Islam: Origins and Their Impact on the Community » Khadijah: The First to Believe

Khadijah: a leading woman of Makkah

Paper 2 asks you to study one important Muslim other than the Prophet Muhammad and the Shi'a Imams. In this course that person is Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (died about 619 CE). Muslims remember her as the first person to believe in the message of Islam.

Khadijah belonged to the Quraysh, the leading tribe of Makkah. She became a respected and successful merchant. Her trade caravans carried goods to other lands, and she hired people to travel with them and trade for her. She was known for her honesty and good character.

Muhammad was also a Quraysh man, known as al-Amin, the trustworthy. Because of this reputation, Khadijah asked him to take one of her caravans abroad. Accounts say the trip went very well and that afterwards she was impressed by his honesty. She then proposed marriage to him, and they married about 595 CE.

Key terms:

• Mother of the Believers (Ummahat al-Mu'minin): the title Muslims give to the wives of the Prophet. The Qur'an (33:6) says his wives are like mothers to the believers. It shows great respect.
• Persecution: being treated badly because of your beliefs.
• Steadfast: staying loyal and firm, even when things are hard.
• Boycott (recap from Just War Theory, Holy War and Passive Resistance): an agreement to refuse to trade or mix with a group. Here it means the ban placed by the Quraysh on Muhammad's clan and the Muslims.
• Year of Sorrow ('Am al-Huzn): the name Muslims give to the year, about 619 CE, when both Khadijah and Muhammad's uncle Abu Talib died.

Her life with Muhammad

Khadijah was Muhammad's only wife for about 25 years, until her death. She was the mother of his children, including their daughter Fatimah. Muslims agree that Fatimah married Ali and was the mother of Hasan and Husayn. Sunni and Shi'a Muslims both honour her, and Shi'a Muslims give her and her descendants an especially high status.

When Muhammad received the first revelation in the cave of Hira, he came home shaken. Khadijah comforted him, believed him and was the first person to accept his message. Sunni and Shi'a Muslims agree on this. (The different views about which man believed first were covered in the lesson on Muhammad's early life.)

What she did for Islam

Early Muslims in Makkah were mocked and harmed by the Quraysh. Khadijah did not turn away. During the boycott, the Muslims and Muhammad's clan were cut off from trade and short of food. Khadijah, once one of the wealthiest people in Makkah, used her wealth to support them.

The boycott ended, and not long after, Khadijah died, about 619 CE. That same year Abu Talib, who had protected Muhammad, also died. Muslims call this the Year of Sorrow. Reports say that Muhammad spoke warmly of Khadijah for the rest of his life.

What Muslims learn from her

Khadijah teaches by example. For the exam, learn three clear points:

• Faith: she was the first to accept the message, even when it was risky.
• Generosity: she gave her wealth to support the Prophet and the poor.
• Steadfast support: she stood by Muhammad through persecution and the boycott.

Her life also shows a woman in business and leadership, running her own trade and employing others. Many Muslims point to her as proof that Islam honours women who earn and lead, which links to the lesson on equal rights in Islam. They also see in her the loyalty, courage and kindness they want to show themselves.

Is she relevant to Muslims today?

Some Muslims say her story supports women in business and public leadership today. Others stress that she is honoured above all for her faith, her loyalty and her support as a wife and mother, and say her example is mainly about those qualities. Both groups honour her.

Exam-style question

(a) Outline two ways in which Khadijah supported Muhammad. [4 marks]

(b) Explain why Khadijah is an important example for Muslims. [6 marks]

(c) "Khadijah has no importance for Muslims today." Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. [10 marks]