Lady Khadijah al-Kubra, Umm al-Mu'minin
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Virtues and Merits of the Noble Lady,
Umm al-Mu’minin Khadijah bint Khuwaylid

أمّ المؤمنين خديجة الكبرى بنت خويلد عليها السلام
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Article Rabi’ al-Awwal  ·  10th — Marriage of Lady Khadijah ~15 min read

Virtues and Merits of the Noble Lady,
Umm al-Mu’minin Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (peace be upon her)

أمّ المؤمنين خديجة الكبرى بنت خويلد عليها السلام

Read in English العربية فارسی اردو

This article presents some of the most exalted virtues of Lady Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (peace be upon her) — the mother of the believers and the beloved wife of the Prophet — as recorded in the Qur’an and in the words of the Prophet and his purified Household.

Part I

Khadijah, a Special Divine Blessing for the Noble Messenger

وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَى ✦ أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآوَى ✦ وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلًا فَأَغْنَى

“And surely your Lord will give you until you are pleased. Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter? And He found you in need and made you self-sufficient.”

Surah al-Duha, verses 5, 6 & 8

Among the greatest worldly blessings that Almighty God granted to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his household) was the blessed presence of Khadijah (peace be upon her) — the noble lady who became the Prophet’s intimate companion and confidante, and from whose pure womb Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) was born.

Regarding the interpretation of the verse “And He found you in need and made you self-sufficient,” it is narrated from Ibn Abbas that this refers to God granting the Prophet independence and sufficiency through Khadijah.[1,2]

Khadijah, a Source of Tranquility for the Noble Messenger

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً

“And among His signs is that He created for you spouses from among yourselves so that you may find tranquility in them, and He placed between you affection and mercy.”

Surah al-Rum, verse 21

The historian Ibn Ishaq says: “Khadijah was the truthful minister of the Messenger of God in the matter of Islam, and the Prophet found tranquility with her.”

The word wazir means one who carries a burden and bears its cost. Khadijah dedicated both herself and her wealth to the cause of Islam. The one who was a Mercy to all the worlds found tranquility beside her — a rank whose true greatness can only be fully understood by an infallible one.[3]

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Part II

The Bearer of the Light of Fatimah al-Zahra and Her Nursing Mother

Among the greatest virtues of Khadijah (peace be upon her) is that the light of the Mistress of the Women of the Worlds, Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her), was placed within her pure womb.

It is narrated that Khadijah wished to taste a fruit from Paradise. Jibril brought two heavenly apples and conveyed from God that the Prophet should eat one and Khadijah the other, saying: “For from the two of you, I shall create Fatimah al-Zahra.”

From then on, whenever the Prophet longed for Paradise, he would kiss Fatimah and say: “Fatimah is a heavenly maiden in human form.”[4,5]

Khadijah was also the nursing mother of Fatimah (peace be upon her). Just as her womb was the purest womb to carry the Mother of the Imams, the first nourishment of Fatimah also came from this great lady.

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Part III

God and His Messenger Taking Pride in Khadijah, and the Imams’ Honorable Connection to Her

When God willed that the world be blessed by the arrival of Fatimah (peace be upon her), He commanded the Prophet to remain apart from Khadijah for forty days. During this period, the Prophet sent a message to Khadijah explaining that this separation was not due to anger or aversion, but rather a divine command, and that God took pride in her before His angels several times every day.

يَا خَدِيجَةُ! لاَ تَظُنِّي أَنَّ اِنْقِطَاعِي عَنْكِ هِجْرَةٌ وَلاَ قِلًى، وَلَكِنْ رَبِّي عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَمَرَنِي بِذَلِكَ… فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَيُبَاهِي بِكِ كِرَامَ مَلاَئِكَتِهِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ مِرَاراً

“O Khadijah! Do not think that my separation from you is because of abandonment or dislike. Rather, my Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, has commanded me to do so… Indeed, God, the Mighty and Majestic, takes pride in you before His honored angels several times every day.”[6,7]

Umm Salamah narrates that when Khadijah was mentioned, the Prophet wept and said:

خَدِيجَةُ وَأَيْنَ مِثْلُ خَدِيجَةَ، صَدَّقَتْنِي حِينَ كَذَّبَنِي النَّاسُ وَوَازَرَتْنِي عَلَى دِينِ اللَّهِ وَأَعَانَتْنِي عَلَيْهِ بِمَالِهَا

“Khadijah! And where can anyone be found like Khadijah? She believed in me when the people rejected me. She supported me in the religion of God and assisted me with her wealth.” God commanded him to give her glad tidings of a house in Paradise made of qasab of emerald, in which there is neither noise nor hardship.[8,9,10]

The Noble Prophet introduced Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain in the following words:

أَلاَ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى خَيْرِ النَّاسِ جَدًّا وَجَدَّةً؟ اَلْحَسَنُ وَالْحُسَيْنُ فَإِنَّ جَدَّهُمَا مُحَمَّدٌ وَجَدَّتَهُمَا خَدِيجَةُ بِنْتُ خُوَيْلِدٍ

“Shall I not guide you to those who have the best grandfather and grandmother among the people? Hasan and Hussain, for their grandfather is Muhammad and their grandmother is Khadijah bint Khuwaylid.”[11,12,13]

Lady Fatimah al-Zahra also says in her sermon of pride:

وَأَنَا ابْنَةُ خَدِيجَةَ الْكُبْرَى  ·  أَنَا بِنْتُ الصَّالِحَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ

“And I am the daughter of Khadijah al-Kubra.” And: “I am the daughter of the righteous and believing women.”[14]

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Part IV

The Infallible Imams Taking Pride in Their Connection to Khadijah

The infallible Imams (peace be upon them) repeatedly expressed pride in their noble grandmother, Khadijah al-Kubra. In Ziyarat Warith, we recite:

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ابْنَ خَدِيجَةَ الْكُبْرَى

“Peace be upon you, O son of Khadijah al-Kubra.”

Imam Ali (peace be upon him), who was raised from childhood in the household of the Prophet and Khadijah, regarded Khadijah like a mother. He said:

خَيْرُ نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ أَرْبَعٌ: خَدِيجَةُ بِنْتُ خُوَيْلِدٍ، وَفَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، وَآسِيَةُ بِنْتُ مُزَاحِمٍ، وَمَرْيَمُ بِنْتُ عِمْرَانَ

“The foremost women of all the worlds are four: Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, Fatimah daughter of the Messenger of God, Asiyah bint Muzahim, and Maryam bint Imran.”[15]

Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba said:[16]

كُنْتُ أَنَا أَشْبَهَ النَّاسِ بِخَدِيجَةَ الْكُبْرَى

“I was the person most similar to Khadijah al-Kubra.”

Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) said on the Day of Ashura:[17]

أَنْشُدُكُمُ اللَّهَ، هَلْ تَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ جَدَّتِي خَدِيجَةَ بِنْتَ خُوَيْلِدٍ أَوَّلُ نِسَاءِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ إِسْلَامًا؟

“I call upon you by God: do you know that my grandmother Khadijah bint Khuwaylid was the first woman of this Ummah to embrace Islam?”

Imam al-Sajjad (peace be upon him), while a captive in Syria, proudly declared:

أَنَا ابْنُ خَدِيجَةَ الْكُبْرَى

“I am the son of Khadijah al-Kubra.”

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) also explained the reason behind her marriage to the Prophet. Khadijah, the foremost lady of Quraysh, had rejected the marriage proposals of its prominent men and leaders. Because of the qualities of the Prophet that she had heard described by knowledgeable people, she chose to marry him.[18,19,20]

In Dua al-Nudbah, Imam al-Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) is also described as:

ابْنِ خَدِيجَةَ الْغَرَّاء

“The son of the radiant Khadijah.”[21]

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Part V

The Special Greeting of God and Jibril to Khadijah

Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) narrates that the Messenger of God said that on the Night of Mi’raj, as he was returning, he asked Jibril whether he had any request. Jibril replied that his request was for the Prophet to convey the greetings of God and his own greetings to Khadijah. When the Prophet delivered this greeting, Khadijah replied:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ السَّلَامُ وَمِنْهُ السَّلَامُ وَإِلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ وَعَلَى جَبْرَئِيلَ السَّلَامُ

“Indeed, God Himself is al-Salam. Peace comes from Him and returns to Him, and peace be upon Jibril.”[22,23,24,25]

In another narration, Jibril told the Prophet that whenever Khadijah came to him carrying a vessel of food, he should convey to her the greetings of her Lord and the greetings of Jibril, and give her glad tidings of a house in Paradise made of qasab, in which there is neither noise nor hardship.[26,27]

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Part VI

Establishing the Unique Status of “Umm al-Mu’minin” for Lady Khadijah

Section One — The Greatest of the Prophet’s Wives and Among the Foremost Brought Near to God

After Khadijah passed away, the Noble Prophet said: “Khadijah! And where can anyone be found like Khadijah?” He also described Khadijah as being among the most beautiful of women, the most complete in intellect and judgment, and the foremost in chastity, faith, modesty, nobility, and wealth.[28]

Khadijah was also the first person at the beginning of the Prophet’s mission to accept the wilayah of Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him). The Prophet said to her:

يَا خَدِيجَةُ! هَذَا عَلِيٌّ مَوْلاَكِ وَمَوْلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَإِمَامُهُمْ بَعْدِي

“O Khadijah! This Ali is your Mawla, the Mawla of the believers, and their Imam after me.”

Khadijah replied:

صَدَقْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! قَدْ بَايَعْتُهُ عَلَى مَا قُلْتَ

“You have spoken the truth, O Messenger of God. I have pledged allegiance to him upon what you have said.”[29,30,31]

The Prophet said to Fatimah (peace be upon her): “Your mother, Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, was the first of the believing women to have faith in God and His Messenger.”

Regarding the verse عَيْنًا يَشْرَبُ بِهَا الْمُقَرَّبُونَ — “A spring from which those brought near to God shall drink” — the Prophet said that the foremost of those brought near are the Messenger of God, Ali ibn Abi Talib, and Khadijah.[32,33]

Section Two — Khadijah, the Origin and Source of the Ahl al-Bayt

When the Verse of Purification was revealed, the Prophet pointed to Ali, Fatimah, Hasan, and Hussain and said: “O God, these are my Ahl al-Bayt.” He further explained that the connection of all these members of the Ahl al-Bayt goes back to Khadijah: Hasan and Hussain are the sons of Fatimah, Fatimah is the daughter of Khadijah, and Ali was raised from childhood in the house of Khadijah and later became her son-in-law.[34]

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), in explaining the verse وَبَيْنَهُمَا حِجَابٌ وَعَلَى الْأَعْرَافِ رِجَالٌ — “And between them will be a barrier, and on the heights will be men” — said that this barrier between Paradise and Hell is upheld by Muhammad, Ali, Hasan, Hussain, Fatimah, and Khadijah (peace be upon them), and that they recognize their Shia by their names and the names of their fathers.[35,36]

Section Three — “Our Spouses” and “Mother of the Believers” in the Qur’an

رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ

“Our Lord, grant us from our spouses and our descendants comfort to our eyes.”

Surah al-Furqan, verse 74

The Prophet asked Jibril who was intended in this verse. Jibril replied: “Khadijah.” In this verse, Khadijah is described through the plural term azwaj — “spouses” — signifying that the qualities and perfection of true spousal companionship were fully embodied in her.[37,38,39,40]

For this reason, in the verse وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ — “And his wives are their mothers” (Surah al-Ahzab, verse 6) — she is referred to as an Umm al-Mu’minin, a Mother of the Believers. The Noble Prophet said to her:

يَا خَدِيجَةُ! أَنْتِ خَيْرُ أُمَّهَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَفْضَلُهَا وَسَيِّدَةُ نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ

“O Khadijah, you are the best and greatest of the Mothers of the Believers and the Mistress of the Women of the Worlds.”[41]

Imam al-Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance), in a lengthy narration, explains that the honor of being regarded as mothers of the Ummah remains only for those wives of the Prophet who remain steadfast in obedience to God.[42,43]

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Conclusion

This series presents a comprehensive picture of the unparalleled status of Lady Khadijah (peace be upon her): a special divine blessing granted by God to His Messenger; a source of tranquility for him; the bearer of the light of Fatimah al-Zahra; the recipient of the special greetings of God and Jibril; the first believing woman and one of the foremost brought near to God through her acceptance of the wilayah of Amir al-Mu’minin; and the complete embodiment of the title “Umm al-Mu’minin” in the Holy Qur’an — a noble status in which all of the infallible Imams (peace be upon them) took pride through their connection to her.

  1. Manaqib Aal Abi Talib, vol. 3, p. 120
  2. Tafsir Furat al-Kufi, vol. 1, p. 639
  3. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 19, p. 5
  4. Jannat al-Asimah, chapter 15
  5. Mustadrak Awalim al-Ulum, vol. 11, p. 42
  6. Bihar al-Anwar al-Jami’ah, vol. 16, p. 78
  7. Awalim al-Ulum, vol. 11, p. 53
  8. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 124
  9. Kashf al-Ghummah, vol. 1, p. 353
  10. Awalim al-Ulum, vol. 11, p. 414
  11. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 37, p. 88
  12. al-Amali by Shaykh al-Saduq, vol. 1, p. 435
  13. Rawdat al-Wa’izin, vol. 1, p. 120
  14. Khutbat al-Mufakharah, Ibn Shadhan al-Qummi, p. 82
  15. Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, Ibn Abi al-Hadid, vol. 10, p. 266
  16. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 24, p. 316
  17. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 44, p. 318
  18. Manaqib Aal Abi Talib, vol. 3, p. 305
  19. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 17, p. 225
  20. Ithbat al-Hudah, vol. 1, p. 267
  21. Zad al-Ma’ad, vol. 1, p. 303
  22. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 18, p. 385
  23. al-Burhan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an, vol. 3, p. 493
  24. Tafsir al-Ayyashi, vol. 2, p. 279
  25. Nur al-Thaqalayn, vol. 3, p. 133
  26. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 16, p. 8
  27. Kashf al-Ghummah, vol. 1, p. 508
  28. Rayahin al-Shari’ah, vol. 2, p. 204
  29. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 18, p. 231
  30. Wasa’il al-Shi’ah, vol. 1, p. 281
  31. Ithbat al-Hudah, vol. 1, p. 641
  32. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 225 & vol. 44, p. 318
  33. Tafsir Furat al-Kufi, vol. 1, p. 444
  34. Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, vol. 11, p. 160
  35. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 24, p. 255
  36. Ta’wil al-Ayat al-Zahirah, p. 182
  37. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 24, p. 135
  38. Ta’wil al-Ayat al-Zahirah, p. 381
  39. Tafsir Furat al-Kufi, p. 294
  40. Tafsir al-Qummi, vol. 2, p. 117
  41. al-Khisal, vol. 2, p. 418
  42. Tafsir Ahl al-Bayt, vol. 12, p. 36
  43. Kamal al-Din, vol. 2, p. 459