The hand at Uhud

Uhud went wrong in the middle of going right. The Muslims had the better of the early fighting; then a part of the army left its position, cavalry came round behind them, and the battle turned in the space of a few minutes.

What matters here is what happened next. Most of the army scattered. A small number did not, and stayed where the Prophet ﷺ was.

Talhah was one of them. The reports describe him putting himself between the Prophet ﷺ and what was coming, and taking a blow on his hand that was meant for someone else.

The hand never recovered. He had the use of it gone for the rest of his life, which was another thirty-three years.

That is the whole of the episode, and it does not need decorating. He was a merchant with a good business and no obligation to be there. When the choice arrived he made it with his hand, and then lived for three decades with the evidence.