On the 10th day of Ramadan: The Death of Umm al Mu’minin (The Mother of all believers) Khadijah (RA)

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, “Mary, the daughter of Imran, was the best among the women (of the world of her time) and Khadijah (RA) is the best amongst the women (of this nation).” (Bukhari).

On the 10^th day of Ramadan, of the tenth year of Muhammad’s (ﷺ) prophethood and three years before his Hijrah (or migration to Al-Madinah), Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (RA) was chosen by Allah (SWT) to return to Him. During that same year, and one month exactly after her death, the Prophet’s (ﷺ) dear uncle and guardian Abu Talib (AS) sadly passed away. The Prophet (ﷺ) was so overwhelmed with great grief, he referred to the year of their tragic deaths as ‘The Year of Sorrow’, (Aa'm ul Hozn). It is known as such to this day, in Islamic history.

Following her death, Khadjiah’s (RA) wealth was distributed and used to spread the message of Islam, to continue to guide people to Allah (SWT) and purify their souls.

Khadijah’s (RA) Marriage to the Messenger of Allah (SWT):

“Innee ruziqtu hubbahaa,” Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said solemnly. “Indeed, her love had been nurtured in my heart by Allah Himself.” (Muslim).

During her lifetime, Khadijah (RA) was the first and only wife of Prophet Muhammed (ﷺ); it was only after she passed on that he did take other wives. Khadijah (RA) married the Prophet (ﷺ) when she was 40 years old, and he was at the age of 25; yet despite their outward differences of age and financial status, their mutual love, respect and understanding towards one another surpassed the trivialities of society.

Khadijah (RA) witnessed a level of trustworthiness from the younger, impoverished merchant that was the Messenger (ﷺ) of Allah (SWT), as well as blessings from her wealth she had never seen before. During that time, Khadijah (RA) came from the most noble lineage of all the women in her tribe, and she was the woman chosen by Allah (SWT) to accompany His beloved Messenger (ﷺ) for 25 years on his Prophetic mission, as his life partner and trusted companion.

The Virtues of Khadijah (RA):

Revered by Muslims everywhere and honoured with the titles First Believer and Mother of Believers, Khadijah (RA) was no ordinary woman. Her grace, wisdom, intellect and faith set her apart from the entire world. Among her many virtues:

• She was the first person to embrace Islam, the first to hear the revealed verses of the Qur’an from the Prophet himself, and the first to learn how to pray from the Messenger of Allah (SWT).
  When the Prophet (ﷺ) was approached by Angel Jibreel in a cave as he was meditating, urging him to ‘read’ the words of Allah (SWT) and bestowing upon him the miracle of the Qur’an, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) returned to Khadijah (RA) terrified of what he had seen, but she instantly reassured him and had faith that this was a miraculous event, bound to change their lives forever:
  
  Aisha (RA) narrated: ‘Then he went to Khadija bint Khuwaylid (RA) and said "Cover me! Cover me!" They covered him till his fear was over and after that he told her everything that had happened and said, "I fear that something may happen to me." Khadijah (RA) replied, "Never! By Allah (SWT), Allah (SWT) will never disgrace you.’ (Bukhari).
   
• She is the mother of all the Prophet’s children, other than Ibrahim.
• She was greeted with ‘Salam’ (peace) by Allah (SWT) and Angel Jibreel (AS).
• She was given glad tidings of a home in paradise during her life.
  • In a Hadith, the Prophet, (ﷺ), said: "Jibreel told me, 'When Khadijah (RA) comes to you, convey to her the greeting of her Lord and mine as well." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Today, she is remembered as a woman of strength, of compassion, of faith. During the earlier years, the progression of Islam was slow and increasingly dangerous, but she remained steadfast by the Prophet’s (ﷺ) side, aiding him through many adversities they faced and protecting him during his time of need.

She leads a clear example of how we should all be practicing our faith in times of strenuous difficulty. When nothing is going our way and we’re on the brink of giving up, we must remember brilliant women like Khadijah Bint Khuwaylid (RA), who sacrificed her life for Islam and gave from her wealth to the poor, all to please Allah (SWT) – and He was indeed pleased with her.

During this sacred month, let us emulate Khadijah’s (RA) acts of kindness and give what we can to those who are in desperate need.

Give your Sadaqah Jariyah today

Let us turn to Allah (SWT) on the 10^th day of Ramadan and make sincere dua, not just for our own individual journeys, but for the rest of the Ummah and for those who are no longer with us. To ask Allah (SWT) to bless them with his infinite mercy, grant them the highest ranks of Jannah and protect them from punishment.

“O Allah, forgive those who are still alive among us, and also those who have died among us.” (Tirmidhi).