The Pioneer of Struggle

Khadija was rich, but wealth itself cannot provide peace or satisfy one’s emotional needs. It gains value when it is earned and spent for a purpose, and what is more, this way it can be turned into everlasting treasure that illuminates the Hereafter. For this reason, Khadija wanted her life and wealth to become infinite, so she could spend them for the Prophet and his cause.

Especially after the return of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, from Hira, she put aside all personal desires and, instead, worked night and day helping him confront the disbelief of the Meccans. She would go door to door, hoping that at least one more heart could taste faith. Even though the nonbelievers would follow her every step, striving to undo any good that she had done, she was undeterred; whenever she saw two people together, she would join them and plead with them to save their eternal life through illuminating their hearts with faith.

One of the practical ways of doing this was to host people at dinner parties. Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, would also use this method. He would send Zayd ibn Haritha and Ali ibn Abi Talib, who were adolescents then, street by street to invite people for dinner, while Khadija would be at home cooking for those who would attend.

In order to be able to fill other hearts with the beauties of faith, she organized many such dinner gatherings, reached out to those less fortunate, and sacrificed her vast wealth in the way of God. Only a few years after the Revelation came down at Hira, Khadija had nothing left of her property and was in a state of need.

She knew that even the most valuable of material goods could not be more important than one person coming into the ranks of the believers, and she acted accordingly. She was so generous that she believed it to be an honor to give all that she had, including her life, for the sake of what she believed in.

These sacrifices and her selfless acts made her merit incomparable, such that she was raised to the very highest rank among all the women of the world. One day, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was describing her virtue, and he pointed to the heaven and earth with his finger and stated, “Mary, mother of Jesus, is the best of the women of the heavens, and the worthiest woman of the earth (still alive) is Khadija, daughter of Khuwaylid.”53

The Prophet stated that Khadija is one of the four most perfect of all women ever since the first human.54

53 Muslim, ibid., 4/1886 (2430).

54 Haysami, ibid., 9/218.

A section of Khadija’s house where the Prophet would pray and meet with visitors