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Encyclopedia of Religion entry for
Khadijah
Known as Khadijatu ‘l-Kubra, "Khadijah the Great." The first wife of Muhammad, and the first convert to a belief in his mission. She was a Quraish lady of good fortune, the daughter of Khuwailid, who was the great grandson of Qusiay. Before she married Muhammad, she was a widow who had been twice married, and had borne two sons and a daughter. Upon her marriage with Muhammad, she had attained her fortieth year, whilst he was only twenty-five years of age. She continued to be his only wife until the day of her death. She died December A.D. 619, aged 65; having been his counsellor and support for five-and-twenty years. She had borne Muhammad two sons and four daughters: al-Qasim, and ‘Abdu ‘llah, also called at-Taiyib and at-Tahir, Zainab, Ruqaiyah, Fatimah, and Umm Kulsum. Of those, only Fatimah survived the Prophet, and from her and her husband ‘Ali are descended that posterity of Saiyads who are the subjects of such frequent petitions in the khutbahs and the liturgical prayers in all parts of the Muhammadan world. Muhammad ever retained his affection for Khadijah. ‘Ayishah said: "I was never so jealous of any one of the Prophet ‘s wives as I was of Khadijah, although I never saw her. The Prophet was always talking of her, and he would very often slay goats and cut them up, and send pieces of them as presents to Khadijah ‘s female friend. I often said to him, ‘One might suppose there had not been such another woman as Khadijah in the world! ‘ And the Prophet would then praise her and say she was so, and so, and I had children by her." (Mishkat, book xxix. ch. xxii.) According to a traditional saying of Muhammad, Khadijah, Fatima, and the Virgin Mary, and Asiyah the wife of Pharaoh, were the four perfect women. (Mishkat, book xxiv. ch. xxix. pt. 2.) [MUHAMMAD.] 
citations: Dictionary of Islam, Hughes
article created 2006-04-12 , last updated 2006-04-12
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