Khadijah: the first to believe
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, may Allah be pleased with her, was the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and she is widely held to be the very first person to believe in him. Muslims call her one of the Mothers of the Believers, a title that comes from the Quran, which says of the Prophet's wives: "his wives are [in the position of] their mothers" (Quran 33:6).
Before Islam
According to the well-known accounts of the seerah (the Prophet's biography), Khadijah was a respected and successful businesswoman in Makkah. The young Muhammad took charge of one of her trade caravans, and his honesty impressed her so much that she proposed marriage to him. She had been married before. They had children together, and years later the Prophet still spoke of it with gratitude: "I had children from her" (Sahih al-Bukhari 3818). As long as she lived, he did not marry any other woman (Sahih Muslim 2436).
The night everything changed
When the first revelation came to the Prophet in the cave of Hira, he came home with his heart trembling and said, "Cover me! Cover me!" When the fear had passed, he told Khadijah what had happened and said, "Indeed, I feared for myself." She answered:
No, by Allah, Allah will never fail you. Verily, you maintain kinship ties, help those in need, support the destitute, provide the guests with food and shelter, and assist those affected by calamities.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3 and Sahih Muslim 160
She did not panic, and she did not doubt him. She reminded him of who he was: a man who kept his family ties and cared for the weak. Then she took him to her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal, an elderly man who had become a Christian before Islam and knew the earlier scriptures. When Waraqah heard what had happened, he said it was the same angel whom Allah had sent to Musa (Sahih al-Bukhari 3).
If someone stands by you in your faith, you know how much this matters. If no one does yet, remember that Allah sent Khadijah to the Prophet at the moment he needed her most. Ask Allah for good companions, and try to be that kind of support for someone else.
Honored by her Lord
Some years later, the angel Jibril (Gabriel) came to the Prophet while Khadijah was on her way to him, and said:
This is Khadija coming to you with a dish having meat soup (or some food or drink). When she reaches you, greet her on behalf of her Lord (i.e. Allah) and on my behalf, and give her the glad tidings of having a Qasab palace in Paradise wherein there will be neither any noise nor any fatigue (trouble).
Sahih al-Bukhari 3820 and Sahih Muslim 2432
Qasab here means hollow pearl, as scholars explain. Think about it: Allah Himself sent her His greeting of peace. The Prophet also said: "The best of its women is Maryam, daughter of Imran, and the best of its women is Khadijah." (Sahih al-Bukhari 3432), meaning the best women of their times.
Loved and remembered
Khadijah died in Makkah before the Hijrah (the Prophet's emigration to Madinah), but he never stopped remembering her. His wife Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said that she never felt as jealous of any woman as she did of Khadijah, even though she had never seen her, because the Prophet mentioned her so often. Whenever he slaughtered a sheep, he sent meat to Khadijah's friends (Sahih al-Bukhari 3818 and Sahih Muslim 2435). Once, when Aisha spoke about her in a moment of jealousy, he said:
My love of her has been planted in my heart (by Allah).
Sahih Muslim 2435
What did Khadijah do when the Prophet came home afraid after the first revelation?
Khadijah believed first, comforted the Prophet when he was afraid, and stood by him. Allah Himself sent her His greeting of peace.
Next, you will meet Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, the Prophet's closest friend and his companion on the journey to Madinah.
Sources
Keep going
Up next: Abu Bakr as-Siddiq: the truthful friend
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