The Prophet: Loyal to Hazrat Khadija in all situations

Islamic Ideology

21 Jun 2008, NewAgeIslam.Com

The Prophet: Loyal to Hazrat Khadija in all situations

By Adil Salahi   When the Prophet (peace be upon him) lived in Makkah, he had one wife, Lady Khadeejah. They lived happily together for 25 years. After her death, the Prophet lived 13 years during which he married several women. We will be speaking about his marriages in future, but we will say here that none could erase the memory of Khadeejah or detract from the loyalty he felt toward her. He remembered her at all times, speaking highly of her on every occasion. This might have made some of his wives, particularly Ayesha, feel jealous. Ayesha reports: "God's Messenger hardly ever left home without remembering Khadeejah and praising her. One day he did so and I felt very jealous. I said to him: 'She was only an old woman whom God has substituted for you by a better one.' He was so angry that his forelock was shaken. He then said to me: 'Certainly not. God has not given me a better one: she believed in me when other people disbelieved; she acknowledged the truth of what I said when others accused me of lying; she was generous to me with her wealth when others were not; and God has granted me children through her but not through my other wives." (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim). When she heard this, Ayesha recognized Khadeejah's standing and never said a word against her.   The Prophet cherished Khadeejah's memory for the rest of his life. This manifested itself mostly in the way he treated her friends and those who had anything to do with her. He inquired after them and would send gifts to them. If he had a sheep slaughtered, he would send some meat to her friends. Once an old woman visited him and he was so kind to her. When the woman had left, Ayesha asked him about that. He said: 'She used to visit us at Khadeejah's.' Another woman called Zufar was the recipient of regular kindness from the Prophet simply because she was a hairdresser who attended to Khadeejah's needs.   One day in Madinah a woman called Nafeesah bint Munyah visited him. She was one of the Muslims who migrated from Makkah. He welcomed her warmly and was so delighted to see her. He even reminded her that she was the one who facilitated his marriage to Khadeejah. Indeed, Nafeesah was Khadeejah's friend. When Khadeejah recognized the sort of noble character Muhammad had, she asked Nafeesah to be the go between so as to bring about their marriage. She handled that task in an admirable way.   One day the Prophet was at home when he heard a woman seeking admission to come in. Her voice was akin to Khadeejah's and he was shaken. He then said: 'Let it be Halah, my Lord.' Halah was Khadeejah's sister, and in fact she was the one visiting him at the time.  Arab News http://www.arabnews.com/?page=5&section=0&article=111060&d=20&m=6&y=2008