Figure Friday: Ameerat - Quraysh

Assalamu Alaikum Everyone!

       How are you doing? I hope you are having an amazing day wherever you are in the world! May Allah bless and shower you and all those you love with happiness and health. 

​     Today we will be talking about the beloved first wife of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA). She is the Prophet’s ﷺ first wife and first believer. Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) was intelligent, strong, wise and pure. She is the mother of the believers.

​       Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) was born to merchants of the Quraysh tribe, which ruled Mecca at the time. Khuwaylid bin Asad, Khadija’s (RA) father, was a very popular leader among Quraysh, and a very prosperous businessman who died while fighting in the famous battle of Fujjar. Throughout her childhood and into adulthood, Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) lived in a life of luxury.

​     Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) inherited her amazing skills in trade and merchandising from her father. Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) inherited her father’s skills at a time in history when society was extremely male-dominated. When her father died, she took over the business and traded goods from Mecca, to Syria, all the way to Yemen. Khadija Bint Khuwaylid’s (RA) business was the largest of all trade businesses in all of Quraysh combined. Her business was also the most acclaimed with a reputation for fair-dealing and trading high-quality goods. SubhanAllah, today most businesses deal through illegal and haram means. Means that leave many people distraught and harmed. Over that, all her goods were known to be high quality, MashAllah.

​     Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) had a keen eye and was highly intuitive, earning her the names, Ameerat-Quraysh (“Princess of Quraysh”) and Al-Tahira (“The Pure One”). Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) knew what she was doing business-wise, never lowering her modesty or integrity to succeed in the male-dominated trades. Even when she worked with others, she only worked with those that could meet her standards. 

    Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) married twice before marrying Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, in both marriages, her husbands passed away. After her second marriage, she resigned on being a widowed woman, taking care of herself and her family. She also continued to run her successful business.

​       Khadija (RA) had many employees, including the important position of her agent, who traveled with her caravans, negotiated deals in other cities, and took charge of the large amounts of money involved in the trading business. When Khadija (RA) was 40 years old, she was widely known in Arabia as a powerful, smart and independent woman. During this time, she needed to hire an agent, thus, she selected a hard-working young man named Muhammad ﷺ who had the reputation of being honest and diligent. At the time, Islam was still not around and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was not known as a Prophet. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was 25 years old when he accepted the job, but he proved to be an excellent employee and a courteous and ethical man. Later on, Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) builded interest in Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, so she sent her friend, Nafisa, to ask Prophet Muhammad ﷺ if he was interested in marriage. He replied that he could not afford to support a family. “But if money were no obstacle,” Nafisa continued, “would you be willing to marry a lady of wealth, rank and beauty?” Muhammad ﷺ asked which lady fits that description would be willing to take him, and Nafisa said Khadija (RA). 

     Muhammad ﷺ was very willing to marry a woman known as Al-Tahira. Within a short time, Khadija (RA) concluded he would be a suitable partner for her, and so she, Khadija (RA), proposed marriage to Muhammad ﷺ. Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) was 15 years older than Muhammad ﷺ, but there was never a question of their complete devotion to each other. In fact, there isn’t a single documented argument or fight between the couple. Muhammad ﷺ continued to work for Khadija's (RA) trade business, and they had six children together, one of which was a girl named Fatima (RA). 

      The couple lived a happy and productive life for 15 years, before their life took a drastic turn. Prophet Muhammad had a habit of medetaiting and praying in a cave, called Hira, outside of Mecca. He would stay weeks sometimes months in that cave, and Khadija (RA) would support him in all his trips. She never questioned why he would stay away from home for so long. She would even help him pack for his trips, providing him with exactly how much he need of food. 

       One day, the Prophet ﷺ stayed longer than usual on his trip, so Khadija (RA) packed him some food, and went to the cave. Reaching the cave with its modern modification (stairs) takes about one hour. So imagine climbing up to the cave during that time, while also carrying food. Imagine the amount of patience and will that would have taken. 

​       One afternoon, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received his first revelation from the angel Gabriel. The Prophet ﷺ was extremely shooken by this experience, and he did not know what it meant. The Prophet ﷺ ran home quickly to his beloved wife, Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA). He knew that she would be able to provide him support and help him through this. The Prophet ﷺ said ‘zameelooni, zameelouni’, which means ‘cover me, cover me’. 

      Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) did not disbelieve any of what Muhammad ﷺ said, she told him “Allah would not treat you thus since he knows your good character. So rejoice and be glad! I have hope that you will be the prophet of this community.” She encouraged him to leave the business and preach to people the word of Allah (SWT) full time. She financially supported him so he could preach with all his heart and energy; she sustained him in this way for the rest of her life. As well, if necessary, she supported his followers, too.

​        In the early years of Islam, when its growth was slow and increasingly dangerous, Khadija (RA) protected Muhammad ﷺ with the power and influence she had. Eventually, Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ were forced to go into isolation away from their tribe and live in dull and poor conditions. Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) left her luxurious and comfortable life and home to join her husband, Muhammad ﷺ. 

​       They and all the followers of Islam and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ lived three years of rough living, during which Khadija (RA) depleted her entire large fortune supporting the followers of Islam. Her wealth was gone and her health began to strain. In fact, Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) died of not eating enough food. Khadija (RA) died in 619 CE in her late sixties. Muhammad's ﷺ uncle, Abu Talib, also died that year. Muhammad ﷺ called 619 CE the Year of Sorrow. It is known in Islamic history as the Year of Sorrow to this day.

​       Here, you really understand why Prophet Muhammad ﷺ loved her so much. He says it himself, when Aisha Bint Abi Baker (RA) asked the Prophet ﷺ why he talked about Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) so much when Allah gave him something better. The Prophet ﷺ said “Allah did not give me something better than her”. He began to mention all the forms of loyalty that Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) showed him. She believed in him when no one else did. She trusted him and considered him truthful when other people belied and denied him. She spent on him when no one else would spend on him. Allah gave him children from her when He did not give him children from anyone else. 

​       Allah holds Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) in very high regards, and built her a palace in Paradise with no noise and no distress. Khadija (RA), the mother of Muslims, was the first person on earth to accept Muhammad ﷺ as the final prophet of Allah and accept the revelations that culminated into the Holy Quran. As a Muslim, whether rich or poor, one’s financial condition is a test. Khadija (RA) gave her earnings to the poor, the orphans, the widows and the sick. She helped poor girls get married and also provided their dowry. 

       Truly, Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) is a great example of what a Muslimah should be like. One who is brave, honest, pure, modest, intelligent and independent. Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) defies anyone who says that Muslim women do not have a role in their society. Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) shows that you could be independent and modest. You do not have to lower yourself in order to be successful. We see many young women degrading themselves in hopes of becoming “famous” in mainstream media. Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) shows us with intelligence and strong will you can go anywhere. She also shows us how to not be selfish, and that at the end we will all be rewarded by Allah (SWT) for the good deeds we have done. She teaches Muslim women how to be the best wife they can be. Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) shows us that we must be the support system to our loved ones, both emotionally, mentally, physically, and financially. 
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​       May we all follow into the footsteps of Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. I hope you learned a few things from our beloved Mother, and pass it down to those you know. Spread the love of Islam everywhere you go, and just like Khadija Bint Khuwaylid (RA) show patience and bravery. 

My Muslimah Mind

12 / 27 / 2019 at 09:50 PM
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