THE STORY OF KHADIJA

Gabriel. Gabriel said to the Prophet: “Khadija is coming here. She has got some food and water for you.” And then he added: “When she comes in, give her the greetings from her Lord and tell her that there will be a house made of pearls for her in Paradise.” When Khadija arrived, the Prophet told her: “Here is Gabriel. He is giving greetings to you from your Lord and he is greeting you.” Khadija replied: “God is peace and He is the source of all peace! May God’s peace and blessings be upon you, Messenger of God. And my greetings to Gabriel”. The hatred of the Quraysh was so strong, that soon the Prophet, his wife Khadija, their children, his uncle Abu Talib and his family, and all those who accepted Islam were forced to leave their homes in Makkah. They took refuge in an open plot of land called Shi’b Abi Talib, just outside the town. There were no proper houses there and they had to live in tents. It was like a refugee camp and the family of the Prophet had to stay there for almost three years. They faced hunger, disease and poverty. Sometimes they had to eat the leaves from a tree to satisfy their hunger, for there was hardly anything else to eat. Khadija could have stayed on in Makkah. But she chose to stay with the Prophet in these times of trial and difficulty. Once the richest lady of Makkah, Khadija now lived in a makeshift tent under the open sky, without enough food and water. But she did not complain. She bore the difficulties with great patience and endurance. Her presence was a support to the Prophet. All the people in the makeshift camp lived in great poverty. They wore old clothes and slept on old blankets. They had hardly any personal belongings. Khadija had just one wooden bucket and a mug. One day even the mug broke. She had not 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 long starvation and many of them were sick. Khadija’s health was not good either. She had suffered great hardship and instead of eating herself, used to give all the food to her children and husband. She passed away in the month of Ramadan in AD 619. o