حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ فُضَيْلٍ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، فَقَالَ “ هَذِهِ خَدِيجَةُ أَتَتْكَ بِإِنَاءٍ فِيهِ طَعَامٌ أَوْ إِنَاءٍ فِيهِ شَرَابٌ فَأَقْرِئْهَا مِنْ رَبِّهَا السَّلاَمَ وَبَشِّرْهَا بِبَيْتٍ مِنْ قَصَبٍ لاَ صَخَبَ فِيهِ وَلاَ نَصَبَ ”.
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said that Gabriel said, “Here is Khadija coming to you with a dish of food or a tumbler containing something to drink. Convey to her a greeting from her Lord (Allah) and give her the glad tidings that she will have a palace in Paradise built of Qasab wherein there will be neither any noise nor any fatigue (trouble).” (Bukhari 7497)
حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ عُفَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، قَالَ كَتَبَ إِلَىَّ هِشَامٌ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ مَا غِرْتُ عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا غِرْتُ عَلَى خَدِيجَةَ، هَلَكَتْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَنِي، لِمَا كُنْتُ أَسْمَعُهُ يَذْكُرُهَا، وَأَمَرَهُ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُبَشِّرَهَا بِبَيْتٍ مِنْ قَصَبٍ، وَإِنْ كَانَ لَيَذْبَحُ الشَّاةَ فَيُهْدِي فِي خَلاَئِلِهَا مِنْهَا مَا يَسَعُهُنَّ.
Narrated `Aisha: I did not feel jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) as much as I did of Khadija (although) she died before he married me, for I often heard him mentioning her, and Allah had told him to give her the good tidings that she would have a palace of Qasab (i.e. pipes of precious stones and pearls in Paradise), and whenever he slaughtered a sheep, he would send her women-friends a good share of it. (Bukhari 3816)
Having lost his parents and his grandfather, Muhammad (SAW), who was in the care of his uncle Abu Talib, came of age with practically no inheritance. At first, he tried to make a living tending goats -for Banu Sa‘d, but then upon his return to Makkah, he tended goats for the Quraysh for a small sum.
The choice of occupation was significant. Later, after becoming a prophet, Muhammad (SAW) remarked, “There has been no prophet who has not tended sheep.”
Rasūlullāh (SAW) grew up and in his people, he had the best of character. He looked after the needs of others, he was kind and forbearing. He was the most truthful and trustworthy. Out of all the people, he would stay away from arguing, lewdness and bad talk more than anyone else. Therefore, the people called him Al-Amīn.
Sayyidah Khaḍījah (RA)
Sayyidah Khaḍījah was a very wealthy woman from a noble family in Makkah. In the times of ignorance as well as when Islām came about, she was known as Ṭāhirah due to her pure qualities. When the Quraysh used to send the trade caravans, she used to send her own goods as well. When Rasūlullāh (SAW) was 25 years old, Sayyidah Khaḍījah sent him a proposal for him to take her goods and sell them on her behalf. Muhammad’s reputation led Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid to entrust him with her merchandise to sell in Syria. As a wealthy businesswoman from a noble family of the Quraysh, she would hire men to conduct business on her behalf. His reputation of being a trustworthy person preceded him. Rasūlullāh (SAW) accepted the proposal and with her slave Maysarah they set off for Shām. They reached Busra and stopped to take some shade under a tree. A monk called Nastūr used to live there. He saw Rasūlullāh(SAW) and came towards him. He looked at the blessed Messenger and said, after ꜤĪsā ibn Maryam (AS), up until now, apart from you no Prophet has come. After this Rasūlullāh (SAW) got busy with trading. Upon their return, Maysarah informed Khaḍījah about their travels and all the miraculous incidents that took place.
Rasūlullāh (SAW) gave Khaḍījah the income from the trade caravan and she made more profit than ever before. She had agreed to give Rasūlullāh (SAW) a certain share but due to the profits, she gave him even more.
The Marriage Proposal
Ibn Isḥāq mentions, that after Khaḍījah listened to the incidents which took place on the trade journey, like what Nastūr the monk had said, and Maysarah’s account, she went to her cousin Waraqah ibn Naufal and told him about them. Waraqah told her that if what you say is true, then Muhammad is the messenger of these people and I know for sure that a Prophet is going to come who we are waiting for, and his time is near.
2 months and 25 days after they returned from Shām, Khaḍījah sent a marriage proposal herself to Muḥammad (SAW). Khadeejah was twice widowed, having been married to Ateeq bin Ayed and then to Abu Hala. While married to Abu Hala, she bore a son. Following her second husband’s death, she received several proposals from various chiefs of the Quraysh, all of which she refused. Now, however, impressed by Maysarah’s description of Muhammad’s (SAW) character, she broached the topic of marriage to Muhammad SAW) through her friend, Nafeesah. Rasūlullāh (SAW) consulted with his uncle Abu Ṭālib and accepted the proposal.
The Nikāḥ of Rasūlullāh (SAW) & Khaḍījah (RA)
On the appointed day, Rasūlullāh (SAW) went with his uncles Abu Ṭālib and Ḥamzah and some more people from his family to the house of Khaḍījah. Her father Khuwaylid had passed away, so her uncle ꜤAmr ibn Asad was present. They were married in the presence of the Banu Hashim and the chiefs of the Quraysh. The marriage took place in her house. Praising and glorifying Allah, Abu Talib recited the wedding sermon and formalized the union. At the time of their marriage, Muḥammad (SAW) was 25 and Khaḍījah was 40. The dowry was set at 20 camels. This was Rasūlullāh’s (SAW) first marriage and Khaḍījah’s third. They remained together for 25 years and Allāh (SWT) blessed them with many children. During Rasūlullāh’s (SAW) marriage to her, he had no other wives.
The Children of Rasūlullāh (SAW) and Sayyidah Khaḍījah (RA)
She bore all his children except for Ibraheem, who was born to Mariya Qibtiya (Mary the Copt). Khaḍījah and Rasulullah (SAW) had 6 children together, 2 sons and 4 daughters. The first child they had was a boy, whose name was Qāsim. Next, they had a daughter, who they named Zaynab (RA). She was followed by 3 more daughters, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthūm, and Fāṭimah (RA). Finally, they had another son who was named ꜤAbdullāh. His sons died in their childhood and Rasūlullāh’s (SAW) kunyah was Abu- Qāsim. All his daughters except Fatima (RA) died during his lifetime. Fatima (RA) died six months after his death.
(When The Moon Split by Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri)
(The Sealed Nectar by Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri)
(Sirah of Muhammad-Part 3: Life before Prophethood by Maulana Ebrahim Noor)
