But while he was getting ready for one of his journeys, the little boy was suddenly struck by an illness, and Abū Ṭalḥah was so overcome with anxiety for him that he nearly abandoned the trip.

During his brief absence, the fresh shoot withered (1), the tender branch drooped (2), and the child was laid beneath the earth (3). Umm Sulaym said to the members of her household, “Do not tell Abū Ṭalḥah of his son’s death until I am the one who breaks the news to him.”

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Abū Ṭalḥah returned from his journey, and Umm Sulaym received him with a radiant, cheerful face, brimming with joy and optimism. He at once asked her about the boy, and she replied, “Leave him; he is now more tranquil than I have ever known him.”

She then set supper before him and kept him company, soothing his heart and lifting his spirits. When she sensed that he had eaten his fill and was at ease, she said, “O Abū Ṭalḥah, what do you think if some people were to reclaim a loaned article (4) …”