Khadijah’s Desire to Marry the Messenger

The Messenger of Allah sold the goods he had brought, bought what he wished to buy, and then returned toward Makkah with Maysarah. Maysarah reportedly saw two angels shading him from the sun during the midday heat while he rode his camel. When he arrived in Makkah with her property, Khadijah sold what he had brought, and it doubled or nearly doubled in value.

[1] Tudharibuhum means that she entered into a profit-sharing partnership with them; mudarabah is such a partnership. [2] The monk’s name was Nastura; he is not the same as Bahira mentioned earlier. [3] The editor explains that “no one has ever stopped beneath it except a prophet” means no prophet had stopped there in that particular moment, not that no one had ever sat beneath the tree in all time. Trees do not ordinarily live so long that a person could know that only Jesus or another prophet had once sat beneath it. A report from someone other than Ibn Ishaq says that no one had sat there since Jesus son of Mary; on that reading, the tree was singled out by this sign. See al-Rawd al-Unuf. [4] Al-Zurqani cites al-Waqidi and Ibn al-Sakan on Khadijah’s choice of the Messenger. Abu Talib reportedly told his nephew that he had no wealth, that difficult years had come upon them, and that their people’s caravan was preparing to leave for Syria. Khadijah hired men of Quraysh to trade with her money and profit from it. He suggested that the Messenger approach her, since she would prefer him for his purity, although he disliked sending him to Syria and feared the Jews; yet they had little choice. The transmitted quotation breaks off in the source after “He replied, may Allah bless him…”. Its missing continuation is not supplied.

Maysarah told her what the monk had said and what he had seen of the two angels shading the Messenger. Khadijah was discerning, noble, and intelligent, in addition to the honor Allah intended for her. When Maysarah told her what he had seen, she sent for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said to him—as people relate—“Cousin, I am interested in you because of our kinship, your standing among your people, your trustworthiness, your good character, and your truthful speech.” She then offered herself to him. At that time Khadijah was of the most central lineage among Quraysh’s women, the highest in honor, and the wealthiest; all her people wished they could marry her.

The printed heading begins the account of the Messenger’s marriage to Khadijah. The following digital line is corrupted in both the KetabOnline transcription and the same-edition Shamela copy, including an empty note marker. Its wording is not reconstructed. The legible continuation says that Abu Talib feared she might marry someone else; Khadijah learned of the conversation between the Messenger and his uncle, then sent for him again, already knowing his truthfulness and trustworthiness.