History of Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid(RA)

She was born in the year 68 BH to Khuwaylid
b. Asad and Faatimah bint. Za'idah. She was
raised on praiseworthy characteristics and
was well-known and praised for her
intelligence, chastity, and prudence until
people began to call her "Taahirah" or "the
pure one." She was a successful
businesswoman, who achieved her wealth
through hiring men to take it on merchant
trips to sell. She was first married to Abu
Halah b. Zurarah of the Banu Tameem and
was the mother of two sons, one of whom died
at the Battle of al-Jamal, fighting on the side
of 'Ali.
It reached her that the Messenger of Allah(S)
was known for his truthfulness and generosity.
One day Abu Taalib said to his nephew: "I am
a man without wealth, and times have become
tough on us, and these disagreeable years
harass us, and we have neither material
possessions nor merchandise, and this
[woman] Khadeejah sends men from among
your people to do business with her wealth
and they gain profit. So if she comes to you,
convey to her your honesty.
So Khadeejah sent for him and proposed that
he go with her wealth to ash-Sham as a
merchant. In return, she would give him more
than she used to give to the other traders. She
would also send with him a young servant of
her's called Maysarah. So the Messenger of
Allah(S) accepted that and went with her
wealth and her servant Maysarah until he
reached the foot of ash-Shaam. So he sold his
commodoties which he had left with and
bought what he desired [to buy on
Khadeejah's behalf. Then he, along with
Maysarah, embarked to Makkah with a
caravan. So his trading gained twice as much
profit as what was usually gained. So the
Messenger(S)'s wages were double what was
usually given.
And when the servant Maysarah told her
about what he saw of the character of
Muhammad(S), she sent for him(S). Then she
said to him: "O cousin, indeed, I like in you
our blood relationship and the undoubted
nobility of your descent, your trustworthiness
and sincerity, as well as the integrity of your
character and the truthfulness of your speech."
Then she suggested marriage to him. So the
Messenger of Allah(S) mentioned that to his
uncles. So Hamzah(R) went with him until
they called upon Khuwaylid, who said: "He is
the stallion whose nose cannot be touched
(i.e. He is strong)." So the Messenger of Allah
(S) married her and gave her 20 camels as a
dowry. She was 40 years old when she married
the Messenger of Allah(S), and he was 25
years old. She was the first lady that the
Messenger of Allah(S) married, and he never
married anyone else as long as he was
married to her until she died. She gave him 6
children: Al-Qaasim, 'Abdullah, Zaynab(R),
Ruqayyah(R), Um Kulthoom(R), and Faatimah
(R).
And when the Prophet(S) received
prophethood, she was the first to believe in
Allah and His Messenger Muhammad(S); she
was the first to believe in what His Lord sent
him and strengthened him in his affairs. So
the Prophet(S) used not to hear anything from
the polytheists that he hated to hear and of
disbelief in him except that Allah comforted
him through Khadeejah(R), who stood by him
and the da'wah and she used to lessen his
grief over what he used see from his people.
Narrated 'Aisha(R), the mother of the faithful
believers: The commencement of the Divine
Inspiration to Allah's Apostle was in the form
of good dreams which came true like bright
day light, and then the love of seclusion was
bestowed upon him. He used to go in
seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to
worship (Allah alone) continuously for many
days before his desire to see his family. He
used to take with him the journey food for the
stay and then come back to (his wife)
Khadeejah(R) to take his food like-wise again
till suddenly the Truth descended upon him
while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel
came to him and asked him to read. The
Prophet replied, "I do not know how to read."
The Prophet added, "The angel caught me
(forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I
could not bear it any more." He then released
me and again asked me to read and I replied,
"I do not know how to read." Thereupon he
caught me again and pressed me a second
time till I could not bear it any more. He then
released me and again asked me to read but
again I replied, "I do not know how to read."
Thereupon he caught me for the third time and
pressed me, and then released me and said,
{Read in the name of your Lord, who has
created (all that exists), has created man from
a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most
Generous.} Then Allah's Messenger(S)
returned with the Inspiration and with his
heart beating severely. Then he went to
Khadeejah(R) bint Khuwaylid and said, "Cover
me! Cover me!" They covered him till his fear
was over, and after that he told her everything
that had happened and said, "I fear that
something may happen to me." Khadeejah(R)
replied, "Never! By Allah, Allah will never
disgrace you. You keep good relations with
your Kith and kin, help the poor and the
destitute, serve your guests generously and
assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones."
Khadeejah(R) then accompanied him to her
cousin Waraqah b. Nawfal b. Asad b.
'Abdul-'Uzza, who, during the Pre-Islamic
Period became a Christian and used to write
the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write
from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah
wished him to write. He was an old man and
had lost his eyesight. Khadeejah(R) said to
Waraqah, "Listen to the story of your nephew,
O my cousin!" Waraqah asked, "O my nephew!
What have you seen?" Allah's Apostle
described whatever he had seen. Waraqah
said, "This is the same one who keeps the
secrets (angel Gabriel) whom Allah had sent to
Moses. I wish I were young and could live up
to the time when your people would turn you
out." Allah's Apostle asked, "Will they drive
me out?" Waraqah replied in the affirmative
and said, "Anyone (man) who came with
something similar to what you have brought
was treated with hostility; and if I should
remain alive till the day when you will be
turned out then I would support you strongly."
But after a few days Waraqa died, and the
Divine Revelation was also paused for a while.
The Messenger of Allah(S) and Khadeejah(R)
continued to pray in secret as long as Allah
willed. 'Afeef Al-Kanadee reported: "I came to
Makkah during the Days of Ignorance, and I
wanted to sell on behalf of my family some
clothes and perfume. I went to Al-'Abbaas b.
'Abdul-Muttalib." He said: "While I was at his
house, I looked at the Ka'bah. The sun came
out, when a young man came until he was
close to the Ka'bah. Then he raised his head
toward the sky and faced the Ka'bah while
standing. Then a youth came and stood on his
right. It did not take long before a woman
came and stood behind them. Then the young
man bowed. Then the youth and the woman
bowed. Then the young man raised his head,
and the youth and the woman raised their
heads. Then the young man prostrated
himself, and the youth and the woman
prostrated themselves."
He said: "So I said: 'O 'Abbaas! Indeed, I see a
great man." Then Al-'Abbaas(R) said: "A great
matter. Do you know who this young man is?"
I said: "No, I don't know." He said: "This is
Muhammad b. 'Abdullah b. 'Abdul-Muttalib,
my nephew. Do you know who this [woman]
is?" I said: "I don't know." He said: "This is
Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid, the wife of this
nephew of mine. This nephew of mine who you
see has reported to us that his Lord is the
Lord of the heavens and the earth and that He
has ordered him to this religion that he is
following. I swear by Allah that I do not know
of anyone else on earth who is following this
religion other than those three." 'Afeef said: "I
wanted to be the fourth one of them."
And the Messenger of Allah(S) used to honor
her and cherish her. And he used not to
disagree with her before he received
revelation. Then he used to remember her a
lot after her death, and he didn't get tired of
praising her, until 'Aishah(R), the Mother of
the Believers, got jealous, and said to the
Prophet(S): "Verily, Allah has given you better
than that old woman." The Prophet(S) became
angry and said: "No, by Allah, I swear that
Allah has never given me better than her. She
was the wife who believed in me when
everyone else disbelieved in me. She affirmed
my truthfulness when everyone else accused
me of lying. She supported me with her money
when everyone else deprived me. And Allah
provided me with children through her when
no other woman has given me chilren." In fact,
the Prophet(S) became so angry at what I
said until his forehead trembled. So I said to
myself: "O Allah, if the Messenger of Allah(S)'s
anger abates, I will never again say anything
like I said."
And 'Aishah(R) also said: "I was never jealous
of any of the other wives of the Prophet(S) like
I was jealous of Khadeejah(R). And I have not
seen her, but the Prophet(S) used to
remember her a lot. Sometimes, he would
sacrifice a sheep, then cut its limbs and send
them to Khadeejah(R)'s friends. So
sometimes, I said to him: "It is as if there were
no other woman in the world other than
Khadeejah(R)." So he would say: "How can I
forget her? She also gave me children most
loving." 'Aishah(R) also said: "The Messenger
of Allah(S) almost used not to leave the house
before he would mention Khadeejah and praise
her.
Khadeejah(R), the Mother of the Believers,
died helping the Messenger of Allah(S) in
conveying the call to Islam. She died three
years before the migration to Madeenah at the
age of sixty five. The Prophet(S) then buried
her with his own hands. Her death was a great
misfortune for the Prophet(S).