Woman in Islamic Shari‘ah
5. Muslim women
~ 76 ~
though she was not a contemporary of hers.
“Whenever the Prophet sacrificed a goat,” says ‘Ai
shah, “he would tell me to send some meat to
Khadijah’s friends.” One day I became annoyed,
“Oh no, not Khadijah again!” I exclaimed,
whereupon the Prophet replied, “I have been
intoxicated with her love.”
65
According to ‘Aishah, the Prophet would not leave
home without praising Khadijah. “One day when
he mentioned Khadijah, I became annoyed and
said, ‘She was just an old woman. In her stead, God
has given you one who is better.’ This angered the
Prophet, who said, ‘God knows, He has given me
no better than her. She believed when others
disbelieved. She had faith in me when others
rejected me. She supported me with her wealth
when others left me in the lurch. And God gave me
children by her, which He has not given me by any
other wives.’”
66
In every age, there is a need not only for men but
also for women to devote themselves to the mission
of Islam. Ideally, they should be individuals who
are willing in the way that Khadijah was, to involve
