khadija

Khadija bint Khuwaylid (c. 555–619 CE)

Khadija bint Khuwaylid, commonly known as Khadija, was a prominent Meccan merchant and the first wife of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. A member of the Quraysh tribe, she was widely respected for her business acumen and social standing. Khadija is regarded in Islamic tradition as the first person to believe in Muhammad’s prophethood, thereby becoming the first convert to Islam.

From their marriage she bore Muhammad six children: two sons, Qasim (also known as al-Qasim) and Abdullah (also called Tayyib or Tahir), who died in infancy, and four daughters—Zainab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, and Fatimah. Khadija supported Muhammad during the early years of his prophetic mission and provided emotional and financial assistance, playing a pivotal role in the early Muslim community. She died in 619 CE, in the Year of Sorrow, and is remembered as one of Islam’s most influential and revered early believers.