As it is May, International Muslim History Month, I felt that there is no better way to begin this series of articles in celebration of IMHM than with the first person to accept Islam or the first Muslim woman ever in our Islamic history: Khadijah bint رضي الله عنها (May God be pleased with her). She was also known by her tribe, the Quraish, as “The Pure One,” “The Princess of Quraish” and “The Princess of Mecca” because she was rich, because she came from a long line of nobility and because of her charitable nature.

Khadijah رضي الله عنها was believed to be born around  555 CEor 556 CE. Her first husband had passed away, making her awidow and a single mother of two. She then remarried, but separated from her second husband due to incompatibility. Consequently, she received many marriage proposals from noblemen, but she refused them in order to focus on raising her children: two sons from her first marriage and a daughter from her second. Not only was she a full–time and single mother of three, but also, she was a full–time import–export businesswoman, managing her own employees in one of the most successful companies in Makkah. Khadijah رضي الله عنها was the most successful CEO of her time and Makkah was the hub of trading, possibilities and profitability!

Back then, there were no signed contracts or any formal kind of officiality other than one’s word. The same went for “word of mouth” when it came to references. Khadijah رضي الله عنها had only heard about the trustworthy and honest Prophet Muhammad ﷺ so she offered him a position as the leader of her trading caravans. He happily accepted her offer. Little did Khadijah رضي الله عنها know that she would be so impressed by her new employee’s endeavors and manners that she would make him yet another offer: marriage. She proposed to him and it was definitely a big decision considering the Prophet  ﷺ had never been married before and was much younger than she. In fact, the Prophet ﷺ  was just 25-years–old and Khadijah رضيالله عنها was 40-years–old at the time that they were married. He said, Yes! Well, actually, he said something along the lines of him being willing to marry her if she was willing to marry a man of his poor stature. That was not an issue as Khadijah رضي اللهعنها provided for the Prophet ﷺ who also loved her wholeheartedly.  

Together, they had six children: Zainab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, Fatimah رضي الله عنها , Qasim and Abdullah. In all of these blessings that came into their lives, the Prophet ﷺ felt avoid. It was then that Islam completed him. This happened following one of his trips to Cave Hira, where the Angel Jibril(Gabriel) commanded and coerced the illiterate Prophet  ﷺ  to miraculously read the first words of the Quran. When the Prophet  ﷺ told Khadijah رضي الله عنها about his experience, she believed him and encouraged him to believe in such signs. This response is what made her the first person to accept Islam as her religion. As a result, together, they had to face many life–threatening hurdles from not only the enemies of Islam, but also from the loss of their two sons. Moreover, together, they had done hijrah (migration) to Al–Madinah. Khadijah رضي الله عنها financed the spread of Islam, spending most of her wealth onfood, water and other supplies for Muslims. Eventually, she had lost everything and was on the brink of starvation before her death. She was an excellent companion of the Prophet  ﷺ . When Khadijah رضي الله عنها died at the age of 65, the Prophetﷺ dug her grave and buried her, himself. They were blissfully married, monogamously, for 25 years.

According to hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said, “She converted to Islam, spent all her wealth and worldly goods to help me spread this faith, and this too at a time when the entire world seemed to have turned against me and persecuted me. And it is through her that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ blessed me with children.”

Khadijah رضي الله عنها was a powerful, noble and wealthy business woman, loving mother, supportive wife, dedicated to the greater good and the spread of Islam. The Angel Jibril said to the Prophet ﷺ, “O Allah’s Messenger! This is Khadijah, coming to you with a dish having meat soup for some food or drink. When she reaches you, greet her on behalf of her Lord(Allah) and on my behalf and give her the glad tidings of having a palace made of Qasab in Paradise, wherein there will be neither any noise nor any toil.”

Sources:

Encyclopedia.

https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/khadijah

Al-Mubarakpuri, Sheikh Safiur-Rahman; Ghadanfar, Mahmood Ahmad. Great Women of Islam. Darussalam: Saudi Arabia, 2001.

About the Author

Rumki Chowdhury is Editor of World Hijab Day Organization. She is an award-winning published author. She has an MA in English Literature from Queen Mary University of London, a BA in English Writing from William Paterson University of New Jersey and an English Subject Teaching Degree from Gävle Högskolan in Stockholm, Sweden. She speaks Bengali and Swedish fluently! She has years of experience in the media and publishing worlds. Rumki lives with her husband and their three daughters.

Instagram and Facebook @rumkitheauthor

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www.rumki.com  

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World Hijab Day Organization (WHD) launched a new global initiative on April 21, 2021 called ‘International Muslim History Month’, commemorating May 2021 as the first International Muslim History Month. The mission of this initiative is to dismantle Islamophobia globally by celebrating Muslim history.

Worldwide, Islamophobia is at an all-time high from the public sector to the private sector and systematically apparent in the government sector.

Below are some data on Islamophobia from different parts of the world: 

•  According to the American Muslim Poll 2020, 60 to 62 percent of Muslims face discrimination in the United States of America. This number has been consistent for the last five years.
• 2020 Annual Report of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) revealed that 61% of Muslim students have experienced religious-based bullying. 33% of Muslim students have altered their appearance, behavior, or names to hide the fact that they are Muslims.
•  A EU Minorities and Discrimination Survey found that on average one in three Muslim respondents faced discrimination and prejudice in 2017 and 27 percent experienced a racist crime.
• Recent research by the European Network Against Racism shows that Islamophobia can especially impact women. It may impact women in the job market for example.
• In 2019, a widespread mistrust towards Muslims across Europe was found when the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Religion Monitor conducted research. Countries such as Germany and Switzerland reported that Islam was perceived as a threat by every second respondent. Meanwhile, in the UK, two in five share this perception.  Islam is often stated to be incompatible with the “west”, and 60 percent of both Spain and France agree. In Austria, one in three doesn’t want to have Muslim neighbors.
• Anti-Muslim prejudice and racism in Germany occurs particularly frequently. A surveyed showed that 52 percent of those asked, found Islam as a threat. That 2019 survey confirmed that the negative perception Muslims remained stable at a high level for 10 years. The number of crimes classified as Islamophobia rose by 4.4% to 950 offences in 2019 according to German police statistics.
• In a 2020 poll, Poland was found to have a strong dislike for not only Muslims in general, but Arabs (usually identified as Muslims), Fifty-five percent of Polish respondents show dislike towards Arabs and have for more than 10 years.

WHD Organization holds the opinion that education and awareness are the source to dismantling hate.

Here’s 37 unique ways to commemorate International Muslim History Month:

1. Post this message on your social media: In honor of International #MuslimHistoryMonth, I would like to recognize the contributions made by Muslims to the world which enriched society. I want Muslims to know that they are safe and welcome in our community. Together, we can dismantle islamophobia by accepting & respecting our differences. WorldHijabDay.com/MuslimHistoryMonth (*Share this message on your social media so others can get involved.)
2. Reach out to government officials to pass resolutions recognizing the month of May as Muslim History Month.
3. Teach Muslim history in depth in history courses.
4. Take a selfie in support of International Muslim History Month holding a sign with the following writing: May is International #MuslimHistoryMonth (name of your country). [Share the selfie on social media with the hashtag #MuslimHistoryMonth & tag @MuslimHistoryMonth.] 5. Students and parents are encouraged to inform educational institutions about International Muslim History Month and request them to acknowledge and commemorate it.
6. Assign students projects relating to Muslim History.
7. Say hello to your Muslim neighbor.
8. Stand against Islamophobia through out the month.
9. Post a selfie with Muslim friend with the hashtag #MuslimHistoryMonth.
10. Show appreciation to a Muslim friend.
11. Organizations can recognize the month by building Muslim history into their programming during the month of May.
12. Support a Muslim business.
13. Donate to a Muslim organization.
14. Spend time with a Muslim elder in your community.
15. Read a book by a Muslim author.
16. Sign up to mentor a Muslim youth in your community or younger co-worker.
17. Call out Muslim discrimination and prejudice in your community.
18. Implement International Muslim History Month in educational syllabus.
19. Contribute an essay or blog about an influential Muslim figure.
20. Ask your local news media to highlight positive stories on Muslims.
21. Request film industry and streaming entertainment service companies like Netflix to produce positive materials on Muslims.
22. Engage in healthy conversations about Muslim history on social media.
23. Read a biography of an influential Muslim figure.
24. Learn about Muslim influencers in your community.
25. Accommodate Muslim employees daily prayer space.
26. Smile at a woman in hijab and make her feel safe.
27. Have a meal with a neighbor.
28. Visit a museum where Muslim History is displayed.
29. Have play dates with your Muslim neighbor’s children.
30. Write about a Muslim family, friend, or neighbor and what they mean to you on social media with the hashtag #MuslimHistoryMonth.
31. Visit a mosque.
32. Volunteer at a Muslim soup kitchen or cause.
33. Write a blog post or a newspaper column in support of Muslims.
34. Offer your seat to a woman in hijab in public transportation.
35. Sit next to a woman in hijab in public transportation.
36. Ask a Muslim questions relating to Islam in order to clear misconceptions.
37. Request museums to display a showroom on Muslim history in May.

Those who are interested in taking part in International Muslim History Month are asked to register here: https://worldhijabday.com/store/imhm-registration/

Promotional materials can be downloaded here: https://worldhijabday.com/store/imhm-promotional-materials/

For more information, visit https://worldhijabday.com/store

For media inquiries, please contact us at info@WorldHijabDay.com

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