The Prophet’s Appearance

Lives of the two wives of the Prophet, namely Khadijah and Aisha were notable for their contribution to Islam. Khadija Khadija was the first wife of The Prophet Muhammad and the first person to accept Islam. At the time of her marriage to Muhammad , she was a widow and one of the wealthiest traders in Makkah. She employed the Prophet as her business agent, then, impressed by his honesty and refined personality, she proposed marriage to him. She was a source of constant support to the Prophet Muhammad , comforting him when he was deeply shaken by the first visit from the angel Jibril. Khadija’s wealth was also a great source of support to Islam. Having endured the hardships of the social boycott of the believers, she was given the glad tidings of a palace of jewels in paradise. She was the only wife of the Prophet whose children reached adulthood. The Prophet used to remember her fondly many years after she had passed away. ‘A’isha Siddiqa Aisha was the youngest wife of The Prophet Muhammad and the daughter of his closest companion, Abu Bakr Siddiq. She was a deeply pious woman who underwent many hardships along with her husband. ‘A’isha narrates that they did not ever have their fill of barley bread for three consecutive days till the day he died. She was a very intelligent person with an extraordinary memory. She had the opportunity to be very close to the Prophet and would ask him many questions to clarify her understanding of Islam. After the death of the Prophet Muhammad , even senior companions of the Prophet like Umar would come to her for her opinion on difficult issues. She also held regular classes and gave lectures on Islam. Once some hypocrites spread rumours about her chastity. God then sent revelations recorded in the Quran confirming her innocence. The Hadith The Hadith, meaning a ‘statement’ or ‘report’, is used as an Islamic term for the records kept of the sayings and doings of the Prophet Muhammad . The Hadith provides the second fundamental source of Islam, giving us a full account of the life of the Prophet, and serving as a commentary of the Quran. The Quran principally deals with basics. It is the Hadith which gives the details and necessary explanations of the Quranic injunctions. For instance, the Quran says: “Establish the service of worship.” But it does not specify how the worship has to be performed. Not even the timings and rak‘a (units of prayers) are clearly mentioned. We need the traditions to have full information on this. Even after knowing the details, it may not be possible to follow the divine injunctions contained in the Quran. For not everything can be properly understood by words alone. Therefore, the Prophet demonstrated before the faithful how prayer was to be performed. He said to the believers: “Look at me, see how I worship, and follow me.”