A DEBATING ABOUT KHADIJAH (A)
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single roof. “Zaid” was an adopted son by the prophet and he was from a different family other than Ali (A). They lived together without any jealousy or competition:
and they could benefit from the prophet (S) according to their own capacity.
Apparent Beauty
A: Isn’t there anything said about her apparent beauty?
P: Speaking about apparent beauty has little position in our religion. But just the opposite of what is said that she was aged and elderly, Khadija (A) was unique in beauty in that time and there was no beautiful girl in Mecca like her. She was fair, like a shining sun.58
For example shining teeth of Imam Sadiq (A) made people surprised. People asked “Abdollah Mahz”, the grandchild of Imam Hasan Mojtaba (A) about it, he answered:
“Khadija (A) and Fatima (A) were the same59.
58 Alanvar le Aamal al-Abrar, p.347
59 Dalael alImamah, p.151
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Poetess and Eloquent
A: An active, rich, and beautiful lady. She was unique!
P: I should add that Bani Asad tribe (Khadija’s (A) tribe from Ghoraish) were from the greatest Arab eloquent.60 Khadija (A) knew poetry and her songs to praise the prophet (S) shows it very well61.
Khadija (A) had a witty nature62; she consolated the prophet, and decreased the grief of prophet63; she had a lot of poems.
B: Didn’t she have poems about the prophet?
P: Yes of course. Khadija (A) had a lot of poems about the dignity of the prophet.
They show her knowledge, politeness and her love to the prophet (S).
Here are some examples of her poems, that show her honest love to the prophet
ة ناظر نک ی لع نی یع کن ی لم اذا ضة بعو جناح ی عند تی سو فما
If all the blessings of the world were for me, and I would have the kingdom of the kings, it would be nothing to me if my eyes do not look at your eyes.
A: Was Waraqah Bin Noofel her nephew or her cousin?
P: If he is Waraqah Bin Noofel Asad, he is her cousin. But if he is Waraqah Bin Noofel Khowailid he is her nephew.
A: What is your opinion about it?
P: I think they were two different people. Waraqah Bin Noofel Bin Khowailid her nephew, can’t be the scientist Waraqah Bin Noofel. The scientist must have been her cousin. He was one of the pious monks in Arabia in that time; he had a lot of
60 Amta al-Asmaa, vol.6, p.177
61 Alghadir, vol.2, p.38
62 Alanvar le Aamal al-Abrar, p.309
63 Asira al-Nabavi, vol 1, p.240
64 Alanvar le Aamal al-Abrar, p.301
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information about divine books.65 He was one of the four famous theists of Arabia in Jahiliya era. He opposed worshipping idols.
He said to Arab idolaters: “I swear by God, you have forgotten Ibrahim (A) religion and you have deviated. You worship the idols that are not right. They can neither see or hear you. They have no benefit for you nor any harm. O, you Ghoraish tribe!
go and search every city and find Hanif religion and believe it. Try to find the true religion and know that idols which you worship are not right.66
A: How about her nephew?
P: He can't be this famous person that Khadija (A) asked his consultation for her marriage with the prophet (S). Naturally, the nephew is younger than Khadija (A).
A: Some people say he was Khadija’s (A) uncle?!
P: It is said so, but it is not valid.
A: But Their names are the same?
P: In Arab at that time and even now, they called relatives the same names; So it is normal that Noofel, the son of Khowailid, and his son were called the same as her uncle and cousin.
Knowledge of the Prophethood of Mohammad (S)
A: Before addressing her marriage to the prophet (S), I have an important question.
P: Yes, Please.
A: We have heard: “Khadija (A) was willing to the marriage with the prophet (S)
after she had heard about his trade and honesty.” Is it correct?
P: Shia believes that in interval (Fatrat) era, from the time after Jesus to the prophetic mission (Bi’thah) of the Islam prophet, there were divine prophets. They promoted the divine religion and the last prophet secretly.67
65 Asira al-Nabavia, vol.1, p.223
67Kamal Din, vol.2, p.659
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Waraqah Bin Noofel is considered to be one of the prophets of his era68. But only monks and scholars knew about the attributes of the last prophet (S).69
B: It means that it was obvious that he would be the prophet from his youth?
Prophetic Signs from Youth
P: One of the most important issues that is ignored, but Shia scholars believe, is the prophetic signs in Mohammad (S) from his youth.
A: It means before Bi’thah?
P: Yes, before Bi’thah. Jesus also, was a prophet from his babyhood according to Quran. He said in swaddle:
» ا ّی ،آ للاه ُبد ع ّاٍنی « نی ل ع وج تاب الکه تانیه به ن
“[Jesus] said, "Indeed, “I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet.”70 While he hadn't had a book yet.
So the prophet (S) was known with so many signs in Torah and Bible. They knew about his specific attributes like the time of Bi’thah, settlement in Yathrib and his passing away there71. They even knew about the prophet's executor (Wasi) like: his birth time72 and even the disputations after the prophet’s (S) passing away.73
A: It means that they knew he would be the prophet?
P: Yes, the Jews tried to kill Hashem from his generation beginning; and at last they poisoned him in Ghaza.
A: So how did his generation remain?
P: It was a little late. Hashem. had married Selma the daughter of Amr bin Zaid in Medina and he had a son called “Shaiba”. He was an orphan in Medina. His uncle, Mutalib, got informed about it. He brought him to Mecca because he knew that the Jew wanted to kill him. In the way to Mecca he was exposed to sun and had got a
68 Morooj al-Zahab vol.1, p.87
69 Kamal Din, vol.1, p.200
70 Holy Quran, Sura Maryam, Verse 30
71 Ghorb al-Asnad, p.319
72 Kamal Din, vol.1, p.191
73 Managheb Ale Abi Talib, vol.2, p.255
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little black, Mutalib told people: “he is his new slave”; So people called him, “Abd al Mutalib”.
A: So the main name of the prophet's grandfather was “Sheibe”?
P: Yes. They had told him about the Jews plot to kill his father. He was aware to take care of himself and he knew that the last prophet would be from his generation. So he was very careful about himself and his son, Abdollah, whom the Jews wanted to kill. He took care of Abdollah's orphan, Mohammad (S), and didn't let him to be away from him even for a single moment.
B: So Abd al Mutalib knew that Mohammad (S) would be a prophet?
P: Yes, the Jews scholars and specially the Christian monk, Bahira, had told him:
“This boy (Mohammad) would be a prophet.”
A: So, obviously, Mohammad (S) himself knew that he is a prophet.
P: His behavior before Bi’thah, his prayers, regarding Ibrahim Hanif religion duties and the most important of all, the Almighty Allah would cause him to understand that he would be a prophet.
A: Allah told people about the prophetic of Jesus from his childhood. So it was better to tell people about other cases as well!
P: Shia believes that the prophet was a messenger from his youth; But he was ordered to make it apparent when he was forty and he was given the book at that time.
B: So he himself knew it, the people specially the Jews and the Christians knew it.
Then the prophet was without any mission?
P: The Jew and the Christian knew him very well. Look at the verse from Quran, it says:
“Those to whom we gave the scripture, know him as they know their own sons. But indeed, a party of them conceal the truth while they know [it].”74
74 -Holy Quran, Sura Baqarah, Verse 146
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A: The fact that it says: “they recognize the prophet as they recognize their sons”, is very important.
P: Yes, it is important. But they easily concealed it.
B: But the fact that he was a prophet from his youth was very new for us.
P. We believe in Jesus prophethood from the cradle; because Quran says so. But we have so much information about his prophethood in Torah and Bible and the Jewish and Christian scholars that “he would be the prophet.” We know all of it and we think that the prophet (S) himself didn't know it; and he found it just when the Book was revealed to him.
A: What is the difference?
P: The difference is that Khadija (A) has married with a prophet from the beginning.
The prophet (S) “propagated monotheism and quitting polytheism” for more than 20 years.
A: That Jewish scholar had told Khadija (A) that he would be a prophet before.
P: But the prophet (S) himself knew better than that Jewish Scholar.
A: How?
P: An Egyptian writer called Ahmad Shoghi has a book named “Imam Ali (A)”. He has criticized a subject which has two aspects:
A: What is that subject?
P: He says: “When Mohammad (S) was 15, he saw that Fatima Bint Asad had come in front of Kaba to pray. Mohammad (S) called her “Mother” because he lived in her house. He told her: “Oh, mother! repeat what I say.” She asked: “How?” The fifteen years old Mohammad said: “Mother! say:
“I disbelieved in Hobal and believed in Allah.”
B: Is it when he was 15?
P: Yes, it means that he propagated monotheism from when he was 15.
A: Has any Soni scholar pointed to this matter?
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P: Yes, Aishia says:
فلق مثل جاءت اّلّ ا ی رو یر ی ال کان ف النوم، فی الصالحه ا ی الرو الویح من (ص) للا رسول به ئ بد ما ّل او « الصبح»
“The first things that was revealed to the prophet (S) were righteous dreams that he saw when sleeping, and he didn't have any dream but came to reality as the clear morning.”75
A: Is it before the revelation of Aishia ?
P: Yes, That is the beginning of Bi’thah.
B: Thanks, it was a new point.
Marriage to Mohammad (S)
B: Let's speak about her marriage to the prophet (S).
P: Ok.
A: First of all, tell us about her age at the time of marriage.
P: Why did you start from her age?
A: Because if she is born at the same time as Mohammad (S), so they were at the same age when they married.
P: Yes, Most of the histories say Khadija was 25 when married just at the same age of the prophet (S). Of course in some books they both were 21.76
A: Did girls marry after the age of 20 in Mecca at that time?
P: The historical documents of sociology show that the age of maidens was not more than 12 or 16 in Mecca at that time.77
A: So, why didn't she marry till that age?
P: There are so many issues in this subject. For example: since she had many merits, many people desired to marry a girl like her78. Khadija (A) was unique in her own
75 Sahih Bokhari, vol.1, p.29; Sahih Moslem, vol.1, p.97; Tarikh Tabari, vol.2, p.47 76 Alesteab, vol.1, p.35 77 Omol Momenin, Khadija (A), p.99 78 Asira al-Nabavia, vol.1, p.189
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time. At lineage, she was one of the grand children of Ibrahim (A) and the greatest woman in Ghoraish. More than that she was ideal in wealth, beauty, chastity, wisdom, generosity, piety, eloquence subtlety. she was a great social reformer of her own time.
But she rejected marrying a lot of her suitors such as: Oghba Bin Abi Moeit, Salt Bin Abi Ahab, Abu Jahl and Abu Sofian.79 She knew that she was titled “Mobaraka” in Bible and she would be the wife of Mohammad (S).80 All of the monotheists knew it.
Abdol Mutalib had given Khowailid good news about the best son in law81. Waraqah Bin Noofel had given Khadija good news of the prophethood of Mohammad (S)82 and her marrying him. He told her that she would be honored in this world and the hereafter.83
A: How?
P: Pay attention to these two subjects. You will find out.
The Sun in Khadija's (A) House
P: Usually Khadija (A) and her friends went turning round Kaba in darkness at night.
She stood in front of Kaba one night and prayed for her needs in silent. Then she returned home at midnight. She fell asleep soon because she was very tired.
She dreamed that the sun in the shape of a human rose from the sky in Mecca and came to her house slowly. When the sun reached her house, it remained there and gave light to the whole world and people came to her house in groups to see the sun.
She got up in confusion, looked everywhere but didn’t see anything. She touched her head and face, walked for a while and went to bed again. But she couldn’t sleep and she remembered her dream.
79 Alesteghase, p.115. The fact she was a virgin and she rejected all her suitors was agreed about till 4th century.
80 Amali Sadooq, p.271
81 Sharh Nahj al-Balaqahe, vol.15, p.217
82 Montazam, vol.2, p.373
83 Alanvar le Aamal al-Abrar, p.226
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Khadija (A) knew that it wasn't a normal dream. She thought a lot, but couldn’t come to any result. In the morning, she quickly went to her cousin's home, Waraqah Bin Noofel and told him what she had dreamed.
He smiled and said with a smile on his face: “Oh my cousin! I give you the good news. The light of prophecy will come to your house! The whole world will be enlightened from the light in your house.”
Khadija (A) thought very deeply. She was surprised how the light of prophecy would come to her house? How her house would be the center of light for the whole world? A long time passed and Khadija (A) was always thinking about her dream and its interpretation.
During this time, she compared every suitor that came to her house with what she had seen in her dream, but didn't find any similarity and rejected them politely.84
B: What a strange dream!
The Jewish Scholar's Advice to Khadija (A)
P: And now the second subject: According to an old tradition, the women in Mecca celebrated in Kaba, in one of the nights in Rajab month. One of the scholars of the people of the book preached for them. The preaching of the Jewish scholar had just started when Khadija (A) reached there.
Suddenly Mohammad (S) passed Kaba in the middle of the lecture. The lecturer stopped his preaching and said:
»«لیوشک فلتفعل یطاها ارضا له تکون ان استطاعت فایکن ننی فیکن یبعث ان
"Oh, ladies of Ghuraish! the young man who just passed Kaba will be the last prophet, if any one of you can be his wife, don't hesitate."85
There was an uproar between women when they heard him. Some laughed at him, some mocked him and some cursed him. The meeting ended in uproar and the women dispersed.86
84 Nesa Ahl al Bait fi Zawe Quran va Hadith, p.118; AleSaba, vol.8, p.61 85 Managhebe Ale Abi Talib, vol.1, p.41; Alesaba, vol.4, p.274 86 Hayat al-Gholoob, vol.3, p.219
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Khadija (A) went home quickly and began to think. She thought about her dream and the speech of the Jewish scholar.
She found a relation between her dream and his words. She sent one of her maids to the Jewish scholar the next day and invited him to her house. When he came in, she asked him “How did you know that Mohammad is Allah's prophet?”
He answered: “I have read about his attributes in Torah. It is written there that his parents will pass away when he is a baby, his grandfather and his uncle will take care of him; he will marry a woman from Ghoraish who is the great one in her tribe and is a wise person between them.”
Then he said “Oh Khadija! get my words and don't forget them.”
Then he recited some poems about the prophet's dignity and told Khadija: “Try not to lose Mohammad, you will be happy in this world and the hereafter by marrying
A: Does it mean that there was so much obvious information about the last prophet? even about his wife and…
A: So, the reason for Khadija (A) not marrying anyone was that she was waiting for the prophet's (S) proposal.
P: Maybe there was not any suitable spouse for Khadija (A) except the prophet (S), as these documents show.
A: So, she had two important things; one: she knew exactly about her future? The other one: she was patient against the rumors of the people whose daughters married at the age of 16.
P: Of course! the promises which were given to her, were very important. So she waited for them to happen.
A: We have heard that Khadija (A) proposed the prophet for marriage. Is that right?
87Alesaba, vol.8, p.274; Hayat al-Gholoob, vol.3, p.227