Farewell to Khadija

Only three days had passed since the death of Abu Talib. The Messenger of Allah had tried very hard for him to leave a sign, an address, as he left this world but he did not hear words to that effect from the lips of his uncle. The Quraysh who considered Abu Talib’s absence as an opportunity was now putting even greater pressure on the Muslims. The beloved of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was very sad. His greatest supporter and protector had left this world and he had not heard anything from him that would give him hope that he would win eternal peace in the afterlife as corollary to the warmth he had extended to him in this life.

This was one of the darkest moments. He was also extremely worried about the state of his beloved wife whom he had left in her sick bed. He returned quickly towards his tent, for Khadija, another one of his great supporters, was suffering from a grave illness. The Messenger of Allah was now going to visit his wife who was writhing with fever in her bed, in the throes of her last journey. He feared that he was going to be bereft of another support like Abu Talib, his closest and most loyal friend. He approached and slowly lifted the veil covering the entrance of the tent. To see Khadija in that state saddened him immensely, her sighs of pain were hiding tears of farewell… Once the richest woman of Mecca, today Khadija was in hunger and pain, bent in two, suffering from the effects of the life of exile she had endured.

Her sadness was deepened by the anxiety that he would be leaving the Messenger of Allah alone with their daughters. Her soul was leaving but her heart was still captive to the Pride of Humankind, peace and blessings be upon him, who was now being left friendless, and captive to her children whom she was entrusting to the Sultan of Prophets, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Gracious Lord. She was born too early, and yet had been awakened to the Truth early as well, and now she was going to be reunited with her two children who had gone before her. There was a sweet smile on her face before she left; it was clear that she was already having the visions of Paradise that Gabriel had brought good tidings of. However even this sweet smile had turned into a deep grief when she saw the beloved Prophet who lifted the veils of the tent with affection and mercy. Both of them were grieving for the state that the other was in.

This was a scene that would hurt the Sultan of Affection and Mercy, peace and blessings be upon him, most deeply! Tears had started to flow from his glorious face and wet his noble beard He was crying his beautiful heart out for his wife, best friend and kindred spirit.

The Messenger of Allah approached her with feelings of gratitude and at a moment when words just couldn’t express their feelings, he started to say the following: “This is because of me, O Khadija! You had to endure these hardships because of me and you were deprived of a life that was deserving of your standing.”

He meant to say, “You were not a woman who deserved this. Instead of being reciprocated with generosity for your generosity, you have been reciprocated with hardship and torment,” and added: “But do not forget that behind every difficulty Allah has meant abundant good.”

And now after Abu Talib, the second most important support figure in the life of our Beloved Prophet was no longer alive. Khadija was around sixty-five years old when she said farewell to the world and all worldly strife, to relocate to her eternal resting place decked with pearls, a place where there would be no chaos or hardship. Her spiritual life that commenced on the holy Night of Power alongside the sun that rose in Hira also ended on the holy Night of Power. The Messenger of Allah himself went down into her grave and placed her there in her space in the Hajun graveyard, and he was the one to cover her with earth.

Difficulties one after another had rained down on the noble Messenger like hail. He no longer had a place of refuge where he could retire to when faced with difficulties, no support that held troubles at bay with the safeguard she provided with her years of experience. After his uncle who had been a loving father and a kind-hearted trustworthy protector, now he was losing his beloved spouse and her affectionate support. This encouraged the Quraysh and they started coming on to the Messenger of Allah with greater force. One day, a debauched member of Quraysh had thrown dirt on the Messenger of Allah and he had returned home, head bowed, in this state. One of his daughters was very sad when she saw her father in this state and she was crying as she cleaned the dirt off her father. With affectionate eyes that inspected the future, he said: “Do not cry my dear daughter! Allah will not abandon your father.”

This year in which he would experience sadness after sadness would later be called the years of huzn, or sadness, for during this period the false stance of the polytheists and their reaction towards the Prophet had reached unbearable proportions and at the same time, two supports that had always been on the side of our noble Prophet had taken their leave from this world. These were developments that threw the sad Messenger into deep grief, such grief that it would give its name to these years.