She was born in Mecca around the middle of the sixth century CE. Reports differ over the exact year and her age at marriage, so no single number is presented as certain.
Khadija bint Khuwaylid
PER-000002
Ahl al-Bayt
Confirmed
Shared cemetery point
Cross-tradition historical
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Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her bint Khuwaylid was a respected Qurashi woman of Banu Asad, the first wife of Prophet Muhammad, the mother of his children, and the most decisive supporter of the earliest Islamic mission. Muslim historical tradition remembers her as the first believer. Her discernment after the first revelation, moral testimony to the Prophet's character, and sustained household and material support gave the vulnerable Meccan community protection and stability.
She died in Mecca about three years before the Hijra, commonly around 619 CE. Abu Talib died in the same general period, later remembered in sira as the Year of Sorrow.
The burial of Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her, is traditionally associated with the al-Hajun cemetery in Mecca, later called Jannat al-Mu'alla. The recorded GPS identifies that historical cemetery and pilgrimage area; coordinates alone are not historical proof of an individual grave.
Biography and historical profile
Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her bint Khuwaylid belonged to Banu Asad ibn Abd al-Uzza, a respected branch of Quraysh in Mecca. Early genealogical memory preserves her father as Khuwaylid ibn Asad, while later biographical works name her mother as Fatima, Peace Be Upon Her bint Za'ida. The documented parent details in the reviewed source material are empty and have not been altered; the well-known lineage is therefore presented in the narrative with source caution rather than inserted into the signed identity fields.
Before Islam, she was remembered in Meccan society for dignity, judgment, and commerce. Sira writers describe her as a woman of means who employed trustworthy agents for trading journeys. The integrity and fair dealing of Muhammad impressed her, and their marriage followed. Reports differ over her precise age at marriage, her earlier marital history, and some family details, so this profile does not present one disputed reconstruction as certain.
Their marriage lasted roughly twenty-five years and covered both the years before prophethood and the first decade of revelation. Most biographical traditions count al-Qasim, Peace Be Upon Him, Abd Allah, Peace Be Upon Him, Zaynab, Peace Be Upon Her, Ruqayya, Peace Be Upon Her, Umm Kulthum, Peace Be Upon Her, and Sayyida Fatima, Peace Be Upon Her among the children of the household, although reports vary over the total number and some names. Sahih al-Bukhari preserves the Prophet's statement that he had children through Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her, underscoring the central place of this marriage in his family life.
Even before revelation, her home provided the Prophet with trust, quiet, and practical companionship. Provisions for his retreats in the cave of Hira came through the household to which he returned. This background explains why, after the first revelation, he went first to Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her: the moment reveals not only marital closeness but a relationship of tested confidence.
Around 610 CE, during Ramadan, the first revelation came. The Prophet, Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him, returned home under the profound effect of the majesty, weight, and unfamiliar responsibility of revelation. Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her, neither intensified his distress nor dismissed the luminous event. She reassured him and reasoned from his proven character: he maintained family bonds, carried the burdens of the weak, helped the deprived, honoured guests, and supported people struck by hardship in the cause of truth.
Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her, then took the Prophet, Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him, to her learned relative Waraqa ibn Nawfal, who knew earlier scriptures and prophetic traditions. Waraqa identified the messenger of revelation as the same Namus who had come to Moses, Peace Be Upon Him. He warned that the Prophet's people would oppose him, deny him, and possibly drive him from his homeland, and he wished to support him if he lived to that time. Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her, thus combined faith, reasoned inquiry, informed counsel, and an early understanding of the dangers ahead.
The service of Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her, did not end with the first reassurance. She believed first, confirmed the Prophet, Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him, made her home a secure centre for the mission, used her social standing as protection, and reduced financial pressure so that he could concentrate on teaching, worship, proclamation, and care for the oppressed. A well-known report in Musnad Ahmad remembers that she believed when people disbelieved, confirmed him when people denied him, and supported him with her wealth when people deprived him.
Her wealth was not reserved for private comfort. Broad sira memory connects it with the expenses of the mission, the needs of visitors and dependants, and assistance to vulnerable believers under economic pressure. She provided food, shelter, practical judgment, and material support.
During the social and economic boycott imposed by Quraysh, the severe period in Shi'b Abi Talib lasted about three years. Later sira tradition connects Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her, with spending her remaining resources, helping obtain food and necessities, and enduring the confinement with the clan. Details about supplies bought at unusually high prices belong to later narration, but the core memory of her presence, financial sacrifice, and greatly diminished resources is strong.
Her rank is most securely expressed in sound hadith. Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim report Gabriel conveying greetings to her from her Lord and announcing a house in Paradise without noise or fatigue. Another authentic report places Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her among the finest women of her time and community. These honors belong to the early hadith record, not merely to later devotional enlargement.
A report from Aisha shows that the Prophet continued to mention Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her frequently and maintained kindness toward her friends after her death. This remembrance expressed more than private affection; it preserved gratitude, loyalty, and recognition of sacrifices made before Islam possessed public strength. In Islamic ethics, her life became a lasting example of how discernment, trust, and quiet service within a household can shape a major historical transformation.
Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her died in Mecca about three years before the Hijra, commonly placed around 619 CE. Abu Talib died in the same general period, and later sira memory called it the Year of Sorrow. Her burial is traditionally associated with al-Hajun cemetery in Mecca, later known as Jannat al-Mu'alla. The Prophet's continuing remembrance of her, his loyalty to her friends, and the family legacy carried through their children kept her importance alive long after her death.
Before Islam, she was remembered in Meccan society for dignity, judgment, and commerce. Sira writers describe her as a woman of means who employed trustworthy agents for trading journeys. The integrity and fair dealing of Muhammad impressed her, and their marriage followed. Reports differ over her precise age at marriage, her earlier marital history, and some family details, so this profile does not present one disputed reconstruction as certain.
Their marriage lasted roughly twenty-five years and covered both the years before prophethood and the first decade of revelation. Most biographical traditions count al-Qasim, Peace Be Upon Him, Abd Allah, Peace Be Upon Him, Zaynab, Peace Be Upon Her, Ruqayya, Peace Be Upon Her, Umm Kulthum, Peace Be Upon Her, and Sayyida Fatima, Peace Be Upon Her among the children of the household, although reports vary over the total number and some names. Sahih al-Bukhari preserves the Prophet's statement that he had children through Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her, underscoring the central place of this marriage in his family life.
Even before revelation, her home provided the Prophet with trust, quiet, and practical companionship. Provisions for his retreats in the cave of Hira came through the household to which he returned. This background explains why, after the first revelation, he went first to Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her: the moment reveals not only marital closeness but a relationship of tested confidence.
Around 610 CE, during Ramadan, the first revelation came. The Prophet, Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him, returned home under the profound effect of the majesty, weight, and unfamiliar responsibility of revelation. Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her, neither intensified his distress nor dismissed the luminous event. She reassured him and reasoned from his proven character: he maintained family bonds, carried the burdens of the weak, helped the deprived, honoured guests, and supported people struck by hardship in the cause of truth.
Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her, then took the Prophet, Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him, to her learned relative Waraqa ibn Nawfal, who knew earlier scriptures and prophetic traditions. Waraqa identified the messenger of revelation as the same Namus who had come to Moses, Peace Be Upon Him. He warned that the Prophet's people would oppose him, deny him, and possibly drive him from his homeland, and he wished to support him if he lived to that time. Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her, thus combined faith, reasoned inquiry, informed counsel, and an early understanding of the dangers ahead.
The service of Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her, did not end with the first reassurance. She believed first, confirmed the Prophet, Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him, made her home a secure centre for the mission, used her social standing as protection, and reduced financial pressure so that he could concentrate on teaching, worship, proclamation, and care for the oppressed. A well-known report in Musnad Ahmad remembers that she believed when people disbelieved, confirmed him when people denied him, and supported him with her wealth when people deprived him.
Her wealth was not reserved for private comfort. Broad sira memory connects it with the expenses of the mission, the needs of visitors and dependants, and assistance to vulnerable believers under economic pressure. She provided food, shelter, practical judgment, and material support.
During the social and economic boycott imposed by Quraysh, the severe period in Shi'b Abi Talib lasted about three years. Later sira tradition connects Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her, with spending her remaining resources, helping obtain food and necessities, and enduring the confinement with the clan. Details about supplies bought at unusually high prices belong to later narration, but the core memory of her presence, financial sacrifice, and greatly diminished resources is strong.
Her rank is most securely expressed in sound hadith. Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim report Gabriel conveying greetings to her from her Lord and announcing a house in Paradise without noise or fatigue. Another authentic report places Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her among the finest women of her time and community. These honors belong to the early hadith record, not merely to later devotional enlargement.
A report from Aisha shows that the Prophet continued to mention Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her frequently and maintained kindness toward her friends after her death. This remembrance expressed more than private affection; it preserved gratitude, loyalty, and recognition of sacrifices made before Islam possessed public strength. In Islamic ethics, her life became a lasting example of how discernment, trust, and quiet service within a household can shape a major historical transformation.
Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her died in Mecca about three years before the Hijra, commonly placed around 619 CE. Abu Talib died in the same general period, and later sira memory called it the Year of Sorrow. Her burial is traditionally associated with al-Hajun cemetery in Mecca, later known as Jannat al-Mu'alla. The Prophet's continuing remembrance of her, his loyalty to her friends, and the family legacy carried through their children kept her importance alive long after her death.
Historical importance and legacy
her historical importance begins with her confirmation, protection, and practical support during the earliest and most vulnerable stage of the Islamic mission. Her moral reasoning after the first revelation linked the credibility of revelation with the Prophet's already proven character.
She is a major example of active female religious, economic, and intellectual agency in early Islamic history. Her commerce, judgment, and use of resources demonstrate how household authority and economic capacity could serve faith, social care, and reform.
Her excellence is preserved in central hadith sources: greetings from her Lord, glad tidings of a peaceful house in Paradise, and inclusion among the finest women. These reports make her rank part of shared Muslim memory rather than a distinction created by only one later school.
Her legacy joins loyal companionship with the Prophet, the continuation of the Ahl al-Bayt through Fatima, Peace Be Upon Her, and steadfast service under pressure. She therefore belongs not only to the history of the Prophet's household but among the foundational builders of the earliest Muslim community.
The service of Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her, reached one of its clearest practical forms during the boycott in Shi'b Abi Talib, where wealth, social standing, and personal comfort were placed at the service of the mission and the needs of the confined clan. Her life therefore shows that the survival of early Islam depended not only on preaching or battle, but also on home, food, trust, financial backing, and sustained human care.
She is a major example of active female religious, economic, and intellectual agency in early Islamic history. Her commerce, judgment, and use of resources demonstrate how household authority and economic capacity could serve faith, social care, and reform.
Her excellence is preserved in central hadith sources: greetings from her Lord, glad tidings of a peaceful house in Paradise, and inclusion among the finest women. These reports make her rank part of shared Muslim memory rather than a distinction created by only one later school.
Her legacy joins loyal companionship with the Prophet, the continuation of the Ahl al-Bayt through Fatima, Peace Be Upon Her, and steadfast service under pressure. She therefore belongs not only to the history of the Prophet's household but among the foundational builders of the earliest Muslim community.
The service of Khadija, Peace Be Upon Her, reached one of its clearest practical forms during the boycott in Shi'b Abi Talib, where wealth, social standing, and personal comfort were placed at the service of the mission and the needs of the confined clan. Her life therefore shows that the survival of early Islam depended not only on preaching or battle, but also on home, food, trust, financial backing, and sustained human care.
Family relationships
🤝 Spouses and marriage links
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
Confirmed
🌱 Children
Sources
Sahih al-Bukhari | Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari | Hadith 3 | https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3 | First revelation, Khadija's reassurance, and consultation with Waraqa ibn NawfalSahih al-Bukhari | Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari | Hadith 3820 | https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3820 | Gabriel's greeting and glad tidings of a peaceful house in Paradise
Sahih al-Bukhari | Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari | Hadith 3818 | https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3818 | The Prophet's lasting remembrance of Khadija, her friends, and their children
Sahih al-Bukhari | Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari | Hadith 3432 | https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3432 | Khadija's excellence among the women of her community
Sahih Muslim | Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj | Hadith 2432 | https://sunnah.com/muslim:2432 | Glad tidings of a house in Paradise without noise or fatigue
Khadijah | Encyclopaedia Britannica | Biographical entry; pagination not applicable | https://www.britannica.com/biography/Khadijah | Meccan background, marriage, early support, and death chronology
The Mother of the Faithful Khadijah bint Khuwaylid | Ahmed Zaki Yamani; Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation | Published study, pp. 21–38 | https://al-furqan.com/the-mother-of-the-faithful-khadijah-bint-khuwaylid/ | Lineage, social setting, marriage, household, early support, death, and burial tradition
Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal | Ahmad ibn Hanbal | Hadith 24864 in the Dar al-Risala numbering; grading varies by scholarly assessment | https://dorar.net/h/RHTwe0WT?osoul=1 | Report praising Khadija's belief, confirmation, financial support, and children
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