Aug 13
Marriage of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Hazrat Khadija (RA)
Friday 10 Rabi Al Awwal, 1449
Aug 13
Friday 10 Rabi Al Awwal, 1449
The first marriage of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ was a turning point in his life. He married Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا at the age of 25 years, when she was 40 years old. This marriage not only changed the course of the Prophet's life but also marked a foundational moment in the earlier phase of the history of Islam.
The marriage is remembered as a symbol of love, affection, and respect for the spouses, which at that time was a rare event in the Arab society. The most significant aspect of this marriage was its 25-year duration, until the death of Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا, and more importantly, the Prophet did not marry any other woman during this period. Apart from the impact of this marriage on the personal life of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ, it went a long way in spreading the Message of Islam, despite the severe opposition and persecution of Quraysh.
Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (خَدِيجَة بِنْت خُوَيْلِد), as the name suggests, was the daughter of Khuwaylid Ibn Asad, a renowned merchant of Mecca. The year of her birth is believed to be 554 CE, whereas the exact date is not known. The name of her mother was Fatima Bint Za’ida. The mother of Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا died in 575 CE, whereas her father died in 585 CE. The year of her father’s death is also reported as 595 CE by some historians.
She is one of the four women guaranteed a place in Paradise. The other three are Hazrat Maryam, the mother of the Prophet Isa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, Asiya, wife of the Pharaoh, and Hazrat Fatima رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا, the daughter of Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا and the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ.
Being a member of a business-oriented family, Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا was also inclined towards trading and soon got herself established and recognized as a leading businesswoman of Mecca. It is reported that at her peak, the trade volume of hers alone often surpassed the total trading volume of other Meccan traders, collectively.
Contrary to the traditions and practices of that time, Hazrat Khadiaj رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا never worshiped idols. She did not believe in polytheism and was inclined towards the Oneness of God. She was known for her piety and kindness to the poor and needy. She often helped her poor relatives with food and clothing, especially for the marriage of their girls. She was honored with many titles such as "Tahira (The Pious One)”, “Ameerat-Quraysh (The Princess of Quraysh)”, and “Khadija al-Kubra (Khadija, the Great)”.
She happens to be the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ. Their married life is remembered as a story of success, love, devotion, affection, and respect for each other, despite the fact that she was 15 years senior than her husband. Apart from being senior in age, it was her third marriage, as she was twice widowed, prior to being married to the Prophet. Most importantly, the Prophet did not marry any other woman during the lifetime of Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا.
She was the first person in history to accept Islam. When the Prophet received the first revelation, it was only Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا who not only accepted Islam but also provided the much-needed moral and physical support to him. The role of Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا remained persistent till her last breath.
In a short span of time, Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا had established herself as a renowned businesswoman engaged in trading. However, being a woman, she did not travel with her trading caravans; instead, she used to appoint someone else to take her goods for trading.
As a routine practice, the Meccan traders used to travel to Syria during the summer and Yemen during the winter. On one such occasion, she decided to entrust her trading goods to the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ. By that time, the Prophet had already gained experience in trading, when he accompanied her uncle, Abu Talib, on business and trading trips to Syria. He also enjoyed the reputation of being As-Sadiq (the Truthful) and Al-Amin (the Trustworthy).
After consulting his uncle Abu Talib and with his permission, the Prophet accepted the responsibility of trading on behalf of Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا. She deputed one of his servants, namely Maysarah, to accompany the Prophet on this trading tour. The wisdom, trading experience, and honesty of the Prophet earned double the profit expected by Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا from this trade. She was highly impressed by the conduct and character of the Prophet during this trading trip, as communicated to her by her servant, Maysarah.
One of her close friends, namely Nafisa Bint Munya, suggested to her that she should marry Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ. By that time, Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا had also developed a special respect for him. She asked Nafisa to talk to the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ about this proposal. Nafisa met the Prophet, who, after some reluctance, agreed on the proposal. The Prophet then talked to his uncle Abu Talib, who also agreed.
Abu Talib, then, formally met the family of Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا and placed the proposal of marriage before them. The majority of historians are of the view that it was the uncle of Hazrat Khadiaj رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا who accepted the proposal, whereas some are of the view that her father was still alive at that point in time and he was the one to accept the proposal of marriage. However, the marriage took place after a formal settlement between the two families. It was the year 595 CE.
The marriage of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ and Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا took place in the year 595 CE. It was an arranged marriage, strictly as per the norms of the Arabian Society. The marriage was arranged by the elders of both families, in accordance with the then-practices.
Here are some facts about this historic marriage:
As agreed, the Prophet shifted to the house of Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا after the marriage.
The marriage of Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا with the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ is a role model for the Muslims. It is marked by love, affection, loyalty, mutual respect, and spiritual and emotional support among the spouses. Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا not only provided emotional strength to her husband but also supported him financially, whenever required, especially in the toughest financial crunch situations.
On the other hand, the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ reciprocated with love, care, responsibility, and respect. Overall, it has been a symbol of a successful marriage. The most significant aspect of this marriage is that, despite the age disparity, it endured for approximately 25 years until the passing of Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا. The Prophet, contrary to the then norms and practices, did not marry any other woman during the lifetime of Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا. It shows the level of respect and love between them.
The highlight of this marriage is the role of Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا during the early days of the Prophethood, when he received the first revelation. It was a crucial as well as the most sensitive event in the Prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ.
The Prophet used to spend time in isolation, mostly in the Cave of Hira, near Mecca, in search of the truth. On one such occasion, in the year 610 CE, he received the first revelation. The Angel Jibril عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ came down with the first revelation, as mentioned in the Surah Al-Alaq. The Prophet was scared and rushed back home. He asked his wife to wrap him in a blanket. Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا provided the emotional and moral support at that crucial moment and helped him come out of the initial impact of the revelation. She encouraged him that, being a pious man, he will never be disgraced by his Creator Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ. She accepted the Divine Message and entered into Islam, becoming the first person in history to do so.
Subsequently, it was Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا, the first wife of the Prophet, who helped and assisted him in spreading the Message of Islam. The task was not easy, but the emotional and spiritual strength provided by Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا helped a lot during the hardest time of the Prophethood. This happens to be the most significant role of this marriage in the life of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ.
The Prophet called the year 619 CE the "year of sorrow". This was the year when his beloved wife, Hazrat Khadija, breathed her last. He also lost his uncle Abu Tablib in the same year. Hence, he often called this year the Aam al-Huzn, the year of sorrow.
Although there is a slight difference of opinion between the Sunni and Shia scholars, it is widely believed that there were six children of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ from his marriage with Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا.
Additionally, two other children were also a part of the household of this marriage. Hazrat Ali رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ, a cousin and the future son-in-law of the Prophet. The other one was Zayd Ibn Haritha, who was a slave but was adopted by the Prophet.
The Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ was 25 years old, whereas the age of Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا was 40 years at the time of their marriage.
Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا was the first to propose this marriage on the advice of her close friend, namely Nafisa.
It marked a turning point in the life of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ. It provided all the support, both financial, emotional, and spiritual, to the Prophet, which helped a lot in spreading the Message of Islam during the early phases of the Prophethood. Marriage is a role model for Muslims, being a symbol of love, affection, mutual respect, and care for the spouse.
They had 6 children, two sons and four daughters. Both sons expired at an early age.
She initially supported and took good care of the Prophet at the time of the first revelation and accepted Islam, becoming the first person in the history of Islam to do so. Subsequently, she played a vital role in the spread of Islam during the most difficult and hardest phase when the persecution by Quraysh was at its peak. She provided moral as well as financial assistance to the families of the new Muslims. She stood firmly alongside her husband, the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ, right from day one of his Prophethood till her last breath.