['Aalim Network QR] Khadija (AS)

[Kara <m.kara@utoronto.ca>]

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|       In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful       |\
|  Greeting of Allah be upon Muhammad and the pure members of his House |\
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Salam Alaikum

The following question has been kindly answered by Dr. Liyakatali Takim.

Thank You

Mahmood Kara
The Alim Network


Question


I'm a little confused on certain aspects around Bibi Khadija (as).

Some brothers told me she was only a couple of years older than the Prophet 
(SAW) and not 15 years older than him like most of the books I have access to. 
And that she was never previously married / never widowed etc.

Another thing I've also read in Shia literature is that Bibi Fatima(AS) was not 
the only surviving child of The Prohet(SAW) and that she had 3 other sisters 
Where did that come from ? 

My understanding has always been that Shias have always believed that she
was the only surviving child.

This may not be a 'vital issue' but it's strange why we can't seem to get our 
facts right on this matter.


----------------Answer--------------

Biismihi Ta'ala

Salaamun 'Alaykum


The figure of Khadija (A.S.) has not been adequately studied by historians,
as a result some of the details of her life are scanty. 'Allama Syed Muhsin
Amin has profiled her in the 6th vol. of A'yan al-Shi'a and has collected
the different reports about her. I will summarize his account.

Most reports suggest that she was born 15 years before 'Amu'l Fil, thus
she was about 15 years older than the Prophet (S.A.W). She died 2-3 years
before hijra (which occured in 622) in the same year as Abu Talib passed
away.  However, some reports do not agree that she was much older than the
Prophet For example, al-Hakim in his al-Mustadrak states that she was 28
not 40 years old when she married the Prophet. 

Most reports (like those of Ibn Ishaq, al-Mas'udi) indicate that she was
the mother of all the Prophet's children apart from Ibrahim (who was the
son of Mary the Copt).  She bore the following children to the Prophet:
al-Qasim;  Zaynab, Ruqqayya Umm Kulthum and Hazrat Fatima (A.S). Bibi
Fatima was the youngest daughter according to most reports. The daughters
accepted Islam and migrated with the Prophet to Medina. 

Historians disagree as to whether she had married before marrying the
Prophet - For example Abu'l Faraj Isfahani states she had married twice
before marrying the Prophet whereas the author of Naqd al-Rijal (Ali b. 
Ahmed al-Kufi al-'Alawi) states that she was not married before her
marriage to the Prophet. MOst reports seem to suggest that she was not
married before the marriage to the Prophet. 

For more details, please refer to A'yan al-Shi'a volume 6. It is to be noted
that these are historical differences which do not pertain to matters of faith.

Please remember me in your prayers

Liyakatali