Thinkers Timeline

Khadija bint Khuwaylid was a successful Arabian merchant in 6th- and 7th-century Mecca. She is honoured in Islamic tradition as the first Muslim and as the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad. She was born around 555 CE in Mecca, in what is now Saudi Arabia. Her family belonged to the Quraysh, the powerful tribe that controlled the city. Her father, Khuwaylid ibn Asad, was a respected merchant and tribal leader. After his death in battle, Khadija took over the family business. She built it up through her own skill until her trade caravans were among the largest in Arabia. Her caravans travelled between Mecca, Yemen in the south, and Syria in the north. People in Mecca called her al-Tahirah, meaning 'the Pure One', because of her honest dealings. She had been married twice before. Both husbands had died, and she had children from those marriages. By her late thirties she was a wealthy widow, running a major business in a male-dominated society. She refused many marriage offers from leading men of Mecca. In 595 CE, she heard about a young man named Muhammad who was known for his honesty. She hired him to lead one of her trade caravans to Syria. He returned with strong profits and a strong reputation. She then proposed marriage to him through a relative. He accepted. He was about 25; she was probably around 40, though some sources suggest 28. Their marriage lasted 25 years. She supported his religious mission until her death in 619 CE, the year Muhammad called the 'Year of Sorrow'.