Bismillah al rahm al raheem

Innal hamdalillahi taala nahmaduho, wa nastayno bihi, wa nastaghfiruh, wa naudo billahi

taala min shoroori anfosinaa, wa sayhaati amalinaa may yahdihillahi taala falaa modhillah,
wa may yudhlil falaa hadii yalah, wa ashadu al laillaha ila Allah wahdahu laa shariikalah. Wa
ashadu ana Muhammad abduhu wa rasuluh.
Praise be to Allah from whom we ask help and pardon, and in Whom we take refuge
from the evils within ourselves. He whom Allah guides has no one who can lead him
astray, and he whom He leads astray has no one to guide him. I testify that there is no god
but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger...)
(Abu Dawud 2113)
Asalamu alaykum wa rahmatu allahi wa barakatu my dear brothers and sisters in islam.
I pray you are all in the best of health and imaan.
This is the first audio lecture of the Digging Jewels series that aims to cover various topics
from the characteristics of the salaf, parables of the Prophets alayhoma salam, biographies of
prominent individuals and many other topics where I will extract jewels and gems from them
and what we can LEARN and HOW we can adapt and implement into our lives and today's
society in sha Allah.
There will also be a text version for my brothers and sisters who are deaf and a Braille text
for those who are blind. It is important to unite all Muslims as we are all in need of these
gems. May Allah accept in sha Allah.
Today we will talk about one of the Mothers of the Believers whose story brings out many
invaluable lessons for each of us on how to lead a purposeful life.
She was the first wife of our Beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the first
heart to be affected and to accept his call to Islam.
The one who sacrificed her all for Islam and who was a great support in its earliest days. She
had two titles: Ameerah Quraish, Princess of Quraish, and al-Tahira, the Pure One, due to her
noble, sublime and honorable character who helped the poor, assisted her relatives
financially, and even provide for the marriage of those of her kin who could not otherwise
have had means to marry (Al-Isaabah of Ibn Hajr (8/60).
She who was the mother of Fatima (may Allah be pleased and have mercy upon her), the
First Lady of Paradise, the grandmother of the beloved grandchildren of the Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him) Hasan and Hussein who are to be the foremost of the youths in
Paradise. Besides Fatima, she was also the mother to Qasim and 'Abdullah, Zaynab,
Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum from Prophet salla allahu alayhi wa salam.
The woman who Im referring to is Khadijah al-Kubra (may Allah be pleased and have
mercy upon her).
She was born in the year 556 CE. Her mother's name was Fatima bint Zayd ibn al-Asam, and
her father's name was Khuwaylid bin Asad. Arabia at the time consisted of many tribes and
clans. Khadijah belonged to the clan of Banu Hashim of the tribe of Banu Asad and was the
distant cousin of her husband our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon
him) as Qusay was the ancestor of all clans belonging to the Quraish. In addition, some
authentic sources revealed that Quraishs real name was Fahr and they rooted back to Prophet
Ismail, son of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), son of Sam who was the son of Noah (Peace upon
them). Thus, there were many Prophets amongst the ancestors of Prophet Muhammad (peace
and blessings be upon him).
Khadijahs father was a wealthy merchant and held a successful business which was inherited
by Khadijah (may Allah be pleased and have mercy upon her) after his death at the battle of
Fujjar. She was married twice before marrying our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) who was 25 at the time whereas she was 40 years old. Her first husband was Abu Halah
Malak bin Nabash bin Zarrarah bin At-Tamimi and bore him two children, Halah and Hind.
Her second husband was 'Atique bin 'Aith bin 'Abdullah Al-Makhzumi, and she had a
daughter by him as well named Hindah.
She died three years before the Hijrah (Prophets peace and blessings be upon him migration
to Madinah) at the age of 65 and was buried in a placed called Hujjun near Makkah. Our
Beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was heartbroken at the loss of a
dedicated companion whose iman, taqwa, unflinching steadfastness and uncompromising
support for him for almost 25 years and made her invaluable to the cause of Islam.
The first gem that we can learn from Khadijah (may Allah be pleased and have mercy upon
her); is:
The firmness of her belief.
As earlier stated she was the first person to have an abiding faith in the utterances of the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and to accept Islam as her religion and her way of
life. She was blessed with the distinction of having been greeted with Salam (greetings) by
Allah and the Angel Jibril (Peace upon him) that makes so many of us look at her as an
inspiration.
Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim both related Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased and have
mercy upon him)s narration that, Jibril (Peace upon him) arrived in the presence of the noble
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said:
This is Khadija, who is coming, she has with her a utensil in which there is curry (or he said
food or drink). When she arrives give her salaam from her Sustainer and myself, and give her
the glad tidings of a house in paradise which will be hollow, in which there will be no noise
(din) nor weariness.
In addition;
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Sufficient for you, from the women of the worlds are, Maryam bint Ibraaheem [the mother
of Eesaa], Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid, Faatimah bint Muhammad [sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam] and Aasiyah, the wife of Firawn [Pharoah]. (Saheeh Reported by Anas in
Ahmad, at-Tirmidhee & others. Declared authentic by al-Albaanee in his Tarteeb Saheeh ul-
Jaami (no.18). The sufficiency mentioned here means sufficient regarding obedience to
Allaah (Shaykh Alee Hasan al-Halabee))
So how did it all start?
Well, our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would seclude himself from the
society in which he lived, for contemplation, to a cave in Mount Hira on the outskirts of
Makkah. One night he was visited by the Angel Jibril (Peace upon him), this was the start of
his prophethood. He was really frightened and went to seek comfort from his wife Khadijah
(may Allah be pleased and have mercy upon her). As she saw his state, she knew something
must have happened. As he informed her of what happened, he said to her:
O Khadijah what has happened to me? I fear for myself?
She replied: It cant be. Be happy. I swear by Allah that he will never humiliate you. By
Allah, you join ties of relationship, you speak the truth, you bear peoples burdens, you help
the destitute, you entertain guests and you help the vicissitudes which affect the people.
(Reported by Aaishah & collected by Muslim (eng. Trans vol.1 pp.96-8 no.301).
Imam an-Nawawi, who wrote the commentary on Sahih Muslim said that the scholars have
explained Khadijahs statement by saying that she knew that Allah would never allow one
who had been given such a generous character and noble manners by Him, to be affected by
madness, since good manners is itself such a blessing from Allah)
Look at her conviction in what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said. Pause for
a moment and note her weighty words. She didnt doubt him, nor show the slightest
hesitation towards the words he uttered. In fact she was his greatest source of comfort, the
first to provide security for him and be sincere to him. She believed in him and was
convinced that it could only be one of such eloquent character who could be worthy of
revelation from Allah and thus hers was the first heart to be moved, and to accept Islam.
She then took him to her cousin, Waraqa, the Christian monk, confirmed what she had
thought, that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was indeed the long awaited
Prophet of Allah, she still did not fear the backlash that would inevitably come from defying
the belief of the ancestors and leaders of their community. Instead she became resolved to
hold on to Islam, the truth, and do all she could to ensure its success.
This emphasises courage complemented with firm belief to stand against and denounce the
Quraish tribes way of life who were proud and affluent people who was at the heart of
trading and home of the idols, in order to practice Islam; to believe in a religion that no one
else did.
Many of us face daily challenges in order to practice our Islam in the Western society
whether at work, on the street, school or in an academic institution. We need to engage with
our friends and colleagues to portray Islam in the best possible manner through our manners
and good actions. We need to show them that Islam is a positive deen and is an alternative to
the liberal values that are considered the foundation of happiness and self fulfilment.
Khadijah not only believed, but her words show that she understood the honour of holding on
to the truth, the Haqq, she hoped that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was
the Prophet of his people and therefore she be associated with the struggle to come. This is
the Iman (faith) that we all aspire to, that is unshakeable, and bears the true meaning of
yaqeen (certainty).
However, her loyalty and assistance didnt stop there.
The next gem we will look at is:
Her living to give dawah (to invite) people to Islam.
When Islam first started, Muslims were small in number but Khadijah (may Allah be pleased
and have mercy upon her) remained alongside her husband in support and assisted him in
dawah publically when the following verse was revealed three years after his Prophethood:
Therefore, proclaim openly (Allahs message), that which you are commanded, and turn
away from Al-mushrikun: Truly! We will suffice you against the scoffers. Who set up along
Allah another god, they will come to know Al-Hijr 15:94-96
She would visit people door to door; her family commitments did not hinder her from doing
her duty to Allah subhanahu wa taala. She spent all her wealth in dawah, freeing slaves and
helping the poor.
She knew Allah was the Provider and the wealth she worked for would please Allah
subhanahu wa taala if it was used in the way of Allah subhanahu wa taala and would increase
its value for her on the Day of Judgement.
Khadijah (may Allah be pleased and have mercy upon her), did not live to see Islam
implemented but she sacrificed her life for its implementation.
Thus amongst the lessons we can learn here my dear brothers and sisters is time, if she was
able to go door to door then we can create opportunities to speak about Islam to family,
neighbours, colleagues and friends. She did not give up when she struggled, rather she
proceeded. This is not to say that when you give dawah to your relative or friend that theyll
accept the next day. It will take time and patience and only Allah guides whom He wills and
misguides whom He wills.
Women has the same responsibilities and obligations as men do in giving dawah, as Islam is
the only way that will breathe life back into the Ummah (peace and blessings be upon him).
In addition, the income my brothers and sisters, living in the society you would typically hear
that we work hard so we should use it to have a good time shopping and so forth with
little emphasis on the bigger picture on our purpose of life. Indeed we do need to enjoy
ourselves to an extent and manner but we should also remember and recognise one of Allahs
names The Provider Al-Raziq. We should remember our brothers and sisters who are poor
and give in charity. We should also try to utilize as much as we can in His way.
Help one another in acts of piety and righteousness. And do not assist each other in acts of
sinfulness and transgression. And be aware of Allah. Verily, Allah is severe in
punishment (al-Maaidah:2)
The third gem: Devoted Wife and Mother
Getting married fulfils half our deen and the honour Islam places on the wife and mother is
well known to create an environment and teach our children about Islam and how to become
good muslims in faith and action.
Khadijah (may Allah be pleased and have mercy on her) was an ideal wife and mother who
cared for her children, ensured they had the best upbringing by training, nurturing and
teaching Islamic principles to her daughters, and that safeguarding and protecting her family
meant ensuring they live by the commands of Allah subhanahu wa taala and avoid His
prohibitions and she supported her husbands relentless struggle of carrying Islam.
It is reported by Aisha (may Allah be pleased and have mercy on her) that she became jealous
of Khadijah (may Allah be pleased and have mercy on her) due to the fondness with which he
(peace and blessings be upon him) spoke of her and asked the Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him) if Khadijah was the only women worthy of his love. He (peace and blessings be
upon him) replied, She believed in me when no one else did; she accepted Islam when
people rejected me; and she helped and comforted me when there was no one else to lend me
a helping hand.
Despite the struggles with dawah, she also struggled like any mother of the divorces of two of
her daughters, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum. She knew it was a test, and knew that Allah
subhanahu wa taala knows best.
Zaynab (may Allah be pleased and have mercy upon her) was married to Abu 'Aas bin
Rabi'ah, Ruqayyah (may Allah be pleased and have mercy upon her) was married to 'Uthman.
When she passed away he married her sister Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased and have
mercy upon her); Fatimah (may Allah be pleased and have mercy upon her) was married to
'Ali bin Abi Talib. The first three daughters died during the lifetime of Muhammad (peace
and blessings be upon him) and his beloved daughter Fatima (may Allah be pleased and have
mercy upon her) lived just six months after he passed away.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lived in her house which became a blessed
place due to his presence and the fact that Jibril (peace upon him) came often to visit him
there with Quranic revelations. It became the centre of Islam, where all the Companions (may
Allah be pleased and have mercy upon them) male and female visited often to partake of the
hospitality of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his wife.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) never forgot her and would regularly mention
Khadija (may Allah be pleased and have mercy upon her) in conversation and always took
care of her family and friends even after her death.
Aishas statement: I was not so jealous of any of the Prophets wives as I was of Khadijah.
I never saw her, but he frequently mentioned her and he would often kill a sheep, cut it in
pieces and send them round among Khadijahs friends. I often said to him: It seems as if
Khadijah was the only woman in the world! And he replied: She was indeed a fine woman
and I had children from her. (Collected by al-Bukhaaree (eng. Trans. Vol.5 p.104 no.166) &
Muslim (eng. Trans. Vol.4 p.1297 no.5972))
From this gem we can learn that it is crucial that our Muslims sisters whether married, due to
get married or single at the moment that during the marriage, they should support and
comfort their husbands from the hardships they may face from carrying dawah, working and
other duties. The importance of raising our children in the best possible manner to grow up
and become faithful muslims in sha Allah.
What a character subhanahu Allah. We have inspiring role models such as Khadijah (May
Allah be pleased and have mercy upon her) and it is only through reading her biography
backed up by authentic ahadith that we can truly love her and understand why she are from
the family of Jannah.
Jibril (Peace upon him) came with the good news from Allaah, saying to the Messenger,
sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, When she [Khadeejah] comes, give her a greeting from her
Lord and me, and give her the good news that in Jannah she will have a house of brilliant
pearls, in which there will be no clamor or toil. (Reported by Abu Hurayrah & collected by
al-Bukhaaree (vol.5 pp.104-5 no.168) & Muslim (vol.4 p.1297 no.5967))
May Allah subhanahu wa taala guide us, and grant us the wisdom to take some lessons from
her life to apply to our own lives. To strive for the Imaan, Taqwa and Tawakul that Allah
gave her the resolve to do what she did for Islam. It is by taking inspiration from magnificent
women like Khadija (may Allah be pleased and have mercy upon her) that we will find the
strength to hold on to Islam in these difficult times.