I wanted to honor many women throughout the month of Women’s History Month – and I can’t do that without mentioning Khadījah [ra]. As one of the most important and honored women in Islam, the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] deserves to be remembered during this month. She was the first to wholly support her husband in his revelations.
She also stands as the perfect example of the status of women in Islam. She inherited and continued to grow her own wealth as a businesswoman. “She used her wealth to aid the needy Muslims and purchase the freedom of converted slaves. She holds the rank of becoming the first believer, after the Prophet [pbuh].” Though many continue to paint Islam as misogynistic, it is Khadijah [ra] who reminds us that Islam provided more rights to women, liberating them from their current position and giving them the respect they deserved.
During this month, it’s important to remember the women who came before us and defined who we are and what we’ve become.
Because I’m not sure I can fully do her justice – If you’re interested in learning more about her, you can look at some of these places:
https://www.whyislam.org/women-in-islam/khadija/ – the quotation I used comes from this article.
Leila P. Morgan 