Originally Written for the MAS Blog
Mention Khadijah bint Khawailid in my presence and I can guarantee my face will light up with a smile. What can I say? Khadijah is my woman crush now and forever. Her name has been mentioned in religious circles and academic settings like a classroom, but no matter where she was brought up, her name carried a sophistication, a strength and inspiration that I, as a Muslim woman, can only dream of achieving.
So what does it mean to be a modern-day Khadijah? Let’s highlight a few amazing things about Khadijah first!
- Khadijah was a woman who WORKED. If she was alive, business moguls would likely be begging her to write books on her empire of a business. She was a desert CEO; she was a type 1 leader. Buzzfeed articles on “what all successful business owners do” would highlight her name.
- She was a dream wife. The Prophet (SAW) would say, “She was and she was.” Even the most eloquent man of the world, a man whose mouth poured words of the Lord Himself, fell mute to the magnificence that was this woman. She was his rock and anchor.
- She was a working mom. Nowadays, we find people who believe being a working mother is an oxymoron, as if there is no possible way to give to the world while simultaneously giving to your children. Khadijah (RA) did exactly that.
- She wanted Muhammad and she got him. She wasn’t desperate, by far the opposite. She was a beautiful, successful and prosperous woman. She KNEW herself and understood what she wanted in a lifetime companion. She saw that in the man Muhammad and with dignity and respect, she set in motion a plan to marry that man.
- She raised daughters with Muhammad that would be pillars in their community and go down in history. Sometimes we forget who the mother of Fatima (RA) is. She instilled within her daughters morals and values that transcended her time. She equipped them to be the women that the Prophet (SAW) would turn to support even after Khadijah had passed. Anas reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said:
All in all, modern-day Khadijahs should strive for excellence in their leadership positions, in their spousal relationships, with their families, in their communities. They should be women who can hold their own but are also beacons of empowerment and justice for others. They are women who are proactive, not impulsive, and who balance heart and mind. They are women who carry themselves with beautiful dignity, character and are pools of strength and honor.
So tell me: who is your modern-day Khadijah?