Khadijah — the first to believe

Khadijah bint Khuwaylid was an honoured and successful merchant of Makkah. Seeing the honesty of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, she married him. For twenty-five years, before and after the prophethood, she was his companion.

When the first revelation came in the cave of Hira, the Prophet ﷺ returned home trembling and said: cover me, I fear for myself. Khadijah's answer lives on in history:

❝ Hadith

By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep the ties of kinship, bear the burden of the weak, help the destitute to earn, honour the guest, and help those struck by trials on the path of truth.

Sahih al-Bukhari 3 · Sahih

She was the first to believe, and through the hardest years she stood by him with her wealth, her time and her love.

❝ Hadith

Abu Hurayrah narrated that Jibril came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: here is Khadijah coming with a dish of food. When she reaches you, convey to her greetings of peace from her Lord and from me, and give her the good news of a house of pearl in Paradise, with no noise and no toil.

Sahih al-Bukhari 3820 · Sahih