الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينه ونستغفره، ونعوذ بالله تعالى من شرور أنفسنا، وسيئات أعمالنا، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، اللهم صلِّ وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وأصحابه  ومن تبعه إلى يوم الدين.

March is designated as the Women’s History Month, and it will be good opportunity for us to study the life of key women in Islam who were companions of the Prophet (PBUH).  There are several books published under the title “Women around the Messenger” and they discuss the life and the contribution of many important women. But, out of this list everyone should at least study the life and contributions of the following four to Islam:

• Khadijah bint Khuwaylid 
• Naseebah bint Ka’b 
• Rufaydah al-Aslamiyah 
• Al-Khasna  

In this talk, I’ll inshallah focus on Khadijah, may Allah be please with her, but let me start by giving you very brief idea about the other three to encourage you to read more about them    

Naseebah bint Ka’ab, known also as Umm Ammarah, was a great warrior and highly intelligent woman.  She travelled from Madina to Mecca and participated in the pledge of Aqaba.  She also participated in the pledge of Huaybiyah.   She participated in many battles including Uhud, Khybar, conquest of Mecca and the campaign of Hunayn.  The Prophet (PBUH) said regarding her role in the battle of Uhud:

قال رسول الله- صلى الله عليه وسلم- “لمقام نسيبة بنت كعب اليوم خير من مقام فلان وفلان، ما التفت يمينًا أو شمالاً إلا وأنا أراها تقاتل دوني

“The stand of Naseebeh on this day was superior than the stand of many men, wherever I turned left or right I always saw her fighting in my defense”.

During the leadership of Abu Bakr, she participated in the battle of Yamamah against Musaylamah the Liar and she was the one who killed Musaylamah after he was hit with a spear. She was not only a courageous worrier, but she was also narrator of several hadith that have been used in Fiqh in several Islamic legal rules.   

Rufaydah Al-Aslamiyah, was the physician and the surgeon whom the Prophet (PBUH) placed for her a tent as hospital in his masjid in Madina to treat the sick and the wounded and teach women. She was expert in production and application of drugs and treatment of illness and wounds and fixing broken bones.  She never received wages or rewards for her work. Rufaydah participated in all the battles and her tent was a field hospital that moved from one battlefield to another.  She trained several women to support her.   Her medical tent was always equipped with surgical and autopsy materials, drugs, gauze and bandage for dressing wounds and also special medicine. 

AI-Khansa – (تماضر بنت عمرو ‎), Tumaḍir bint ʿAmr was a great poet  and the Prophet (PBUH) encouraged her to recite more poems in defense of Islam.  Keep in mind that at that time Poetry was the mass media, it would spread as wildfire throughout Arabia. 

It is a consensus of the scholars of poetry that no woman neither before her nor after her ever attained the status of al-Khansa in poetry. AI-Khansa’ strength and nobility reached its prominence on the day of the Battle of Qadisiyah which is the decisive battle between the Muslms and the Persian army.   This prominence revolved around both her super inspiration to her four sons before the battle; and her statement after the martyrdom of all of her sons.

In this talk, I plan to focus on one woman who played the most critical role in Islam.  In fact, she was the first ever person to believe in the prophethood of Mohammad (PBUH) even before he believed that he is a messenger of Allah. This woman is Sayeda Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, the mother of the believers. Sayeda Khadija was a very successful business-women in her own right who controlled one of the most important caravan trade routes in the region.  She was well known for her intelligent, wisdom, and honor.  She was known with the nickname, Al-Tahera (الطاهرة), the Pure.

The Prophet (PBUH) married her when he was 25 years old, and she was a widow at the age of 40 years old and had 3 children from her previous marriages.  The difference in their ages of 15 years was never a factor in their complete love and devotion to each other.  She was related to the Prophet (PBUH) from both her father and mother side through the 5^th and the 7^th grand fathers. 

She was the first and only wife of the Prophet (PBUH) for 25 years until her death.  Khadija and the Prophet (PBUH) had six children together: [Qasim dies at 3 yrs), Zainab (died at 30), Ruqayyah (died at 23), Umm Kulthum (died at 27), Fatimah (died at 27) and Abdullah (dies at 4 years).   The Prophet (PBUH) had only another child from his other marriages after Khadija’s death, he was Ibrahim who dies at the age of 2. 

All of the Prophet’s three male children died while infant and his four-daughters died when they were 23 to 70 years old. Fatimah (married to Ali ibn Abi Talib) Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum (married to Uthman) and Zainab (married to Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi’).

After the death of Sayeda Khadijah, the Prophet (PBUH) married other women, but he always expressed his most admiration and love for her, so much so that his youngest wife, Ayesha, stated that she was never as jealous of any other woman as she was of Khadijah. When she asked the Prophet about his love for Khadijah his response was:

لا ما أبدلني الله خيرا منها قد آمنت بي إذ كفر الناس وصدقتني إذ كذبني الناس وواستني بمالها إذ حرمني الناس ورزقني الله ولدها إذ حرمني أولاد النساء

“She believed in me when the people disbelieved in me; she supported me with her money when the people denied me, and Allah blessed with children from her.”

Sayeda Khadija was a woman whose role went far beyond merely that of a dutiful wife and mother; she was an individual imbued with truly extraordinary characteristics. Her intellect, wisdom, grace, love, and beyond all else, her faith, set her apart from the entire world. The Prophet (PBUH) said:

روى البخاري بإسناده إلى علي رضي الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: ((خير نسائها مريم وخير نسائها خديجة)) . وعند مسلم بلفظ: ((خير نسائها مريم بنت عمران، وخير نسائها خديجة بنت خويلد))

 “The best of women are Mary the daughter of Emran and Khadijah bint Khuwaild.” (Bukhari, Muslim)  

 In another hadith, the Prophet (PBUH) said:

روى البزار والطبراني من حديث عمار بن ياسر رفعه ((لقد فضلت خديجة على نساء أمتي كما فضلت مريم على نساء العالمين))

“Khadijah was preferred over the woman of my nation as Maryam was preferred over the women of the world.”

Khadija was the only women that Allah sent His greetings to her and gave her the good news of her place on paradise.  The Prophet (PBUH) said:

 فقد روى الشيخان بإسنادهما إلى أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: ((أتى جبريل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: يا رسول الله، هذه خديجة قد أتت معها إناء فيه إدام أو طعام أو شراب فإذا هي أتتك فاقرأ عليها السلام من ربها ومني، وبشرها ببيت في الجنة من قصب لا صخب ولا نصب)) 

Jibril came to me and said O Messenger of Allah, here is Khadijah coming to you with a dish of stew, food and drink. When she arrives, give her the greeting of peace from her Lord and from me. Give her glad tidings of a palace in Paradise from pearl and rubies, wherein there will be no turbulence, nor fatigue.”

I am going to focus in this talk on the role of Sayeda Khadija around the time when the Prophet (PBUH) received the first revelation. 

When the Prophet (PBUH) was 37 years old, he started the practice of spending the whole month of Ramadan in the cave of Hira (غار حراء), in Al-Nour mountain (جبل النور) that is located outside Mecca.  He would spend the whole month in seclusion praying to Allah to guide him and reflecting on the creations of the heaven and earth.   He was seeking to understand the secret of creation by reflecting an all that he can see from his cave.   This was his form of worship during this month.  Allah has sanctioned this approach of worship as He said in Surat Al-Emran:

إِنَّ فِى خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَـٰفِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّہَارِ لَأَيَـٰتٍ۬ لِّأُوْلِى ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ )١٩٠( ٱلَّذِينَ يَذۡكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَـٰمً۬ا وَقُعُودً۬ا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمۡ وَيَتَفَڪَّرُونَ فِى خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقۡتَ هَـٰذَا بَـٰطِلاً۬ سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ  (سورة آل عمران(

Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding (190).   Those who are continuously remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying down, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth.” (Al-Imran 3:190-191)

Reflection on the creations such as the clouds, the mountains, the sun, the moon, the heaven and the earth is an important form of worship that is emphasized in many verses in the Quran.  This was what the Prophet (PBUH) doing during his time of seclusion in the month of Ramadan.  This form or worship is encouraged, particularly in Ramadan in the form of Iktkaf.

The Prophet ‘s custom was to take sufficient food and water with him to the cave and Sayeda Khadija used to send him additional provisions from time to time.  A day before the end of Ramadan, he would return to Mecca and go to the Kabba to perform the circumambulation around it and then return to his home.    

On the year when the prophet (PBUH) was 40 years old, he went to the cave of Hira starting the month of Ramadan as his practice.  A day before his plan to return to Mecca (August 610 CE), he was surprised with a stranger entering the cave on him and without any form of greetings, said to him with a firm voice: Read.  The Prophet (PBUH) said:  I can’t read (‏ما أنا بقارئ).  The man squeezed the Prophet to the point that the Prophet thought that he is dying and then released him and repeated the same command: Read.  The Prophet answered the same and the man squeezed him again.  He repeated it for the third time. 

On the fourth time when the man asked the Prophet (PBUH) to Read, the Prophet (PBUH) said:  what should I read. The man said:

ٱقۡرَأۡ بِٱسۡمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ (١) خَلَقَ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ مِنۡ عَلَقٍ (٢) ٱقۡرَأۡ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلۡأَكۡرَمُ (٣) ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلۡقَلَمِ (٤) عَلَّمَ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ مَا لَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡ (٥)

“Deduce (reason) guided with the name of your creator who created (1) He created man and kept him clinging (to Him for his continuous needs) (2) Deduce, and your Lord is the most generous, (3) Who teaches by the pen. (4) He taught man what he did not know.” (Al-Alaq 96:1-5)

The Prophet has been searching for three years for the creator and here he was being told about Him.  The man left but his words were engraved on the Prophet’s heart.   The Prophet (PBUH) became scared and left the cave, rushing down but when he was at the middle of the mountain, he heard a loud voice coming from the sky saying: Mohammad, I am Jibril, and you are the messenger of Allah.  The Prophet looked up and saw this man covering the whole horizon and each direction the Prophet turned to avoid looking at him, he found him.  Then he vanished.   The Prophet started running down shaken and in great distress and each time he passed by a rock or a tree, he heard a voice saying:  Asalamu Alykum O’ Messenger of Allah.  But when turned to see who is speaking, he found no one.  This made him more scared and thought he has surely gone mad. 

At the same time, Sayeda Khadija got a feeling of great worry about the Prophet, particularly since she was expecting him to be at home after his return from the cave and circumambulation around the Kabba.  She sent her servants looking for him and they went all over Mecca and returned without finding him.  But after a short time, he arrived to the house and was shivering with all his body shaken and telling Khadija cover me, cover me (‏زَمِّلُونى زملونى), I have been touched by Satan. 

Sayeda Khadiga put the prophet’s head on her lap and covered him and when he was comforted a little and his fear subsided somewhat, she asked him what happened.   He told her and here you see the wisdom of the wife.  She could have told him this may be an imagination; you may have been tired and saw this in your sleep.  But instead, she addressed his main concern that he may have been touched by Satan and said:

أبشر فوالله لا يخزيك الله أبدا والله إنك لتصل الرحم وتصدق الحديث وتحمل الكل وتكسب المعدوم وتقري الضيف وتعين على نوائب الحق

“Allah would never humiliate you, you are good to your relatives, you are true to your word, you help those who are in need, you support the weak, you feed the guest and you answer the call of those who are in distress.”

She kept comforting the Prophet (PBUH) until he went to sleep.  After he had gone to sleep, she left and went to see her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal.  Waraqah was an interesting person, he never accepted the worship of idols and was looking for a true religion to follow.  He Learnt form the Jews the expectation of a prophet to come but did not follow Judaism because he did not like the way they describe Allah. He asked about the last known Prophet and he was told about Prophet Isa (Jesus) who lived 600 years ago.  He travelled to Syria to learn Christianity but after he was told about the trinity, he rejected it and decided to just worship Allah and hope that he could live to see the new Prophet who was foretold in previous revelations.

When Khadija arrived to Waraqa’s house and told him what happened to Mohammad: he comforted her and told:  By Allah what Muhammad have seen is the same messenger that Allah sent to Prophet Musa (Moses).  Have the good news, Mohammad is the expected messenger of Allah that has been prophesied in the previous revelations.  

She left and returned to her house and Mohammad was still sleeping.  When he woke up, she told him what Waraqa has said, and this comforted him more. He gained his strength and left the house to perform the circumambulation around the Kabba.   In his way, he met Waraqa who was coming to see him.    The Prophet (PBUH) asked Waraqa about what he told Khadija and Waraqa told me:

هذا الناموس الذي نزله الله على موسى، يا ليتني فيها جَذَعا، ليتنى أكون حيًا إذ يخرجك قومك،

 ” Yes, the one who came to you is the heavenly messenger who came to Moses and you have been chosen as the Prophet of your people.  I wish I would be alive when your people force you out”. 

The Prophet (PBUH) said: Will my people force me out? أو مخرجيّ هم‏؟‏‏)‏)  

Waraqa said:  ‏:‏نعم، لم يأت رجل قط بمثل ما جئت به إلا عُودِىَ، وإن يدركنى يومك أنصرك نصرًا مؤزرًا

Yes, no one ever came with what you came with without his people declaring enmity against him, if I am alive, I’ll support you with all my might”.

As if Allah made Waraqa lives until this happens to comfort the Prophet (PBUH) because two days later, he died in 610 CE.

So, the Prophet (PBUH) has only his wife Khadija to believe in him that he is the messenger of Allah.    At this time, the Prophet (PBUH) did not even know what does being a messenger of Allah mean and what is expected form him.    The Prophet (PBUH) became anxious and distressed because Jibril did not come back to tell him what to do. So, he used to go outside Mecca and walk wandering whether he will see the angel again.

While he was walking outside Mecca, a month after his first encounter with Jibril, he suddenly heard a voice from the sky, when he looked up, and surely enough, it was the same man who had visited him in the cave of Hira. He was sitting on a chair between the earth and the sky. The Prophet said regarding this encounter that I became very afraid and ran to my home shaking again and saying to Khadija cover me, cover me, and told her that he saw Gabriel again.  She covered him and placed his head on her lap to comfort him.  Suddenly he said to Khadija I see him now.  She said look at the other side, do you see him, he said yes.  Then she removed the cover from her head and said do you still see him now, he said no.  She said, he is an angel and not Satan because Satan would not have vanished when I exposed myself.  She covered herself and said do you see him now and he said yes.  Here, you also see the wisdom of Sayeda Khadija, she was setting a test even for Jibril to verify his nature.  Then Jibril revealed to the Prophet (PBUH) the following revelations:

يَا أَيُّهَا  الْمُزَّمِّل قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا نِصْفَهُ أَوِ انْقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا

 ‘O you enveloped (in garments)! Stand (to prayer) by night, but not all night, half of it, or a little less, Or a little more; and recite the Quran in slow, measured rhythmic tones.  Soon shall We send down to you a weighty Message.  (Al-Muzammil 73:1-5)

With only few revelations, the Prophet spent almost all-night reflecting and reciting the few verses he received and expecting that other revelation will come.  But for another 5 months nothing came, and the prophet (PBUH) began again getting anxious and distressed but here also Sayeda Khadija was his comfort and supporter. We are now entering in Rabi Al-Awal and the Prophet is now 41 years old. Then Jibril came again to the prophet (PBUH), with the command to invite others.

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلۡمُدَّثِّرُ (١) قُمۡ فَأَنذِرۡ (٢) وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرۡ (٣) وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرۡ (٤) وَٱلرُّجۡزَ فَٱهۡجُرۡ (٥) وَلَا تَمۡنُن تَسۡتَكۡثِرُ (٦) وَلِرَبِّكَ فَٱصۡبِرۡ (٧

“O you who are enveloped in garments! (1) Arise and warn! (2) Magnify your Lord (3) And purify your garments! (4) And keep away from impurities (the idols)! (5) And do not do a favor seeking more in return. (6) And be patient for the sake of your Lord.” (Al-Muddathir 74:1-7) 

Following this, the Prophet started receiving revelation regarding to what he should invite people.  The Prophet (PBUH) spent 3 years inviting to Islam in secret with Khadija fully supporting him financially and spiritually.  Later when the Prophet (PBUH) started delivering the message openly, he faced major difficulties from the elites of Quryash who placed a sanction on the Prophet and his family causing a stoppage of Khadija’s business, but she continued steadfast in her support for the Prophet (PBUH).   During the boycott, Khadijah depleted her entire large fortune supporting the followers of Islam. Her wealth was gone, and her health strained. However, her spirits remained high, and her devotion never weakened. Finally, the brave, honorable, and faithful Khadijah became ill and died on the year 619 CE at the age of 65 years leaving a huge gap in the life of the Prophet (PBUH).

The Prophet (PBUH) received the first revelation in Ramadan (the 9^th month in the lunar calendar) but six months earlier when he reached the age of 40 in Rabi Al-Awal (the 3rd month in the lunar calendar), he started seeing visions at night and noted that all the things that he saw in his vision at night are materialized the next day.  This would have been preparation form him regarding the ability to receive information from the unseen world.

Through the Prophet’s life, he (PBUH) received revelation thru 7 and possibly eight different forms and these are:

The first form is clear vision, a dream, like what the Prophet (PBUH) used to see before him seeing Jibril form the first time to receive his first revelation.  It is this form with which Prophet Ibrahim received the revelation to slaughter his son.  A vison of a Prophet is a form or revelation that is acted upon.  But the vison of any other human being is not something to act upon, it is only a blessing from Allah to expose some of the unseen world to His righteous servants.

The second form is inspiration which is information that the holy angel Jibril places directly in the heart of the Prophet (PBUH) without coming to him.  Many of the ahadith of the Prophet were revealed this way.  In one hadith the Prophet (PBUH) said:

قال النبى صلّى الله عليه وسلم: «إن روح القدس نفث فى روعى أنه لن تموت نفس حتى تستكمل رزقها، فاتقوا الله، وأجملوا فى الطلب، ولا يحملنكم استبطاء الرزق على أن تطلبوه بمعصية الله، فإن ما عند الله لا ينال إلا بطاعته». ] أخرجه أبو نعيم فى الحلية من حديث أبى أمامة، وأورده الهيثمى فى مجمع الزوائد، ونسبه للطبرانى فى الكبير [

Ruh Al-Qudus (the holy Spirit) breathed in my heart that no soul shall die until it finishes its set provisions and its term limit. Therefore, have Taqwa of Allah and seek your sustenance in the best way and don’t let the delay in your provision make you try to get it through unlawful means.”

The third form of revelation is thru Jibril coming in a form of a man who is only seen by the Prophet but no one else who may be present will see him.

The fourth form of revelation is thru Jibril coming in a form of a man who is seen by the Prophet and everyone else in his company.  This was the case when he came and asked the Prophet (PBUH) about Islam, Eman, Ihsan, the hour and the signs for the hour.

The fifth form is when Jibril comes in his actual image as the case when the Prophet (PBUH) saw him in the sky during the first revelation at the cave of Hira and during the ascension (Miraj).

The sixth form is when Jibril is infused in the Prophet’s body and this was the hardest on the Prophet because the Prophet would hear ringing of a bell and would feel very weight on him and he would sweat heavily.  On one occasion, the Prophet received revelation this way while he was riding a camel and the camel could not stand and sat down. 

The seventh form is a direct revelation from Allah but with a veil that the Prophet does not see Allah as the revelation the Prophet (PBUH) received during the trip of ascension, the Mia’rag.  The Prophet (PBUH) received the commands of the five prayers and the last two verses form Surat Al-Baqara directly from Allah.  This was also the form of revelation to Prophet Musa. Allah says:

وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحۡيًا أَوۡ مِن وَرَآىِٕ حِجَابٍ أَوۡ يُرۡسِلَ رَسُولاً۬ فَيُوحِىَ بِإِذۡنِهِۦ مَا يَشَآءُ‌ۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ عَلِىٌّ حَڪِيمٌ۬ (٥١)

“It is not possible for a human being that Allah should speak to him except by the way of revelation, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a Messenger to reveal what He wills with His permission. Surely, He is Most High, Most Wise.” (Al-Shura 42:51)

The eight form is revelation from Allah directly without any barrier.  The account is not clear whether the Prophet (PBUH) received the revelation form Allah during ascension in this form or through a veil. 

But we have the good news that those who will enter paradise will secure the most blessed joy they will ever witness, and this is seeing Allah directly without any veil as Allah said:

وُجُوهٌ۬ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ۬ نَّاضِرَةٌ (٢٢) إِلَىٰ رَبِّہَا نَاظِرَةٌ۬ (٢٣)

“Some faces that Day shall be radiant (22) Looking at their Lord.” (Al-Qiyama 75:22-23)

But the disbelievers will never see Allah:

كَلَّآ إِنَّہُمۡ عَن رَّبِّہِمۡ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ۬ لَّمَحۡجُوبُونَ (١٥) ثُمَّ إِنَّہُمۡ لَصَالُواْ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ (١٦)

“Nay! Surely, they will be veiled from seeing their Lord on that Day. (15) Then, they will indeed burn in Hell” (Al-Mutafffifn 83:15-16)

We pray to Allah to make us of those who will see Him without any veil or barrier in the Ferdaus Al-Ala.

DUA