Muhammad’s ﷺ Marriage to Khadija al-Kubra
(from Kara Da’ud)
It is related that Muhammad ﷺ was twenty-five years old when he married Khadija ع who was forty years and some months at the time–his senior by fifteen years. Muhammad ﷺ was either twenty or twenty-five years old. All of the Prophet’s ﷺ descendants, except for his son Ibrahim, the son of Marya Quptiya, were born of Khadija ع. She was his first wife, and it was in reference to her that this Quran verse was revealed;
Did He not find thee needy, and suffice thee? (ٍSurat ad-Duha, The Forenoon: 9)
It is related that after the death of both her previous husbands, Khadija ع saw a dream: she saw the sun descending from the skies into her house, but it did not shine. During its stay in her house it began to shine, until there was not a house in Mecca where its light had not penetrated. When she awoke, she went to see her uncle’s son, Waraqa bin Naufal who knew about dream interpretation, who had read all the ancient books and was known to be a man of knowledge.
He said to her, “Your dream means that you will marry the Prophet of the last times before his prophethood is revealed, and you will be his wife. In the course of your marriage his prophethood will be revealed, and all of Mecca will be cleansed of unbelief and idolatry, and the pure light of faith will shine forth.” When he had told her this, she asked, “But where is he now?” Waraqa bin Naufal answered, “He is in Mecca,” and she asked, “Which tribe does he belong to?” “He is of Quraysh,” said her uncle’s son. “And of which clan?” she asked. “Of the clan of Hashim.” “Then tell me his name,” said Khadija ع. “His name is Muhammad, oh Khadija ع,” said Waraqa.
Having been told no more than this, without ever having set her eyes on him, Khadija ع began to love him with all her heart and soul. She asked Waraqa, “When and where will this sun rise?” and she began to wait night and day for these events to take place. Now, Khadija ع was a woman excelling in beauty and perfection, and her mind and manners were of great delicacy. She had no dearth of suitors among the Arab nobles and notables, but she inclined towards none and would accept no offer, despite the wealth and position it might have conferred. She waited patiently, burning with undisclosed passion.
One day Muhammad ﷺ was having a meal at his uncle’s house. Abu Talib and his sister Atiqa watched him as he ate, and they remarked his good table manners and his fine style of eating. They said to each other, “Muhammad is now grown, he is a young man now, it is time he got married. What shall we do? He cannot marry just any woman; she should be a woman of rank and from a good family, who will make him a pure and decent wife. But to find such a woman is very costly, and we don’t have the means…” For at that time, by divine wisdom, Abu Talib’s affairs had foundered, and he was now a poor man.
Thus it was possible for Muhammad ﷺ to become Khadija ع’ s trading agent in her business with the merchants of Sham, and he had opportunity to prove his exceptional worth of character and high-mindedness. Had Abu Talib been as well off as he was aforetime, none of this would have transpired, Rasulullah r would have had no occasion to travel in business.
Abu Talib now answered his sister Atiqa, “I don’t know how to go about this, what shall we do?” The Prophet’s aunt Atiqa said, “I have an idea. You know of Khadija ع, and you know also the excellent reputation she enjoys; whoever has had dealings with her, has profited by them, she is a very fortunate and auspicious lady. Besides, she is very wealthy. At this time, she is just getting ready to send a caravan to Sham, laden with all manners of goods, and she is employing people in her service. Why don’t we send Muhammad along to accompany the caravan, in her employ; that way he will earn a little something, and with a little help from our side, he should be able to get married.”
Abu Talib agreed with her, he thought this a very good and useful proposition. He approved and said, “Indeed, this is a very reasonable idea, only I am too shy to go up to Khadija ع and ask her to hire Muhammad to do her business for her in Sham.” So Atiqa said, “I will go to her then, and talk to her.”
First she went and informed Muhammad ﷺ of the talk she had had with his uncle. Muhammad ﷺ was agreeable to the idea and voiced no objections. When his uncle Abu Talib heard that he had accepted, he wept, for it hurt him to see his nephew sent on such a trip for wages. “No one of our tribe has ever had to travel for wages before, least of all such a pure bred, nobly born boy as Muhammad, with his honor, nobility and grace shining upon his forehead; yet, what can I do? We have fallen upon hard times, and situations may occur when dubious actions are permitted, some things become permissible through necessity. So if it has to be, go then and speak with the lady, Khadija ع.”
So Atiqa went to Khadija ع and tried to explain things to her. As for Khadija ع, the coming of the Prophet’s ﷺ aunt to her meant the advent of happiness, and she received her with honors and signs of great favor. When it came to stating her request, she felt ashamed to do so, considering the honor with which she had been received. Atiqa sat choking on her words, when Khadija ع herself broached the subject. “Oh Atiqa, noblewoman of the Arabs,” she said, “your demeanor tells me that you have something on your mind that you wish to say, but are not quite happy to do so. Tell it to me, for whatever is your request, know, that I will be more than happy to oblige, it is an honor for me to comply with your wishes.”
Then Atiqa felt easier and she said, “You must have heard of Muhammad ﷺ, my brother Abdullah’s son who was orphaned before he was even born and brought up first by his grandfather, then by my other brother, Abu Talib. Now he is grown and it is time for him to get married. However, Abu Talib has fallen into straightened circumstances and has not the wherewithal to perform this important duty towards his nephew. Now we have heard that you are getting ready a trade caravan to travel to Sham these days, and if you see it fit to take my nephew along, you will gain the gratitude of the house of Hashim. Will you accept our young relative in your service, and send him on this trade mission to Sham?”
Khadija ع became thoughtful, thinking to herself, “This youth must be the man in my dream, all the descriptions that my uncle’s son Waraqa gave me apply to him. He is of the Arabs of Mecca, of Quraysh, of the house of Hashim. His noble name is Muhammad ﷺ. He is known even now in the town as al-Amin, the trustworthy, he is always called Muhammad Amin. His purity and piety are the talk of the town. The Muhammad of my dream can be no other Muhammad than this man who is destined to become the Prophet of the last times.”
She then turned to Atiqa and addressed her thus: “Oh noblewoman of the Quraysh! I have heard talk of this Muhammad, he is thought by all to be honest and truthful, and of exemplary piety. But I have never met him myself. Will he have the necessary strength to lead a caravan? For it is no easy task to look after such an assemblage of men and beasts, and to ensure their safety and protection. I ask you to please have him come to me, so that I might see him and judge for myself.”
Khadija ع wished to see him so that she might be sure he bore all the signs mentioned in the holy books, and accorded to all the descriptions given therein. When Atiqa had gone, Khadija ع went to bathe and dressed herself in her finery, then she got her house ready and waited for her visitors to come. She had a thin curtain hung across the room, and she told all her servants to treat the arrivals with respect and to seat them in the place of honor. Then she sat down and perused the holy books until her visitors were announced. When Rasulullah ﷺ and his aunt came, they were duly received and given every courteous attention. Khadija ع compared Muhammad’s ﷺ person with what she had read in the holy books concerning the prophet to come, and she found all the signs matching and in accordance with what was written of him. Now she was certain that he was the man of her dream. She knew this to be the truth and her heart beat with excitement.
She would have been happy to marry him at once, but being a very principled lady, she realized it was wiser to wait awhile; for were she to marry him at once, she would certainly encounter a lot of resistance from the people. She concluded that it would be much better if she first sent him to Sham as her business agent, and then arrange the marriage proposition. So she said to the Prophet’s ﷺ aunt Atiqa, “Normally I give my caravan drivers twenty-five gold pieces for this journey. However, since Muhammad is such a nobly-born and high-ranking person, I agree to give him fifty pieces of gold, if he is willing to accept.”
Atiqa was more than pleased with Khadija’s عhandling of the affair, and she went to inform Abu Talib who was equally pleased. They both impressed on Muhammad ﷺ to accept the offer and to do whatever she asked him to do. Muhammad ﷺ then went to her house and offered his services, and Khadija ع was very glad for this outcome.
The leader of this caravan was a man by the name of Maysara. Khadija ع said to him, “Oh Maysara! Whatever you do, do not treat Muhammad as a simple laborer-for-wages in my employ! You are the leader of this caravan, but I ask you to regard him as my independent business agent. Serve him well, and make everything as easy and pleasant as possible for him. Obey him, don’t oppose him, and do him no harm.” After many such admonitions she added, “One more thing: until you have left the town behind, treat him as you would treat any ordinary man traveling with the caravan; only when you have passed out of the city, clothe him in this new suit of clothes and mount him upon this finely equipped camel. Do only as he orders and do your best for his protection. Lead him home by the shortest and safest route, and let no distractions of the road interfere. For know that he is a noble kinsman of Quraysh, and the best of them all. Let us not be shamed before them. If you do as I have bidden you, and all goes well, I will give you your freedom and reward you better than you have hoped for.”
Then the caravan prepared and assembled to leave. The townspeople gathered round to watch it go, some just came to stare, others to bid farewell to their friends and relations. Muhammad’s ﷺ departure aroused a great deal of interest, and many of his relatives had come to see him off, among them the nobles of Quraysh and the Bani Hashim. When his aunt and uncle, Atiqa and Abu Talib saw Muhammad ﷺ in the garb of a common hireling, they lost control and began to weep. Abu Talib even fainted from excessive emotion, and when he came to his senses, he clasped Rasulullah ﷺ to his breast.
Tears more shining than pearls welled up in his blessed eyes and rolled down his cheeks, fairer than the petals of the rose, and he spoke, “Forget me not and forget not to pray for me in those distant lands and the hardships that await me there.” Hearing these words from him, all his relatives began to sigh and weep. The heavenly angels wept as well and implored the Almighty, “Oh Lord, is this not Muhammad ﷺ of whom You have spoken, ‘Were it not for you, I would not have created the universe’; is it not he whom You have crowned with such honor?” Allah Almighty responded to them and said, “It is he who is My Beloved ﷺ. You, however, are ignorant of love and of being loved. Herein there is also hidden wisdom which is yet to appear.”
After everyone had dispersed, the caravan set off for its distant destination. Now Muhammad ﷺ was overcome with the pain of being a stranger in this world, so that he wept and spoke inwardly, “Oh my parents, oh beloved mother, oh my father whom I never knew! If only you could see what has become of your son, if only you could behold him in the attire of a lowly wayfarer! Oh exile, oh toil, come to me, now is your moment! Mecca, my homeland, shall I ever see you again, or shall I breathe my last, far from home in a strange and foreign land?” Thus he was overcome by the pangs of homesickness and the loneliness of the road.
Oh Nation of Muhammad ﷺ! When you hear of the woeful events that befell your noble Prophet ﷺ, and the pain he experienced from feeling like a lonely and deserted stranger, it is incumbent upon you to weep for him in his plight! For whenever this Nation weeps for him in such moments as these, the angels register it and turn to the Lord Almighty, saying, “Oh Lord, what is it that they are now weeping?” The Almighty then answers them, “It is because they are following the story of their prophet, and they weep out of empathy and compassion for My beloved Prophet r and all that befell him. Oh My angels both in Heaven and upon the earth bear witness! I will free from the torment of Hell all those of my servants who weep for the sake of My beloved, My wrath and punishment shall be lifted from them!” This is another evidence of the compassionate Grace and Munificence of our Lord Almighty.
Thus the Holy Prophet ﷺ departed from his hometown Mecca-tul-Mukarrama, may Allah increase its renown and favor us with a sojourn at these holy places. After they had left the city behind, the leader of the caravan, Maysara, gave him the splendid robe to wear and he had him mount upon a lavishly adorned camel. Abu Bakr ر was also traveling with this caravan. Maysara ر and Abu Bakr ر said to Muhammad ﷺ, “Oh Muhammad! You are our chief, and we will abide by your word. Inform us of your wishes, and of what is required.” From then on till the end of the journey, they served Muhammad ﷺ and showed him honor in every way.
Allah Almighty sent a little cloud to accompany them which stood above the Holy Prophet ﷺ at all times, shielding him from the rays of a violent sun. The Almighty also ordered the wind to send a soft little breeze to accompany His beloved, that brought him cooling as from a fan, so that he felt neither the heat of the road nor the torridity of the desert round him. In this way the infinite Grace of the Almighty manifested and the caravan proceeded along its way.
At some point in the trip, two of the camels belonging to Khadija ع grew exhausted and could no longer go on. Maysara ر came and told Muhammad ﷺ of this. The Holy Prophet ﷺ went over to the animals and with his blessed hand he gently stroked the legs of the camels. Of an instant the camels rose and their strength was restored; they assumed their place in the string of camels and followed the lead. Seeing this, Abu Bakr and Maysara marveled and understood that Muhammad ﷺ carried with him a special blessing and that he would one day be great.
The caravan moved along at a steady pace until it reached a certain church by Busra on the outskirts of the land of Sham. It was the same hermitage that Muhammad ﷺ had visited with his uncle Abu Talib when he was a boy, and he had known the monk Buhayra. This old monk had meanwhile passed away, and in his place there lived a younger monk by the name of Nastura. He was renowned for his asceticism and for his great learning, and his knowledge of the scriptures was profound. The Prophet ﷺ and his companions came up close to the church, wishing to dismount and rest awhile under the shade of the old trees. Rasulullah ﷺ went and sat beneath a tree, leaning his back against its trunk. It was an old, dead tree, but as soon as he touched it, it came to life again, sprouting fresh green and even bearing fruit on its boughs.
The monk Nastura watched the approach of the caravan and emerged from his cell. He beheld a radiant person seated at the foot of the dead tree which had suddenly sprung to life and greened anew and now was laden with fruit. He also saw a small white cloud hovering in the sky that shaded him alone. Nastura realized instantly that this man must be either a prophet or a very holy man of God. He turned back and disappeared in his cell where he prepared a splendid meal for the wayfarers. He invited the entire caravan to his dwelling, for he wished to see up close that blessed person he had noticed at a distance, and to learn more about his mission with the caravan. By inviting them to his hermitage he could take a closer look at him and make his acquaintance.
Maysara responded gladly to the monk’s invitation, while Muhammad ﷺ said, “You go ahead, I will stay here and guard our belongings and pack animals.” Maysara ر was very pleased with this arrangement, for Muhammad ﷺ, as everyone knew, was the most trustworthy of all. So Maysara took his leave of him and went to have dinner at the hermitage. When all his guests were assembled, the monk went out and saw that the cloud had not moved from its place, so he came back to his guests and asked whether they had left anyone outside. They answered truthfully that they had left Muhammad ﷺ outside to keep watch over their belongings. The monk Nastura then said, “You have my word that your belongings will remain untouched; just ask this person to come in to me, for I have need to see him.” Then he went out in person to invite the Holy Prophet ﷺ to come inside.
The Holy Prophet ﷺ rose when he saw the monk approaching him and shook his hand. Nastura said, “I have prepared this meal especially for you, my friend, it is quite important that you attend it in person.” So, as Rasulullah ﷺ began to walk towards his hermitage, the monk observed that the little white cloud overhead followed him, and that as soon as he stood still, the cloud also stopped above him. They came to the church hall; the monk seated Muhammad ﷺ in the seat of honor, and went out again to look. He saw the cloud hovering over the entrance to the church, and he heard these words coming from it, “When our Holy Prophet ﷺ comes out again, I will again be his shade; therefore I am waiting here.” Then Nastura went in and joined his guests.
When they had eaten, the monk addressed Muhammad ﷺ and asked him the following questions, and received these answers:
“Where are you from?”
“I am from Mecca.”
“Of which tribe?”
“Of the tribe of Quraysh.”
“Of which clan of Quraysh?”
“Of the clan of the Bani Hashim.”
“What is your name?”
“My name is Muhammad.”
Thereupon the monk rose and embraced Muhammad ﷺ and kissed him upon the forehead. Then he gave his testimony: “I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that you are Muhammad, His Prophet.” After showing him all the respect and honor he could, Nastura asked him, “There is one request I wish to make of your holy person which I beg you to accept.” “What could your wish be?” asked Muhammad ﷺ. “I would ask you to show me the unmistakable mark of your prophethood so that my heart might have certainty and my mind be at peace and my conviction be strengthened.
The Prophet ﷺ answered him, “What is it you wish to see?” The monk said, “I wish to see the seal of prophethood which is stamped on your back between your shoulder blades, this is the stamp of your mission. I would so wish to behold it and kiss it and rub my eyes upon it, that my eyes might be filled with the light therefrom and I might delight in its heavenly scent.” The Holy Prophet ﷺ in order to please his host then stripped off his upper garment so that the monk could see what he wished to see. Upon the seal was written:
Tawajjuh haithu shi’ta fa-innaka mansur
(turn wherever you will, you will be assisted.)
The monk rubbed his face and eyes on this seal, then he said with great deference and respect, “Oh Holy Prophet ﷺ, oh Beautification of the Judgment Day, oh Intercessor of your Nation, oh Amender of Troubles, oh Dissolver of Difficulties, oh Prophet of Mercy!” Having praised the Prophet in these words, the monk was honored with acceptance into Islam (before its time, as the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ had not been revealed as yet).
After this, the monk turned to the whole caravan and told them that the Prophet ﷺ who had now appeared among them was the celebrated personality that had been anticipated and foretold in the words and scriptures of all prophets since the time of Sayyidina Adam ع. He confirmed that all the prophets were of great worth and closeness to Allah Almighty, but that the long-awaited prophet the whole world had been expecting now dwelt in their midst, and he implored them not to stay for long in Sham. For just as he had been able to recognize him by his marks and signs, so could the unbelievers of Damascus who were his sworn enemies and wished to do him harm.
After the gathering had heard the admonition of the monk, they rose to resume their journey. When they reached Sham, their trading was accomplished in a very short time and yielded unexpectedly high profits, through the blessings carried by Muhammad ﷺ.
One day during their stay in Sham the Holy Prophet ﷺ said to and Abu Bakr ر, “Let us go to the unbelievers’ house of worship and see what they do there.” Neither Abu Bakr ر nor Maysara ر were too happy to go there, but they didn’t feel right about refusing Muhammad’s ﷺ request either. So, on a certain day they went to the unbelievers’ house of prayer. There were a great many people assembling there, and the unbelievers manifested their disbelief. When Muhammad ﷺ entered the prayer house, the chains on which the great lamps were suspended began to swing under the impact of his holy gaze, until they snapped and broke, the lamps tumbling to the ground in broken shards. The unbelievers who were assembled in the building were stricken with horror and took to weeping and wailing, and they made a great commotion. The most learned among them however said, “Quick, shut all the gates, for the man who is to be the Prophet of the last times must secretly be among us! Let him not escape, for all this is written and described in our holy books. Let each one of us now be identified by his brethren, and he who is not of us, him let us seize and dispose of forthwith; in that way we shall have rid ourselves of the danger coming to us from this Arabian prophet who could destroy our religion once he takes up his calling.”
So the gates were shut and all the unbelievers got together and looked at each other to discover who they did not know. Abu Bakr and Maysara now feared for their lives and began to weep, but Muhammad ﷺ said to them, “Have no fear, for they cannot see us; Allah’s protective power will cover us, so that they cannot touch us.” In this way Muhammad ﷺ reassured his friends. The unbelievers meanwhile gathered in one spot and began to search the premises.
Abu Bakr relates: “The three of us remained standing in one place. The unbelievers passed to the right and to the left of us, so close that they even touched us. Despite this, not one of them was able to see us. They passed by us in a confused and senseless manner. They took count of their own number and found no stranger among them. They checked all corners and window niches several times over, yet they found nothing. At long last they concluded that he must have stood outside the building and cast a glance at the lamp from there, causing it to crash. ‘Now they have come and gone; where shall we look for them?’ they wondered. So they opened the doors and gates again, and we left.” Abu Bakr, Maysara and the Holy Prophet ﷺ went back to their caravan and prepared for immediate departure.
When seven days journey remained till they would reach Mecca ‑ may Allah increase its luster and grant us easy access – Maysara wrote a letter to Khadija ع as was his custom whenever he reached this stage of the journey, informing her of their progress and the results of their trading. This time he wrote to her that they had fared far better than in previous years, and their trade had been far more profitable than before, and that he believed this had to do with the blessing of Muhammad ﷺ who had traveled with them for the first time this year. He then sealed the letter, looked at the Holy Prophet ﷺ and said, “Oh Muhammad, light of my eyes, will you do this letter the honor of taking and delivering it in person to the lady Khadija ع?” Muhammadﷺ agreed and a fine Hijin camel was decked out for the journey. He set out at the break of dawn, proceeding towards Mecca, and they followed him with their eyes until he disappeared from view.
When they could no longer see him, the camel lost its way. The following narration tells of this: Shaytan took hold of the camel’s halter and led it astray. Thereupon Allah Almighty in all His Might and Glory commanded the angel Jibra’il ع to descend to earth and set the Prophet and his camel back on the right way. Thus it is revealed in the Holy Quran:
Did He not find thee erring and guide thee? (The Forenoon, 7)
Then He commanded the angel to fold up the earth so that he might reach his destination speedily. The angel Israfil ع was commanded to stand by his right, and Mikhail ع by his left side, and in this way the Holy Prophet ﷺ was protected and guided safely through the perilous desert. He felt sleepy and dozed off, and the angel Jibra’il u folded up the earth beneath him, so that he reached Mecca by the time the sun rose again, though it was seven days distance from where he had set out.
After the Holy Prophet ﷺ had departed for Sham, Khadija ع was beset by a great and passionate longing for him, which grew stronger with each passing day. When she awoke in the morning she would look out her window facing north, the direction of Sham, and wonder whether this day she would have any news. She waited. One day, she was again looking out for a messenger when in the distance she beheld a cloud of dust. She looked again carefully and managed to distinguish a rider approaching at the speed of an arrow shot from a bow. Two angels in the guise of birds were shading this rider with their wings, or according to a differing narration, she saw him being shaded by a white cloud. As soon as she saw him, she began to wonder who he might be and what urgent message he might bring, for he came on in great haste. Presently a servant girl entered and brought her the news.
“Good tidings to you, my lady,” she said, “the rider we saw approaching is Muhammad ﷺ.” To this Khadija ع replied, “If it is really so, I will set free all the slave girls that I own.” No sooner had she uttered these words that the Holy Prophet ﷺ rode up to her gate.
All of a sudden Muhammad ﷺ awoke from his slumber and found himself before Khadija ع’s gate. He dismounted and entered the courtyard and was received with great courtesy and regard. Khadija ع then read the letter he handed her and noticed that it was written on the same day as it was delivered. “When did you set out?” she asked Muhammad ﷺ. “This morning, at the break of dawn,” answered the Holy Prophet ﷺ. Then Khadija ع knew for certain that this man of miracles was the prophet to be, and from joy at his safe return she set free all her slave girls. Then she said to Muhammad ﷺ, “The camel on which you have come, and all that is upon it shall be yours. Go now to see your relatives, then quickly return to me.”
While he was gone, she prepared bread dough and baked the bread with her own hands. Nobody else could bake bread as she did. When the bread was done, Muhammad ﷺ returned from visiting his relatives. She asked him if he would be willing to return once more to the caravan if she asked him to. “Certainly,” he said, and she wrote him an answering letter, gave him the warm bread and sent him off. The Holy Prophet ﷺ remounted his camel and took to the road again. As soon as he was gone out of sight, as before he was overcome by a great drowsiness and he fell into a deep sleep. Again the angel Jibra’il ع folded up the ground ahead of him, Israfil ع shielded him from the right and Mikhail ع from the left, and a small white cloud traveled overhead, shading him. In this way he made his progress.
Meanwhile, when Muhammad ﷺ set out with Maysara’s letter, Abu Bakr said to him, “You have committed a bad mistake. Muhammad ﷺ is inexperienced, he knows not the way through the desert and you have sent no one along to guide him. How easily he may go astray and get lost in this wilderness! How will you face the lady Khadija ع and the Bani Hashim?” Maysara ر became downhearted when he heard these words from Abu Bakr ر. He ordered the caravan to halt, and sent out Hijin riders in search of Muhammad ﷺ. While the search party was yet roaming for him, they saw Muhammad ﷺ coming towards them from the direction of Mecca. It was the time of Duha, the late morning. When Maysara was told, he said, “You see, he missed the way and kept going round in circles until he ended up back where he started out from.”
As they were yet talking of him, the Holy Prophet ﷺ strode in, and they could smell the scent of fresh bread, which took them greatly by surprise. “It smells just the same as the bread that Khadija ع bakes,” they wondered, “how can that be? Where can he have found that?” Just then Muhammad ﷺ entered the tent, greeted them and handed them bread and letter from Khadija ع. It was obvious to all that indeed it had come from the hand of the lady Khadija ع, but no one could understand how. “When did you get there?” they asked Muhammad ﷺ. “I arrived just as the sun was rising,” said Muhammad ﷺ, “I handed Khadija ع your letter and while she was baking the bread I went to see my relations. When I came back to her, the bread was ready and she wrote this letter and sent me back to deliver it.”
They all marveled at this and murmured among themselves, “All that the monk has told us about him is true. It is a seven days journey from here to Mecca, and a seven days return. To cover such a distance in a space of a few hours is beyond the power of any human being, it can only be done through direct empowerment by the Almighty Lord of the Universe, which He confers only on His Holy Prophets.”
Together they set out for Mecca, and in due time they arrived. Rasulullah ﷺ went to his uncle’s house while Maysara went to report to the lady Khadija ع. She welcomed him back and said, “When Muhammad came here, I saw two birds hovering alongside, as well as a white cloud above his head.” Maysara told her, “It’s been like that ever since we departed from Mecca.” Then he told her all that had occurred from the time they left to the present moment, and how everything confirmed what they had suspected already: that Muhammad ﷺ was destined to be the Prophet of the last times. Khadija ع also felt confirmed in her certitude as she listened to Maysara’s tale, but she said to him, “Oh Maysara, tell no one about what you have seen and heard,” and she repeated this over and over again for reasons of her own. For if the chiefs of Quraysh should hear about the exceptional gifts of this young man, they would all rush to marry their young daughters to him, and she would see herself deprived of happiness.
After the travelers had rested from their exertions for a few days, Abu Talib said to Muhammad ﷺ, “Oh Muhammad ﷺ, oh light of my eyes, it is time now to go to the lady Khadija ع and ask her for your wages. We will add to this whatever we can afford, and in this way we hope to find you a suitable match.” So Muhammad ﷺ went to Khadija ع’s house, but he was too shy to ask for what was his due. When at last he did ask her she said to him, “What will you do when I have paid you your wages?” Truthfully, Muhammad ﷺ answered her, “I will take the money to my uncle who intends to get me married.” Khadija ع then said, “How much is this money going to buy you? I have found you a wife who possesses a lot more of it. Of good family she is, of clear lineage and excellent character, pure and chaste. Her beauty is renowned throughout the lands of the Arabs, and not a few of the Arab chieftains have asked for her hand in marriage. Plenty are the offers of gold and silver and gifts of great value; alone, she would consent to none of these worthy suitors. There is one thing only in which she is lacking, and that is that she has been married before and has been widowed. If you will accept her despite this flaw, all of her wealth will be your own, and she herself your loyal servant.” In this manner Khadija ع made allusion to her own person. The Holy Prophet ﷺ heard and understood this proposal, and he blushed, and from bashfulness was unable to answer her.
When he returned to his uncle’s house empty-handed, Abu Talib asked him, “So, what did she give you?” Muhammad ﷺ said, “She did not give me it, instead she made fun of me, by talking of unsuitable things that cannot possibly be.” Alarmed, Atiqa went to Khadija ع and asked her about what had transpired between her and Muhammad ﷺ, and why she had made fun of her nephew in such a way. Khadija ع swore solemnly that she had not thought to ridicule him at all, rather that she was completely convinced of his superior qualification, both by birth and by personal distinction, on account of his truthfulness and trustworthiness which had been amply proven during his journey to Sham, and that her heart inclined strongly towards him so that she wished him for herself.
Muhammad’s ﷺ aunt Atiqa was amazed to hear these words from the high-born lady and said, “If I go now and explain this matter to Abu Talib, and should he consent, will you surely not change your mind and shame me thereby? Truly, you are not speaking in jest?” Khadija ع replied, “By Him who holds my soul, never have I been more serious about anything in my entire life. Go directly to Abu Talib and give him my salams. Go also and invite my cousin Waraqa bin Naufal; give him plenty of wine to drink and when he is quite happily drunk, let Abu Talib ask him for my hand. The rest I will take care of when he comes to speak to me. In that way the match can be arranged.”
Atiqa went back, jubilant in her heart and told all to Abu Talib. He too was glad and prepared to invite Waraqa bin Naufal, Abu Bakr and the chiefs of the Meccan clans. They gave Waraqa a lot of wine to drink, and when he was nicely in his cups, Abu Talib approached him and said, “Oh Waraqa, there is a favor I have to ask of you.” “What may that be, ya Abu Talib?” asked Waraqa. Abu Talib then said, “You know for yourself what a fine young man my nephew Muhammad ﷺ is, truthful, trustworthy and honorable as no other; for him I am asking the hand of your cousin Khadija ع.” All the assembled chiefs and notables thought this a suitable proposal, and Waraqa answered, “Yes, it is a good idea, and my wish as well. As her guardian, I give her to your nephew in marriage. But I will speak to her first, then I will return.”
So Waraqa proceeded to Khadija ع’s house and spoke to her. He said, “All the dignitaries of Mecca and the heads of Quraysh have proposed that I marry you to Abu Talib’s nephew Muhammad ﷺ. I, too, find this a suitable proposition, but I have come to you to discuss the matter with you and to obtain your consent, if indeed it is forthcoming. Should you find this acceptable, you need only appoint me as your representative, and the marriage contract will be concluded.”
Khadija ع then pretended to know nothing of this matter and asked Waraqa to tell her about Muhammad ﷺ. “He is extremely pious,” said Waraqa, “of excellent character, truthful and reliable. He is nobly born and his honor, kindness and good nature are undisputed. The only thing he lacks is money, of that he possesses none to speak of.” Khadija ع then said, “Money, of that I have an ample supply myself, more than I can count. If this Muhammad is really as excellent as you say he is, I have no objection. Go then, and as my representative perform the ceremony of nikah.”
Waraqa then returned to Abu Talib and the assembled Meccan dignitaries, and the nikah was performed and witnessed, and thus Muhammad ﷺ and Khadija ع were joined in the bond of holy matrimony. This ceremony took place on a Friday, and both Abu Talib and Waraqa bin Naufal ر made speeches at the wedding, but it was Khadija’s uncle ‘Amr bin Asad who gave her away.
There is disagreement concerning the matter of the marriage settlement (Mahr). Some authorities say it consisted of twelve okes of gold and five hundred dirhams of silver, some say it was twenty camels. When the marriage contract was concluded, Abu Talib slaughtered one camel in gratitude and invited all the nobles of Mecca to a feast. Muhammad ﷺ then said to Abu Bakr ر, “Will you go with me to the house of my bride, Khadija ع?” “With the greatest pleasure,” replied his friend, and together they went there. Abu Bakr ر accompanied Muhammad ﷺ to Khadija ع’s house where she had prepared a splendid welcome for him. After food and drink had been served and all the guests had departed, the couple finally remained alone. Khadija ع then kissed his hands and made over to him all she owned, even the robes she wore on her person, disassociating herself entirely from all material belongings.
Khadija ع was Muhammad’s ﷺ first wife and he loved her dearly and always held her in the highest esteem. As long as she lived he married no other woman. For twenty-four years, five months and eight days she lived with him and served him. It was fifteen years before the revelation of his prophethood; when it was revealed, she believed in him and accepted his message and was the first woman to accept Islam, may Allah be well pleased with her.
Excerpted from Muhammad: Messenger of Islam, by Hajjah Amina Adil.