Khadija bint Khuwaylid

Khadija bint Khuwaylid^[a] (c. 554 – November 619) was the first wife of Muhammad. Born into an aristocratic clan of the Quraysh, she was an affluent merchant in her own right and was known to have a noble personality within her tribe. In his early 20s, she employed Muhammad to manage a trade caravan to Syria and, impressed by his skills, subsequently offered him marriage, which he accepted.

The couple had two sons, Qasim and Abd Allah, and four daughters, Zaynab, Ruqayya, Umm Kulthum and Fatima. In the aftermath of Muhammad's first revelation, Khadija is credited to have been the first convert to Islam. She continued to support her husband throughout her life and died in November 619 (Ramadan BH 3); the year was reportedly termed the "Year of Sorrow" by Muhammad. Her remains are located at the al-Mu'alla in Mecca and attract many Muslims for ziyarat.

Honored by Muslims as one of the "Mother of the Believers", Khadija is considered as one of the four "ladies of heaven" alongside Fatima, Asiya, the wife of the Pharaoh, and Mary, mother of Jesus. According to Sunni Muslim tradition, Khadija had married thrice before Muhammad, and had several children from all her previous marriages, a claim rejected by Shia Muslims.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).