The First Believer

When the Prophet ﷺ returned from the cave of Hira, shaken and uncertain, he went straight to Khadijah (RA).

"Oh, Khadijah," he said, "what is wrong with me? I'm worried about myself.

The one whom I saw in my sleep came to me."

On a side not, one of the clearest proofs of the Prophet ﷺ’s authenticity is his reaction to revelation: terrified and certain he might be losing his mind or deceived by devils, he ran to Khadīja’s (RA) arms, far from staging some grand narrative or embracing this, his genuine fear, humility and humanity testify to the weight of revelation and the truth of his message.

In that moment, Khadijah (RA) could have responded in many ways, but her response was nothing short of divine inspiration.

"These are glad tidings," she said. "This is good news from Allah. I swear that Allah would never disgrace you. Don't be sad.

You maintain good relations with kin, and you only speak words of truth."

She went on to remind him of his character:

"You help the poor and the destitute. When people have burdens, you carry their burdens as well. You entertain your guests. And you assist those who are stricken with calamities."

What's fascinating is that her description of why Allah would not disgrace the Prophet ﷺ perfectly aligns with what would be revealed thirteen years later in Surah Al-Baqarah about true righteousness.

It's as if she had an innate understanding of divine wisdom.

Khadijah (RA) was not just the first believer, but someone who believed in the Prophet ﷺ before he was certain of himself.

She then suggested they consult Waraka, who made a profound and troubling statement: "How I wish I were a young man so that I could help you when your nation ridicules you, persecutes you, and expels you!"

When Waraka mentioned "expels," the Prophet ﷺ couldn't help but ask in disbelief, "My nation will expel me?"

Waraka confirmed, "Yes, never has any prophet been sent except that his people ridiculed, persecuted, and expelled him."

Imagine how difficult these words must have been for Khadijah (RA) to hear.

The man she loved would be shamed, abused, and exiled.

And for her, a woman of nobility and high standing in Makkan society, to be told that she too would face these hardships couldn't have been easy.

Yet remarkably, we have no accounts of her expressing doubt or hesitation.

After this initial encounter, there was a pause in revelation. Ibn Abbas narrates that the Prophet ﷺ would wander through Makkah, its valleys and mountains, hoping to see Jibreel (AS) again.

He was confused and worried for himself, thinking perhaps he had hallucinated the experience.

Every day, he would return to Jabal al-Nour, hoping for another encounter, but there was nothing.

Throughout this difficult period, Khadijah (RA) was there, supporting, comforting, and reassuring him every day, never questioning him once, but more sure of him than perhaps he was of himself.

She was his rock, his grounding at a time when he was going through a metamorphosis and wasn't the most firm in his convictions.

Months passed without revelation, and Khadijah (RA) continued to comfort the Prophet ﷺ.

Then came the moment when he saw Jibreel (AS) in his full angelic form, sitting on a throne between the heavens and earth, covering the entire horizon.

The Prophet ﷺ ran back to Khadijah (RA), saying, "Cover me, cover me."

As she embraced him, the next revelation came: "Oh, you who were wrapped up, arise and warn, and your Lord magnify, and keep your garments, and desert the idols."

Think about the significance of these moments: when the first revelation came, the Prophet ﷺ ran into Khadīja’s (RA) arms; months later, the second revelation arrived while he was already in her embrace.

When he told her she was the first one he was calling to the message, she responded without hesitation: "I am the first one to accept this message. I'm not going to question it."

The Prophet ﷺ then said, "Sleep is gone. We're not going to sleep anymore after this. The time of peace that we had is gone now." The tribulations that Waraka had warned about were about to begin.

Khadijah simply looked at him, nodded reassuringly, and embraced him, a wordless promise that whatever was to come, they would face it together.

Khadijah (RA) would go on to share many firsts with the Prophet ﷺ: she made her first wudu with him, her first prayer with him, her first tawaf with him.

She would pray qiyam with him and sell her gold and goods to support his da'wah.

And heartbreakingly, she would suffer the hardships and abuse right beside him, too.

We will go into their early years of dawah and difficulty tomorrow, inshallah.

If you're still enjoying this series, please like or comment, and we will continue with the extraordinary life of Khadijah (RA).