Her father was Khuwaylid Bin Asad Bin Abdul Uzza Bin Kusay. Her mother was Fatima Bint Zieda. She was a very rich lady in Mecca She was in the business of importing goods from such countries as India and China and exporting them to Syria and Persia.
She had inherited this business from her father and then expanded it using her own ideas and imagination. She had her trade centered in Mecca She hired merchants to take her merchandise to foreign lands and sell for her at a profit.
She would then share the profits with these traders when they came back. One of such traders was Hazrat Abu Talib, the Prophet’s uncle. Through Hazrat Abu Talib, the Prophet too joined these trading caravans and travelled to Syria “Sham”. Although she was a clever business person and was very rich, she was also a very kind and generous lady. She was also religious.
Her cousin, Warka Bin Nawfal nad a good knowledge of religion and was follower of the books revealed to the Prophets of Bani Israel. She was a student of Warka and a follower of true religion of her time. Throughout Arabia people knew her because of her wealth, wisdom and goodness.
Even before she had married the Prophet, she was known as ‘Malikatul Arab’ or the Princess of Arabia, and also as a ‘Tahira’ or the Pure one. She was also called ‘Sayyida’ (or The Leader).
Many chiefs and Princes of Arabia wanted to many her but she refused to get married K .hem From the books of the past and from the discussion she had with Warka, she knew that the last Messenger of Allah was living amongst them.
Her wishes were to get married to him As a matter of fact, scholars use this as a proof that she was never married to any other person other than the Prophet.
Her belief that the last Prophet was living in her society was made strong by a Jewish Rabbi. Once she was at a festival with her friends when an old Jew Rabbi (religious scholar) passed by. He told Hazrat Khadija and her friends that “soon in your town a Prophet will come out.
His name will be Ahmad and lucky will be that woman who he will choose to be his wife“. The girls laughed at this scholar. Some of them even threw pieces of stones at him but not Hazrat Khadija. She began thinking very seriously about what he said.
Then she had a dream in which she saw that the sun had come down in her house which became very bright with light. Then the light spread out in all directions. She asked Warka what this meant. He told her that she would be married to a great man who would be a Prophet.
Her investigations made her think that this last Prophet was Hazrat Muhammad (S. A. W.W.).
She became sure that Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) was the last Prophet when she received a complete report from her servant Maisarah about the miracles that he saw take place around Hazrat Mohammad (S.A.W.W.), When he was on his business trip to Syria. For example, he told her how trees would bow down as mark of respect towards Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) and how throughout the journey clouds would shelter him wherever he went.
Hazrat Khadija made a firm decision: ’If I ever get married it will be to Hazrat Mohammad (S.A.W.W.)."
Source:
A Brief Biography of Hazrat Fatima (A.S.), [P.8-9].
By: M.M. Dungersi Ph.D.
