Khadija: the First Muslim and the Wife of the Prophet Muhammad Free
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FREE KHADIJA: THE FIRST MUSLIM AND THE WIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD PDF Resit Haylamaz | 99 pages | 30 Mar 2008 | Tughra Books | 9781597841214 | English | Clifton, NJ, United States Khadija bint Khuwaylid - Wikipedia Here was a woman born when female infants were often buried alive and women were treated as chattel. Yet God gave her extraordinary character and superior business acumen. She became the richest merchant in all of Mecca and was hailed as the Princess of Mecca and the Princess of the Quraysh. She was also given the title of Al-Tahira, The Pure One, for her humanitarian efforts in aiding the poor, widows, orphans, the sick and disabled. Khadija was wealthy and accomplished--but also twice widowed and 40 years old--when she married the future Prophet of Islam, 15 years her junior. She had immediately recognized his trustworthiness and high moral standards and had taken it upon herself to propose to him. He readily accepted. Khadija's story gave me hope as I married recently, at age 29, to a man much younger than me. It also did not hurt that I met my husband during the month of Ramadan, which made me think that, like Khadija, I might be entering into a match made in heaven. The marriage of Khadija and Muhammad is a model for all Muslims. It was one of extraordinary love, commitment and mutual respect. It is arguably one of the greatest love stories of all times and a prelude to Islam's humanistic beginnings. Muhammad's first encounter with God's revelation had been terrifying for him. He came home shaking with terror at the magnitude of what he had experienced. He beseeched Khadija, "Cover me, cover me! She recounted to him the excellence of his character as reason that God could not have turned against him. Muhammad once said of Khadija, "She believed in me when all others disbelieved; she held me truthful when others called me a liar; she sheltered me when others abandoned me; she comforted me when others shunned me; and Allah granted me children by her while depriving me of children by other women. Khadija bore the Prophet six children. She was also the first Mother of the Believers, a designation given to all the wives of the Prophet in the Qur'an. Her marriage to Muhammad was monogamous and so she alone was privileged with the title until the end of her life. She never once let the believers down. When the growing community of new Muslims were ridiculed, tortured, disenfranchised, deprived of their pay and ostracized from their families, Khadija used her resources to make sure they were clothed, fed and sheltered. When Muhammad's clan of Hashim and that of al-Mutallib, both Muslims and non-Muslims who supported his right to proclaim Islam, were exiled for a number of years, Khadija kept them alive with her wealth. She is said to have never complained about the extreme weather conditions, poor shelter and lack of food. Instead, she gave selflessly, providing food and water for the entire exiled community numbering in the hundreds. Khadija died shortly after the banishment ended, as a result of the strain of these conditions on her aging body. She had been a cultivated woman accustomed to great comfort, and she wasn't used to such deprivation. The woman who had once owned herds of animals, priceless heirlooms, silver, gold and so much more was buried in one of the Prophets own garments because there was not enough money left to buy her a shroud. Such was the measure of her faith that she had given all Khadija: The First Muslim and the Wife of the Prophet Muhammad had for the cause of Islam. Khadija died during Khadija: The First Muslim and the Wife of the Prophet Muhammad month of Ramadan, the same month the Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, the same month that we as Muslims fast today to learn generosity, self-restraint and compassion--while becoming closer to God. What we strive to be came easily for this remarkable woman. So compelling was her "maternal imprint" on the success of the community that the Prophet Muhammad considered her one of the four most perfect women in all of human history along with Maryam Marythe mother of Isa Jesus ; Asiya, the wife of Pharaoh; and Fatima, his daughter. Of all the famous women throughout the history of Islam, the scholars, warriors, mystics, poets, rulers, benefactors, politicians and onward, it is thus understandable then that I am most inspired by the story of Khadija. For without Khadija they could not have been, nor could Islam have come through. As Karen Armstrong writes, "Islam can be said to have come to birth in the arms of a loving woman. She was the first to accept his message and bear witness to Khadija: The First Muslim and the Wife of the Prophet Muhammad Oneness of God and that Muhammad was His messenger, thus making her the first Muslim convert and believer. She had sacrificed her great wealth to finance the new Muslim mission. That God placed a woman in this position and employed her as the vessel through which Muhammad was not only comforted, from the time of the first revelation, but also assured that he was indeed a prophet and Messenger of God, is a testament to the role of women in the spread of Islam. As a believing woman, I am convinced that Khadija was given such a conspicuous role in the advent of this religion so that there could never be a mistake about Islam's intention toward women and its deference for the depth of their intellect, the scope of their piety and the possibilities for their Khadija: The First Muslim and the Wife of the Prophet Muhammad. Join Beliefnet Today! See all our uplifting newsletters! Add some inspiration to your inbox. From time to time you will also receive Special Offers from our partners. Beliefnet Beliefnet is a lifestyle website providing feature editorial content around the topics of inspiration, spirituality, health, wellness, love and family, news and entertainment. Ramadan profiles: Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, love of Prophet Mohammed’s life | Al Arabiya English Khadijah was the daughter of Khuwaylid ibn Asada Khadija: The First Muslim and the Wife of the Prophet Muhammad of Quraysh tribe in Meccaand a successful businesswoman in her own right. Khadijah is often referred to by Muslims as "Mother of the Believers". She and her daughter Fatimah are two of the most important female figures in Islam. Muhammad was monogamously married to her for 25 years. The number of children she bore before and to Muhammad is disputed. Khadijah's father, Khuwaylid ibn Asad, was a merchant [3] and leader. AD in the Sacrilegious War, but according to others, he was still alive when Khadijah married Muhammad in Khadijah's mother, Fatima bint Za'idah, who died around AD[7] was a member of the Amir ibn Luayy clan of the Quraysh [8] and a third cousin of Muhammad's mother. Khadijah became a very successful merchant. It is said that when the Quraysh's trade caravan travelers gathered to embark upon their summer journey to Syria or winter journey to YemenKhadijah's caravan equalled the caravans of all other traders of the Quraysh put together. Khadijah did not travel with her trade caravans; she employed others to trade on her behalf for a commission. In Khadijah needed a co-worker for a transaction in Syria. She chose Muhammad ibn Abdullah for the trade in Syria. With the permission of Abu Talib ibn Muttalibhis uncle, he was sent to Syria with one of Khadijah's servants. She sent one of her servants, Maysarah, to assist him. Upon returning, Maysarah gave accounts of the honorable way that Muhammad had conducted his business, with the result that he brought back twice as much profit as Khadijah had expected. Khadijah married three times and had children from all her marriages. While the order of her marriages is debated, it is generally believed that she first married Atiq ibn 'A'idh ibn' Abdullah Al-Makhzumi and second Malik ibn Nabash ibn Zarrara ibn at-Tamimi. This marriage also left Khadijah as a widow. Khadijah proposed to Muhammad when he was 25 years old and she was 40 years old. According to researchers, [ who? Khadijah was 40 when she was married to Muhammad. However, some sources also claim that she was around the age of or 30 by others. Khadijah entrusted a friend named Nafisa to approach Muhammad and ask if he would consider marrying. The uncles agreed to the marriage, and Muhammad's uncles accompanied him to make a formal proposal to Khadijah. At the time of the marriage Muhammad was 25 years Khadija: The First Muslim and the Wife of the Prophet Muhammad and Khadijah was 40 years old. Muhammad and Khadijah were married monogamously for 25 years. After her death, Muhammad took other wives. Muhammad and Khadijah may have had six or eight children. Their first son was Qasimwho died after his third birthday [33] [34] hence Muhammad's kunya Abu Qasim. Abd-Allah was known as at-Tayyib "the Good" and at-Tahir "the Pure" because he was born after Muhammad was declared a prophet by the Angel Gabriel as a direct Khadija: The First Muslim and the Wife of the Prophet Muhammad from Allah. Abdullah also died in childhood. Two other children also lived in Khadijah's household: Ali ibn Abi Talibthe son of Muhammad's uncle; and Zayd ibn Harithaha boy from the Udhra tribe who had been kidnapped and sold into slavery.