Talhah bin al-Baraa: A Young Boy Who Kissed the Prophet's Feet

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ 

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

The Companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, were extremely devoted to him and would unhesitatingly obey his every command.

One of his Companions was Talhah bin al-Baraa, may Allah be pleased with him, a young boy who died of illness shortly after encountering the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him. When he met his Master, he immediately kissed his feet:

أَنَّ طَلْحَةَ بْنَ الْبَرَاءِ لَمَّا لَقِيَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَجَعَلَ يَلْصَقُ بِرَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَيُقَبِّلُ قَدَمَيْهِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مُرْنِي بِمَا أَحْبَبْتَ لَا أَعْصِي لَكَ أَمْرًا فَضَحِكَ لِذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ غُلَامٌ حَدَثٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ اذْهَبِ اذْهَبْ فَاقْتُلْ أَبَاكَ قَالَ فَخَرَجَ مُوَلِّيًا لِيَفْعَلَ فَدَعَاهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ  إِنِّي لَمْ أُبْعَثْ بِقَطِيعَةِ رَحِمٍ

When Talhah bin al-Baraa met the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم he began to cling to the Apostle of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم and kiss his feet. He said, “O Apostle of Allah! Order me with what you love, I shall not disobey your command.” So the Apostle of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم began to laugh at that, as he [Talhah] was a young boy, so he said to him, “Go, go, kill your father!” So he [Talhah] went out to do that, but the Apostle of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم summoned him back and said, “Verily, I have not been sent to cut the ties of kinship.” (Ma’rifat us-Sahabah li-Abi Nu’aym; p.842, #2203, p.1552, #3930)

The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, tested the loyalty and devotion that Talhah bin al-Baraa apparently expressed, to determine if it was substantive and not merely performative. Otherwise, he did not really intend for Talhah bin al-Baraa to kill his father.

That this young boy Talhah was unhesitating and willing to act on the Prophet’s initial order to kill his own father demonstrated his perfect faith, reflecting the submissiveness of Abraham and Isaac and their perfect faith.

This episode also proves the Sunni Islamic practice of kissing the feet of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, and by extension, it being permissible to kiss the feet of pious and saintly Muslims.