Narrated Abu Hurairah, “Jibreel came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, “O Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him), “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).” (Bukhari)

Born to a very prosperous business man, Khadijah grew up in the lap of luxury. She was an image of faithfulness, integrity, truth, modesty, good manners and nobility. She was a wealthy woman who had wide commercial holdings. In addition to her beauty and fame, she also had a quality that won her the accolade of “The pure woman”.

She was the first Mother of the Believers and the leader of the women of the world of her time. She was the mother of six of the children of Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him), the first person to believe in him and accept him before anyone else. One of her daughters was Fatimah, The first lady of Paradise, and was therefore the grandmother of the beloved grandchildren of the Prophet; Hasan and Hussain, who are to be the foremost of the youths of the Paradise.

Anas narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “It suffices to say that the best of the women of the worlds are Maryam bint Imran, Khadijah bint Khuwailid, Fatimah bint Muhammad (peace be upon him), and Aasiyah wife of Firawn.”

Many of the leading chiefs of the Quraysh desired to marry Khadijah but she declined and rejected all their proposals. However she found what she sought and desired in our leader Muhammad (peace be upon him). She disclosed what she was turning in her mind to her friend, Nafisah bint Manyah who went straight to the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) and spoke about him marrying Khadijah At-Tahirah (i.e. Khadijah, the Pure).

The marriage then took place and in the course of years, the marriage was blessed with six pleasant children. Two boys, who were Al-Qasim and ‘Abdullah, both of whom died young and six girls who were Zainab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthoom and Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with all of them). They were wonderful, intelligent children and it was a very happy, peaceful and content household.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) often would visit the cave of Hira, where he would engage in tahannuth (worship for a number of nights). He would take with him the food and drink that his wife, Khadijah had prepared for him. Then again return to Khadijah and take provision for a like period, till truth came upon him while he was in the cave of Hira.

A thought comes to mind, women today complain if their husband so much as spends an hour with his friends, or is a few minutes late home from the office. We whinge, saying he has no time for us. Yet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) would spend days in the cave of Hira in seclusion, and Khadijah would not even huff. Rather she lent him support, preparing and packing food for her husband. Despite often being afraid for his safety, she never opened her mouth, rather she secretly followed him to the mountains, to check he arrived safely, and then would slip back home unnoticed. She never whined, moaned, or complained, because she never wanted to trouble her husband. How beautiful is this!

It was after he (peace be upon Him) received the first revelation, that Khadijah provided the best comfort. Whilst his heart was still pounding from the encounter, she wrapped him till the fear left him. He then said to Khadijah: “O Khadijah! What has happened to me? “And he informed her of the incident, saying, “I fear for myself!”

She consoled him, “It can’t be. Be happy. I swear by Allah that He shall never humiliate you. By Allah, you join ties of kinship, you speak the truth, you bear people’s burden, you help the destitute, you entertain guests, and you help against the hardships which affect people”. Khadijah was a source of strength for the Prophet. She reassured him in distress, and cheered him up when he was down.

Khadijah then took him to her cousin, Waraqa bin Nawfal who had embraced Christianity, in the days of ignorance. He was very old and had become blind. After listening to what the Prophet (peace be upon him) had to say, he said, “That is Namus (the Angel) that Allah sent down to Musa. Would that I were then (during your Prophet hood career) a young man. Would that I were alive when your people would expel you! “. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Will they drive me out?” Waraqa answered, “Yes. Never came a man with a like of what you have brought but met hostilities. If I live to see your day I shall help you wholeheartedly.” It was not long thereafter when Waraqa passed away.

Over here we see how noble she was. She soothed him when he was perturbed. She made him rest when he was exhausted. With this well-balanced opinion and purity of heart, Khadijah deserved the best salutation sent to her by the Lord of the World’s through the faithful spirit (Angel Jibril).

We also see her patience manifested when the crisis came to a head and the effects of banishment became fatal. This was when the Quraish decided to boycott Banu Hashim. The children could be heard crying and some of the elders resorted to eating leaves. It was a grievous situation but here, Khadijah remained solidly behind the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and coming out of it triumphantly with the fruits of patience, her journey through life as a faithful wife.

After she came out of the blockade, she lived only for a little while before she answered the call of her Lord. Her death left an indelible mark in the heart of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). She was always remembered by him and her name was often on his tongue. He loved those who loved her and he honoured those who honoured her.

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 My Paradise”. (89:22-30)

My sisters in Islam, we agree that Khadijah was an epitome of an ideal wife, but let’s be frank; do we take her as our role model? If we do, shouldn’t it show in our character?

We argue with our husbands and gossip about them. After a tiring day, does he return home to find his house clean? His children groomed, and you smiling at him? Or is it the opposite; the house has exploded, the kids are screaming, and you are standing and complaining? We have become too demanding, expecting our husbands to be machines pouring out money for our extravagant and luxurious lifestyles.

Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her), was a complete support to her husband. She withstood all the pains, enduring them with patience, never complaining and lending out her shoulders and comforting him with her sweet words. She helped him financially and emotionally. Her home was peaceful, and she was the coolness of his eyes.

We should sit and ponder; are we the coolness of the eyes of our husbands? Do they look forward to coming home, and sharing their troubles with us?

We should try to follow the footsteps of Khadijah, after all, she received the best salutations that anyone could ever have; salutations of her Lord, through angel Jibreel.

Bint Hassan