Khadijah knew a prophet was coming.
We are amazed by Khadijah’s surety in the prophet, peace to him, when he came back from the cave saying, “Cover me, cover me”. He was worried something had happened to him, but without fear, Khadijah states with certainty, “Never! By God, God will never disgrace you! You keep good relations with your kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously and assist with the deserving calamity afflicted ones.” But this was not Khadijah merely confirming her faith in her husband, she’d been looking for the prophet for some time.
She’d discussed several times before with her cousin Waraqa, with whom she had a close relationship, that a prophet was coming. Waraqa had studied Hebrew and was familiar with the gospels, he knew well what some of the signs of the coming prophet would be and shared these with his cousin.
On one fateful night, she saw a light come into her house and into her chest, then radiating out and enlightening the whole universe. She woke up in a fearful and nervous state and then went to Waraqa to tell him of the dream. He replied, “Good tidings oh cousin, good tidings to you! This dream is undoubtedly a gift from God’s bounty to you, soon God will radiate your home with light, I think it may be the light of the prophet but God knows best”. He went further, making an even more concrete declaration, “The last prophet has entered the world, you will become his family in your life he will receive divine revelation and his religion will encompass the entire universe, this prophet will be from amongst the Quraysh from the family of Hashim”.
God continued to favor her with more signs of his coming. One morning sitting near a festival with other women, a man approached them and called for their attention. They turned towards him and he said, “There is no doubt that a messenger will come to this land, his name is Ahmed… whoever has the opportunity to marry him should say yes without thinking twice.” Some of the women laugh and even threw stones at who they perceived to be a delirious man, but Khadijah listened.
Khadijah knew a prophet was coming, but who? As a businesswoman, she was always looking for men to trade on her behalf. Muhammad, peace to him, did not have much experience in this field so he was not a likely fit but his reputation as truthful and trustworthy garnered her attention. Abu Talib went on behalf of his nephew, inquiring about the opportunity and asking for double the profits, as his nephew was Al Sadiq Al Amin, and she agreed. Growing curious about this young man she sent her servant Maysarah and asked him to report back everything that happens on their journey and he did. Overwhelmed by the good character and the signs of his prophecy, she proposed to him (through her friend Nusaybah). The prophet first reacted to the idea positively but then hesitated stating he was not in a position to get married. But Khadijah already knew his status and was determined to marry him because of the qualities she saw in him that resembled the signs of the coming prophet.
After almost 15 years of marriage, the fateful day came when the prophecy, the signs, and the dreams would all come to fruition. All the while she was waiting but now he was here, in her home, looking to her for solace. God had delivered the messenger to her home and held him in her chest as He once showed her in her dreams. And she fatefully stood by his side until her last days, giving all that she could in the service of God and His messenger. And for that, we are eternally indebted.
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Related:
- Umm Salama: Separation, Grief, and Faith https://bythefigandtheolive.com/ummsalama/
- The Praying Hands of Juwayriyyah https://bythefigandtheolive.com/juwayriyyah/
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Further Reading/ Sources:
- In the Footsteps of the Prophet by Tariq Ramadan, 22-23, 34
- When the Moon Split by Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, 28-29
- Khadijah by Resit Haylamaz, Chapter 5-6 (Sourced for direct quotes in 3rd and 4th paragraph)
- The History of Al Tabari: Muhammad at Mecca, 34, 47
- 40 Hadith of Aisha by Nuriddeen Knight, 37-39 (Sourced for direct quote in 1st paragraph)
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