Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (r.a)

The following post is a homework assignment for Grade 7:

Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (r.a) was the daughter of Khuwaylid ibn Asad ibn Abdul Uzzaa ibn Qusaayy. Khadijah (r.a) was from the Quraysh. The lineage of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) meets with her in the celebrated Qusay. Qusay was the great founder of Makkah and was the famous patriarch of the Quraysh.

When Khadijah (r.a) heard of the Prophet's wonderful moral conduct (s.a.w), she requested him to head her trading caravans. When he went on a business trip to Syria along with her trusted slave Maisarah, this trip proved extremely profitable. During the journey, Maisarah noticed wonderful qualities in the Prophet (s.a.w) such as honesty, adherence to noble principles, agreeable dealings and business skills. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) succeeded very well in his business mission. The profits were unusually high.

Khadijah (r.a) was very wealth and had a strong independent will. She had repeatedly declined

marriage proposals made by some of the most prominent men of the Quraysh. However, when the Prophet (s.a.w) returned back home and Maisarah reported all that he had seen during the trip, Khadijah (r.a) was deeply impressed by the Prophet's fantastic character (s.a.w). She expressed her wish to marry him through her friend Nafeesah, and he agreed. His marriage to Khadijah (r.a) took place about 15 years before he received his first revelation from Allah. The Prophet (s.a.w) was 25 and Khadijah (r.a) was 40 years old. She understood the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) and remained deeply devoted to him and morally supported him throughout his life.

When the Prophet (s.a.w) married her, he was in the prime of his youth. The marriage proved to be one of affection and happiness. Khadijah (r.a) bore the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) all his children except Ibrahim, whose mother was Maariyah (r.a). His sons from Khadijah were - Al Qaasim, Abdullah, Zainab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthoom and Fatimah (r.a). All the sons died very young in their infancy. This hurt Khadijah (r.a) but she was always patient and content with Allah's decision for her.

During his (s.a.w) solitary retreat in the cave of Hira during the month of Ramadan, the Prophet (s.a.w) used to be quiet and away from home. The appearance of Jibreel (a.s) at Hira and the subsequent revelation of the Qur'an took place at the time when Prophet (s.a.w) was 40 years old. He returned home with his heart trembling. He told Khadijah (r.a), "wrap me!" and "cover me!" as he was scared for his life. He (s.a.w) told her the unusual sighting of an angel at the cave and she rose to comfort him. She said, "Allah will never humiliate you. You fulfill the duties of kinship; you support the weak, you help the poor and the needy; you honour your guests and endure hardships in the path of truthfulness." Her words restored the Prophet's confidence (s.a.w) and strengthened his resolve. Khadijah (r.a) was always a pillar of support in the life of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w).

She then took him to her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal, who was a Christian and had the knowledge
of the previous Divine Books of Allah. Waraqah told the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) that he saw Jibreel (a.s), the angel of revelation, who contacted Musa (a.s) and Esa (a.s) before him. Waraqah also told the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) that his people would drive him out of the city because every prophet who came with the message of Islam was treated with hostility from his people.

Khadijah (r.a) was the first woman to accept Islam. She never gave up the side of her husband (s.a.w). The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said about her, "The best women of her time was Maryam, and the best woman of her time is Khadijah" - Bukhari. The Prophet (s.a.w) loved her very much. On one occasion, when she was still alive, Jibreel (r.a) came to the the Prophet (s.a.w) and said, "Give Khadijah greetings of peace from Allah and from me, and give her the good news of a palace of jewels in Paradise, where there will be neither nose nor any tiredness."
The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) often mentioned Khadijah's outstanding merits. He (s.a.w), used to say, "She belied in me when no one else did; she accepted Islam when people rejected me; and she helped and comforted me when there was no one else to lend me a helping hand."

Khadijah (r.a) died about 3 years before immigration to Medina. This incident affected the Prophet (s.a.w) so much that his companions always referred to that year as the year of sorrow.

Questions:

A: Name the Following: 
1. Khadijah (r.a)'s full name __________
2. Khadijah's cousin ______________
3. Her tribe ________________
4. The founder of Makkah ___________
5. The children of Prophet (s.a.w) with Khaijdah (r.a) _______________

B: Fill in the Blanks: 
1. At the time of marriage, Khadijah was  ___ years old and Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was __.
2. The first revelation came in the cave of ________.
3.  ________ is the angel of revelation. 
4. Two Prophets who received revelation and Divine Books from Allah before the Prophet (s.a.w) are ____________ and _____________. 
5. Two of the best women of their time are ______________ and _____________.