By “Indeed Allah did not grant me better than her; she accepted me when people rejected me, she believed in me when people doubted me, she shared her wealth with me when people deprived me, and Allah granted me children only through her.”
When Muhammad (SAW) first met Khadijah (RAA) , he would never have imagined they would end up together. Although he was working with his family and was known for his reputation as honest and virtuous, she was a superstar among the Quraysh in her own right. As a shrewd, successful businesswoman, Khadijah (RAA) had become the tribe’s most eligible bachelorette. High-powered men from across the hijaz asked for her hand in marriage, only to be politely declined.
Despite her vast skills in business, Khadijah (RAA) had little experience accompanying the caravans to distant lands herself. She needed someone to lead a business venture to Syria, but had run out of employees she could trust for such a long journey. Many of her existing agents and her family recommended the trustworthy Muhammad (SAW) for the job. When Muhammad (SAW) returned from his journey with double the profits Khadijah (RAA) expected, and heard great praises of him from the servant she sent with him, she began to take closer notice of the humble trader.
Brushing aside traditions of the day, Khadijah (RAA) proposed to Muhammad (RAA) . Their families negotiated the terms of the marriage together. After they were wed, it was quickly apparent that their relationship was special. Muhammad (SAW) brushed aside the conventional male role his society expected him to fill and treated his wife with kindness and respect; it is reported that he also helped her with the housework when most men at the time considered cleaning and childcare beneath them.
Khadijah (RAA) and Muhammad’s (SAW) supportive relationship laid the foundation for the development of Islam. Khadijah (RAA) became the first Muslim woman and helped to spread the faith through her own kind intelligent example. Though Muhammad (SAW) had many wives after Khadijah’s (RAA) death, he held her in high regard and continued to tell of her life to the new Muslims in the community.