Hazrat Khadija bint Khuwaylid

(Dr Sajid Khakwani, Islamabad)

(c. 555 – 620 CE)
(11, Ramzan: Death Anniversary)
Dr Sajid Khakwani
[email protected]
Khadīja bint Khuwaylid or Khadīja al-Kubra (Khadija the great) was the first wife of the prophet Muhammad. She is commonly regarded by Muslims as the "mother of Islam". She was the first person to convert to Islam. Khadija's grandfather, Asad ibn Abd-al-Uzza, was the progenitor of the Asad clan of the Quraysh tribe in Mecca. Her father, Khuwaylid ibn Asad, was a merchant he died c.585, His sister, Umm Habib bint Asad, was the matrilineal great-grandmother of Muhammad(PBUH). Khadija's mother, Fatima bint Za'idah, who died around 575, was a member of the Amir ibn Luayy clan of the Quraysh and a third cousin of Muhammad's mother. Khadija married three times and had children from all her marriages. She first married Abu Hala Malak at-Tamimi and second 'Atiq l-Makhzumi. Abu Hala Malak died before his business became a success. To her husband Atiq Khadija bore a daughter named Hindah. This marriage also left Khadija as a widow.

Khadija became a very successful merchant. She was known by the by-names Ameerat-Quraysh ("Princess of Quraysh"), al-Tahira ("The Pure One") and Khadija Al-Kubra (Khadija "the Great"). Her mother and father both died within 10 years of each other. Their wealth was divided amongst the children but it was Hazrat khadija(SA) who took over the family business and expanded it. With the profit she made she helped the poor, widows, orphans, sick and the disabled people of Makka. She had a cousin called Waraqa bin Naufal who was very learned man and who was not an idol worshipper. Both Waraqa and Hazrat Khadija were monothiests and believed in one Allah. Khadija did not travel with her trade caravans; she employed others to trade on her behalf for a commission. In 595 Khadija needed an agent for a transaction in Syria. Abu Talib ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib recommended her distant cousin Muhammad ibn Abdullah. The experience that Muhammad held working with caravans in his uncle Abu Talib's family business had earned him the honorific titles Al-Sadiq ("the Truthful") and Al-Amin ("the Trustworthy" or "Honest").Khadija hired Muhammad, who was then 25 years old, sending word through her kinsman Khazimah ibn Hakim that she would pay double her usual commission. She sent one of her servants, Maysarah, to assist him. Upon returning, Maysara gave accounts of the honorable way that Muhammad had conducted his business, with the result that he brought back twice as much profit as Khadija had expected.

Khadija entrusted a friend named Nafisa to approach Muhammad and ask if he would consider marrying. At first Muhammad was hesitant because he had no money to support a wife. Nafisa then asked if he would consider marriage to a woman who had the means to provide for herself. Muhammad agreed to come meet with Khadija, and after this meeting they consulted their respective uncles. The uncles agreed to the marriage. The date of the marriage ceremony was determined by Hazrat Khadija and the ceremony was to take place in her home. Holy Prophet (PBUH), his uncles, his aunts, and some of the leading figures from the sons of Hashim came to Hazrat Khadija’s home on the set date. Hazrat Khadija provided everything that would ensure a beautiful wedding ceremony. The sheep were slaughtered and the food was prepared. After the food was eaten, it was time for the oldest ones on both sides to speak, which was in accordance with their custom. Hazrat Khadija’s father had passed away in the Battle of Fijar. For this reason, her uncle, Amr bin Asad, was her representative for the ceremony.

According to the tradition, Abu Talib would be the first to speak. Therefore, he stood up and said: “Thanks be to Allah for he has created us from Ibrahim’s progeny, Ismail’s bloodline, Maad’s minerals, and Mudar’s descent. After this, I get straight to the point and say: “As you know, my brother’s son, Muhammad bin Abdullah, is your relative. No youth from the Quraysh can be compared to him. He is superior to them in terms of repute, intelligence, honor, and virtue. “Yes, he has very little property, but what does that mean? It is a transient shadow and curtain, something temporary that is given and then taken away. “I swear by Allah that his rank is going to increase and grow even more from now on. “He now asks for your daughter Khadija’s hand in marriage and pledges to give 20 male camels for her dowry.” When Abu Talib finished speaking, the son of Hazrat Khadija’s uncle, Waraqa bin Nawfal, rose to speak. He said: “Thanks be to Allah for He has created us like you have described. He has granted us a far greater degree of superiority than you have mentioned. We also want to be honored and establish kinship with you.“Oh, the community of Quraysh! Bear witness that I marry Khuwaylid’s daughter, Khadija, to Muhammad bin Abdullah, the son of Abdullah, for the price of this dowry”. When Waraqa bin Nawfal had finished speaking, Abu Talib wanted Hazrat Khadija’s paternal uncle, Amr bin Asad, to express his consent. Amr also rose to his feet and said, “Oh the community of Quraysh, bear witness that I have joined Muhammad bin Abdullah and Khuwaylid’s daughter, Khadija in marriage.”

Thus, Muhammad (PBUH) was married to Khuwaylid’s daughter, Hazrat Khadija aI-Kubra, who had the most reputable ancestry as well as the most honor and wealth among the Qurayshi women. In the meantime, Holy Prophet (PBUH) was 25 years old whereas Hazrat Khadija was 40. Their marriage took place in 595 AD; 15 years before his Prophet hood. Then, Holy Prophet (PBUH) brought his esteemed wife with him to Abu Talib’s home. Here they slaughtered two camels and threw a banquet for the community. Out of regard for this happy occasion, Abu Talib slaughtered his camels and fed the community and then afterwards, invited our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his family to his home. When he went out to greet them, he thanked Allah in the midst of his tears by saying, “Praise to be Allah for He has dispelled all of our sadness away from us.” Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Hazrat Khadija, who had attained the honor of being our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) first wife, only stayed a few days in Abu Talib’s home.

Afterwards, they returned to Hazrat Khadija’s home in which they would spend their blissful lives. Nothing had really been left to our Holy Prophet (PBUH) from his father’s inheritance. In addition, Abu Talib, who had been our Holy Prophet’s guardian for a long time, was in extreme poverty. In this regard, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) had led a life filled with thousands of hardships and difficulties until he married Hazrat Khadija. Muhammad and Khadija had six children. Their first son was Qasim, who died before his second birthday. Khadija then gave birth to their daughters Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatima; and lastly to their son Abdullah. He was born after Muhammad declared himself a prophet. Abdullah also died in childhood.Two other children also lived in Khadija's household. One was Ali ibn Abi Talib, the son of Muhammad's uncle, whom Muhammad raised as his own when Abu Talib was under financial hardship. The second was Zayd ibn Harithah, a boy from the Udhra tribe who had been kidnapped and sold into slavery.

It became Muhammad's custom each year to spend the month of Ramadan in seclusion and reflection in a cave on the mountain of Hira, which is on the outskirts of Makka. Khadijah would always make sure that he was provided with food and drink during his retreat. Towards the end of one Ramadan, when he was forty and Khadijah fifty-five, Muhammad suddenly appeared at their house in the middle of the night, trembling with fear and saying, "Cover me up, cover me up!" Khadijah was very alarmed to see him in such a state. Quickly she wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and, when he had calmed down, she asked him to describe exactly what had happened. He told her how a being whom he had never seen before - in fact it was the angel Jibril - had suddenly appeared to him. Although Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not fully realize it at the time, this was the beginning of the revelation of the Qur'an; but in that first encounter with the angel Jibril, Muhammad was very frightened, for he did not know who the angel Jibril was or what was happening. He woke up and ran out of the cave and clambered down the mountain as fast as he could run. When Muhammad reported his first revelation from the Angel Gabriel (Jibril), Khadija was the first person to convert to Islam. After calming down, he described the encounter to Khadija, who comforted him with the words: "Allah would surely protect him from any danger, and would never allow anyone to revile him as he was a man of peace and reconciliation and always extended the hand of friendship to all. You are loving to the relatives , kind to thy neighbors, charitable to the poor, hospitable to the stranger, and ever a defender of the truth "According to some sources, it was Khadijh's cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal, who confirmed Muhammad's prophet hood soon afterwards.

In the years that followed, difficult years in which the leaders of the Quraish did everything in their power to stop the Prophet spreading his message, Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) was a constant source of help and comfort to Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the difficulties which he had to face. All her wealth was spent in the way of Allah, helping to spread the message of her husband, helping to free slaves who had embraced Islam, and helping to feed and shelter the community of Muslims that slowly but surely began to grow in numbers and strength. Khadija was supportive of Muhammad's prophetic mission, always helping in his work, proclaiming his message and belittling any opposition to his prophecies. It was her encouragement that helped Muhammad believe in his mission and spread Islam. When the polytheists and aristocrats of the Quraysh harassed the Muslims, she used her money to ransom Muslim slaves and feed the Muslim community. In 616 the Quraysh declared a trade boycott against the Hashim clan. They attacked, imprisoned and beat the Muslims, who sometimes went for days without food or drink. Some died and others became ill. Khadija continued to maintain the community until the boycott was lifted in late 619 or early 620.

Khadija died in 10 Ramadan of the year 10 after the Prophethood", i.e., in April or May 620 CE. Muhammad later called this tenth year "the Year of Sorrow", as his uncle and protector Abu Talib also died at this time. Khadija is said to have been about sixty-five years old at the time of her death. When she died nothing was left of her wealth - all of it was served for the propagation of Islam. She was buried in Jannatul Mualla cemetery, in Mecca.Muhammad honoured Khadija even after her death. If a gift was sent to him, he would send a share to women who had been Khadija's friends.

Once the Prophet mentioned Khadija near Aisha, "Indeed Allah did not grant me better than her; she accepted me when people rejected me, she believed in me when people doubted me, she shared her wealth with me when people deprived me, and Allah granted me children only through her. Allah himself had nurtured her love in my heart, Allah has not replaced [Khadija] with anyone better than she was!” Khadija had been the first to publicly accept Muhammad as the Messenger of Allah, and she had never stopped doing all she could to help him. Love and mercy had grown between them, increasing in quality and depth as the years passed by, and not even death could take this love away. Muhammad never stopped loving Khadija, and although he married several more wives in later years and loved them all equally, it is clear that Khadija always had a special place in his heart. Indeed whenever Aisha, his third wife, heard Muhammad speak of Khadija, or saw him sending food to Khadija's old friends and relatives, she could not help feeling jealous of her, because of the love that Muhammad still had for her.

On one occasion, when Khadija was still alive, Jibril came to Muhammad and said, "O Messenger of Allah, Khadija is just coming with a bowl of soup (or food or drink) for you. When she comes to you, give her greetings of peace from her Lord and from me, and give her the good news of a palace of jewels in the Garden, where there will be neither any noise nor any tiredness."
 

Dr Sajid Khakwani
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