|
Aminah
bint Wahb was born in Yathreb, later to be known as Madinah,
the city of the Prophet (‘s). She was from the respected
clan of Banu Zuhra in the tribe of Quraysh. Aminah’s father,
Wahb ibn ‘Abd Manaf, was the chief of the clan of Zuhra.
‘Abdul
Muttalib, the custodian of the Holy Kaba’a in Makkah,
grandfather of the Prophet (‘s) and chief of Bani Hashim,
decided that Aminah bint Wahb would be a suitable marriage
partner for his young son, ‘Abdullah, who had reached
marriageable age. Along with his son, ‘Abdul Muttalib went
to Yathreb to meet with Wahb ibn ‘Abd Manaf and proposed
that Abdullah should be married to his daughter, Aminah. The
proposal was accepted and only a few days later the marriage
was celebrated.
As
was the custom in those times, ‘Abdullah lived with Aminah
among her relatives for the first three days of the marriage.
Afterwards, they moved together to the residence of ‘Abdul
Muttalib in Makkah. At this time ‘Abdullah was 17 years old
(some say 24 years old) and was shortly called to as-Sham
(Syria) on a trading caravan from which he never returned.
‘Abdullah fell ill on route back to Makkah and died from his
illness, leaving behind his new wife who, for the love of a
Prophet, would endure her pregnancy alone and widowed.
Upon
hearing the news of her husband’s death, Aminah became
distraught and began to weep continuously. Aminah’s
housemaid, Umm Ayman, nursed her through her grief and was
perplexed as to what else she could do to help the young
widow.
About
2 months after the death of ‘Abdullah, Aminah gave birth to
a beautiful baby son who was named Muhammad, later to receive
Allah’s revelation for al-Qur’an al Kareem as Allah’s
Messenger (‘s). A prophet had been born. Upon his noble
birth, Aminah called for her father-in-law, Abdul Muttalib,
who joyously took the newborn inside the Holy Kaba’a.
As
Aminah was still so grief-stricken from her husband’s death
and also as was a tradition of the Makkan nobility, the family
searched for a Bedouin Nurse, from the tribe of Banu Sa'ad,
who could take care of her baby and suckle him in early
childhood.
Halima
bint Abu Dhu’ayb was a Bedouin Arab woman who had cared for
several Makkan babies in the past. At the time when baby
Muhammad (‘s) was born, Halima and her husband, al
Harith ibn 'Abd al 'Uzza, had decided that, as they
needed greater finance, they would once again nurse a baby. As
they travelled from the desert into the great city, they also
saw many other Bedouins travelling for the same purpose.
Once
Halima and her husband arrived, nearly all the Makkan babies
had already been allotted to a Bedouin Nurse and there was but
one little baby left. This particular baby boy looked rather
sad, which aroused Halima’s compassion, but she knew he had
been orphaned and therefore his family would not be able to
pay her much. All the other Bedouin women had rejected the
orphaned child, but as Halima did not want to return to the
desert without a baby to care for, she compassionately
accepted baby Muhammad into her care and departed with him.
Halima
had expressed, "By God it is oppressive to me to
return with my friends without a new infant to nurse. Surely,
I should go back to that orphan and accept him." Her
husband answered, "There would be no blame if you did.
Perhaps God may even bless us for your doing so." And
indeed Halima’s reward was great as little did she know that
she had the baby Prophet Muhammad (‘s) at her breast.
It
is related that after Halima and her husband returned to the
desert with the blessed baby (‘s), their herd became fat and
multiplied, and everything around them seemed to prosper with
all kinds of blessings. Later when Prophet Muhammad (‘s) was
to be married to Lady Khadija (‘a), Halima was summoned by
Lady Khadija and presented with a flock of 40 sheep.
Halima
cared for baby Muhammad (‘s) until he was the age of 5 years
old (some say 2 ½ years). Once the child (‘s) was returned
to his Mother, Aminah, she was extremely happy to be reunited
with her son and took him to discover his ancestral roots in
her home city of Yathreb (Madinah) where she acquainted him
with his extended family, her uncles from the Banu al Najjar,
and introduced him to the city.
After
a one-month stay in Yathreb, Aminah and her son (‘s)
prepared to return to Makkah. On the returning journey to
Makkah, after only having travelled 23 miles, Aminah fell ill
in the village of Abwa’ where she passed away and was
buried. After having lost his Mother, the young bereaved child
was left only with Umm Ayman, the maid, who returned him to
his grandfather ‘Abdul Muttalib in Makkah.
The
grave of Aminah bint Wahb in Al-Mualla graveyard in Makkah was
destroyed by the Wahaby occupants of Saudi Arabia in the early
1900s. The grave of her husband, ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abdul
Muttalib, in Madinah was similarly destroyed (Victory News
Magazine, 2003).
Lady
Khadija was a beautiful, tall, light skinned woman, considered
noble among her people. She was wise in decision-making,
enjoyed a great deal of intelligence and sharp discernment.
She best owed her brilliant insight of economical principles,
especially in the export and import field, on the trade
market. Khadija’s financial support had a great role in
strengthening Islam during its prime days.
In
the spring of 595 AD the Arab merchants were readying their
caravans to depart from Makkah to Syria in the summer. All
caravans had their agents prepared except Khadija as there was
no man she deemed satisfactory enough to act on her behalf.
One account relates that upon learning of this, Abu Talib
approached Khadija to recommend his nephew, Muhammad (‘s),
to act as her agent. Another report relates that Khadija had
an insightful dream telling her of the very great qualities of
someone who lived in Makkah. She acted on her dream and sent
people to look for the person who answered to the description
that she gave. That person was Muhammad whom she chose to
become her agent.
With
Muhammad as her agent, Khadija’s business grew more
successful and her huge caravan trains became famous in
trading magnificent goods between as-Sham and Makkah. She
therewith decided that the recompense she would pay to
Muhammad for his services would be doubled.
“Due to Arabia
not having any arable land, camel caravans travelled twice a
year, once in the summer and once in the winter, to trade with
Yemen and Syria. Valuable food was bought into Makka via
Khadija tul Kubra's (A.S.) very famous and enormous caravan
trains. This accorded her wealth and a very high position in
the society.
Each caravan train,
or ship of the desert, required a caravan leader. This man's
credentials were thoroughly scrutinised, by a panel, before
the final selection was made. The caravan leader required
specialist knowledge of navigation through the shifting sands
of the desert. Naturally there were no sign posts or roads.
The caravan leader therefore navigated by the stars as the
camel trains were frequently moved at night.
"It
is He Who maketh the stars (as beacons) for you,
That ye may guide yourselves with their help, through the dark
spaces."
(6:98)”
(El-Fatah, 2001)
Nafisa (Nufaysa) bint Munyah was a highborn lady of Makkah and was a
close friend of Lady Khadija (‘a). The two ladies had spoken
on the issue of marriage on many occasions and it was clear to
Nafisa that her friend would only accept a man who would
possess ethical and moral principles as Khadija had rejected
the lords and princes of Makkah. Nafisa knew of only one man
in Makkah who would fit into this noble category.
When
Muhammad was returning from the Holy Kaba’a one day, Nafisa
stopped him and said:
Nafisa:
Oh Muhammad, you are a young man and you are single. Men who
are much younger than you are already married; some even have
children. Why don’t you marry?
Muhammad:
I cannot afford to marry; I am not rich enough to marry.
Nafisa:
What would be your response if you could marry a woman of
beauty, wealth, status and honour, notwithstanding your
present poverty?
Muhammad:
Who would be such a woman?
Nafisa:
Such a woman is Khadija the daughter of Khuwayled.
Muhammad:
Khadija? How is it possible the Khadija would marry me? You
know that many rich and powerful princes and chiefs of tribes
proposed to her, and she rebuffed them all.
Nafisa:
If you are agreeable to marry her, you just say so, and leave
the rest to me. I shall arrange everything.
Muhammad
wished to inform his uncle and guardian, Abu Talib, about
Nafisa’s demarche, and to consult him in the matter before
giving her an answer.
Abu
Talib knew Khadija as well as he knew his own nephew. He
welcomed Nafisa’s suggestion. There was no doubt in his mind
that Muhammad and Khadija would make the ideal couple. He,
therefore, gave his blessings to the proposal of their
marriage. Thereupon, Muhammad told Nafisa that her suggestion
was acceptable to him and that she had the authority to
negotiate on his behalf, his marriage with Khadija (Razwy,
1990).
Abu Talib sent his sister, Safiya bint Abdul Muttalib, to see Khadija who
cordially received her. Khadija told Safiya that she had
accepted Safiya’s nephew to be her life partner without any
pre-conditions and reservations and expressed her earnest
desire to be married to him. Safiya was very happy and upon
departing, Khadija gave her an elegant robe as a gift, which
she accepted with joy and gratitude.
Safiya
returned to the house of Abu Talib and conveyed the joyous
news to the family who would then come to be the in-laws of
Lady Khadija (‘a). In accordance to traditional formalities
of marriage, Abu Talib bought gifts for Khadija and took his
brothers, Abbas and Hamza, with him to her house to formally
present to her the proposal of the marriage of his nephew with
her. Khadija accepted the gifts and accepted the proposal of
marriage, after which the two parties fixed a date for the
auspicious wedding.
The
marriage of Muhammad and Khadija was the first and the last of
its kind in the world. It was the only marriage in the whole
world which abounded in heavenly blessing as well as material
blessings. It was a marriage which was immeasurably and
incalculably rich in the blessings of both the heaven and the
earth (Razwy, 1990).
For
the blessed occasion, Abu Talib bought together the sacred
heirlooms of the Bani Hashim including the cloak and staff of
‘Abdul Muttalib, with which the bridegroom was ordained
along with the black turban of his clan and a ring of green
agate that had once belonged to Hashim bin ‘Abd Manaf bin
Qusayy.
The
wedding party consisted of the chiefs of Quraysh and the lords
of Makkah. The bridegroom, riding high on a prancing horse,
was escorted from the house of Abu Talib to the house of
Khadija by the young warriors of Bani Hashim. The women of
Bani Hashim had gone ahead of the men and were already at the
house of the bride.
Khadija’s
house was illuminated by myriads of lamps, chandeliers hanging
on gold chains from the ceiling, each holding seven lamps. The
male domestics of the house were embroidered with scarlet
tunics, black sashes around their wastes and turbans decorated
with silken tassels of ivory hue. The girls were wearing
dresses dripping with gold and spangles, coronets on their
heads and ropes of pearls and rivers of crystals intertwined
amongst their waste length braded locks. The décor of the
chamber of the bride was exquisite and was unsurpassable in
taste and skill. The hangings were made from silk and brocade,
draped walls and white velvet carpet decorated by goblets
ladened with sparkling diamonds, blue sapphires and balas
rubies.
Khadija,
the bride, sat on a high dais under a beautifully embroidered
canopy. Upon her head was a crown of gold and pearls with her
crimson and green gown flowing with sparkles of gold, set with
pearls and emeralds. The maidens in personal attendance to her
were wearing a diadem of gold, an amethyst silken dress and
jewel-studded slippers (Razwy, 1990).
As
the noble guests arrived in the amber dusk, through the high
arched entrance, they relaxed on ornate cushions and decorated
rugs. Once all had taken his place, the guardian of the
bridegroom, Abu Talib, rose to read the sermon of marriage:
All
glory and all praise to Allah, the Creator of Heavens and
earth, and all thanks to Him for all His blessings, bounties
and mercy. He sent us into this world in the posterity of
Ibrahim and Ismael. He put us in charge of the Mosque and made
us guardians of His House, The Kaaba, which is a sanctuary for
all His creatures.
My
nephew, Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib, is the best
individual in all mankind in his intelligence, in wisdom, in
purity of lineage, in purity of his personal life and in
distinction of family. He has all the markings of a man
destined to be great. He is marrying Khadija the daughter of
Khuwayled against a meher of four hundred pieces of gold. I
declare Muhammad and Khadija husband and wife. May Allah bless
them both, and may He be their Protector.
Waraqa
bin Naufal rose to read the marriage sermon on behalf of the
bride:
All
praise and glory to Allah. We testify and we affirm that the
Bani Hashim are just as you have claimed. No one can deny
their excellence. Because of their excellence, we cherish the
marriage of Khadija and Muhammad. Their marriage unites our
two houses, and their union is a source of great happiness to
us. O Lords of Quraysh, I want you to be witnesses that I give
Khadija in marriage to Muhammad ibn Abdullah against a meher
of four hundred pieces of gold. May Allah make their marriage
a happy one (Razwy, 1990).
Once
the bride was ready to depart, a richly caparisoned she-camel,
carrying a white pavilion in her back, was waiting at the gate
of the house. A team of Nubian slaves carrying flambeaus,
marched in front and on the right and the left sides of the
she-camel. The bridegroom and the young men of Bani Hashim
mounted their horses. When this torch-lit procession arrived
at the house of Abu Talib, his wife and sisters assisted the
bride in dismounting from the she-camel. A chamberlain held a
parasol of white silk over her head, and conducted her into
the inner apartments of the house.
The
Prophet (‘s) stated that “Indeed Allah did not grant me
better than her (Khadija); she accepted me when people
rejected me, she believed in me when people doubted me, she
shared her wealth with me when people deprived me, and Allah
granted me children only through her.”
It
is narrated that Khadija was given glad tidings through the
Prophet (‘s) of a palace of jewels in Paradise for her away
from the Flame of fire wherein there is no noise and no toil.
So
why do we all revere the personages of Aminah bint Wahb,
Halima bint Abu Dhu’ayb, Nafisa bint Munyah, Safiya bint ‘Abdul Muttalib
and Khadija bint Khuwayled? In the acts of all of these
beautiful women in Islamic history, we see that what they did
was all for the love of a prophet. And may Allah shower His
blessings and peace upon them all and upon the noble personage
of Prophet Muhammad and the children of Prophet Muhammad.
And
Allah swt says in the Holy Qoran:
"Their
reward is with their Lord:
Gardens of Eden underneath which rivers flow,
Wherein they dwell forever.
Allah hath pleasure in them and they have pleasure in Him.
This is (in store) for him who feareth his Lord"
98:8
Artwork
by M.Al-Zahra B.Ed
El-Fatah,
Z. (2001) Khadija tul Kubra (A.S.) and Navigation by The
Stars. [Online]. Retrieved on 17th April 2004.
http://www.victorynewsmagazine.com/KhadijatulKubraA
andNavigationbyTheStars.htm
Imam
Abi al-Fidaa Isma’il Kathir (1999). Qisaasul
Anbiyaa. Delhi, India: Adam Publishers and Distibutors.
ISNA
Canada (2004). Prophet Muhammad. [Online]. Retrieved on
17th April 2004.
http://www.isnacanada.com/prophets/mhhch03.htm
Odeh
A. Muhawesh (1990). Fatima the Gracious. Qum, Iran:
Ansarian Publications.
Syed
A.A.Razwy (1990). Khadija tul Kubra. NY, U.S.A.:
Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an.
Syed
Muhammad Hussain Shamsi (1994). The Prophets of Islam.
NJ, U.S.A.: AlHuda Foundation.
Victory
News Magazine(2003). History of Al-Baqi in Madinatul Munawwarah.
[Online]. Retrieved on 16th April 2004. http://www.victorynewsmagazine.com/HistoryAlBaqi
MadinatulMunawwarah.htm
www.victorynewsmagazine.com
| Ahadith
| Articles
| Ashurra
| Awards
|
Calendar | Dua'as
|
DVD
| Gallery
| Haj
| Holy
Places | Home
| Islamic
Arts | Member
Writers | Muharram
| Online
Books | Poetry
| Ramadhan
|
| The
Beauty of The Muslim Woman |
|
