Khadijah bint Khuwailid bin Asad bin Abdul Uzza bin Qusayy—may Allah be pleased with her—was the lady of all women of her time, and she was among the most esteemed women. The Prophet ﷺ married her fifteen years before his prophethood.
The Virtue of Khadijah—may Allah be pleased with her:
Khadijah was the first to believe in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ and to accept what he brought. This eased the burden on the Prophet ﷺ, as he would not hear anything distressing in response to his message without returning to her for support. She would affirm him and ease his concerns about people, demonstrating her strong faith, great intellect, and determination. She was wise, dignified, devout, and respected, and she w among the inhabitants of Paradise. She was the first woman to marry the Prophet ﷺ, and he did not marry anyone else during her lifetime. The Prophet ﷺ praised her and esteemed her above all other mothers of the believers, often expressing his admiration for her. In pre-Islamic times, she was known as "Al-Tahirah" (the Pure). She was wealthy and bore all of the Prophet's ﷺ children except for Ibrahim.
Al-Bukhari (3820) and Muslim (2432) narrated from Abu Huraira—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Gabriel came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, here is Khadijah coming to you with a container containing food, or drink, or something to eat. When she arrives, greet her on behalf of her Lord and on my behalf, and give her the glad tidings of a house in Paradise made of pearls, where there will be no noise or hardship.'"
The Prophet’s ﷺ Marriage to Khadijah:
When Khadijah—may Allah be pleased with her—recognized the immense trustworthiness, good character, and truthfulness of the Prophet ﷺ, she felt she had found her ideal partner in him. She confided her feelings to her friend Nafisa bint Munayya, who then approached the Prophet ﷺ with a proposal for Khadijah. The Prophet ﷺ agreed.
Nafisa said: "Khadijah bint Khuwailid was a determined and noble woman, esteemed and favored by Allah. At that time, she was of the highest lineage among the Quraysh and the wealthiest. Her people were eager to marry her and offered her many gifts. After the Prophet returned from his trade journey to Syria, I approached him and asked: 'O Muhammad, what prevents you from getting married?' He replied: 'I have nothing with which to marry.' I said: 'If you were provided for and invited to beauty, wealth, honor, and good character, would you not respond?' He asked: 'Who is she?' I replied: 'Khadijah.' He said: 'How could I do that?' I said: 'Leave it to me.' He said: 'Then I will do it.'"
Nafisa went to inform Khadijah, who then sent for him to come at a specific time and also sent for her uncle Amr bin Asad to officiate the marriage, as her father had passed away before the Fijar War.
The Proposal by Abu Talib:
The Prophet ﷺ mentioned Khadijah to his uncles, who approved and accepted her as his wife. His uncle Abu Talib and his uncle Hamza accompanied him to Amr bin Asad, Khadijah's uncle, to propose on his behalf. The leaders of Mudar were present at the marriage contract. Abu Talib stood up to deliver a speech, saying: "Praise be to Allah who has made us descendants of Ibrahim, the seed of Isma'il, and the root of Mudar. He has made us the guardians of His House and the leaders of His sanctuary, and He has granted us a blessed house and a secure sanctuary. We are the rulers over people. Moreover, my nephew Muhammad bin Abdullah cannot be compared to any man without being superior in honor, nobility, virtue, and intellect. If there is a deficiency in wealth, then wealth is a fleeting shadow and a transient matter. Muhammad is one whose lineage you know, and he seeks your noble daughter Khadijah in marriage, offering a dowry of twelve uqiyyas of gold and some nash, which is half an uqiyya, equal to twenty dirhams. By Allah, after this, he will have a significant and great future." The response of Khadijah’s guardian was: "This young man is not to be rejected; he is indeed a worthy and noble match."
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ married Khadijah—may Allah be pleased with her—and held a feast for her, sacrificing one or two camels and providing food for the people. Thus, Khadijah—may Allah be pleased with her—was the first woman the Prophet ﷺ married.
The Age of the Prophet ﷺ When He Married Khadijah
The Prophet ﷺ was twenty-five years old when he married Khadijah—may Allah be pleased with her—just two months after his return from Syria. At that time, she was forty years old. The Prophet ﷺ entered the home where she lived, and all of his children were born there. Khadijah passed away in that house, and the Prophet ﷺ continued to live there until he migrated to Medina, at which point he was taken by his cousin Aqil bin Abi Talib—may Allah be pleased with him.
