When she learned about the truthfulness, honesty, and high moral character of the budding young trader of Makkah, Muhammad (PBUH), she made an offer to him. "Take my merchandise to Syria. I shall give you a share more than what I give to others". He accepted the offer and concluded a business agreement with her. She sent her slave, named Massera, with him. During the journey, Massera observed such high qualities of nobility, graceful habits, and wisdom that he became his devoted admirer. Massera also noticed some unusual signs that surprised him very much. He saw as if the trees on the way saluted Muhammad (PBUH) by bending their branches, and clouds up in the sky traveled with him to provide shade in the blazing heat of the desert. On his return to Makkah (594 AD) he reported all this to Lady Khadijah (RAH). The trading mission was so
Successful that it earned her double the profits than usual. She was also highly impressed by his magnetic personality and good sweet manners.
After the death of her second husband, she had rejected several proposals of marriage from nobles of Quraish as they did not impress her. As for Mohammad (PBUH), she felt attracted to him instantly. The only reservation was her age, she was much older. No longer delaying in implementing her resolve to march she intimated her feelings to a relative namely, Nafisa, who carried the proposal of marriage directly to him (PBUH). He did not reply immediately but asked his uncle and guardian, Abu Talib for advice, who happily endorsed the idea. So he accepted the proposal and married her (595 AD). He was twenty-five years of age at the time while Khadijah is said to be forty. Even then, it proved a very successful marriage. For 25 years, as long as she lived, he remained devoted to her.
As it is true in everything else, this marriage also seems part of the Divine plan for the prophetic mission ahead of Muhammad (PBUH). If he was the noblest man on earth, Khadijah (RAH) likewise proved to be the noblest among the women of the world. After her marriage, she placed all her wealth and resources at the disposal of her husband. Their home became the home of all the destitute, widows and orphans of Makkah. Their hospitality became proverbial among the tribes. They had a perfect understanding of all worldly and spiritual matters. If he hated idol worship, she did too. If he went for meditation outside Makkah she accompanied him too. She proved to be his best friend, the most loving companion, a source of great courage, and consolation to the Prophet of Allah, as long as she lived. And in turn, he also gave her immense respect and love. Even after her death, he used to remember her and say, "She gave me home when I was alone; she placed her wealth at my disposal when I was poor and she believed in
me when the whole of the world had rejected me". Hazrat Ayesha (Razi Allah Anha), the youngest wife of Rasool-ul-Allah, whom he married about four years after her death, used to say, "I have not seen Khadija; but if ever I am envious of any other woman, that is her".
After her death, he had more wives. Altogether, he married eleven women for different reasons but except Ayesha (RAH), daughter of Abu Bakar (RAH), all of them were widows or divorced women. The majority of these marriages were the need of the political, social, and religious conditions of the time. Some of them were widows of his close companions who had rendered great sacrifices in the wars for Islam, to help and honor them after the demise of their illustrious husbands. In a few cases, they were Muslim ladies coming from the families of his staunch enemies, to soften their enmity against Islam. One of these ladies was Safia, the daughter of the chief of Jews; and one came from the royal Coptic Christian Egyptian family.
Wives of the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) are called Ummahat-ul-Momineen i.e. mothers of the believers. Each of them was a school in itself for teachings of Islam, particularly to the Muslim womenfolk. They explained and demonstrated the Islamic philosophy of family life and religious matters concerning women. No doubt, these marriages of the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) proved of great importance for mankind.
It may not be out of place to mention here that in exceptional circumstances, when practical situations may demand, Islam has allowed a man to marry up to four wives at a time. The Prophet (PBUH) was an exception by Divine order. However, this permission comes with the strict condition of maintaining full justice between them, which is very difficult to fulfill. Only the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) was the true embodiment of this.
Justice. Thus, normal practice in Islam is only one marriage at a time.
Khadijah (RAH) bore two sons and four daughters. The sons were named Qasim and Abdullah (also known as Tahir and Tayyeb). The names of the daughters were Zainab, Ruqqiya, Umm-i-Kulthum, and Fatima. May Allah be pleased with them all. It may be worth mentioning here that the lineage of the Messenger of Allah has survived only through his daughter Fatima who was married to his cousin Ali (RAH). All other daughters remained issueless, and his sons died quite young. The Prophet (PBUH) also adopted the freed slave Zaid bin Hartha as his son. He also had the honor of being one of the first to believe in him. He met martyrdom in the war of Mauta, the first encounter with the Byzantine Empire, in the position of the commander of the Muslim Army .
|| EARLY LIFE OF THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (PBUH)){kind=link}
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