaah preserve and guide me and them all ameen.

We ask Allaah to forgive our sins and shortcomings, and our shortcomings in honouring the rights of our families, friends, muslims and non muslims over us. May He preserve our scholars and grant us deaths upon the Qur’aan and Sunnah ameen.

Alhumduillaahi Rabil alamin.