Hazrat Anas(ra) was the stepson of Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) and was the son of his wife’s former husband. Malik bin Nazar was the former husband of Hazrat Umm-e-Sulaim (ra) and following his demise, Hazrat Umm-e-Sulaim (ra) married Hazrat Abu Talha (ra), through whom Abdullah and Umair were born.
(al-Isti‘ab, Vol. 2, p. 124, Dar-ul Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2010) (al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 383, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Umdatul Qari, Vol. 4, p. 124, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)
Hazrat Anas (ra) narrates that Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) sent a marriage proposal to Umm-e-Sulaim (ra). She replied, “By God, I would not have any objection to marrying someone like yourself. However, you are an idolater and I am a Muslim.” This is a narration from Sunan al-Nasa‘i. She stated that she was a Muslim woman and it was not permissible for her to marry him. She said, “If you were to accept Islam, then I would consider this very act in itself to be my dowry and I would not ask of anything else.” Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) accepted Islam and this was declared to be her dowry. Hazrat Thabit (ra) used to say that, “until this day, I have not heard of any woman’s dowry to be as honourable as that of Umm-e-Sulaim (ra).”
(Sunan al-Nasa‘i, Kitab-un-Nikah, Bab At-Tazawwuj Alal-Islam, Hadith 3341)