The year was 619 after Christ, and ten years after Prophet Muhammad (sa), received the first Revelation. It was a time for happiness but also of great sorrow for it was in that year, during the month of Ramadan, that Lady Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, returned to her Creator. Out of all the ladies of the world, Allah selected her to be the wife of His beloved Prophet (sa).

She was indeed, the best wife for the best husband and had been blissfully married for twenty-five years. Her love and devotion to calling, and to him were unquestionable. A cross word was never exchanged between them, they were the perfect couple and loved being in each other’s company.

Lady Khadijah had been the first to accept Islam and her faith was like the brilliance of the brightest planet that causes all the planets and stars to appear dim in the darkest hour of the night. Although Lady Khadijah had known excesses of wealth and luxury she never uttered a single word of complaint when the Holy family’s circumstances had been reduced to the poverty of this materialistic world, rather, she was ever thankful to Allah for whatever came her way.

She was charitable and considerate, and never looked down on anyone, and lovingly treated members of her household in the same way as she did her family. Such was the love and care she gave them that none wished to leave her service even when the Holy family’s circumstances were reduced.

Whenever she had noticed or heard of someone in a distressed state she had always been there to lend a helping hand and like her beloved husband never turned anyone away. She always looked for the good in people and brushed away anything that might to others have appeared negative. She was both pure in heart, mind, body and soul and was known as the Mother of Believers.

Lady Khadijah had been an exemplary mother who dearly loved her children, and raised them to be the best, most loving, obedient children of their time. Many were the days when she would be found fondly playing with them, or, much to their delight telling them the stories of other prophets that her beloved husband had narrated to her. When her two sons returned to Allah, she had been naturally saddened but she trusted in Allah and never complained, and gently comforted her grieving daughters who missed their little brothers.

Lady Khadijah had been the most perfect wife, mother, friend and neighbor, those ladies fortunate to know her wished they had her qualities for she set the standard on earth for every woman who longed for Paradise in the life Hereafter.

The Prophet (sa) and his four daughters, ladies Zaynab, Rukayyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatima were deeply sorrowed by their loss. However, peace and comfort descended upon them when the Prophet (sa) gently and lovingly told his daughters that many years before, when he had been in retreat in the Cave of Mount Hira, the Angel Gabriel had visited him bearing greetings for their mother from her Lord. Tenderly, the Prophet (sa) told the children of the wonderful news Gabriel had given him, which was, that he should tell their mother that a palace of gold had been prepared especially for her in Paradise where she would no longer suffer from either noise or fatigue. The news of the Gabriel's message comforted his daughters greatly and they were content in the knowledge that Allah had called her home and removed her far from the enemies of her Lord.

The Death of Abu Talib

Not long after Lady Khadijah had passed away, Abu Talib was taken ill. The illness proved to be terminal and as he lay on his deathbed he was visited, amongst other notables of the Koraysh tribe, by Utba, Shayba, Ummaya from the tribe of Jummah, Abu Sufyan and Abu Jahl. His visitors were well aware of the bond between the Prophet (sa) and Abu Talib and now that he lay on his deathbed they hoped that the Prophet (sa) would listen to his dying wishes.

They approached the subject delicately saying, "O Abu Talib, you know how much we respect you, and now these circumstances have come upon you, and we fear for you. We know the bond you and your nephew share, so ask him to come to you. Give him this gift from us, and take from him a gift for us, which is that he should leave us alone, whilst we, in turn leave him alone -- let him leave us and our religion in peace!" Abu Talib sent word to the Prophet (sa) and when he arrived he spoke to him saying, "Son of my brother, these leaders of your people have come to me asking that both you and they be flexible with one another."

The Prophet (sa) replied, "Then give me a word, a word by which they shall rule over both the Arabs and Persians." Excitedly, Abu Jahl replied, "Indeed, by your father, for that we will give you not only one word, but ten more!" The Prophet (sa) replied, "Then you must say, 'There is no god except Allah' and renounce all that you worship except for Him." In exasperation the Koraysh threw up their hands saying, "Muhammad, would you make our gods, one God, what you say is indeed strange!"

The leaders realized their mission had been in vain and turned to each other saying, "This man will give us nothing we ask for, we will go our own way and uphold our religion which is the religion of our fathers until Allah judges between us and him!" After the leaders had left, Abu Talib drew the Prophet (sa) to his side and said, "Son of my brother, in my eyes you were not unreasonable."

The unshakable love the Prophet (sa) and Abu Talib shared for one another was very deep and the Prophet (sa) longed that his uncle should embrace Islam. Abu Talib had supported him through thick and thin, and when others of his family deserted him, he had always been there, yet he had not submitted himself to Islam but he was ever hopeful. During Abu Talib's last hours, the Prophet (sa) asked him gently, "Uncle, say these words, so that on the Day of Resurrection I may intercede for you." Abu Talib replied, "Son of my brother, if it were not that the Koraysh would think I had just said these words because I feared death, then I would say them. Yet, if I said them would they be said just to please you?"

The time of departure arrived soon after and the angels of death took away Abu Talib's soul. Some scholars of Islam are of the opinion that Abu Talib, the wise man of the Koraysh, had a hidden agenda not to embrace Islam openly. At that time the five pillars of Islam, which are the articles of belief and will be discussed in the appropriate section, had not been revealed and several scholars are of the opinion that he died a believer. His death was not considered to be an integral issue and no further details are available. However, it has been reported in the authentic quotations of the Prophet (sa) that the Prophet (sa) visited the graves of his parents, Abdullah and Amina, and by the permission of Allah raised them from the dead and instructed them in the five pillars of Islam and that they both embraced Islam. It is likely that the same applied to Abu Talib, but Allah knows best.

The Successor to the Tribe of Hashim

Now that Abu Talib was dead the leadership of the tribe of Hashim fell to Abu Lahab whose hatred of the Prophet (sa) was well established. As could be expected, Abu Lahab was not prepared to offer him any support and so the persecution accelerated to a new height.

Despicable Actions

One day as the Prophet (sa) offered his prayer at the Ka'ba, Abu Jahl, in his hateful way, said to his four companions, "I wish someone would bring the bowels of a camel with all its dirt and throw it over Muhammad!" Without hesitation, Ukba, Muait's son brought the filth and emptied it over the Prophet's neck as he prostrated.

The Koraysh looked on making fun of him, delighting in their attempt to degrade the Prophet (sa), but he remained calm and grieved for their disbelief. Meanwhile, someone told Lady Fatima, the youngest daughter of the Prophet (sa), who was five or six years old, of the disgusting act, and so she ran as quickly as her little legs would carry her to him and removed the filth from her beloved father and cried as she rebuked and cursed Ukba for his foul deed. Ukba was not of a mind to stop his foul behavior in fact he was encouraged.

On another occasion as the Prophet (sa) was humbly absorbed in his prayer near the Ka'ba, Ukba approached him with a piece of cloth in his hand, threw it around his neck, pulled it tight and dragged him down until he fell upon his knees. At that moment Abu Bakr entered and saw what Ukba had done and released the Prophet (sa), and in doing so turned to Ukba saying, "Would you kill a man just because he says that Allah is his Lord is his Lord!"

There were many such disgraceful, unprovoked acts the Prophet (sa) patiently endured which caused his young daughter to weep, she could not bear to see her beloved father treated so badly. On each occasion the Prophet (sa) would comfort her with words of tenderness and reassure her saying, "Do not cry little daughter, Allah will protect your father," and kissed her as he dried away the tears from her darling little face. In the years that followed, during the first major hostility in Islam, the Encounter of Badr, all those who took part in throwing the camel's filth over the Prophet (sa) were reported by Masood's son to have been killed by the angels of Allah.