Table of Contents
Her Unique Place in His Life
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid رضي الله عنها holds a position in the life of the Prophet ﷺ that no one else shares. She was the first wife, the mother of most of his children, the first believer in his message, and his closest support during the hardest years of his mission. To understand the beginning of Islam and the shaping of the Prophet’s early life in Makkah, one must see how Allah placed Khadijah at his side as a special mercy.
The Prophet ﷺ remembered her throughout his life with deep love and loyalty. He said:
«إِنِّي قَدْ رُزِقْتُ حُبَّهَا»
“I was granted her love.”
(Muslim)
This short statement shows that he considered his love for Khadijah as a special gift from Allah, not just a natural feeling.
Khadijah رضي الله عنها was a unique divine gift for the Prophet ﷺ, combining emotional comfort, material support, and unwavering faith at the most critical stages of his life.
Emotional Support and Companionship
Before revelation, the Prophet ﷺ lived in a harsh society and saw injustice, idolatry, and moral corruption. In such an environment, his home with Khadijah was a place of peace and emotional safety. Their marriage gave him a stable, dignified, and loving family life that protected him from many of the temptations and distractions of Makkah.
Khadijah respected his character, his thoughts, and his spiritual concerns. When he preferred simplicity, she accepted it. When he spent long periods in reflection, she did not accuse him of neglect. Instead, she trusted him, believed in his honesty, and gave him space to grow. This quiet support prepared him to carry a great mission.
Later in Madinah, long after her passing, the Prophet ﷺ still recalled her emotional support. Aishah رضي الله عنها said:
مَا غِرْتُ عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِنْ نِسَاءِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مَا غِرْتُ عَلَى خَدِيجَةَ، وَمَا رَأَيْتُهَا، وَلَكِنْ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُكْثِرُ ذِكْرَهَا
“I did not feel jealous of any woman as much as I felt jealous of Khadijah, and I never saw her, but the Prophet ﷺ used to mention her often.”
(Bukhari, Muslim)
Frequent remembrance, years after her death, shows how deeply her companionship impacted him.
First Believer and Firmest Supporter
When revelation came, Khadijah’s role became absolutely central. She was not simply a supportive wife, but the very first follower of Islam. The Prophet ﷺ clearly stated:
«آمَنَتْ بِي حِينَ كَفَرَ بِي النَّاسُ»
“She believed in me when the people disbelieved in me.”
(Ahmad)
At the moment when the Prophet ﷺ experienced the first revelation in the cave of Hira and returned to his home filled with fear and awe, it was Khadijah who calmed and grounded him.
Comforting Him After the First Revelation
The first revelation was a turning point. It came suddenly, with the appearance of Jibril عليه السلام and the command “Iqra.” The Prophet ﷺ returned to Khadijah trembling and saying, “Zammiluni, zammiluni,” “Cover me, cover me.” Bukhari narrates that when he told her what had happened, he said:
«لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي»
“I feared for myself.”
Khadijah’s response shows her deep understanding of his character and her strong faith in Allah even before formal revelation of rules and laws. She replied:
كَلَّا، أَبْشِرْ، فَوَاللهِ لَا يُخْزِيكَ اللهُ أَبَدًا، إِنَّكَ لَتَصِلُ الرَّحِمَ، وَتَحْمِلُ الْكَلَّ، وَتَكْسِبُ الْمَعْدُومَ، وَتَقْرِي الضَّيْفَ، وَتُعِينُ عَلَى نَوَائِبِ الْحَقِّ
“Never, by Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You maintain family ties, you bear the burdens of the weak, you give to the one who has nothing, you honor the guest, and you help in all matters of truth.”
(Bukhari)
Her words are important for several reasons. She reminded him that Allah does not abandon a person of such noble character. She used his good deeds as evidence of Allah’s care for him. Her calm confidence removed his fear and gave him reassurance that what he experienced was not madness or harm, but part of Allah’s plan.
At the moment of the first revelation, Khadijah رضي الله عنها anchored the Prophet ﷺ emotionally and spiritually, affirming that Allah would never disgrace a man of such character.
Guiding Him to Seek Knowledge and Clarity
Khadijah did not only offer kind words. She also took positive, wise action. She took the Prophet ﷺ to her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal, a learned man familiar with the earlier scriptures. She understood that this extraordinary event required guidance from someone knowledgeable in revelation. This step showed her intelligence and her active role in serving the truth.
Through her, Allah provided the Prophet ﷺ with confirmation from Waraqah that what came to him was the same angel that came to Musa عليه السلام, and that he had been chosen as a prophet. Thus, Khadijah became a means to connect him with earlier revelation and to place his experience in the line of prophethood.
Her initiative here shows that she did not simply comfort him privately, but helped him move from shock to understanding, and from fear to conscious acceptance of his mission.
Sacrifice of Wealth for the Mission
Khadijah was a wealthy, respected businesswoman. After marriage, her wealth and status became a powerful shield for the Prophet ﷺ at the beginning of his mission. She used her wealth in the path of Allah, not seeking worldly recognition, but out of sincere faith in him and in the message.
The Prophet ﷺ later said about her:
«وَوَاسَتْنِي بِمَالِهَا إِذْ حَرَمَنِي النَّاسُ»
“She supported me with her wealth when the people denied me.”
(Ahmad)
Her spending was not a small contribution. Her wealth helped free the Prophet ﷺ from financial worries so he could focus entirely on dawah. It also supported the early believers, especially during difficult times such as the social and economic pressures in Makkah that later became severe during the boycott of Banu Hashim.
In the early stages of Islam, when almost no one else was ready to sacrifice for the message, Allah granted the Prophet ﷺ a wife whose financial sacrifice and generosity made it possible for the mission to continue without being suffocated by poverty.
Steadfastness Through Hardship and Boycott
As opposition grew, the environment in Makkah became more hostile. Believers were mocked, threatened, and later openly persecuted. Throughout this period, Khadijah remained firm. She did not benefit from her noble status to distance herself from the Prophet ﷺ or to reduce her own hardship. Instead, she chose to share all the burdens that came with his prophethood.
When the Quraysh imposed a harsh social and economic boycott on Banu Hashim and those who supported the Prophet ﷺ, Khadijah joined him in the narrow valley of Shi‘b Abi Talib. She left her comfortable home to live in severe restriction and poverty for years. Food was scarce. The pressure from Quraysh was intense. Yet she stayed with him, content to suffer for the sake of Allah and His Messenger.
Her decision to stand with him, rather than seek safety by separating herself, showed complete loyalty to Allah and His Prophet, and absolute refusal to compromise with falsehood.
Khadijah رضي الله عنها voluntarily left privilege and comfort and chose hardship alongside the Prophet ﷺ, proving that true faith accepts sacrifice with patience.
The Mother of His Children and His Household
Khadijah was the mother of all the Prophet’s children who lived to adulthood, except Ibrahim. Through her, his household was established, and through her daughters, the next generations of his family continued.
Among her children was Fatimah رضي الله عنها, through whom the Prophet’s lineage carried on. The home that Khadijah built with the Prophet ﷺ was the first Muslim household in history, a place where belief in Allah alone, purity of character, and obedience to revelation were lived day by day.
Her role as a mother and wife created a stable and loving environment where the Prophet ﷺ could fulfill both his responsibilities as a family man and as a messenger. This balance was important. His mission did not grow out of isolation from family life, but in the middle of it. Khadijah’s wisdom, gentleness, and management of the home made it possible for his private life to be a place of mercy and rest, not of conflict.
Her Special Status with Allah
Khadijah’s sacrifice and faith were not only appreciated by the Prophet ﷺ. They were honored by Allah Himself and by Jibril عليه السلام. In an authentic hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said:
«بَشَّرَنِي جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْه السَّلَامُ أَنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَدْ بَنَى لَهَا فِي الْجَنَّةِ بَيْتًا مِنْ قَصَبٍ، لَا صَخَبَ فِيهِ وَلَا نَصَبَ»
“Jibril gave me glad tidings that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has built for her in Paradise a house made of hollowed pearls, in which there is no noise and no fatigue.”
(Bukhari, Muslim)
Her life in Makkah was full of noise, stress, and struggle. In response, Allah promised her a house of peace and rest in the hereafter. The description “no noise and no fatigue” directly answers the hardships she bore for the message.
There is also the famous hadith:
«أَفْضَلُ نِسَاءِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ: خَدِيجَةُ بِنْتُ خُوَيْلِدٍ، وَفَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ، وَمَرْيَمُ بِنْتُ عِمْرَانَ، وَآسِيَةُ امْرَأَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ»
“The best of the women of Paradise are: Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, Fatimah the daughter of Muhammad ﷺ, Maryam the daughter of Imran, and Asiyah the wife of Pharaoh.”
(Ahmad, authentic)
This places Khadijah among the very highest rank of women in all of human history.
His Lifelong Loyalty and Defense of Her Honor
Khadijah passed away in Makkah before the Hijrah. Yet even after her death, the Prophet ﷺ remained loyal to her memory. He would slaughter a sheep and send portions to the friends of Khadijah, keeping her relationships alive. Aishah رضي الله عنها said:
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا ذَبَحَ الشَّاةَ يَقُولُ: «أَرْسِلُوا بِهَا إِلَى أَصْدِقَاءِ خَدِيجَةَ»
“Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ slaughtered a sheep, he would say: ‘Send some of it to the friends of Khadijah.’”
(Ahmad, authentic)
When Aishah once expressed jealousy and questioned why he still spoke of Khadijah so much, he replied:
«إِنِّي قَدْ رُزِقْتُ حُبَّهَا»
“I was granted her love.”
(Muslim)
In another narration he said about her:
«آمَنَتْ بِي إِذْ كَفَرَ بِي النَّاسُ، وَصَدَّقَتْنِي إِذْ كَذَّبَنِي النَّاسُ، وَوَاسَتْنِي بِمَالِهَا إِذْ حَرَمَنِي النَّاسُ، وَرَزَقَنِي اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلَدَهَا إِذْ حَرَمَنِي أَوْلادَ النِّسَاءِ»
“She believed in me when the people disbelieved in me, she considered me truthful when the people denied me, she supported me with her wealth when the people deprived me, and Allah granted me children from her when He did not grant me children from other women.”
(Ahmad, authentic)
These words summarize her role and show why he loved and honored her so much.
The Prophet ﷺ never forgot Khadijah’s faith, sacrifice, and love, and he openly praised her virtues even after her death, teaching the Ummah to respect lifelong loyalty and gratitude.
A Model of Support in the Path of Allah
Khadijah’s role in the life of the Prophet ﷺ was not limited to private affection. It shaped the history of Islam itself. Without her immediate belief, her calm reassurance, and her practical support, the earliest days of revelation would have been much harder.
Her example teaches that the success of a divine mission often depends on people who stand behind the leader with quiet but unwavering support. She shows how a believing woman can contribute to Islam through her faith, her wisdom, her wealth, her patience, and her presence in the home.
Allah says:
﴿وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
“And Allah is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know.”
(Yusuf 12:21)
One of the ways Allah was “predominant over His affair” in the beginning of Islam was by giving His Messenger ﷺ a wife like Khadijah رضي الله عنها, whose role in his life was a hidden strength behind the public story of revelation.