Khadīja bint Khuwaylid
Ahl al-Bayt · 555–619 CE
At a glance
| Category | Ahl al-Bayt |
|---|---|
| Lifespan | 555–619 CE |
| Region | Hijaz |
| Role | First wife of the Prophet ﷺ; the first person to accept Islam |
| Note | A respected Meccan merchant whose support sustained the early mission |
Khadīja bint Khuwaylid was the first wife of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ and, in the traditional account, the first person of any to believe in his message. A respected and independent merchant of Mecca, she employed the young Muḥammad to lead her caravans and then proposed marriage; their union lasted until her death and was, by all accounts, one of deep partnership.
When the first revelation came and left the Prophet shaken, it was Khadīja who reassured and supported him, and her wealth and standing shielded the small, embattled community through its hardest early years in Mecca. She was the mother of Fāṭima, through whom the Prophet's line continued. Honoured across all traditions as the first believer, she died around 619, shortly before the migration to Medina.
Mother of Fāṭima; honoured by all Muslims as the first believer.