Khadija

​​ ​Khadija **Authors:** jhirschfeld B  jlambert A msullivan ~ D period cmceachern~F period

The religion Islam was founded by the prophet Muhammad in the year 610 Ad. Muhammad was in a cave meditateing when the angel Gabriel came down and told Muhammad that there was only one true god, Allah, and that it was his job to spread the word of his great being as well as destroy the polytheistic idols that his people had originally worshiped. At first, many people were angry and Muhammad for claiming that the idols and Gods that they had been worsiping were not real, but eventually the religion began to spread. Today the religion of Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and is the second most followed religion as well. In the religion of Islam Muhammad was the first prophet, and is one of the most prominent figures of the Muslim religion.But before Muhammad was the famous prophet and founder of Islam he married a successful buisnesswomen by the name of Khadija, and later in their lives she would also become a prominent figure in the Islamic religion.

**Childhood and family:** Khadija, daughter of Khuwayled bin Asad bin Abdul Uzza bin Quas ayy, was born in Mecca. Khadijah's father was a successful merchant, and he traded horses and merchandise in return for olive oil, fruits, coffee, grains, and textiles. This trade was so important because they needed to go elsewhere to grow these types of food, because they did not have any good land to grow it on. Khadijah inherited all the wealth from her father when he died, and soon built and empire upon all the wealth that she had received. She was smart and intelligent so she was not going to let her ample amount of riches affect her in a negative way. She was independent and helped with the profits she made from her father to help the poor and not keep it all to her self. Her brothers, sisters, and cousins did not show any interest in traveling with the caravans that Khadija owned. Khadija was a monotheistic, and was strongly influenced by the ideas of Waraqa, and she shared the same contempt for the idols and the idolaters that Muhammad had. Khadija was born in Mecca. She was the daughter of Khuwayled bin Asad bin Abdul Uzza bin Qusayy. Her family was the noblest and the most honorable in all Arabia. Khadija's father was a merchant. Like most merchants, he had made a big fortune in foreign trade. Khadija's mother had died in or around the year 575 A.D and her father had died in or arund the year 585 A.D. On top of his death, Khadija inherited his fortune, and shared it amongst her siblings. She was the only one out of her many siblings to become rich. After the death of her father, Khadija took over the family buisness and expanded it. She helped the poor, widows, orphans, the sick and disabled with her profits. Khadija's uncle was her adviser for her buissness and other members of her family helped her to manage it. She never let them make the decisions, because she trusted her own judjement more then anyone elses even though she always welcomed the advice. Through Khadija's great success and wealth she had many acheivements.
 * Before marrying muhammad/early adulthood**

Business was a very large part of Khadija's life, more so before she met Muhammad than after. Khadija's father was a very successful businessman/merchant whose vast wealth and business talents were inherited by Khadija. By the time that Muhammad met Khadija it was said that Khadija's caravan equaled the caravans of all other traders of Quraysh put together. When Khadija met Muhammad, she was actually hiring him as an agent to sell her merchandise going to Syria. Khadija used her vast wealth for many things; she feed and clothed the poor, assisted her relatives financially, and even provided for the marriage of those in her family who could not otherwise have had means to marry.
 * Business and Acheivments **



**Meeting and Marrying Muhammad:** Since Muhammad was a merchant before he became the great prophet of Islam, he traveled to Mecca to trade. Mecca was where Muhammad and the beautiful Khadija first met and fell in love. Khadja was a very successful businesswoman, and when she met the young Muhammad and realized his great honesty and character, she immediately offered him a job. Muhammad was immediately place at the head of a caravan and headed of to Syria with one of Khadija's trusted slaves, Maysara. When the pair got back, Maysara had great reports of Muhammad’s character and honest dealings, which soon began to make a very large profit. The personal attributes and the moral in Muhammad attracted the attention and won the admiration of Khadija. Soon the widow proposed for marriage, even though she was then 40 years old while he was merely 25. The couple was wed in 595 AD, and though it was popular for the time period, Muhammad never got married to another woman while he and Khadija were still married. Soon Khadija and Muhammad had 6 children together, 2 sons, that died in birth, and four daughters, and most of his children (from other wives as well) died before he did. At this time, Mecca was prospering as well, becoming a well known trading center in the hands of the elite clan-leaders who were mostly merchants. Khadija meant the world to Muhammad and when she died in 617, the year before he went on the pivotal Hijra, he was devastated and that time period is known as the Year of Grief.

In conclusion, Khadija was a very important figure in Islamic History, and was one of the prophet Muhammad's favorite wives. Their marriage lasted about 25 years, depite their great age difference, and throughout the whole marriage they were happy and supportive to one another. Muhammad relied apon the wise woman and she helped him stay faithfull to and spread the word of Allah as well as support his religion of Islam unflaggingly. As well as being a very successfull buisness women, wife of Muhammad, and a trustworthy noble, it is very clear that Khadija was important to the religion of Islam for multiple reasons.



Sources: Pictures: Notes:
 * al-islam.org
 * first wife
 * [|www.ancient.history.nl]
 * [|www.suite101.com]
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 * [|www.islamfrominside.com/Pages/Articles/Marriage%2520in%2520Islam.htm]
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 * was a merchant.
 * Khadija's caravan equalled the caravans of all other traders of Quraysh put together.
 * very wealthy and successful;
 * she had two titles, Princess of Quraysh, and the Pure One.
 * she never believed in nor worshipped idols.
 * Muhammad's first wife
 * daughter of kuwaylid
 * 585 A.D she became an orphan
 * strenghtened her wealth in Islam
 * first wife of the prophet
 * when she was married soonly after her father and husband died
 * She was a Meccan born to Khuwailid ibn Asad of the clan of Banu Hashim of the tribe of Banu Asad.
 * Khadija's father was a succesful merchant
 * ​ died in 617 in Mecca one year before the Hijra
 * was 40 years old when married Muhammad, who was 25
 * met when she hired Muhhamad to work for her
 * belonged to the clan of Banu Hashi, in the tribe of Banu Asad
 * was a distant cousin of Muhammad
 * came from a prominent family
 * successful buisness women
 * noble women
 * she was very beautiful
 * alot of men had asked for her hand in marrige. she married twice
 * played the most important role in Muhammad's life.
 * she was known as "Al-Tahira" or, pure one.
 * she stands out in islamic culture because her very existance continues to defy popular perceptions of womens roles in islam.

Hi guys I corrected the paragraphs for spelling, and Justin I edited yours if thats alright because i knew you didn't have alot of time to write it today in class. Read everything over and correct it if you have time! Also I did the conclusion and added a few more pictures to the ones that JT got. Good job everyone! xoxo May Great job everyone! -JT
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