Khadija Bint Khuwaylid - Biography

Biography

Khadija's father, Khuwaylid ibn Asad, who died around 585, was a merchant, a successful businessman whose vast wealth and business talents were inherited by Khadija, who successfully managed her father's business interests and preserved the family's fortune. It is said that when the Quraysh's trade caravans gathered to embark upon their lengthy and arduous journey either to Syria during the summer or to Yemen during the winter, Khadija's caravan equalled the caravans of all other traders of the Quraish put together. Fatimah bint Za'idah – Khadija's mother – died around 575, a member of the Banu `Amir ibn Luayy ibn Ghalib tribe and a distant relative of Muhammad.

Khadija earned many titles, the most common three were: Ameerat-Quraish (Princess of Quraish) and al-Tahira (the Pure One), and Khadija Al-Kubra (Khadija the Great) and was said to have had an impeccable character. She used to feed and clothe the poor, assist her relatives financially, and provide for the marriage of those of her kin who could not otherwise have had the means to marry. Khadija was said to have neither believed in nor worshipped idols, which was atypical for pre-Islam Arabian culture.

Her renown for business dealings caused many highly respected Arabian men to seek her hand in marriage. Prior to marrying Muhammad, Khadijah was married twice before, and had children from both prior marriages. The actual order of the marriages of Khadijah’s prior to marriage to Muhammad is still debated but the commonly agreed upon order is Abu Halah Malak bin Nabash bin Zarrarah bin at-Tamimi and then ‘Atique bin ‘Aith bin ‘Abdullah Al-Makhzumi. To her first husband she bore two sons, both who were named with what were commonly known female names, Halan and Hind. Due to her status of being a successful business woman Khadija wished to see her husband prosper, and help aid him in his business endeavors. However, Abu Halah Malak died before his business would become a success. Upon being widowed from her first marriage Khadijah would marry again to a man named ‘Atique bin ‘Aith bin ‘Abdullah Al-Makhzumi. During this marriage Khadijah would bear a daughter named Hindah. Unfortunately, this marriage would also leave Khadijah as a widowed mother, when ‘Atique would die an early death. Once the marriage was over Khadijah focused herself on raising her children well, and working to preserve the respectful and successful business her father had created.

Khadija did not travel with her trade caravans; she relied on others to trade on her behalf, whom she compensated with commissions. As Khadijah dealt with far away markets she was sure to hire hard working and distinguished employees to act on her behalf in order to preserve the image of her business. In 595, Khadija needed an agent for a transaction in Syria. Several agents whom she trusted (notably including Abu Talib ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib) and some relatives of hers recommended her distant cousin Muhammad ibn Abdullah. Muhammad had a reputation for being an honest man with the highest level of integrity and honor. The experience that Muhammad held working with caravans in his uncle Abu Talib´s family business had earned him the honorific titles Al-Sadiq (the truthful) and Al-Amin (the trustworthy, the honest), which led Khadijah to offer Muhammad a fee double the highest of anything she had ever paid a man of Quraysh.

Muhammad had accompanied Abu Talib on trade trips and had keenly observed how Talib traded, bartered, bought, sold, and conducted business. Khadijah hired Muhammad, who was then 25 years old. Khadijah sent Muhammad word through Khazimah ibn Hakim, one of her relatives, offering him double the commission she usually paid. She sent one of her servants, Maysarah, to assist him. Upon returning, Maysarah gave accounts of Muhammad's performance and described the honorable way that Muhammad conducted his business. The profit that Muhammad returned to Khadija was the double of what she had anticipated. Khadijah was impressed by hearing this good news, and considered offering this man a marriage proposal based on his known honesty. Unfortunately, Khadijah knew that this proposal would be seen as strange as many wealthy men from families of the Quraysh had already asked for her hand in marriage.

Maysarah relayed a story to Khadijah regarding a strange event that had happened during the trip. On the travels back to Mecca from Syria, Muhammad stopped to take rest under a tree. A passing Monk, named Nestora, informed Maysarah that the man who lay under the tree would one day be brought into Prophethood. Nestora is known to have said to Maysarah, “None but a prophet ever sat beneath this tree.”. Additionally, it is rumored that Maysarah stood near Muhammad while he slept and witnessed two angels standing above Muhammad creating a cloud to protect him from the heat and glare of the sun.

Upon hearing the story of the mystery near the tree from Maysarah, Khadijah became more interested in Muhammad and sought the wisdom of her cousin Waraqa b. Naufal b. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza. Her cousin reported to her that if what her servant Maysarah had seen was true then Muhammad was in fact the prophet of the people, and that a prophet of the people was expected.