Lady Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, was entitled the title of the best of its women for her belief, support and comfort to the prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), that he (ﷺ) said: “The best of its women is Khadijah bint Khuwailid, and the best of its women is Mariam bint ‘Imran.” The first revelation God’s messenger received was the true vision in sleep, and every vision he saw came like the bright gleam of dawn. He then became fond of solitude and would go alone to the cave on Hira where he would engage in tahannuth, which means worship for a number of nights, before feeling a yearning for his family. He would take provisions for that purpose, then he would return to Khadijah and get provisions for a like period, till the truth came to him when he was in the cave on Hira. Lady Khadijah did not complain about the prophet’s Muhammad practices but she supported him with all his needs. When he received the revelation, she accepted his Dawah without any hesitation based on her close and doubtful knowledge to the prophet Muhammad that he is the most honest and noble man. Ibn Is-haq, another Islamic scholar, said, “Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) was the first person to believe in Allah and His Messenger and believe in all that he brought. Allah comforted His Messenger by that. The Prophet never heard any unpleasant thing from her whenever she talked to him.”
One day, the Prophet returned home after Angel Jibreel had taught him how to make Wudu, and he said telling his wife Khadijah what happened. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) Jibreel (Gabriel) came to him in the upper part of Makkah. Jibreel hit the ground in the valley with his heel, so a spring of water gushed out, and Jibreel performed ablution while the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was looking at him to learn the manner of ablution for the prayer. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed ablution in the same manner as he saw Jibreel perform it. Then Jibreel stood and led him in prayer and then left. Afterwards, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to Khadijah, and she said, “Just teach me how he taught you.” So he taught her. She then performed ablution as he did and she prayed along with him, and then said, “I testify that you are really the Messenger of Allah”. So she performed ablution in the like manner as he (ﷺ) had done, and then he led her in the prayer in the same manner as Jibreel led him in it.” She dedicated her life and wealth to the support of the prophet Muhammad when he started calling people to believe in Allah. Narrated by Lady Aisha: Once Hala bint Khuwaylid, Khadijah’s sister, asked the permission of Prophet to enter. On that, the Prophet remembered the way Khadijah used to ask permission, and that upset him. He said, “O Allah! Hala!” So I became jealous and said, “What makes you remember an old woman amongst the old women of Quraish an old woman (with a toothless mouth) of red gums who died long ago, and in whose place Allah has given you somebody better than her?” he Prophet Muhammad (saw) replied: “She believed in me when no one else did; she accepted Islam when people rejected me; and she helped and comforted me when there was no one else to lend me a helping hand.”
For seven years, the prophet Muhammad spent each moment in calling people to believe in Allah tirelessly, For seven years, Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) stood at his side, worshiping Allah, teaching Islam, and enduring the suffering that was being inflicted upon every new Muslim. She showed kindness to weak and poor people. When people of Queish committed their blockade against the prophet Muhammad and all the people who believed in him. His uncle abu tablib gave him a great protection against people of them, the Makkan decided in desperation to take steps against Abu Talib. Everyone in Makka would have to declare himself for or against the Bani Hashim. But it soon became obvious that in this confrontation, the Bani Hashim would find the whole of Arabia ranged against them. The Quraysh held a meeting and decided to outcast the Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib by placing them under a total social boycott. Thus, members of Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib (Muslims and non-Muslims) were forced to withdraw from Makka and live here in a painful boycott for three years. They lived live in She’eb Abi Talib, which was a subsection of one of the gorges that ran down to Makkah. It was so rigorously applied and food was so scarce that they had to eat the leaves of trees. The women, and more specially the children and suckling babies would cry with hunger which could be heard all over the valley. The Quraysh told the merchants not to sell any goods to them. Prices were increased to prevent them from buying even essentials. They remained in that state for three years.
Khadijah came out of the mountain pass of Abu Talib physically weakened. She became sick. On the 10th of Ramadan of the 10th year of the Proclamation of Islam the tenth year of Muhammad (ﷺ)’s prophethood, Khadijah bint Khuwaylid was chosen by Allah to return to Him. The life of Lady Khadijah was amazing one, full of sacrifice and love for the prophet Muhammad. We ask Allah to follow her footsteps and gather us with all the mothers of Muslims.
