Sayyiduna Rasoolullah's (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) marriage with Sayyidah Khadija (radi Allahu anha) took place about fifteen years before the begging of the Revelation, he being 25 & she was 40 years old. She was a rich widow & ran a large trade of her own. It was she who offered herself in marriage to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) who was associated with her in her trading ventures. From the time of her marriage with the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) till her death, over a period of twenty years, she gave her husband ease of circumstances & deep love & devotion.
In spite of conspicuous difference in age, Sayyiduna Rasoolullah's (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) love for Sayyidah Khadijah (radi Allahu anha) never wavered. When death parted her from the Beloved Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) after having shared with him for 28 years the toils & trials of life, especially the first ten years of his Ministry of Prophethood, he deeply mourned her death. Once Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) asked him if she had been the only woman worthy of his love. Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) replied in an honest burst of tender emotion:
"She believed in me when none else did. She embraced Islam when people disbelieved me & she helped & comforted me when there was none else to lend me a helping hand."
In the heart of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) grateful & affectionate remembrance of her remained fresh until the very end of his life. The Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) remained true & loyal to Sayyidah Khadijah (radi Allahu anha) until he was over 50 years old. This had been the case at a time when polygamy was normal among the Arabs. Moreover, since no male offspring of Sayyidah Khadijah (radi Allahu anha) survived, he had all the necessary justification to marry another woman considering that newborn daughters were customarily buried alive & male offspring alone regarded as rightful heirs.
Before Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) announced his Prophethood he had lived 17 years of married life & thereafter eleven more years without ever thinking of marriage with another woman. He was kind to all her fellows & occasionally sent them gifts.
"Never was I jealous of any of the Prophet's wives", said Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha), "but Khadijah, although I never saw her. Her sweet memory never blurred in the Prophet's (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) heart. Once I hurt his feelings on this issue & he replied gravely, "Allah (Subhanuhu wa Ta'ala) has blessed me with her love."
Sayyiduna Khadijah (radi Allahu anha) bore the Beloved Habeeb (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) seven children, the first born was named Sayyiduna Qaasim (radi Allahu anhu), after whom, according to Arab custom, the Holy Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam received the Kunya "Abul Qaasim" or "the father of Qaasim". Then were born Sayyiduna Tayyab (radi Allahu anhu) & Sayyiduna Taahir (radi Allahu anhum ajma'een). All of them passed away in their infancy. Amongst the daughters Sayyidah Ruqayya (radi Allahu anha) was the eldest, then came Sayyidah Zaynab (radi Allahu anha), Sayyidah Umm Kulthoom (radi Allahu anha) & the last & best known of them was Sayyidah Faatima (radi Allahu anha).
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Ja'far (radi Allahu anhu) reported that he heard Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu) saying in Kufa that Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
"The best of the women of her time was Mariam (radi Allahu anha), daughter of Imran & the best of the women of her time was Khadijah (radi Allahu anha), daughter of Khuwailid. Abu Kuraib said that Waki' pointed towards the sky & the earth. What this implies is that Mariam (radi Allahu anha) & Khadijah (radi Allahu anha) were best in their respective times not only amongst the creatures of the earth, but of the heaven too."
Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (radi Allahu anhu) reported that Sayyiduna Jibra'eel (alaihis salaam) came to Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) & said:
"Allah's Messenger! Khadijah is coming to you with a vessel of seasoned food or drink. When she comes to you, offer her greetings from her Lord, the Exalted & Glorious & on my behalf & give her glad tidings of a palace of jewels in Paradise wherein there is no noise & no toil".
This Hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayra (radi Allahu anhu) through another chain of transmitters with a slight variation of wordings.
Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) reported that Allah's Apostle (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) gave glad tidings to Sayyidah Khadijah bint Khuwailid (radi Allahu anha) of a palace in Paradise. Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) further reported:
"Never did I feel jealous of any woman, as I was jealous of Khadijah (radi Allahu anha). She had died three years before the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) married me. I often heard him praise her & his Lord, the Exalted & Gracious, had commanded him to give her the glad tidings of a palace of jewels in Paradise & whenever he slaughtered a sheep he presented its meat to her female companions".
In another Hadith, Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) added:
"I annoyed him one day & said, "It is Khadijah (radi Allahu anha) only who always prevails upon your mind". Thereupon, Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, "Allah (Subhanuhu wa Ta'ala) Himself had nurtured Her love in my heart."
Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) reported that Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) did not marry any other woman till Sayyidah Khadijah's (radi Allahu anha) death. The point is why did Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) not marry during the lifetime of Sayyidah Khadijah (radi Allahu anha) but, after her sad demise, he married several wives. The fact is that the Holy Prophet of Islam (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) married all his wives from the point of view of religious necessity.
At the age of twenty-five, he married Sayyidah Khadijah (radi Allahu anha) who was forty & she remained with him for the quarter of a century as a great source of strength & consolation to him. During this period the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) was busy in instilling in the minds of the people the fundamentals of faith, Oneness of Allah (Subhanuhu wa Ta'ala), Apostlehood of Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), life after death. He did not feel the necessity of marrying another lady because it was only in the matter of faith & belief that he had to strive hard with mankind.
After his migration to Madinatul Munawwara when the Islamic society was established & the Muslims were required to conform their personal & social behaviour to the teaching of Islam, revelations for practical guidance in all walks of life came from Almighty Allah (Subhanuhu wa Ta'ala). This had to be explained in various places & in different spheres by the life examples of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). There was not one problem but numerous problems & most of them were social which needed solutions at every step. Thus, it was felt that a group of women should be trained in Islamic ideals & it was done through the wives of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). It was not an ordinary work, but an important task of vast magnitude, which required the sweat & labour of so many pious souls & these were the noble wives of the Holy Prophet of Islam (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
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