Although the chiefs and nobles of the Koreish asked her in marriage, after Abu Hala's death, she refused them, because in a dream she had seen the sun come down to her house from the sky, and diffuse such light, that there remained not a house in Mecca without being illuminated by it. On waking from her sleep, she went to her cousin Waraka Ibn Nawfal and told him her dream, because he was exceedingly expert in the science of interpretation. He said to her, 'O Khadija, the prophet of the latter time is to be thy husband.' She asked, 'From which country is that prophet to appear?' Waraka answered, 'From Mecca.' Khadija inquired, 'From which tribe?' Waraka replied, 'From the Koreish.' Khadija asked again, 'From which family?' Waraka answered, 'From the Beni Hashim.' Khadija inquired, 'What is his name?' Waraka replied, 'Mohammed.' Khadija thus knowing whence that sun was to arise, at once began to wait for it. So it happened that one day, when that Excellency was dining at Abu Talib's table, Atika, the sister of the latter, was also present, and both observed his propriety and good manners. When he had left, after dinner, Abu Talib said to Atika, 'Mohammed is a grown-up youth, and the time has come for him to marry, but he never speaks to us on the subject. O Atika, what is to be done in the matter?' Atika replied, 'Khadija is an exceedingly blessed lady of noble birth and station who is about sending a caravan to Syria; we can do nothing better than take some merchandise from Khadija for Mohammed, to trade with at their joint profit.' After having consulted with Mohammed, who approved the plan, Atika went to Khadija and communicated to her the state of affairs. Khadija, reflecting for a while, said, 'Is this perhaps the interpretation of my dream? This person is an Arab of Mecca, a Hashimite of the Koreish; his name is Mohammed, he is of a beautiful countenance and pleasant manners, a truth-speaking, faithful, man: is this, perhaps, the promised prophet?' Then she accepted the proposal, and became ennobled with the nobility of the bed of the Lord of the apostles. She was the first lady whom that Excellency married, she being 40 and he 25 years of age. All that Excellency's male and female children were by her, with the only exception of Ibrahim, who was born by Mary the Copt. As the Lord of the world paid much respect to Khadija's wishes, he did not take another wife in addition to her.

The good qualities and virtues of Khadija were many. All agree that she was the first person who was ennobled with the nobility of Islam, believing in his Excellency, and spending property

for his pleasure. According to sound tradition, his Excellency declared that Mary, the daughter of Amram, and Khadija, were the two noblest women of Paradise; and he also said that the mistresses of the ladies of Paradise were, Mary, Fatima, Khadija, and Asia, Pharaoh's wife. According to a tradition derived from Abu Horeira, Gabriel once came to his Excellency and said, 'O Apostle of God, Khadija is coming to bring thee a basin full of savoury food; when she has come, give her a salutation from her Preserver and from me, and announce to her the good news that she has a house in Paradise, made of a hollowed-out pearl, in which there is not any adversity or affliction.' When that Excellency delivered the salutation from the Most High and from Gabriel, Khadija said in reply, 'Truly, God is peace, and from Him comes peace; and peace be upon Gabriel and upon the Apostle of God, and upon every one who hears the salutation, except Satan.'

It is recorded that Aisha the faithful said, 'I felt no jealousy with regard to any one of the Prophet's wives, except Khadija, though she was no longer living when I was ennobled with the nobility of that Excellency's bed. He so much remembered her, that sometimes he would slay a sheep and divide it amongst her friends. So I said to his Excellency, "It seems there is no woman in the world except Khadija." His Excellency replied, "Khadija had many fine points, and my children came from her." On another occasion Khadija's sister Hala knocked at the door, in a way which reminded the Prophet of Khadija's knocking. He became sad and sorrowful, according to one account, or bright and cheerful, according to another, and said, "The person knocking must be Hala." This word of his Excellency so roused my jealousy that I called out, "How much thou rememberest an old woman from amongst the old females of the Koreish, who had no tooth left in her mouth, and had already spent her life, and yet the Most High has given thee something better in her stead!" This observation made his Excellency so angry that the hairs stood up on his forehead, and he said, "By Allah! the Most High has not given me a better one than she was; she had believed in me at a time when all the people were still unbelievers, and testified in my favour when all the world was denying me; and she assisted me with her fortune when all other people were shunning me; and by her the Most High gave me children."' Aisha adds, 'After this I made up my mind never again to say anything derogatory of Khadija.'

The biographers are not agreed as to the time of Khadija's death,