UMMUL MUKMININ
As narrated by Abu Hurairah: Jibril (Gabriel) came to Rasulullah
SAW and said: "O Allah's Messenger!
This is Khadijah, 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 (Allah) and on my
behalf, and give her the glad tidings of having a palace made of Qasab in
Paradise, wherein there will be neither any noise nor any toil, (fatigue,
trouble, etc.)." [Al-Bukhari]
'Abdullah bin 'Abbas narrated that one day Rasulullah SAW drew four lines on the earth and asked
his Companions if they understood what these lines stood for. They respectfully
replied that he knew better. He then told them that these lines stood for the
four foremost ladies of the universe. They were Khadijah bint Khuwaylid,
Fatimah bint Muhammad, Maryam bint Imran, the mother of the Prophet Isa and
'Asiah bint Muzahim (the wife of Firaun).
She was the first person to have an abiding faith in the utterances of Rasulullah SAW and to accept Islam as her religion and her
way of life. She was blessed with the distinction of having been greeted with
Salam (greetings) by AllahSWT and the
Angel Jibril.
Saidatina Khadijah RA was born in
Makkah in the year 556 CE. Her mother's name was Fatimah bint Zayd, and her
father's name was Khuwaylid bin Asad. He was a very popular leader among the
tribe of Quraish, and a very prosperous businessman who died while fighting in
the famous battle of Fujjar. Saidatina Khadijah RA thus grew up in the lap of luxury. She married
Abu Halah Malak bin Nabash bin Zarrarah bin At-Tamimi and bore him two
children, Halah and Hind. She wanted to see her husband prosper and financed
him in setting up a big business. But unfortunately he passed away. Some time
later the young widow married 'Atique bin 'Aith bin 'Abdullah Al-Makhzumi, and
she had a daughter by him as well named Hindah, but the marriage soon broke up
on grounds of incompa
Her business principle
was to employ hardworking, honest and distinguished managers to deal on
her behalf as a lot depended on the integrity of the employees who traveled far
and wide on her behalf. She exported her goods to far away markets like Syria,
and her managers bought goods from those markets to be sold at home.
Saiditina Khadijah RA had heard
of the integrity, honesty and principled behavior of Rasulullah SAW and sent a job offer to him to head her
trading caravans. He gladly accepted the offer and started working for her.
Khadijah sent him on a business trip; her old and trusted slave Maisarah being
delegated to accompany and serve him.
Maisarah was impressed by Rasulullah
SAW integrity, strength of character, adherence to principles, his amicable
dealings and his business abilities. On the way back from Syria, Rasulullah SAW
lay down under a tree to rest for a
while. Nestora, a Jewish monk, noted for his knowledge of religion and for his
insight saw him and asked Maisarah who he was. Maisarah told him all about
Muhammad SAW and his reputation for
honesty and intelligence. Nestora then told him that this man would be elevated
to Prophethood in the future, as no man had ever rested under that particular
tree but Prophets.
Tradition has it that Maisarah also saw two angels bearing a
cloud over Rasulullah’s head to protect
him from the glare and heat of the sun.
When he returned home Maisarah
reported to Khadijah all that had taken place on the trip to Syria. She was
deeply moved and impressed, and started thinking of proposing marriage to
Muhammad. But how could she express her thoughts to him? She already rejected
several proposals of marriage from men belonging to some of the noblest
families of the Quraish. How would her tribe react? What would her family say?
And what was more, would her proposal be acceptable to this young, yet unmarried
man of the tribe of Quraish?
As she pondered over these
questions and debated within herself, one night she dreamt that the shining sun
had descended from the heavens into her courtyard, radiating her home. When she
woke up she went for the interpretation of this wonderful dream to her cousin,
Waraqah bin Nawfal, a blind man noted for his skill in interpreting dreams, and
for his depth of knowledge, particularly of the Torah and the Injil. When he
heard her dream, he gave a serene smile, and told her not to worry, as this was
a very promising dream. The glorious sun she saw descending into her courtyard
indicated that Rasul of Allah whose advent had been predicted in the Torah and
the Injil was to grace her home and she would gain from his presence in her
life.
After this meeting with Waraqah
she became stronger in her desire to marry Muhammad SAW . One of her very close
friends, Nafisah bint Manbah knew of her inclination and she went to Muhammad SAW and
requested his permission to ask him a very personal question. When he said he
had no objection, she asked why he had not yet got married. He said he did not
have the financial resources. Then she asked him if he would be willing to
marry a beautiful lady from a noble and wealthy family, who was inclined
towards marriage with him. He asked whom she was referring to; when he learnt
her identity he said that he was willing, provided she was willing to marry him.
Khadijah' was overjoyed.
Rasulullah SAW was then twenty-five years of age and Khadijah
was forty years old. (According to one tradition, she was twenty-eight). The
two uncles of Rasulullah SAW, Hamzah and Abu Talib approached her uncle,
'Umar bin Asad, with the formal proposal. It was accepted and the two families
began preparing for the wedding. Halimah As-Sa'diyyah who nursed Rasulullah SAW
in his infancy was specially invited for the wedding and traveled to Makkah
from her village. When she left after the festivities, Khadijah presented her
with household goods, a camel and forty goats as an expression of gratitude to
the lady who had taken such good care of Muhammad SAW in his infancy.
Saidatina Khadijah RA was very blessed in the marriage, and had six
children. First two sons, Qasim and 'Abdullah; then followed the daughters,
Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah. It was a very happy, peaceful and
content household, but Muhammad SAW felt something was missing, and he was
extremely restless. He would retire for a month once a year to the cave of Hira
to dedicate himself entirely to prayer and meditation. One day he felt the
presence of another being who held him
in his arms in a tight embrace. Then he loosened his hold and asked him to
read; Muhammad SAW answered that he was
illiterate. But the person repeated the same act and the phrase again and
again. Then finally he read these Ayat which are the first revelation of the
Quran. They are from Surah Iqra or Al-'Alaq.
"Read! In the
Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a
clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught (the writing) by
the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not." [Noble Quran
96:1-5]
Then the being disappeared. This
was such an awesome experience that Rasulullah SAW returned home sweating and shaking. He called out
to Saidatina Khadijah asking her to cover him with a sheet or a blanket. When
he had calmed down to some extent, he told his wife that he feared for his
life, and narrated the whole incident to her. Khadijah, a picture of loyalty
and serenity consoled him saying that Allah SWT would surely protect him from
any danger, and would never allow anyone to revile him as he was a of man of
peace and reconciliation and always extended the hand of friendship to all. He
never lied, always hospitable, carried the burdens of others and helped those
who were in trouble. These soothing and encouraging words of sympathy and
understanding from Khadijah gave him immeasurable strength and confidence. She
then took him to meet her cousin, Waraqah bin Nawfal, who immediately guessed
the identity of the being in the Cave of Hira as the Angel Jibril the Messenger
of Allah who had visited Moses as well. Waraqah who was very old wished that he
could live to see the time when Rasulullah SAW would be forced into exile by
his people. Rasulullah SAW was very
surprised and asked if his people would really do this to him. Waraqah assured
him that it was typical of human beings that they would never appreciate or
follow a Prophet who rose among them. Waraqah added that he wished he were
alive at that time and be able to help him. He added that if what he had been
told were true then surely it meant that her husband was a Rasul of Allah SWT
whose advent had been mentioned in the scriptures.
The four daughters grew up to be
faithful and courageous daughters of Islam. They all migrated to Al-Madinah,
with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Zainab was married to Abu 'Aas
bin Rabi'ah, Ruqayyah was married to 'Uthman. When she passed away he married
her sister Umm Kulthum; Fatimah was married to 'Ali bin Abi Talib. The first
three daughters died during the lifetime of Rasulullah SAW and his beloved
daughter Saidatina Fatimah RA lived just six months after he passed away.
When the disbelievers saw that Islam was attracting more and
more followers in spite of all their tactics, they decided to declare an open
and total political and economic boycott of the tribe of Banu Hashim. This took
place in the seventh year after Rasulullah SAW declared himself the Messenger
of Allah. This is also known in Islamic history
as the Shi'ab Abi Talib.
It was so severe that innocent
children faced starvation and hunger, and adults survived eating the leaves of
trees. Yet the firm followers of Rasulullah SAW did not turn away from their
true religion and they came out of the ordeal stronger and purer than before.
Saidatina Khadijah RA who had been brought up in luxury in her
wealthy father's home now faced the economic hardships with patience and
courage, which are a necessary part of any siege. Saidatina Khadijah's RA nobility
of character and conduct pleased Allah, so much that He sent special greetings
for her.
Saidatina Khadijah RA was the ideal wife and mother. Rasulullah SAW lived in her house which became a blessed
place due to his presence and the fact that Jibril (peace and blessings be upon
him) came often to visit him there with Quranic revelations. It became the
centre of Islam, where all the Companions male and female visited often to
partake of the hospitality of Rasulullah SAW and his wife.
After the Hijrah (migration) of Rasulullah
SAW to Al-Madinah, the house was
occupied by the brother of 'Ali. Later Mu'awiyah bin Abu Sufyan who transcribed
some of the Divine Revelations purchased this house and built a mosque. Thus
the site of the house of Saidatina Khadijah RA became a place of prayer and worship for all
time. She had been used to praying two Rak'as of Salat (prayer), mornings and
evenings with Rasulullah SAW, even before prayers were made compulsory by Allah
SWT. After accepting Islam she became more contemplative and inclined towards
worship; she found a blessed feeling of peace in prayer.
Afif Kindi RA relates that 'Abbas
bin 'Abdul Muttalib RA was a great friend of his and he used to visit him often
in Yemen in connection with his business in perfumes. On one occasion when they
were standing and chatting in Mina, they saw a handsome young man approach. He
carefully washed his hands and feet and then stood respectfully with his arms
crossed on his breast. Soon a dignified lady of noble bearing and a young
handsome young lad joined him. 'Afif asked 'Abbas what they were doing and
whether this was a new form of exercise. 'Abbas replied that the youth was his
brother 'Abdullah's son, and the lady was his wife. She was a woman of great
wealth and virtue, and an ideal wife and mother. The lad was his brother Abu
Talib's son. Rasulullah SAW had announced that he was a Messenger of Allah and
had started preaching a new religion called Islam. In due course 'Afif accepted
Islam, but he always regretted the fact that he had not joined Rasulullah SAW
and his Companions in their prayers and supplication on that memorable day in
Mina, when he had first heard of Islam.
Saidatina Khadijah RA passed away just three years before the
Hijrah, or Rasulullah SAW migration to Al-Madinah. She died at the age of
sixty-five, having given almost twenty-five years to Muhammad and the cause of
Islam. When Rasulullah SAW, saw her in
the throes of death he consoled her saying Allah SWT had so ordained it, and
that the thing she was dreading, would prove favorable for her. Her eyes lit up
and as she gazed at her beloved husband, her soul left its earthly body.
Her grave was prepared at a place
called Hujjun, near Makkah. Rasulullah SAW stepped into it to see that everything was as
it should be, and with his own hands lowered her gently into it. Thus passed
away the 'Mother' of all Muslims, the one who had sacrificed her all for Islam,
the lady who was the greatest supporter of Islam in its earliest days. She who
was the mother of Saidatina Fatimah Al Zahra RA , the First Lady of Paradise,
the grandmother of the beloved grandchildren of Rasulullah SAW , Hasan and
Hussein who are to be the foremost of the youths in Paradise.
When she passed away, Rasulullah
SAW was heartbroken at the loss of a
dedicated companion who stood by him during the most difficult period of his
life.
One of the ladies of the Quraish,
Khawlah bint Hakim, visited Rasulullah SAW to console him, and saw his state of
depression and grief and remarked on it. He replied it was only natural that he
should be touched by her absence, as she had been a loving mother to his now
neglected children; she had been a loyal and sympathetic wife who shared his
secrets. It was only human and natural that he should feel her loss as she was
there for him during his most difficult times. Whenever he was abused by the
disbelievers she had provided moral support and unflagging faith.
A Companion of Rasulullah SAW narrates
that whenever any gift was brought to him he would immediately send it to some
lady who had been a friend of Saidatina Khadijah RA. Aishah RA, a favorite wife
of Rasulullah SAW says that whenever a goat
was slaughtered Rasulullah SAW will send some meat to Saidatina Khadijah's
friends; when she remarked about this on one occasion he told her, 'I have
great regard for her friends, as she has a special place in my heart.' Saidatina
Aishah RA said she never experienced
such a feeling of natural feminine jealousy for any other wife of Rasulullah
SAW as she did for Saidatina Khadijah RA.
She also narrates that whenever Rasulullah SAW spoke of her he would talk at
great length and praise her qualities, and pray for her forgiveness.
Saidatina Aishah RA narrates that
whenever Rasulullah SAW talked about Saidatina Khadijah RA, it was in
terms of the highest praise. One day her innate feminine envy overtook her
sense of decorum and she spoke in disparaging terms of her, wondering why Rasulullah SAW missed her when he was blessed with a better,
younger wife by Allah. This displeased him, but forbearing as he was, he just
sighed and answered,
"I have not yet found a
better wife than her. She had faith in me when everyone, even members of my own
family and tribe did not believe me, and accepted that I was truly a Rasul of Allah. She converted to Islam, spent all her
wealth and worldly goods to help me spread this faith, and this too at a time
when the entire world seemed to have turned against me and persecuted me. And
it is through her that Allah SWT blessed
me with children."
As Allah says in Surah Al-Fajr in the Noble Quran that it
will be said to the pious believers:
"O the one in
complete rest and satisfaction! Come back to your Lord — well-pleased
(yourself) and well-pleasing (unto Him)! Enter you then among My (honored)
servants, and enter you My Paradise." [Noble Quran 89:27-30]
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