The first woman to declare that the Creator was One, and that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his pure progeny) was His Messenger, Omm `ol Mo’minin Sayyedah Khadijah Al-Kobra bint-e-Khawelad (peace be upon her), was died on 10th of Ramadan, 619 AD.

Her death brought deep sorrow to the Holy Prophet Muhammad bin Abdullah (peace be upon him and his pure progeny), especially since it was followed by the death of his patron uncle Hadhrat Abu Talib (peace be upon him) who died One month after that. Hence, the year in which the deaths of Sayyedah Khadijah Al-Kobra (peace be upon her) and Hadhrat Abu Talib (peace be upon him) occurred, was called "Year of Grief" by the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny).

Her death was a disaster for the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny) not only because she was his wife, but also because she was the first one to believe in his messengership.

When Sayyedah Khadijah Al-Kobra (peace be upon her) was buried at Houjoun, the Messenger of Allah stepped down into her grave to bless it. Meanwhile, their only daughter Fatimah Az-Zahraa (peace be upon her) kept close to her father and asked him:

"Messenger of Allah, where is my Mother?"

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny) avoided her question, so she looked around for someone to ask where her Mother was! At that point, angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) descended and revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny): "Your Lord commands you to inform Fatimah that He sends His blessings upon her and says: Your Mother is in a house of brocade, its corners are made of gold, and its poles are of rubies. It is located between Asiya's (Pharaoh's wife) and Maryam Bint Imran's houses."

Fatimah (peace be upon her) then said: "Surely Allah is As-Salam, and peace is from Him and to Him."

Sayyedah Khadijah Al-Kobra (peace be upon her) was an “eye-witness” to the advent of Islam. She nursed it through its infancy, through its most difficult, most formative years. Islam was given shape and design in her home. If any home can be called the cradle of Islam, it was her home. She “reared” Islam. If any home can be called the “axis” of Islam, it was her home; Islam revolved around her home. Her home was the “home” of the glorious Quran, the Book of Allah and the religious and political code of Islam. It was in her home that Archangel Gabriel was bringing Revelations from Heaven.

When Islam came under mounting pressure from its enemies, Sayyedah Khadijah (peace be upon her) sacrificed her comfort, her wealth and her home for it; and it appeared that she sacrificed her life also.

Some Muslims may forget but Islam cannot forget that in its infancy, it were Hadhrat Abu Talib (peace be upon him) and Sayyedah Khadijah Al-Kobra (peace be upon her) who protected it. They made Islam invincible. Abu Talib (peace be upon him) protected the bud of Islam from the storms of misbelieve and Khadijah (peace be upon her) irrigated it with her wealth. And it was her beloved child and grandchildren who protected Islam from its enemies and irrigated it with their blood, after the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny)’s departure to Eternity.

Next to her husband, and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny)’s young cousin Imam Ali (peace be upon him), she was the 3rd individual who heard the Voice of Revelation. She (peace be upon her), Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and her husband (peace be upon him and his pure progeny) were the first to hold the Salaat`ol Jama’ah or the congregational prayer in Islam.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny) placed her in the rank of four perfect women of the universe, with Asiya the wife of pharaoh, Mary the mother of Jesus, and the greatest of them all, his beloved daughter, Sayyedah Fatimah Az- Zahra (Peace be upon her).

Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny)’s another wife Ayesha quoted him as saying about Sayyedah Khadijah (peace be upon her): “She believed in my Prophethood when all the people denied it. She placed her wealth at my disposal in the most trying circumstances. Allah gave me children through her, which I did not get through anyone else."

Muhammad ibn Ishaq, the biographer of the Prophet, says that when there was resumption of Divine revelation, after its cessation following the first two visits of Archangel Gabriel, Khadijah (peace be upon her) received a tribute and a salutation of peace from the Almighty. The message was communicated to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his pure progeny) by Gabriel, and when he conveyed it to Khadijah (peace be upon her), she said: “Allah is Peace, and from Him is all Peace, and may peace be on Gabriel.”