Seerah / Persecution
He never forgot Khadijah
- Date
- c. 619 CE (the Year of Sorrow) · approximate
- Location
- Makkah
- People
- Khadijah (RA), Aisha (RA)
Aisha (RA) narrates in Sahih al-Bukhari that the Prophet ﷺ mentioned Khadijah (RA) so often, years after her death, that she felt jealous of her — he would even send gifts to Khadijah's friends.
As it was narrated
The story, in the words of those who were there
Read slowly. These are the Companions' own words, from the verified hadith collections.
حَدَّثَنِي عُمَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَسَنٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصٌ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ مَا غِرْتُ عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِنْ نِسَاءِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا غِرْتُ عَلَى خَدِيجَةَ، وَمَا رَأَيْتُهَا، وَلَكِنْ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُكْثِرُ ذِكْرَهَا، وَرُبَّمَا ذَبَحَ الشَّاةَ، ثُمَّ يُقَطِّعُهَا أَعْضَاءً، ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُهَا فِي صَدَائِقِ…
Narrated `Aisha:I did not feel jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) as much as I did of Khadija though I did not see her, but the Prophet (ﷺ) used to mention her very often, and when ever he slaughtered a sheep, he would cut its parts and send them to the women friends of Khadija. When I sometimes said to him, "(You treat Khadija in such a way) as if there is no woman on earth except Khadija," he would say, "Khadija was such-and-such, and from her I had children
Lessons
- Faithfulness continues after death.
- Gratitude to those who stood by us in hard times is part of noble character.
Lessons are editorial reflections drawn from the event and its sources.
Pause for a moment
Which moment of your own life does this remind you of? Sit with it for a minute, then send salawat on the one who lived it ﷺ.
Send salawat ﷺBibliography
- Sahih al-Bukhari 3818 (Aisha) · primary source
- Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum (further reading)