House of Khadija (RA) – Everything you need to know

Located in the Banu Hashim area, near the house where the beloved Messenger (SAW) of Allah SWT was born, the house of Khadija (RA) holds great significance and value in Islam. It was the residence of Khadija (RA) where Prophet Muhammad (SAW) lived most of his adult life after marriage and before migrating to Yathrib (Madinah).

The house of Khadija (RA) is the place where Prophet Muhammad (SAW) received some of his first revelations, it is the place where his children were born, where the Messenger (SAW) of Allah SWT came to find peace and refuge from the Quraysh in the early years of prophethood.

Read on to learn more about the house of Khadija (RA), the residence of the first wife of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and the place that witnessed the beginning of prophethood and the spread of Islam.

Who was Khadija (RA)?

Khadija (RA) was a woman who is deeply revered in Islam. She was the first wife of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and a shining example of an independent and strong businesswoman with a respectable name in the male-dominated world of trade in the Arabian Peninsula.

Khadija (RA) was born to Khuwaylid bin Asad and Fatima bint Zai’dah in 555 CE in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Her father was a popular leader of the Quraysh tribe and a businessman of great repute.

Before marrying Prophet Muhammad (SAW), Khadija (RA) married twice.

Her first marriage left her a widow, whereas, following the end of her second marriage Khadija (RA) rejected several proposals from some of the wealthiest men in Makkah. During this time, Khadija (RA) focused more on grooming her children and building a strong foundation for her business.

Khadija’s (RA) business led her to meet with Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Because Khadija (RA) didn’t travel with her business caravan, on the recommendation of her cousin, she hired young Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Allah SWT’s Messenger (SAW) returned from the business trip with twice as much profit as expected.

This impressed Khadija (RA), and she requested one of her servants to send a proposal for marriage to Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Both got married and had six kids together: four daughters named Zainab (AS), Umm Kulthum (AS), Ruqayyah (AS), and Fatima (AS), and two sons, both of whom died in infancy.

Throughout her life, Khadija (RA) did everything in her power to support Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and Islam. She was the first person to accept Islam and died in 620 CE in the valley of Shib-e-Abi Talib while striving alongside Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the early Muslim companions. Khadija (RA) was remembered and loved by the beloved Messenger (SAW) throughout his life.

Prophet Muhammad (SAW), when asked about Khadija (RA), said, “Allah SWT granted me no better wife than she: she had faith in my message when people rejected it. She believed in me when people called me a liar. She shared her wealth to ease my grief when people abandoned me. And she gave me, by the grace of Allah SWT, the progeny that no other wife could give me.” (Kutub al-Sittah, Sahih Muslim)

Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that: “Angel Jibril (Gabriel) came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: “O Allah’s SWT Messenger (SAW)! This is Khadijah, coming to you with a dish having meat soup (or some food or drink). When she reaches you, greet her on behalf of her Lord (Allah SWT) 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 (fatigue, trouble, etc.).”  (Sahih Al-Bukhari)

Khadija’s (RA) marriage to Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

After his (SAW) marriage to Khadija (RA), Prophet Muhammad (SAW) shifted from Abu Talib’s home to the house of his wife. At the time of their marriage, Khadija (RA) was 40 years old, whereas Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was 25. They stayed together for almost 25 years.

Khadija (RA) bore all of Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) children except for Ibrahim, who was born to Mariya Qibtiya. The children of the Messenger (SAW) of Allah SWT were named Qasim, Zainab, Ruqqayyah, Umm Kulsoom, Fatima, Abdullah, and Ibrahim. However, all of the sons of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) died during childhood, while the daughters lived to see their father become Allah’s SWT Messenger (SAW).

Importance of the house of Khadija (RA)

Khadija (RA) was beside Prophet Muhammad (SAW) during the initial most difficult years of prophethood. Therefore, the house of Khadija (RA) is home to some of the most significant events in Islam, and what is more historical than the day Prophet Muhammad (SAW) received the first-ever revelation:

According to Islamic history, when the Messenger (SAW) of Allah SWT met Jibril (AS) and received the first revelation on Mount Hira, he rushed back home and said to his beloved wife, “Wrap me up, wrap me up.” Khadija (RA) did as asked; she wrapped the shivering Prophet Muhammad (SAW) up in a warm blanket and peacefully waited.

Soon after Prophet Muhammad (SAW) regained peace of mind, he narrated the incident to Khadija (RA) and told her everything that had happened to him with the remark, “I feel my life threatened.” Khadija (RA) replied, “By no means, I swear to Allah that He would never put you to shame. You join the ties of relationship, you speak the truth, you bear people’s burdens, you help the destitute, you entertain guests, and you mitigate the pains and grief suffered for the sake of truth.” To his (SAW) surprise, Khadija (RA) unhesitatingly believed in him and accepted Islam immediately.

Therefore, another reason why the house of Khadija (RA) is so important is that it is the place where Prophet Muhammad (SAW) came after receiving the first revelation. In other words, the house of Khadija (RA) witnessed the beginning of Islam as on several occasions, Jibril (AS) brought down more revelations of the Holy Quran at this location. The spot where Angel Jibril (AS) used to descend was given the name the “Dome of Revelation.”

Under the roof of this house, Khadija (RA) became the first person to accept Islam. Furthermore, Zaid bin Haritha (RA) was also freed from slavery in the house of Khadija (RA), and Ali bin Abi Talib (RA) also accepted Islam in the same house. In short, from the beginning of Islam till the order for migration to Yathrib (Madinah) came through, the house of Khadija (RA) has witnessed the spread of Islam and acted as a shelter to protect the Messenger (SAW) of Allah SWT and his family from the persecutions of the brutal Quraysh.

Where is the house located?

It is believed that in the early Islamic era (old Makkah), the house of Khadija (RA) was located in the Banu Hashim district, close to the house in which Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was born. However, today, the residence of Khadija (RA) is located in the northeast of Masjid Al-Haram (the Grand Mosque) in the neighbourhood owned by the clan of Banu Abd Shams ibn Abd Manaf.

Al-Fakiki mentions: “The family of ‘Adiyy ibn al-Hamra own a house behind that of Ibn ‘Alqamah on Ashab al-Shayraq Alley, known as the House of al-‘Isamiyyin. It lies between the house of al-Fadl ibn al-Rabī ‘, which is called the House of Esteem, and the house of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), known as the house of Khadījah bint Khuwaylid (may God be pleased with her).”

Architecture and layout of the home

It has been reported that the house of Khadija (RA) was 20 metres wide and 16 metres in length. It had five key areas. The first one was the guest area or the reception room as we know it today. The second area was the children’s quarter or the room where Fatima (RA) was born.

Attached to the opposite wall was the third room, the sacred place where Prophet Muhammad (SAW) received some of the most important revelations of the Holy Quran, also known as the prayer room. The fourth area is the beloved room of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and Khadija (RA), and the fifth area constituted the circulation space and hallway.

Even today, when people visit the new mosque, they aim to go to the house of Khadija (RA) and pray inside the room where the Messenger (SAW) received revelations of the Holy Quran. The people also intend to see the personal room in which Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his beloved wife lived and the room in which Fatima (RA) was born.

There is also the historical room in which Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had taken shelter while the pagan Quraysh tried to throw stones at him, including Abu Lahab, his uncle. Over the centuries, several renovations have taken place in the house of Khadija (RA). However, the last major preservation efforts were conducted in 1923 by Sultan Abd al-Majid, the last Ottoman Caliph.

Location of Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) house

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was born in the house of Abdul Muttalib which is located on the eastern side of the Grand Mosque (Masjid Al-Haram) in She’eb Abi Talib, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. According to narrations, after the migration to Madinah, the house of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was taken over by his cousin, Aqil Bin Abi Talib and later sold by his children.

However, in 1950, the house of the Messenger (PBUH) of Allah SWT was converted into a public library by Sheikh Abbas Bin Yousuf Al-Qatthan, the mayor of Makkah. Note that the house of Khadija (RA) and the house of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) are located in the same neighbourhood.

The valley of Abu Talib

The boycott of the Muslims from the Quraysh tribe forced them to find peace in the small Valley of Abu Talib, also known as She’eb Abi Talib. It is said that after shifting to the Valley of Abu Talib, the Muslims had no food to eat or water to drink. People of the time have said that the valley used to echo with the voices of children crying. This incident took a heavy toll on Khadija’s (RA) health, and she passed away soon after the boycott ended.

Khadija (RA) wasn’t only the first wife of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), but she was also a loyal companion and trusted advisor and was known as the “Mother of believers.” The Messenger (SAW), when asked about Khadija (RA), once said, “When no one believed me, she believed in me, when people accused me of lying, she affirmed my truthfulness, and when people tried to impoverish me, she made me a partner in her wealth.”

Where Is Khadija (RA) buried today?

It is said that Khadija (RA) was 65 years old at the time of her death. The first wife of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is buried in Jannat al-Mu’alla, an old cemetery in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Assassination Attempts on Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

The brutal leaders of the Quraysh had immense hatred for the Messenger (SAW) of Allah SWT, and so on several occasions, they tried to attack him, persecute him and even assassinate him. On the night of the migration to Madinah, the idolaters plotted against Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and surrounded his home at night.

The Messenger (SAW) of Allah SWT asked Ali (RA) to cover himself with the Prophet’s (SAW) green garment and sleep on his bed. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) assured Ali (RA) that he was under the protection of Allah SWT and that no harm would come to him.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) then carefully sneaked out of his house and cast a handful of dust on the assassins stationed outside his home. With Allah’s SWT blessing, the Messenger (SAW) of Allah SWT managed to escape the Quraysh assassinators while reciting these verses from the Holy Quran, “And We have put a barrier before them, and a barrier behind them, and We have covered them up so that they cannot see.” [Holy Quran, 36:9]

The Messenger (SAW) of Allah SWT made his way to the house of his beloved friend and companion, Abu Bakr (RA). From there, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Abu Bakr (RA) began their journey (Hijrah) to Madinah.

On the other hand, the assassins were still unaware of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) escape; they stood clueless outside his house, waiting for him to come out, only to realise at dawn that they had been tricked. The brutal killers interrogated Ali (RA) about the whereabouts of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). However, he pleaded ignorance. The Quraysh assassins dragged Ali (RA) into the Holy Kaaba and kept him captive for days until they had no choice but to let him go.

What Has Happened to the House of Khadija (RA) Today?

The Messenger (PBUH) of Allah SWT had lived in the house of Khadija (RA) for approximately 28 to 29 years. Mu’attab bin Abi Lahab confiscated the house of Khadija (RA) soon after Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) migrated to Madinah. Mu’attab bin Abi Lahab retained the residence under his possession even after Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) returned to Makkah.

Later on, during his caliph from 661 to 680 CE, Muawiyyah bin Abi Sufyan (RA) purchased the house of Khadija (RA) from Mu’attab for 100,000 dirhams.  Overall, Muawiyyah (RA) did his best to preserve the original structure, layout, and foundations of the house. However, the only changes he made included creating a door to connect the home with his deceased father’s home and a mosque. Today, the house of Khadija (RA) stands to be a reputed school for the memorisation of the Holy Quran.

Sayyid Abbas School

According to Islamic history, by 1950, the house of Khadija (RA) didn’t exist anymore. On his journey to Makkah, Muhammad Lutfi Jum’ah, a renowned Egyptian lawyer, noted that nothing remained of the house of Khadija (RA) but an empty patch of land. The foundation of the historic house was covered with sand, whereas the walls had been demolished.

However, after pressure from key religious figures and out of fear that people might make them tourist spots, the new Saudi Arabian Government decided to renovate significant Islamic historical sites, including levelling Khadija’s (RA) residence.

However, these developments alarmed the Mayor of Makkah, Sheikh Abbas Yousuf Qattan. He then ordered his officials to obtain the legal documentation that granted him control of the house of Khadija (RA). Sheikh Abbas Yousuf Qattan preserved the site by concealing the residence under soft sand layers and constructing a school for the memorisation of the Holy Quran. This school was given the name “Sayyid Abbas School.”

Summary – House of Khadija (RA)

Also known as the mother of Islam, Khadija (RA) was the first wife of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Located in the southeast of Masjid Al-Haram, the house of Khadija (RA) is one of the most significant Islamic sites. It is the place where Prophet Muhammad (SAW) spent 28 to 29 years of his life. Today, the residence of the Prophet’s (SAW) first wife serves as a school for those who wish to learn the Holy Quran.