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Hazrat Khadija (رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا) was a twice-widowed Quraishite lady known as
"Tahira" (the pure) even before the advent of Islam. She had three
sons and one daughter from her previous marriages. One of the richest and
noblest ladies of Makkah, she was left a flourishing trade by her last husband.
For this, she hired the services of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ). He proved to be a wise
choice, and through his honesty and intelligence brought great profit to the
business.
His character impressed her to the extent that she proposed marriage, and he accepted her as his first wife. He was twenty-five at that time, and she was forty. All of the Holy Prophet's children (except Ibraheem) were from her, with four daughters and two sons. Holy Prophet's descendants are all from her progeny. She is the only wife during whose lifetime, he didn't take another spouse. Marriage with Khadija (رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا) opened a new chapter in the life of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) as it brought him emotional and financial stability.
She placed all her wealth at disposal of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ). When the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) received his first revelation and came home in a state of shock, she was there to console him. She immediately believed in him and became the first ever convert to Islam, and she stood by the Holy Prophet's side in the face of all opposition and cruelties of the Makkans, including the social boycott. She was the only wife (besides Ayesha) greeted by Jibril himself.
Her influence on the Holy Prophet's life in Makkah was the greatest, and he declared her to be one of the highest-ranking women in paradise. In 619 AD, at the age of 65, soon after the socio-economic boycott ended, Hazrat Khadija (رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا) died. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) was so saddened by this loss that he termed the year the 'year of grief ('Am al-huzn').
His words were, "she believed in me when others
disbelieved and confirmed my truthfulness when others called me a liar",
She is given the title "Mother of the faithful" by the Quranic verse
"The Holy Prophet is closer to the Believers than their selves, and his wives are their mothers..." (Sura Ahzab; 33:6).
