Imagine being assured of a house in paradise in your lifetime. Our Mother Khadija was one of the few that received this promise from our Lord.

She had the great fortune of proposing to the best of mankind who loved her long after her death and that love extended to her friends and family. It even made our Mother Aisha (RA) jealous.

Truly her story is of her relationship with her husband. She was a comfort to him. How many women are a comfort and not a trial? A burden and not a trust?

When I think of a noble wealthy woman who handed over her business and its trust not because of Islam, I am in awe of her and of course her husband. Their relationship. She loved and trusted his good, hardworking, honest nature.

And when the trial came to him, she was his rock.

Look at her words of comfort to Rasul when he first got the message, afraid, trembling confused. Note, he ran to her.

“ZamiluniZamiluniDafiluniDafiluni”, he said.

And she said:

It can’t be! Be happy.

By Allah, you join the ties of kinship,

You speak the truth,

You bear people’s burden,

You help the destitute,

You entertain guests and You help against the hardships which affect people.

Allah will never disgrace You!

I pause here and I ask you O brother, what will your wife say of you?

Are you the one who speaks right, helps the helpless, does not fight or avoid family members and neighbours, or do you frown at the poor?

Do you welcome all and sundry into your home?

She soothed him, reminding him of who he was, and this was her greatest attribute. She was ‘a coolness’ for him. A woman’s gift is her ability to be the garment for her husband, hold him up, cover his shame, guide his flaws, and grow with him.
Allah’s Messenger said to his wife Aisha RA…’

Allah has not replaced her for me with someone better,

She gave me a share in her wealth when the rest of the people denied me theirs.

Allah provided me children from her while He denied me by other than her.’

Now look at the Rasul’s words. When everyone denied him, she shared what she held dear and was dear at the time, her wealth. As women, we all have that one thing or many that Allah has blessed us with. Have we withheld it from our household, insisting on rights and privileges be it knowledge, skill, networks or wealth? Giving of ourselves and what we hold dear is how we show up in our relationships and homes.

These 2 were garments for each other.

As a woman, I admire my Mother Khadija for her love, trust and belief in Rasul, comforting him with her wealth and self and of course, I envy her the assurance of Jannah for these.

May Allah join us with the Prophet SAW and our Mother Khadija on the day of Qiyammah. Ameen.