WOMEN IN ISLAM

They wore old clothes and slept on old blankets. They had hardly any personal belongings. Khadijah had just one wooden bucket and a mug. One day, even the mug broke. She did not have enough money to buy a new mug for herself. So, she remained patient about it. Luckily, a carpenter was passing her tent and agreed to repair it for her. When the ban was finally lifted, the harsh treatment the believers had had to endure during the years of the ban had left them broken in mind and spirit. Their health suffered due to prolonged starvation, and many of them were sick. Khadijah’s health was not good either. She suffered great hardships and used to give all the food to her children and husband instead of eating herself. She passed away in the month of Ramadan in AD 619. GLAD TIDINGS Ibn Ishaaq, the Prophet’s biographer, writes that when the Prophet began publicly communicating Islam’s message to Makkans, he faced stiff opposition and hardship. His wife, Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, converted to the new faith without a moment’s hesitation. Thus, apart from being the partner of his life, she now became a partner in his suffering, for the Prophet’s adversaries found many ways of torturing them, not the least of which was to assemble before their house and create an uproar. Under these circumstances, one day, the Angel Gabriel came to their house and asked the Messenger of God to