Khadija (ra) the 1st wife of Rusool Allah (saw)

Khadija was a well-known and prosperous woman of Mecca. She was an elderly woman who wasn’t married. She used to hire a man to travel for her and do business, because the trade of the people of Mecca used to depend on traveling to Yemen and Syria. Allah Zaujal describes that in SURAH QURAISH (106:1-2)

لِإِيلَافِ قُرَيْشٍ [١٠٦:١]

[yusufali] For the covenants (of security and safeguard enjoyed) by the Quraish,		[bn.hoque] কুরাইশদের নিরাপত্তার জন্য, --
﴿١﴾

إِيلَافِهِمْ رِحْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ [١٠٦:٢]

[yusufali] Their covenants (covering) journeys by winter and summer,-

     So they had a journey in winter and a journey in winter; Khadija would hire men to work for her. She happened to hire Muhammed (saw) after hearing about his honesty. She had a servant accompany Muhammed (saw), her servant’s name was Masara. Muhammed (saw) went to Syria, did the business and came back   Masara reported to his master, he said, “I went to Khadija and told her, ‘This man’s trustworthiness and honesty is amazing, outstanding.” So he was praising Muhammed (saw). Khadija (ra) became very interested in Muhammed (saw), his character was admirable. Khadija (ra) who was a wealthy woman, wanted to marry Muhammed (saw). Rusool Allah (saw) agreed. Rusool Allah (saw) was 25 and she was 40 years old. The difference was 15 years. Rusool Allah (saw) never married anyone else before Khadija (ra) passed away.

     Rusool Allah (saw) had six children from Khadija (ra); Zainab, Ruqayya, Umm-e Kulthum, Fatima, Al-Qasim and Abdullah. None of them ended up having descendants except Fatima (ra), and that is from where the offspring of Rusool Allah (saw) is continuing. Rusool Allah (saw) loved Khadija (ra) a lot, he (saw) kept his loyalty to Khadija (ra) even after she passed away. He would always remember her and always mention her name, and that sometimes would cause jealousy among the other wives of Rusool Allah (saw). Rusool Allah (saw) had a lot much love, and admiration for Khadija, because she was the one who stood up and supported him, when everybody else betrayed Muhammed (saw).

     Aisha (ra) was the most beloved to Rusool Allah (saw) after Khadija (ra) and she too would sometimes feel jealous. It says in Bukhari that Aisha said, “I did not become jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet (saw) except khadija, and I had not seen her.” The Messenger of Allah (saw) used to at times slaughter a sheep and say, ‘send it to the friends of Khadija.’” So not only did Muhammed (saw) remember her, he kept on maintaining the relationship with the friends of Khadija.  Aisha (ra) said, “And one day I angered him, when he said, that by replying out of jealousy of Khadija, he (saw) said, ‘I have been given by Allah her life.’”   In another hadith narrated by Ahmed At-Tirmidhi, Aisha (ra) said, “The Messenger of Allah used to many times not leave his home, without praising Khadija, one of the days he praised her, and out of jealousy, I said, ‘Was she not but an elder woman, that Allah has replaced her for you with what is better.’ He became angered and said, ‘No! By Allah, he did not replace me with anyone better. For she had faith in me, when the people rejected, she believed me, when the people belied me. She made comfortable with what she had, when the people denied me and Allah has blessed me with children from her.’”

     So Rusool Allah (saw) would become angry if anyone would say anything against her. This also shows an aspect of the personality of Rusool Allah (saw), his loyalty with the people who were close to him. This is years after Khadija passed away, Rusool Allah (saw) would always remember his old friends; Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalllib, Musab ibn Umair, Khadija (Ra). Before Rusool Allah (saw) passed away, one of the last things he did, was go and visit the cemetery of his friends who died in the Battle of Uhud. 70 companions of his died in the battle of Uhud, when Rusool Allah (saw) felt he would be leaving duniya soon he went to the cemetery and made dua for them ,and in that dua he was saying to them that, ‘soon we will meet.’

     Khaidja (ra) was a special person, when she was alive, Jibrael descended on Muhammed (saw) and said, “Khadija is going to approach you now, and she is carrying for you some food. When she arrives, tell her, that Allah is giving her salaam, and tell her, that I am giving her salaam.” That is how special she was. Allah Zaujal sends down Jibrael (as) to say salaam to her, and then Jibrael added his salaam as well.  And then Jibrael (as) says, “And give her the glad tidings of her palace in Paradise.” So she was granted a place in Paradise. Khadija (ra) was one of the four greatest women that ever lived. Rusool Allah (saw) says, “That the greatest women that ever set foot on this Earth are four; Mariam bint Imran, Khadija bint Khauwaylid, Fatima bint Muhammed, Aasiya bint Muzahim.”

     The greatest among them is Mariam (as). Allah says in Al-IMRAN (3:42)

وَإِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ [٣:٤٢]

[yusufali] Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah hath chosen thee and purified thee- chosen thee above the women of all nations.

[bn.hoque] আর স্মরণ করো! ফিরিশ্‌তারা বললেন -- ''হে মরিয়ম! নিশ্চয়ই আল্লাহ্ তোমাকে নির্বাচন করেছেন, আর তোমায় পবিত্র করেছেন, আর বিশ্বজগতের সব নারীর উপরে তোমায় নির্বাচন করেছেন।

     Second best is Khadija (ra), then Fatima bint Muhammed (ra) and the fourth one Asiya bint Muzahim (ra). All of these women had something to do with a prophet. Two of them were the ones who brought Anbiya and one was the wife of a prophet, and one was the daughter of a prophet.