The Final Farewell

The Prophet ﷺ - who we know of as the epitome of strength and composure, showed us that expressing profound sadness isn't weakness, but humanity.

And nowhere was his humanity more visible than in the days following Khadijah's death.

When Khadijah (RA) passed away, the formal Islamic burial practices we know today hadn't yet been established.

There was no standardized ghusl or janazah prayer as we now perform.

Instead, the Prophet ﷺ buried his beloved wife with his own hands.

The Prophet ﷺ went down into her grave himself to receive her body.

No one else was present for this deeply personal moment.

He wanted to be the only one to place Khadijah (RA) in her final resting place, to be the last to touch her in this world.

As he laid her frail body gently in the earth, perhaps memories flooded his mind - her embracing him when he returned frightened from the cave of Hira, quiet evenings spent in conversation, the two of them praying side by side in the stillness of night.

Think about the weight of that placement, twenty-five years of marriage, the deepest connection of his life, now being laid to rest by his hands.

As the Prophet ﷺ sat beside her freshly covered grave, there were no formalized duas or rituals.

He raised his hands to the sky, tears streaming down his face, his voice breaking as he poured out his heart to Allah in pain, remembrance, and grief.

A Grief That Persisted

For months after her death, his grief remained so intense that his companions grew deeply concerned.

Ammar Ibn Yasir (RA) said, "We feared for the Prophet ﷺ after her death because of the amount of grief he had when she passed away."

This was no passing sadness but a profound mourning that alarmed those closest to him.

The Prophet ﷺ could sometimes be heard loudly weeping in his home with Fatima (RA), the only daughter remaining at home with him.

Salama noted that "people left the Prophet ﷺ alone because they feared to ask him anything, they did not want to add to his stress because they felt like he would die."

You know, when an elderly couple has been together for decades and one passes away, people worry about the surviving spouse.

That's exactly how the companions felt about the Prophet ﷺ.

They genuinely feared he might not survive the loss of Khadijah (RA).

In the Prophet's ﷺ grief, we find permission to feel deeply and to acknowledge loss honestly.

The depth of his mourning for Khadijah (RA) reminds us of her irreplaceable role in his life.

She was his confidante, his biggest support, his firmest believer, and his heart's companion.

And even in this most personal loss, his example reminds us that Allah remains close to the brokenhearted.