The Road to Marriage.Part4

But of course on that day no one’s happiness matched Khadija’s. She knew so much about him already, such that she had invited the nursing mother of Muhammad the Trustworthy, Halima as-Sadia, to the wedding; she wanted to share with her the happiness of the orphan who had grown up without parents. Her happiness did not overshadow her generosity and she would not forget what she was meant to do. When Halima was leaving in the morning, she had with her the forty sheep that Khadija had given her as a gift for the sake of beloved Muhammad, to whom Halima had given her milk.

After staying with Abu Talib for a couple of days, they moved to their own house that they purchased from Hakim ibn Hizam the nephew of our mother Khadija, and thus began their exemplary life that would continue for fifteen years till the first revelation.

From then on, Muhammad the Trustworthy, peace and blessings be upon him, was a model family man. When circumstances called for it, he would help his wife with the housework, he would see to his own daily needs himself and he thus constructed a relationship with his wife on the basis of mutual respect and love. Although she had every means to leave the house work and the service of her husband to the servants, Khadija enjoyed being of service to her husband and preferred to do much of the work herself, performing her chores with joy akin to prayer. She had devoted herself to his contentment to the extent that she could not bear to see a single hair strand of his be injured in any way, she took great pains so that there was nothing to disturb him.

Allah’s Messenger and Khadija had joined their lives to set up a new household, but they were not alone in this new life that they had started. They would not focus only on themselves; they would hold the hands of others and would prepare these people for life as well. Had their parents been alive, they too would have partaken in the peace of this house; they too would have had the joy of loving their grandchildren with their own children.

First of all, Umm Ayman, entrusted to the Pride of Humankind by his father, moved into this new house with them. She was trying to see to the needs of the orphaned son of her master Abdullah, the son who had lost his mother as well.

The Messenger of Allah was equally a man who never forgot the good that had been done to him. After marrying our mother Khadija and setting up a new house, he had gone to his uncle Abbas and speaking about the dire situation that his uncle Abu Talib was in, he suggested that they should jointly take on the expenses of his house. Thus, Abbas took under his care one of Abu Talib’s son, and the other son Ali, would come under the care of the Messenger of Allah. This can be described as the third phase of protection in the Prophet’s life; now Muhammad the Trustworthy, peace and blessings be upon him, was a father to Ali and Khadija was an affectionate mother to him. On the one hand, Ali was being educated by the most honorable member of humanity and on the other hand, he was the recipient of the affection and love coming forth from the noble Khadija.

There was another young man living in this house and his name was Zayd ibn Haritha. Although he had been the son of a free family, the house they had gone to with their mother had been raided and they had been taken as slaves and sold at the slave market. In the fair of Ukaz, the nephew of our mother Khadija, Hakim ibn Hizam, had bought him and then brought him to his aunt. Till the day of the wedding, Zayd had served Khadija and had become a member of this new household. However, soon a change would occur in his status—he had been given in service to the Cause of Pride for the Universe and he in turn had given Zayd his freedom.