Born: 555, Saudi Arabia
Died: 22 November 619
Country most active: Saudi Arabia
Also known as: Arabic: خَدِيجَة بِنْت خُوَيْلِد, Khadījah bint Khuwaylid
As the first wife of Muhammad, Khadija bint Khuwaylid is honored by Muslims as one of the “Mothers of Believers” and revered as one of the four “ladies of heaven” alongside her daughter Fatima, Asiya (wife of the Pharaoh in Exodus and adoptive mother of Moses) and Mary, mother of Jesus. She is also credited as the first convert to Islam following her husband’s first vision. Her remains at the Jannat al-Mu’alla cemetery in Mecca attract many visitors every year.
Born into a high-status family, Khadija was a successful merchant in her own right and respected within her Quraysh tribe. It is said that her trade caravan was as large as all the other Quraysh traders’ combined. She also had a reputation for charity – feeding and clothing the poor and financially supporting relatives in need. She did not travel with her caravans, employing others to trade on her behalf. She commissioned Muhammad for a trade in Syria. He was accompanied by one of her servants, who sang his praises on their return. This led to marriage negotiations, and they wed when Muhammad was around 22 to 25 years old.
There is debate over whether she was married, widowed and a mother prior to meeting Muhammad. Regardless, her financial resources were important as Muhammad’s father and grandfather had died when he was young, leaving him with none of his own, which would have made it difficult if not impossible for him to wed a wife he would need to support financially. He moved into her house and they went on to have at least six children (some sources claim more, though this may be conflated with two other children who lived with them): Qasim, Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Kulthum, Fatima and Abd Allah.
From the beginning, Khadija was a steadfast support in the early years of Islam. She was the first person to accept Al-Haqq (The Truth), comforting and reassuring a terrified Muhammad following his first revelation. Over the next decade until her death, she provided support, proclaimed his teachings and was openly dismissive of dissenters. She also used her money to financially support the Muslim community when they faced harassment and a trade boycott from powerful Quraysh.